A DRAGONFLY FOR EACH CORPSE

Paul Naschy and Mariano Vidal Molina

A DRAGONFLY FOR EACH CORPSE (aka Una libelula para cada muerto/1975). Director: Leon Klimovsky. 

In Milan Inspector Paolo Scaparelli (Paul Naschy, who also co-wrote the screenplay) has been assigned to catch a serial killer who goes after people he believes to be immoral and always leaves a plastic dragonfly on top of each corpse. As the bodies pile up -- and there are quite a few -- Paolo's girlfriend, Silvana (Erkia Blanc of So Sweet ... So Perverse), thinks she's come up with an important clue, which he, unfortunately, dismisses. 

Erika Blanc with Naschy

Dragonfly is a Spanish imitation of an Italian giallo film and it's better than a lot of them. While Leon Klimovsky's direction doesn't have much style to it, the film does work up a lot of suspense, and has many flavorful aspects to it. Naschy, who many consider the King of Spanish horror films, is a unique and unusual-looking leading man. Angel Aranda of Planet of the Vampires is one of the suspects and Mariano Vidal Molina is Naschy's boss, the police commissioner. One odd thing is that the police never seem to try to find out where the plastic dragonflies were manufactured or sold. Otherwise, this is quite interesting.

 Verdict: Absorbing murder mystery from Spain. ***.