LA SORELLA DI URSULA (aka. "The Sister of Ursula" / "Curse of Ursula") of 1978 is an incredibly sleazy Giallo that is primarily recommendable for its perverted sleaze, beautiful settings and beautiful female cast members. Directed by the rather un-known Enzo Milioni, the film is certainly not a particularly memorable, suspenseful or convoluted example for Suspense-cinema's most intriguing genre, but, overall, the genre-typical combination of sleaze and elegance (the focus is on the sleaze-part in this case) makes it interesting enough for my fellow Giallo-enthusiasts to track down.
The beautiful Austrian sisters Ursula (Barbara Magnolfi) and Dagmar Beyne (Stefania D'Amario) come to Amalfi in Southern Italy in search of their mother, who left their late father a long time ago. Upon their arrival, a prostitute is murdered in a highly perverted and gruesome manner. Ursula, who has been traumatized by the death of her beloved father, seems hostile towards others and is sure that somebody is out to kill her as well...
The film is incredibly sleazy, though not particularly brutal for Giallo-standards. It starts out well, but gets a bit repetitive after a while. In its sleaziness, is sometimes compared to GIALLO A VENEZIA (1979), another incredibly sleazy Giallo made after the genre's heyday (which I would call the years 1970-1975), though that film was arguably the most graphically sadistic Giallo of all. LA SORELLA DI URSULA is far more elegant, however. The coastal small-town Amalfi in Campania, Italy is incredibly beautiful, and a wonderful location for any film, especially a Giallo. The hotel in which most of the film takes place is full of incredibly cool set-pieces. The genre-typical score featuring a mysterious female singing voice is beautiful and supports the film's elegance and eerie atmosphere. The murders are nasty, but not particularly brutal, since the killings as such are not that graphic. There are tons of sleaze and gratuitous female nudity, which is very graphic even for softcore-pornography standards. This is very welcome, since the female cast consists entirely of stunning beauties. The most ravishing woman in the film is Barbara Magnolfi, who will be recognized by any fan of Italian Horror for her supporting role in Dario Argento's masterpiece SUSPIRIA (1977), most likely the most famous of all Italian Horror films. She's also a fine actress, and delivers the most convincing performance here. Stefania D'Amorio, who plays her eponymous sister, is also very beautiful, as are the other female cast members. The male cast includes Cult-cinema regular Marc Porel in a shady role.
Overall, LA SORELLA DI URSULA isn't a must-see, and there are numerous Gialli that should be seen before this one. However, it provides sleazy and elegant entertainment, and while it isn't the most suspenseful specimen of the genre, my fellow Giallo-fans should have a good time watching it. Just don't expect anything on a par with Sergio Martino or Dario Argento.
The beautiful Austrian sisters Ursula (Barbara Magnolfi) and Dagmar Beyne (Stefania D'Amario) come to Amalfi in Southern Italy in search of their mother, who left their late father a long time ago. Upon their arrival, a prostitute is murdered in a highly perverted and gruesome manner. Ursula, who has been traumatized by the death of her beloved father, seems hostile towards others and is sure that somebody is out to kill her as well...
The film is incredibly sleazy, though not particularly brutal for Giallo-standards. It starts out well, but gets a bit repetitive after a while. In its sleaziness, is sometimes compared to GIALLO A VENEZIA (1979), another incredibly sleazy Giallo made after the genre's heyday (which I would call the years 1970-1975), though that film was arguably the most graphically sadistic Giallo of all. LA SORELLA DI URSULA is far more elegant, however. The coastal small-town Amalfi in Campania, Italy is incredibly beautiful, and a wonderful location for any film, especially a Giallo. The hotel in which most of the film takes place is full of incredibly cool set-pieces. The genre-typical score featuring a mysterious female singing voice is beautiful and supports the film's elegance and eerie atmosphere. The murders are nasty, but not particularly brutal, since the killings as such are not that graphic. There are tons of sleaze and gratuitous female nudity, which is very graphic even for softcore-pornography standards. This is very welcome, since the female cast consists entirely of stunning beauties. The most ravishing woman in the film is Barbara Magnolfi, who will be recognized by any fan of Italian Horror for her supporting role in Dario Argento's masterpiece SUSPIRIA (1977), most likely the most famous of all Italian Horror films. She's also a fine actress, and delivers the most convincing performance here. Stefania D'Amorio, who plays her eponymous sister, is also very beautiful, as are the other female cast members. The male cast includes Cult-cinema regular Marc Porel in a shady role.
Overall, LA SORELLA DI URSULA isn't a must-see, and there are numerous Gialli that should be seen before this one. However, it provides sleazy and elegant entertainment, and while it isn't the most suspenseful specimen of the genre, my fellow Giallo-fans should have a good time watching it. Just don't expect anything on a par with Sergio Martino or Dario Argento.