This is a giallo that like "In the Folds of Flesh" released a year or so earlier, combines the traditional giallo formula with the kind of "pop"-Freudian nonsense that was big at the time in Europe especially, resulting in a movie that is pretty goofy but fun. A young woman (Rosemary Wilcox) is haunted by pop-Freudian dreams of her recently murdered psychologist (and lover), so for some reason she goes to a resort where the psychologist liked to hang out and becomes involved with a gangster (Adolf Celli) and the strange female resort owner (Alida Valli). Soon more murders occur involving the other guests at the resort, and it's not too hard to guess who is responsible.
The ridiculous portrayal of psychoanalysis in this movie makes even Alfred Hitchcock's "Marnie" look realistic, but personally I find this kind of preposterous psychobabble, unbelievable plot twists, and bizarro dream sequences far more entertaining than most of your more realistic "psychological thrillers". There's also some solid acting talent involved here, especially Alida Valli and Adolf Celli as the two most obvious viallians. Lead Rosemary Dexter was originally casts as "Justine" in the Jess Franco film of the same name, but she was replaced American daughter-of-a-name actress Romina Powers, which is unfortunate because she proves here to be an infinitely better actress than Powers--and she gets naked a lot too. And speaking of getting naked, a young Sybil Danning also has a supporting role as a murder victim, pretty much doing what she always does in movies. (As with Linnae Quigley, I find Danning's early work much more interesting in that it is not ENTIRELY an excuse to show off her impressive nude torso).
This isn't one of the best giallo. And if you either hate Freud, on one hand, or take him very seriously, on the other, you may not like it too much. Generally though, I would recommend it.
The ridiculous portrayal of psychoanalysis in this movie makes even Alfred Hitchcock's "Marnie" look realistic, but personally I find this kind of preposterous psychobabble, unbelievable plot twists, and bizarro dream sequences far more entertaining than most of your more realistic "psychological thrillers". There's also some solid acting talent involved here, especially Alida Valli and Adolf Celli as the two most obvious viallians. Lead Rosemary Dexter was originally casts as "Justine" in the Jess Franco film of the same name, but she was replaced American daughter-of-a-name actress Romina Powers, which is unfortunate because she proves here to be an infinitely better actress than Powers--and she gets naked a lot too. And speaking of getting naked, a young Sybil Danning also has a supporting role as a murder victim, pretty much doing what she always does in movies. (As with Linnae Quigley, I find Danning's early work much more interesting in that it is not ENTIRELY an excuse to show off her impressive nude torso).
This isn't one of the best giallo. And if you either hate Freud, on one hand, or take him very seriously, on the other, you may not like it too much. Generally though, I would recommend it.