An absolute Giallo Classic shot beautiful in English and in London by Ubaldo Terzano
and with the wonderful, just wonderful actress, Brazilian Florinda Bolkan and other fine
actors as Leo Genn. A fine soundtrack from Ennio Morricone.
Great locations in London are used inspiredly by Lucio Fulci in 2 gorgeous chase
scenes, and let's not forget about the top-notch special effects from the Team of Carlo
Rambaldi and Franco Di Girolamo, in the stabbing of Anita Strindberg, with the
vivisectioned dogs and with the horde of bats attacking Florinda in the chase scene.
Mr. Rambaldi, Respect! How great Suspiria undoubtedly is, Dario's repeat of the bat
attack on Jessica Harper's Suzy Bannion is much sloppier made. Rambaldi used
electric bats and this must be one of the best Bat Attacks in any horror film.

The plot confused me a little (even though i've seen the film before, in the old US
Shriek Show DVD and in the US Mondo Macabro 2015 bluray edition).
But, the Who Dun It plot is not the important thing about this giallo, or any giallo really,
it's the style and the atmosphere. The soulful face of Florinda Bolkan, the camera work,
the music and the gory special effects. The Macabre Lure of the Giallo.

Above: The US 2015 Mondo Macabro Blu-ray edition

Carol Hammond (Florinda Bolkan) is a rich woman married to lawyer Frank (Jean Sorel)
and with a teenage stepdaughter, Joan (Ely Galleani) and they live in a stylish
apartment in a rich part of London. Their apartment is filled with oil paintings
by Francis Bacon (today worth a huge fortune). But, not everything is well with
the Hammonds or the house.

Overstrung Carol is suffering from psychedelic erotic dreams involving her neighbour
Julia (Anita Strindberg), and these dreams are shown in a fascinating and stylish way
by Fulci. In the dream Carol murders a nude Julia Dürer with a paperknife, and later
Julia is found dead just the way Carol has dreamt.
As her fingerprints are found on the murder-weapon and her fur is found at the side of
the body, Carol is arrested by the police, lead by the whistling inspector Corvin
(Stanley Baker), but why should Carol murder her neighbour, and who's the red- haired
hippie (Mike Kennedy) following Carol ?

Above: The Old US Shriek Show DVD edition

Florinda Bolkan: What a face, what a face she had. For me, the huge personal
favourite of the Gialli genre (yes, i like Edwige Fenech too, gorgeous and Barbara
Bouchet, and Suzy Kendall, and Helga Liné and ....) but with her Super Gialli
trio of performances in this film and in "Don't Torture a Duckling" by Fulci and
in "Footprints / Le Orme" by Luigi Bazzoni - she's my favourite gialli actress.

This Australian Umbrella 2024 Blu-ray edition looked really cool and presented
the film in 1.85:1 widescreen ratio with english or italian audio 2.0 mono with
english subtitles (as the film was shot in english it sounded better that way).

Extras:

Audio commentary with Howard S. Berger and Troy Howarth
Lucio in a Woman's Skin: Video essay by the Flying Maciste Brothers (20 min)
i.a. about Lucio Fulci's great Art interest (seen in this film)
Video essay by Howard S. Berger and Francesco Massaccesi (36 minutes)
Kim Newman on Stanley Baker (12 minutes)
Shedding the Skin: Documantary by Kris Gavin (34 minutes - Carlo Rambaldi)
When Worlds Collide: Stephen Thrower on A Lizard in a Woman's Skin(29 min)
From Burton to Baker: Interview with actor Tony Adams (12 minutes)
Lucio Fulci Trailer Reel (75 minutes)
Alternate Italian opening credits
Trailers