Autopsy (1977)

This is actually my first time writing a review just to clarify and while I'm not trying to be rude, as I know this film definitely isn't for everyone and that taste is purely subjective. However I totally disagree & can't help but shake my head with what other reviewers have previously said. I don't understand all the hate. Don't get me wrong, despite some of its flaws, this is a quite a unique, unconventional, surreal, eerie, hallucinatory (especially speaking of the first 20 minutes alone), lurid, slow-burning yet quite compelling, and lastly a bit exploitative but also more of an unusual Grindhouse take on Giallo that takes place mainly in a morgue, therefore it's not long after the film starts, that begins to take on quite a morbid tone that lingers a good portion throughout. Like other people have also said, it is probably one of the most unusual Giallos ever made.. BUT that's not a bad thing at all! FYI Make sure you watch it fully UNCUT. The plot is admittedly a bit confusing here and there and a tad complex thus being hard to follow at times with repeating viewings being a necessity, but overall it's definitely a cult-classic with a notorious reputation resulting in it remaining cut & censored (for some understandable reasons as the special effects are quite good), but unfortunately has fallen into relative obscurity until recently. The soundtrack is also fantastic and quite beautifully done, primarily speaking of the main theme by Ennio Morricone. It's original title is Macchie Solari (Sunspots) AKA The Victim. There is some pretty good gore, acting, suspense, character development and effective moments also but unfortunately it was also kind of a let down at the same time since my expectations were too high and I was honestly expecting to be blown away but it's still definitely worth recommending for the seasoned horror buff or those getting into Italian horror even though it could have been better. Mimsy Farmer is quite attractive & her role of a woman who works at a morgue while also writing a college thesis of the differences between authentic suicide and simulated suicide as well as also being on the edge of sanity is played actually quite well. Ray Lovelock (who also starred in the zombie cult-classic "The Living Dead at the Manchester Morgue" AKA "Let Sleeping Corpses Lie") is rather great too as the supporting actor in a interesting deviant role as Mimsy's photographer boyfriend. I don't want to spoil anything but when the final twist is made, you don't see it coming or like myself can't believe that he had more to do with the film than you thought as half the time you sincerely can't figure out just who could be behind the string of grisly murders that are made to look like suicides. For those who don't know, this is actually the film where the fantastic US Death metal band "Autopsy" got their name from as I remember reading a while ago that some of the band members had actually previously seen movie and were a fan of it too. I watched this mean-spirited film last night and it's probably going to be stuck in my head for several more days primarily due to some of its intense imagery. Final Rating: 7.5 (rounded up to 8 stars for IMDb).

Armando Crispino's "Macchie Solari" aka. "Autopsy" of 1975 is an underrated and quite unusual Giallo that lovers of Italian horror can not afford to miss. Great suspense, bizarre elements and very interesting, often troubled characters come along with a menacing atmosphere and a great, very eerie score by none other than Ennio Morricone. The film already starts out excellently, with several nasty suicides. Rome has been struck by a heat wave, which leads to increased suicidal tendencies among the population. Being constantly surrounded by disfigured corpses is becoming too much for young pathologist Simona (Mimsy Farmer), who is writing a thesis about suicide and murder. Simona, whose job is giving her nightmares and terrible visions, doesn't believe that all of these violent deaths were suicides..."Autopsy" features many frightening and often bizarre sequences, a quite complex plot and elaborate characters. The storyline is sometimes quite complex to follow, especially since the scene changes often seem quite abrupt, but this only makes the film less predictable, and everything makes perfect sense as a whole. The performances are entirely very good. Mimsy Farmer is excellent in the lead, and portrays her character's fears and nightmares in a very believable manner. Another great performance is delivered by Barry Primus, who plays a quite unusual catholic priest. The cast furthermore includes Ray Lovelock, a regular to Italian genre cinema, and Ernesto Colli, who should be known to Italian Horror buffs for his role in Sergio Martino's 1973 giallo masterpiece "Torso" (aka. "I Corpi presentano tracce di violenzia carnale"). It should be said that "Autopsy" is not the gore-fest the DVD cover might make you think. Even though there are some very violent sequences and many repulsive images, the violence is quite tame compared to many other Gialli of the mid 70s. The movie's main intention is suspense and it definitely succeeds in being suspenseful. "Autopsy" is a stylish, atmospheric and very suspenseful Giallo, that no lover of Italian Horror should allow himself to miss. Highly Recommended!

A rather confusing giallo and I think in part this is because of rather lazy direction and a poor performance from Mimsy Farmer who seems to get the wrong look most times and leave us in doubt as to what she is thinking or feeling. One essential in giallo is some sort of empathy for the lead, even if that eventually turns out to be misplaced! Here I don't feel many are very concerned for what happens to Mimsy. And plenty does, that's for certain. Is there another movie where the lead actress gets so much abuse and groping, not to mention attempted rape and up skirt shots!? Of course the Morricone score is first rate and for all the confusion this is a very varied and very different giallo that maintains the interest throughout.

After you've seen giallo after giallo, you begin to think you've seen it all as far as a convoluted plot goes. But then you stumble upon Autopsy. It's got to be the King of the Bizarre Plot. I'm not going to even attempt to go into it in detail because it's so twisted and things come out of left field that I could never do it justice. Just try to enjoy it for what it is.But the plot isn't where the majority of my problems with Autopsy lie. Instead, I have a real problem with the cast - specifically Mimsy Farmer as the female lead. Unlike Suzy Kendall in Torso or Edwige Fenech in All the Colors of the Dark, Mimsy Farmer and her character are not sympathetic figures. In order for a giallo to work and work well, the viewer must care about the characters who are in danger. I felt nothing for Mimsy. In fact, I was hoping she would be killed off very early in the movie.Other things I didn't care for were Mimsy's visions of the morgue patients moving around. It didn't really serve much of a purpose and didn't really go anywhere. Also, the director's decision to show up-close shots of solar flares over and over was totally unnecessary. Again, it didn't really serve much of a purpose and didn't really go anywhere.There are a lot of good gialli to track down if you're new to the genre. Autopsy, unfortunately, isn't one of them.