Yes, if not a typical giallo still a pretty good crime thriller and
with some fine acting from not just renowned actress Irene Papas, but
also
from young Ornella Muti and Lovelock. But, that has to be said, i watched
this 1971 film on an italian DVD with italian audio and without
any english subtitles (only italian subs) so i may have lost some nuances
of the story and the dialogue.
This was only Ornella Muti's third film and she was
only 16 years old when this was made in 1971, so a body double played
by Antonia
Santilli had to be used for Muti's topless nude and sexual scenes (and
her anxious mother overlooked the filming).
Muti, Papas and Lovelock
This film starts out in a lighthearted mood but turns
into a home invading crime thriller and finally ends with a depressing
end.
In the somewhat cringy intro a young hippie couple,
englishman Dick Butler (Ray Lovelock) and danish Ingrid
Sjöman (Ornella Muti) are
seen running laughing through the streets of Copenhagen. They buy a
lot of danish pornography magazines and they then travel down
to Italy in their cabbed Spyder sports car where they start selling
their banned hardcore pornography. Not to make a fortune, but to earn
some money and to finance their vacation in Italy. When they're out
of porn magazines they start taking their made on their own sex photos.
Everything works out well until they're busted by the police, and when
after being released (as crazy tourists perhaps) being robbed by
a couple of bikers. Not just without money but with even
more bad luck a-coming their way.
The young hippie couple are mistaken for a German robber
couple, also travelling in a sports car. Without money buying gas they
seek
refuge in a big mansion villa where they borrow/steal some gas from
a car parked in the garage.
There's a nervous older woman there, Barbara
Slezar/Slater in the english language version and she invites the young
couple into her home.
She says she's married to a colonel working at the nearby NATO base,
but why is she so stressed, involved in some scheme perhaps?
The couple hides in her villa and their visit evolves into some sort
of home invading hostage situation, and cat and mouse play.
Umberto Raho can be seen at the end in a cameo as police inspector Guidice.
Fine Greek actress Irene Papas (born 1926) was 45 years old when filming
this and she has a sex scene with Ray Lovelock and a nice
almost lesbian seduction scene with Ornella Muti (sex scenes made with
body double actress Antonia Santilly).
The DVD presents the film in 2.35:1 widescreen and with
an italian DD 2.0 audio WITHOUT english subtitles (only with italian
subs)
Extras: An interview with Ray Lovelock in italian with no subs (20 minutes)
and Alternative Scenes from the International version
with Antonia Santilli in sex scenes