Le Tueur à l'orchidée

Handsome Antonio Sabato (father of Antonio Sabato Jr of such films as THE BIG HIT) and his wife are on the trail of a cold blooded killer whose only clue is the crescent shaped locket he leaves behind at every murder he commits. The killer has already tried and failed to kill her, will he be able to finish the job? This is just one of the questions that SEVEN BLOOD STAINED ORCHIDS asks. Another is how the hell did I manage to sit through this without falling asleep? I guess it was the funky retro finger painting free loving SWINGIN' SEVENTIES STYLES!! Seriously though, while this film has dated a little, director Umberto Lenzi crafts a moderately engaging murder mystery. Plus there's a fair amount of gore and nudity to engage the rest of us.

A killer with black gloves is murdering women and leaving silver crescent moon emblems on their bodies in this Umberto Lenzi directed film, which is quite a good deal easier to follow then his later made "Spasmo". Mr. Lenzi was never in the same league as, say Dario Argento or even Sergio Martino, but for me this film of his came the closest to either of them. The acting is good, although the DVD-version that I own sadly doesn't contain a sub-titled original language version. That's the only grip that I can think of right now. If you love the giallo sub-genre like I, you would do yourself well by seeing this one. My Grade: B- DVD Extras: Gabriella Giorgelli; Interview with Umberto Lenzi; liner notes; Art Gallery; Theatrical Trailer; Trailers for "Eaten Alive" and "Spasmo" Eye Candy: Gabriella Giorgelli's mammoth melons get unleashed; Marina Malfatti does the same but pales in comparison; and a few hippie extras

Umberto Lenzi's "Seven Blood-Stained Orchids" is a surprisingly well-made and captivating giallo.A black-gloved killer is murdering beautiful women and one of them survives,but her assailant thinks that she is dead.So her hubby decides to look for the killer.The film is never boring and there are some tension-filled moments.The murders are pretty tame,but the power drill scene is quite gruesome.The women here are absolutely gorgeous and there is a nice amount of nudity.The opening with the black gloved figure driving at night is a terrific scene.So if you're a fan of Italian giallos you can't go wrong with "Seven Blood-Stained Orchids".Highly recommended.9 out of 10.

Despite some unfavorable reviews (notably Adrian Smith's), this is a classic giallo that really works. The puzzle of the half moon lockets is classic Edgar Wallace and is the tenuous thread that connects the set-piece murders and keeps the story moving. Sabato and Glass race around to solve the mystery and clear Sabato's name but, as per usual, the killer is one step ahead of them. It all ends in a hand to hand fight in a swimming pool that's a cut above the usual giallo climax, and everything is nicely resolved. In 1972 plot still mattered to the giallo genre (1973's Torso would change that) and the films were a lot better for it. This one goes high on the list of gialli and was a peak for Umberto Lenzi.

From adventures movies ("Il Trionfi Di Robin Hood") to spy thriller ("A 008 (sic) Operation Termini") ,from sword and sandal ("I'Ultimo Gladiatore ") to horror ("Cannibal Ferox") Umberto Lenzi has tried his hand at all the genres . "Sette Orchidee Macchiate Di Rosso ":the title recalls those of Dario Argento but ,although there are sadistic scenes ,the movie is primarily a detective story:the screenplay was made with a certain care ,which in this kind of low-budget movie is to be underlined.A whodunit and seven women who have something in common and a killer who is doing away with them one by one, a plot in the tradition of Agatha Christie.Most famous name is probably Austrian Marisa Mell ("Diabolik") whose career was already on the wane when she played this supporting part in Lenzi's movie. Like this ?try these "Sans Mobile Apparent " (Philippe Labro,1971) "Le Dernier Des Six" (Geoge Lacombe ,1941) "Sei Donna Per L'Assassino" (Mario Bava ,1963)

Undoubtedly Lenzi's best film. More of a giallo than anything else he's made, af usually seems to deal in standard Hitchcock- influenced thrillers and forego the giallo tropes. Here however, all of the giallo trademarks are at play, and come together beautifully with a very well written story line.

A serial-killer is attacking women in Italy, leaving a silver moon near their corpses. While traveling to Paris by train with her fiancé, the famous designer Mario Gerosa (Antonio Sabàto), Giulia Torresi (Uschi Glass) is assaulted by the serial-killer in her cabin. Police Inspector Vismara (Pier Paolo Capponi) decides to hide that Giulia has survived to protect her. Mario decides to investigate the victims and finds that six women had been in the hotel Giulia owned in the past. They travel expecting to save the women that have not been attacked before the killer finds them. "Sette orchidee macchiate di rosso", a.k.a. "Seven Blood-Stained Orchids", is a thriller that could have been better. The plot is not engaging but there are violent murders. Indicated only for fans of giallo. My vote is six. Title (Brazil): "Sete Orquídeas Manchadas de Sangue" ("Seven Blood-Stained Orchids")