Witchfinder General 666
In my humble opinion, Italy is the greatest country for Horror film. That being said, it is undeniable that the country's Horror cinema has seen better days (as has international Horror cinema in general). The only true Italian Horror masterpiece made since the 90s is Michele Soavi's DELLAMORTE DELLAMORE (1994), and while there are several good contemporary Horror films (such as those by Sergio Stivaletti who also did the gore effects for this film), today's Italian Horror industry is not comparable to the Italian Horror heyday between the 60s and late 80s in which directors such as Mario Bava, Dario Argento or Lucio Fulci delivered their masterpieces. UBALDO TERZANI HORROR SHOW of 2010 is therefore a refreshing film that proves that Italian Horror is not yet dead. While director/writer Gabriele Albanesi's film is certainly no essential masterpiece, it is macabre and atmospheric in spite of an obviously low budget.The aspiring young filmmaker Alessio gets the chance of writing a script together with the famous Horror-writer Ubaldo Terzani (Paolo Sassanelli). The famous author who lives in a typically eerie mansion is fascinating and highly sinister...The story does not offer any real surprises but rather slowly approaches an inevitable Horror-climax. However, it does so in an atmospheric and creepy enough manner. Paolo Sassanelli is highly sinister in his macabre role. The gore effects by Sergio Stivaletti are great, which anyone who has seen the man's movie LA MASCHERA DI CERA (1997) might have guessed. Stivaletti, who has also worked as a special effects guy for Dario Argento (OPERA), Lamberto Bava (Dèmoni 1 and 2) and Michele Soavi (DELLAMORTE DELLAMORE, LA SETTA, LA CHIESA) truly is an enrichment to any film that has gore in it, and to a rather low-budget one such as this one in particular. Apart from being a very decent low-budget Horror film as such, UBALDO TERZANI HORROR SHOW is also a giant tribute to Italian Cult-cinema. The central character Alessio's flat is covered with movie-posters of Fernando Di Leo's IL BOSS and LA MALA ORDINA (both from 1973), Andrea Bianchi's NUDE PER L'ASSASSINO (1975), Dario Argento's OPERA (1987) and others, as well as a giant portrait of Sergio Leone; he also wears Italian Horror T-shirts throughout the movie (including one that says "Fulci Lives" and a shirt of Sergio Martino's TUTTI I COLORI DEL BUIO of 1972). This shows the filmmaker's great devotion to Italian Horror cinema as do many other aspects of the movie.While it would be exaggerated to call this movie a great new hope for Italian Horror cinema it is refreshing to see another solid, creepy and gory Horror film from a rather young Italian director after a while. Definitely worth a look for my fellow fans of Italian Horror. I am now eager to check out Albanesi's other feature-length film, IL BOSCO FUORI (THE LAST HOUSE IN THE WOODS) of 2006. Recommended.
scyphe
Fresh Italian director Gabriele Albanesi has done something that no other Italian horror/thriller director has managed to do since Argento lost his touch in the early 90'ies. This is a creepy thriller/horror in Italian style that promises much for the future if Albanesi keeps going in that same direction.I had basically given up on Italian horror cinema, and here comes Gabriele Albanesi and gives us a sweet preview of things to come. Loved the two main characters, the actors really did an amazing job.There are small issues, like the dialogue between Sara and Alessio being slightly out of place, the pacing irregular at the beginning and other small issues, but I frankly wasn't bothered by them. Sergio Stivaletti simply did an amazing job on the blood and gore in the movie, but then he's a master.
