Finally i got to see this legendary giallo and as the US and European blu-ray releases are almost impossible to get hold of (probably released in
very costly and strictly limited editions .... an annoying trend as every genre lover should be able to see such an interesting and good film).
So, i had to find another way. I would like to see every giallo and eurocrime ever made in Italy and Spain approx. 1965-1985 .... and horrors too,
and especially then the Spanish ones. BUT, NO, NOPE .... Some are released on DVD (or blu-ray) only in Spain, and then with no english subs,
or are lost in some public domain quagmire, maybe only found on old scratchy VHS with no known film element to restore.
If one will have to wait for a properly restored film release on DVD or, preferrably, on a Blu-ray of all the 1970's Spanish gialli you would probably
be long since dead when that happens. So you have to watch rips of old TV or VHS cassettes or slightly newer DVD rips on either "alternative"
market" discs or on streaming video on e.g. Youtube. There's sadly no other way.

This DVD had a widescreen presentation in fine quality and with an english audio.
It's very nicely shot with crisp picture and slick looking, and there are some scenes tucked on from other film sources (these are in italian without
subs). Italian composer and jazz musician Giorgio Gaslini provides another fine soundtrack, and as i'm no music expert i only recently started to
take notice about the music composed for these genre movies and how great these soundtracks often are. Gaslini made the cool soundtrack also
for the 1974 5 Donne per l'assassino

Farley Granger as Police inspector Capuana

Eufemia Benussi as Serena, victim no. 2 in the film

The Film:

Starts with a nasty crime scene. A woman from the high social caste, the young wife of a general, is lying nude on her bed, viciously stabbed to
death and with a photo of her and her lover left at the scene. Then Serena (Femi Benussi) is found stabbed to death after a strange set-piece in
slowmotion where the giallo killer dressed in black can be seen with a stocking over his face chasing Serena on the beach. Also in this case
with photos of her and her lover thrown at her dead body afterwards.

The police investigation is lead by Inspector Capuana (Farley Granger) and they chase a serial killer who targets high society women who has
lovers, probably married unfaithful wives. Guilty of adultery in the mind of the killer, even though their husbands seem to have lovers too.

Yes, the Giallo killer sports a stocking over his/hers face, a black stocking, but otherwise exactly according to the rules once set up by the great
Mario Bava in his 1964 genre milestone Blood and Black Lace. Pic below: "No, i'm not Cameron Mitchell !"

The Lovely Sylva Koscina

Barbara (Sylva Koscina) is married to inspector Capuana and she and her high society women friends are all at risk .... if they've lovers,
and everyone seems to have. This film is really a parade of gorgeous women seen in the nude: Femi Benussi, Nieves Navarro alias
Susan Scott, Krista Nell and yes, also, Sylvia Koscina. But why so infamous ? Maybe because of the version of the film called Penetration
which had hardcore inserts, something Farley Granger didn't much like.Well, more about this can be read on IMDB and elsewhere.

The Slasher is the sex maniac! ? No, he or she is not. Just stabs them to death without any sexual assaults, so the title or titles of this film
is a bit sleazier than necessary and which probably added to this film being unjustly infamous. It's a pretty good Giallo, and the unusual
ending, if pitch-black and depressing, maybe even makes this film a Great Giallo. Yes, the women too, just beautiful. And, i like Farley
Grangers acting style, very toned down. One of these once famous A-list actors in Hollywood who somehow came to Italy and acted in
some lovely Euro B movies, as e.g. the 1972 Turkish-Italian production La Rossa dalla pelle che scotta.

Krista Nell as Renata. She died much too young in 1975

Angela Covello as Bettina, the lawyer's daughter

The inspector ponders the case: "I keep thinking i have the answer, but there's still something missing" .... hmm, never heard that
before in a giallo, or ...?

OK, OK, i give up! Sure, it was a bit sleazy due to the abundance of nudity, but i'm not sure if there has ever been such a bevy of
beauties in the same giallo movie as here. Angela Covello plays the lawyer's daughter and Annabella Incontrera plays his wife,
and she manages to keep her clothes on, almost, i think.

Who's the killer? Is it the weird mortuary assistant, is it the slick lawyer Santangeli (Silvano Tranquilli) who beds Lilly the hot neighbor
and who is played by genre favourite Nieves Navarro, the Spanish turned Italian actress who also called herself Susan Scott.