Death Steps in the Dark (1977)

While traveling to Greece on a train, the murder of a passenger in their compartment forces the group into the police's investigation of the incident, and when they zero in on a photographer he and his girlfriend race to clear his name and unmask the real killer continuing his spree.This was a serviceable enough giallo effort. What this one manages to do rather nicely is utilize an intriguing old-school feel for the main investigation which is carried out here. The opening onboard the train with the lights going out to allow the killer to strike in the darkness gives this a completely old-school feel, and with the majority of the film playing out with the investigating inspector going around trying to piece together the clues to the crime gives this a stellar murder-mystery setup that plays like traditional gialli did earlier in the genre's history. That provides the film ample opportunity for some stellar stalking scenes that get played out here, from the killer striking in an abandoned building while expecting someone else attempting to blackmail them, a stylish sequence of a victim encountering the killer in a darkened apartment where an open window creates a drafty environment replete with billowing curtains or a shocking follow-up where a victim is picked off in a bathroom that plays much like so many other scenes here. With the final taking place in the drawing-room style mysteries of gathering everybody together and exposing the killer through trickery, it has even more old-school flair that has some enjoyment here. As well, the only other piece of enjoyment to be had is the frequent nudity which is nicely supplied throughout here. Still, even with these fine points, there are some issues with the film. The main point holding it back is the rather dull and languid pace that really doesn't do this one much favor by being duller than reasonably necessary. This isn't an interesting group of characters who we're following around waiting for the next strike to occur and it just leaves this one feeling draining as this one goes around with either him in drag trying to clear his name or the airheaded girlfriend getting distracted with everything around her as they put a plan into motion to clear his name. That they're never believable as a couple with the way he seems exasperated with any of her comments regarding how they're supposed to go about matters doesn't do this section much help, and when it goes beyond them to the other passengers this one just feels endless with characters either getting a divorce or going through bland scenes in a nightclub. That relegates the killer to a few places and not being an important aspect makes it hard to remember the type of genre-piece this really is and really disappoints this one especially once it delves into the final half where very little of interest happens until the reveal. The comedy could also be problematic for some who aren't that interested in the affair since it's way too hit-or-miss to be effective, and overall lower this one significantly.Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence, Full Nudity, Language and sex scenes.

Taking a look at a mountain of gialli DVDs,I spotted a title which appeared to take the unusually step for the genre of setting the movie in Greece instead of the "traditional" Italy surroundings ,which led to me getting ready to step into the dark.The plot:Getting set to step off the Istanbul to Athens train,a passenger's pearl necklace breaks.Using a pen-knife as a bookmark, (what a typical bookmark!) journalist Luciano Morelli puts the bookmark aside,and starts helping his fellow passengers to gather up the pearls.Suddenly,the train enters a dark tunnel which covers the carriage in darkness.To their horror,the passengers find out that a mysterious stranger used the darkness to kill the women with Morelli's pen-knife.Seeing his face splashed across the papers as the lead suspect,Morelli decides that he must track down the murderer.As Morelli tries to clear his name, 2 fellow passengers keep a tight grip on a black glove that they found near the body,as they set their sights on blackmailing the killer.View on the film:Kicking off with a lava lamp title sequence backed by a tense jazzy score from Riz Ortolani,co-writer/(along with Arpad DeRiso)director Maurizio Pradeaux & cinematographer Aldo Ricci hit the movie with some groovy groves,as some surprisingly graphic sex scenes are overturned in favour for the killer to get revealed in a weird acid nightmare.Along with the Acid Jazz dashes,Pradeaux Pradeaux gives the outdoor on-location filming in Greece a rustic Film Noir appearance,which is given a rough edge by Pradeaux splashing the Giallo with vibrant blues & reds which gives the film a lively atmosphere that is lit up by each of Pradeaux's elegantly stylised set-piece killings.Starting in an Agatha Christie-style train,the screenplay by Pradeaux & Arpad DeRiso brilliantly use Comedy to give the title a delightfully off-beat, playful edge,as Morelli (played by a very good Leonard Mann,who shows Morelli really out of his comfort zone) and his friends trip up every time they get close to locating the killer.Along with the comedic notes,the writers also give the film an excellent dark, cynical twist,as 2 of the passengers decide to use their knowledge of the murderers identity to their financial advantage,as Morelli steps into the dark.

'Death Steps In The Dark' finally has a pristine transfer, sound and picture are crystal clear. Excellent giallo from Maurizio Pradeaux. While his 'death carries a cane' is better known, I found this 1977 outing to be far more entertaining than the latter. Not only do you get the requisite full-frontal nudity ubiquitous in the genre (inc. a splendidly gratuitous Sapphic montage near the opening of the film!) the film has a light, comedic touch not generally found within the idiom; so among all the black-gloved, razor-wielding frenzy (the murders are considerably full-blooded) the film is leavened by a clearly sardonic tone, which, while admittedly far-from subtle, adds a viable quirky sheen to the generally humorless genre. graphic razor-slashings, gratuitous nudity, plentiful guzzles of j&b (the veritable elixir of Italian exploitation!) and a mesmerizing, booty-humpin' jazz-funk score by Riz Ortolani makes 'death steps in the dark' one of the more memorable and re-watchable gialli. Whether or not the film was specifically designed as a giallo parody certainly doesn't detract from the more lurid pleasures gialli are infamous for; since 'death steps in the dark' makes for such a serviceable, briskly-paced, sanguineous whodunit.

I saw Maurizio Pradeaux's other Giallo effort, Death Carries a Cane, and thought it was lacklustre. This film is another lacklustre Giallo from a director who obviously isn't one of Italy's best - but if you look at it as a comedy instead of as a Giallo, what you actually have here is an enjoyable little romp with some amusing characters and humour. Of course, this is unlikely to please most people going into this film and expecting a gritty and macabre gore-fest - but the film really should be taken for what it is. The Giallo style was obviously drying up a little by 1977 anyway, and Pradeaux obviously thought that a spoof would add something new. The film opens with a woman murdered on a train. The carriage passes under a tunnel and when they emerge, the unlucky lady has a letter opener belonging to Luciano stuck in her chest. This obviously makes him the chief suspect in the investigation. Luckily for him, however, he's a master of disguise (or not); and after dressing up as a whore, he manages to evade the police and buy himself some time to catch the real killer.The film takes in all of the Giallo's standard elements, including black gloves and a lackadaisical police investigation. The jokes come thick and fast for pretty much the entire running time, and while it's possible that they're there for comic relief - I find it hard to believe that any scriptwriter could be so misguided, which makes me think that Death Steps in the Dark is spoofing the Giallo style on purpose. The humour is rather funny, however, although the ditsy girlfriend gets a bit tiresome after a while. Director Maurizio Pradeaux obviously thinks that bloody murders are important in a Giallo, as both this one and his earlier film feature some brutal killings. The razor blade slashing here are rather nice, but they do feel out place as the film puts so much focus on humour. The director doesn't have the star quality of Susan Scott to rely on this time round, but Leonard Mann is a good sport in the lead; and the lass who plays 'Little Blatto' is definitely a highlight. Overall, I can certainly see why this film isn't regarded as a classic of the genre; but if you take it with a pinch of salt, you should have fun with it. I did.