One on Top of the Other (1969)

One of the many Italian horror/suspense movies, Lucio Fulci's "Una sull'altra" (alternately called "One on Top of the Other" and "Perversion Story" in English) is pretty much what you would expect. Don't get me wrong: it's really fun to watch, just nothing special. The plot reminds me of Alfred Hitchcock's "Vertigo", while two of the cast members look like Jeannie and Maj. Nelson. What a combo.Anyway, this story of a San Francisco doctor (Jean Sorel) who lets his wife die while having an affair, only to come across as a stripper who looks strangely like his wife is no masterpiece, but is very enjoyable nonetheless. How could a movie with those gals not be enjoyable?

"One on top of the Other" predates the biggest successes of Lucio Fulci as a director and definitely his still on-going reputation as The Godfather of Gore. Yet, this is one best films he ever made and it unquestionably ranks among the most solidly plotted gialli ever! From the first minute to the very last, "One on top of the Other" is a compelling thriller that constantly introduces mysterious characters and features clever red herrings until everything sorts out nicely in the astonishing denouement. The story is suitably set in San Francisco, where the infamous doctor George Dummurier owns a private clinic but spends most of his time on the road with his mistress Jane. When George's actual wife unexpectedly dies from a fatal asthma-attack, he receives a two million dollar paycheck from the insurance company. This naturally raises questions, as everybody knew that the couple wasn't happily married. The police suspects George of murder, but things get even more complicated when a nightclub stripper, who's the reflecting image of George's dead wife, is frequently spotted in his company. Despite also being known as "Perversion Story", this movie mainly focuses on style and tension, and the only remotely gore sequence involves an autopsy on a decomposing body. The lack of further murders or sleaze is a bit of a weakness, but this is widely compensated by Fulci's concentration on coherence for a change, and the multiple tributes to classic Film Noirs and Alfred Hitchcock's repertoire. The acting performances are at least ten times better than usual in Italian horror productions, with Marisa Mell ("Danger: Diabolik!", "Seven Blood-Stained Orchids") and Jean Sorel ("Short Night of the Glass Dolls", "Lizard in a Woman's Skin") really leaving a good impression. The music by Riz Ortolani is mesmerizing, as always, the choreography is often very imaginative and there's some splendid camera-work with multiple great shots of San Francisco locations. In case you're an admirer of story-driven crime films, or just Italian cinema in general, this is definitely a movie you should keep an eye open for! You were the man, Lucio... And we miss miss you more every day!

It's hard to believe that this thriller was directed by the same man who would go on to create such gory highlights as Zombie Flesh-Eaters and City of the Living Dead, but indeed this is a film from the Lucio Fulci that us gore hounds know and love. His later Giallo, such as A Lizard in Woman's Skin and Don't Torture a Duckling weren't as bloody as Fulci fans are used to, and this one is even less so; in fact, it isn't even a horror movie. Fulci does find time for graphic images, however, but things such as a badly decomposed corpse look out of place in a movie that is much more about mystery and suspense than shocking its audience. Fulci often doesn't get the respect he deserves when it comes to movie-making, and that's unfair as he really does know how to tell a story. One on Top of the Other focuses on themes of love and revenge, and follows the story of a doctor with a wife who suffers from chronic asthma. After her death, he is enticed to a nightclub along with his mistress, where he meets a young woman who is the double of his dead wife. Shortly thereafter, the corpse of his wife is unearthed and traces of poison are found in the body...The film takes obvious influence from the great Alfred Hitchcock film 'Vertigo', but unlike a lot of Italian films from the sixties and seventies; this one is not merely a retread of its popular American influence. Fulci injects his own style and verve into the plot, and common Giallo elements such as crossed loyalties and compromising situation for the lead victim start to creep in. The acting on display here is superb, with Jean Sorel putting in a fabulous performance in the lead role in which he manages to captivate the audience and be convincing at the same time. The female leads are more striking; however, and both Marisa Mell and Elsa Martinelli get to act as well providing beautiful eye candy for the audience. Unlike a lot of Giallo's, this one takes place outside of Italy and makes San Francisco the central location. The landscapes look great, and the original jazz music by Riz Ortolani helps to ensure that swinging sixties feel comes across. There is a lack of murders in this film, which may disappoint Giallo and Fulci fans; but the intrigue that appears instead offsets this nicely, and overall I don't hesitate to say that One on Top of the Other is one of the great Giallo films!

This little Italian number is superficially similar to the famous Hitchcock film "Vertigo" in its basic premise and in its San Francisco location. But I don't recall "Vertigo" having the nude dancing, the psychedelic body painting, and the abundance of straight and lesbian sex. And as great an actress as Kim Novak from "Vertigo" may have been, she was no Marissa Mell. Marissa Mell was a six-foot Austrian model/actress who became infamous in the late 1960's more for her antics off-screen than on (her various paramours supposedly included everyone from Warren Beatty to the Shah of Iran). She was the archetypal Bond girl, even though she never actually got around to appearing in a Bond movie. Actually, the only big movie she was ever in was Mario Bava's pop-art, comic book adaptation "Diabolik". This obscure movie was probably her second most famous role before her career fizzled and she died at a young age from cancer. She is excellent here in the dual role of an asthmatic, dying wife and a seductive stripper. She also has copious nude scenes (if you're into that sort of thing).You might also have heard of the director of this one, guy named Lucio Fulci, made a few zombie movies or something. This is actually the first of a series of superior gialli Fuici directed early in his career (the others were "A Woman in Lizard's Skin" and "Don't Torture a Duckling"). Fulci fans will find the plot of this film to be surprisingly coherent, but will probably be disappointed at the lack of gore (aside from one grisly scene of a post, post-mortem). It also lacks much of the directorial flair Fulci would demonstrate in his later gialli and his zombie films. The last act is particularly weak with one of those tiresome innocent-man-on-death-row countdowns. The very last scene is a pleasant surprise, but by then much of the momentum has been lost. Still, it's definitely worth seeing, for Fulci and Mell if nothing else.