Hotel Fear (1978)

Hat tip to Giallo Trailers for turning me on to this title. It's not listed in any of the usual "must see" giallo reviews, so I would have missed out otherwise. I searched for this title for some time and only recently found, after having forgotten about it for a time, that it was now available on Italian DVD with no subtitles. Even then, I couldn't find it at my usual sources.However, some kind soul uploaded the entire movie and I watched it last night. While not a Giallo masterwork, it is a very good little film. Creepy atmosphere, little blood, great setting. If you don't speak a lick of Italian, I still think you can follow the story pretty well.Circa 1945, in a small Italian village, a mom and daughter run an old rundown boarding house, with peeling plaster and bricked windows a plenty, somewhat isolated from the town. I was immediately struck by the Agatha Christie-feel of the plot and scenes similar to those being churned out in the 70's. The daughter, Rosa, is amazingly beautiful and innocent, handling the role very well in spite of some considerable nudity. Seriously, the movie is rife with cunnilingus, which is unusual to say the least. There is also a rape scene, and you see more male buttocks that you might like. The rogue's gallery of characters include a drunk man-servant, a balding, lonely piano player, a Burt Reynolds / Antonio Banderas type and his older wife, a horny fat guy and his girlfriends. You have to be prepared for nothing to happen for the first hour. This isn't to say you'll be bored. Art house cinema fans will dig it, but it doesn't beat you over the head with its intentions. Also, there is a man hiding away in the mother's room. She brings him food every night after everyone is supposed to be asleep. I do feel a little guilty about writing a review for a movie whose dialogue I couldn't truly follow, so if my guesses at character motivation are a little off, forgive me. I think the man is the mother's lover whom she's taken in while her husband is fighting in the war.The mom dies in an "accident" which leaves the comely Rosa to run the house. This proves to be rather difficult since now that her mother is dead, every man in the house openly lusts after her. And that's not all that's afoot. There's a shadowy killer stalking the corridors and dripping staircases. However, if you are looking for that to be the central theme, you might be disappointed. It takes a backseat to the setting and character development. Enter a few gangsters who stir things up. A wandering Rosa starts hearing and seeing things she shouldn't, which helps the story along. I made note of several instances where I was reminded of Suspiria, mainly with color use and voyeuristic POV shots, plus a few eyeball close ups. The score occasionally picks up and dazzles.My suggestion is that you only see this if you are into Italian art house cult cinema or giallo films. If you are looking for a straight up stalking razor killer with high body counts, look elsewhere. Oh, there are lots of deaths, but not in the giallo style, shall we say.

Its so satisfying to see a film like Pensione Paura, a rarity that really excels. Never released in English speaking territories and hence best seen on fan subtitled rips, its as worthy an outing of Italian horror as any others from the same period, indeed is actually superior to many. Best to know as little as possible about the plot before viewing as the film is slow in its revelations and hardly conventional, but essentially Pensione Paura is the tale of Rosa, daughter to hotel owners at the tail end of WW2 and awaiting her fathers return from fighting, who finds herself at the mercy of her assorted and somewhat dubious patrons. Its not really a plot focused film, more a matter of mood, slow accumulation of uneasy events, of aberrant characters, creating a mounting doom-like weight till all gives way. Little is fully explained, there are a variety of intrigues that move the characters along without ever becoming fully clear. Like Rosa we make our way through the fog of mystery, through the hotel with its colors, its peepholes, all decaying in isolation, fluid camera work and rich reds, blues and yellows compelling us in the journey. And the beautiful Leonora Fani as Rosa (one of her classier roles, she was also in Giallo A Venezia and Bestialita) makes for a perfect centre, pushed to the edge of her resources with innocence rubbing raw its almost impossible not to care for her and feel increasingly afraid. A shame she never achieved all that much fame as she really is terrific, highly watchable even in the quietest moments. Luca Merenda is the other big hitter of the film, in a bolder role as a scuzzy ageing playboy, he makes for a splendid arrogant brute, while Spanish veteran Francisco Rabal (Dagon) is warm yet frayed as one of the more sympathetic figures of the piece. Even the smaller roles convince, everyone coming together to make the film a smooth journey so as affairs turn darker and darker into a freaky and uncompromising finale it packs all the more ultimate punch. There is a small sense in which the film is too traditional, there are assorted moments, though variously suspenseful that remind us we are watching a giallo of sorts, and so the ultimate potential is never quite fulfilled. The relationship of characters and location is there, social and geographical isolation feeding the base and craven in man, decaying environment fuelling moral downward spiral, but the these themes aren't all that developed for all that they intrigue. Also the tension and fear of the piece stems more from events than themes, so instead of the truly exploratory, revelatory piece that lurks under the surface we have a top notch genre film that merely shines a searchlight. Yep, its still top notch. Could have done with a bit more blood, but for all that I've been jabbering you should know there are still some shocking jolts and a bit of sleaze and nudity. Its an arty film but it ain't yanking your chain, its still accessible. Those who shun slow burns should stay far away as for much of the first two thirds this only just about feels like horror, but if you can dig the suspense this is highly recommended. 9/10

