My Dear Killer (1972)

An insurance investigator, Police Inspector Peretti (George Hilton)helped by a Brigadier (Manuel Zarzo) are assigned by his chief ((Saldo Randone) the investigation of a killing via mechanical digger . As there happens several murders with bloody and gruesome executions. Some drawings seem to implicate about anybody are dieing . Meanwhile the series killer goes on a real massacre on various unfortunate victims as a man supposedly commits suicide, a women is strangled, another attacked in her apartment. Slowly more people are found dead and the inspector investigates the strange killings with numerous suspects (Monica Randall, Alfredo Mayo , William Berger).Tonino Valeri 's great success is compelling directed with startling visual content.This frightening movie is plenty of thrills, chills, body-count and glimmer color in lurid pastel with phenomenal results. This is a classic slasher where the intrigue,tension, suspense appear threatening and lurking in every room, corridors and luxurious interior and exterior.This genuinely mysterious story is well photographed by Manuel Rojas with magenta shades of ochre ,translucently pale turquoises and deep orange-red .The movie belongs to Italian Giallo genre that was invented by Mario Bava along with Riccardo Freda(Secret of Dr. Hitchcock) , they are the fundamental creators . These Giallo movies are characterized by overblown use of color with shining red blood, usual zooms, and utilization of images-shock . Later appears Dario Argento(Deep red, Suspira,Inferno), another essential creator of classic Latin terror films. Tonino Valeri's so-so direction is well crafted, here he's less cynical and humorous and more inclined toward violence and lots of killings . Colorful and evocative cinematography by Manuel Rojas . Very good musical score by the classic Ennio Morricone. The picture is well directed by Tonio Valeri , an expert on Western as proved in ¨The hired gun ¨ , ¨My name is nobody ¨ with Fonda and Terence Hill , ¨The price of power ¨ with Giuliano Gemma and Van Heflin , ¨The day of anger ¨with Lee van Cleef and ¨ Taste of Killing¨ with Craig Hill and George Martin . Rating: Good, this is one more imaginative slasher pictures in which the camera stalks in sinister style throughout a story with magnificent visual skills.

By-the-numbers giallo with a stronger grip on investigative methods and less on lurid moments than what we're used to in this sub-genre, though the comparatively coherent storyline and some effective set-pieces cannot save this unremarkable pic from sinking.The sleazy and/or freaked-out characters are as randomly portrayed as ever, so that the culprit's identity leaves one rather cold, despite a nicely handled denouement.And a short scene with a nude young girl just underlines the movie's ruthlessly exploitative nature.3 out of 10 telltale drawings

The British DVD edition of this one promises "giallo" fare of the most menacing, gory and misogynistic kind, but actually it is -- despite a pretty ridiculous decapitation and the infamous buzz saw scene which lasts about two and a half seconds -- a pretty meek affair, not even a "giallo", and far from depravity despite another infamous scene with a naked child girl -- well, you might have seen one before. "My Dear Killer" is alright in terms of characterization, especially in the scenes between Inspector Peretti (George Hilton) and his spouse (Marilu Tolo), competently directed, quite thrilling, but shares the problem of so many Italian movies of the same period: The script builds tension to the max, but can't deliver. Actually, it's nothing more than an Agatha Christie rip-off with some pseudo-gritty moments and a dull conclusion reminiscent of Hercule Poirot's most gammy moments. The biggest sleaze factor of the movie is Hilton's moustache: Those were the seventies.

This giallo belongs to the more notorious Italian thrillers of the Seventies, which is hardly surprising once one has seen it entirely. Director Valerii unfolds a rather shocking (for not to write perverse) story including a handful of dubious characters, kidnapping of little children and sadistic killings of helpless elderly people.The story is very interesting and Valerii presents enough twists to keep the whodunit running until the "Hercule-Poirot-like" climax, in which all suspects are together in the same room, while the inspector solves the mystery. From time to time there are the typically stylish murder scenes, the nastiest showing a gory murder with a circular saw. All the characters are all portrayed convincingly by the actors, and Ennio Morricone's soundtrack is cool as ever.Together with Lucio Fulci's masterly "Non Si Sevizia un Paperino" (Don't Torture a Duckling) and Aldo Lado's beautiful "Chi l'ha Visto Morire?" (Who Saw Her Die?) the ultimate giallo about child abuse and still sure to leave the audience gasping for breath after it's over. Don't miss this one, but be prepared.