Francesco Barilli had already proved a great talent for creating a nightmarish atmosphere with his most famous film "Il Profumo Della Signora in Nero" (1974), and while that film is a true gem I liked his second Giallo, "Pensione Paura" of 1977 even more. With only few murders and an obscure storyline that is not mainly concerned with a murder series, "Pensione Paura" is no typical example for the Giallo-genre, but an incredibly moody one. Set in a guest house in rural Italy in the final stages of WW2, "Pensione Paura" maintains a thick and nightmarish atmosphere that makes the film seem like a gloomy fever dream at times. Beautiful yet incredibly eerie, the film oozes a constant atmosphere of doom that is intensified by beyond demented characters and a magnificent score that stands out even in the good company of Italian genre soundtracks.When World War 2 nears its end, Rosa (Leonora Fani) and her mother Marta (Lidia Biondi) are keeping their eerie old guest-house open for a bunch of demented guests, among them the sleazy and sinister playboy Rodolfo (Luc Merenda), as well as Marta's lover (Francisco Rabal) who is hiding out from someone. Rosa, who is eagerly awaiting her father's return from the war is writing letters to him on a daily basis... Giving too much information about the plot would spoil a part, which is why my plot description ends here. As in any Giallo, of course, there is a series of murders involved, and the beautifully but decaying old rural guest-house is the eeriest setting imaginable. Leonora Fani is great in her leading role of the innocent teenage girl, a character it is easy to feel and be scared for. The rest of the characters are almost entirely demented, and the performances are great. Regular Italian cult leading-man Luc Merenda ("Torso", "Milano Trema", "L'Uomo Senza Memoria",...) is brilliantly sinister in his sleaziest role as the pencil-mustached womanizer Rodolfo, who has an older girlfriend but is also pursuing the innocent young Martha. The great Spanish character actor Francisco Rabal ("Dagon", "Nightmare City",...) is equally great."Pensione Paura" is a fantastic example for the atmospheric power of Italian Horror film. Without showing anything explicitly 'horrible' in the first half, the film maintains an eerily beautiful and uniquely nightmarish atmosphere of pure gloom from the very beginning to the very end. The remote rural setting with the gloomy guest-house and the nearby picturesque village create a menacing mood of seclusion and being lost. The brilliant score by Adolfo Waitzmann must be one of the most mesmerizing ever. While the film is not very gory by Italian Horror standards, it is completely uncompromising. I am not sure why Francesco Barilli regrettably has not directed many more films that were released in cinemas, a possible explanation could lie in the lack of gory and spectacular murders in comparison to the films other Italian Horror/Giallo masters. Overall, "Pensione Paura" is a must-see for anyone interested in Eurohorror, Giallo and Cult-Cinema. Very Highly Recommended!

"Pensione Paura" takes place in northern Italy during the last months of World War 2 - the war is not really important for the story of the film, but rather its psychological aspects. The authorities in power are about to fall and new authorities will soon take over. There's in reality a power void, and this stimulates the people to drop their masks and live out their desires - there's just a thin veil of control holding them in place. The war is something far away. The only time the war shows its presence is during a night air raid. What really concerns the people (as always) is their own survival. In this nowhere land, Marta (Lidia Biondi), seconded by her daughter Rosa (Leonora Fani), runs a hotel. The hotel's guests are dubious and/or shady characters. There's a man who lost all his family in a bombardment and he walks around mumbling about his family, spying on other people. What's up with him? There's also a sleazy gigolo, Rodolfo (Luc Merenda) and his rich lover (Jole Fierro). Rodolfo doesn't limit himself to exploiting rich women, he has still other plans in mind, but what really turns him on is the sight of Rosa. He lusts after her. There's Marta's lover (Francisco Rabal) hidden in a room in a distant corner of the hotel. He's in hiding for political reasons. Two noisy war profiteers (so it seems) and their lovers complete the picture.One night we hear a shrill cry. A body is found. Now Rosa stands alone in the world.What really happened? The hotel, its dark corridors, its mysterious guests - a vague but also very real threat seems to hover around. The arrival of two unexpected guests with a very suspicious behavior (thugs? police?) thickens the plot still more.Rosa has a father that is away fighting with the partisans. Rosa thinks of him, writes to him. She thinks that when he comes back everything will be alright again. But meanwhile, the black cloud has grown larger and larger - violence and murders...And red becomes the color. The climax is really delirious, and by the ending of the film we are left with a great interrogation mark. So violent and yet so peaceful! "Pensione Paura" is a showcase, particularly for Leonora Fani (her beauty and talent), but all the cast deliver good performances. Francesco Barilli directed the masterpiece "Il profumo della signora in nero" and gives us with "Pensione Paura", another worthy film. In spite of their obvious differences, both films have some striking similarities. "Pensione Paura" is an excellent film, but like "Il profumo della signora in nero" is a difficult film to write about.