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. ***.  

SO SWEET ... SO PERVERSE

Jean-Louis Trintignant and Carroll Baker

SO SWEET ... SO PERVERSE (aka  Cosi dolce ,,, cosi perversa//1969). Director: Umberto Lenzi. 

Jean Reynard (Jean-Louis Trintignant) lives with his wife, Danielle (Erika Blanc), in a Paris apartment. Danielle has stopped sleeping with Jean, which necessitates his having affairs. Jean becomes intrigued with the woman, Nicole (Carroll Baker of The Fourth Victim), who has moved into the apartment upstairs, and learns that she is being dominated by a lover named Klaus (Horst Frank). It isn't long before one of these people is murdered, while the other three accuse the others of pretending this victim is still alive -- which may even be true ...

Jean-Louis Trintignant and Erika Blanc

So Sweet ... So Perverse is essentially a retread of Diabolique, with its own twists, including that one of the female characters has come to realize she is a lesbian. The actors use their real voices, but the over-dubbing makes their performances, especially Baker's, seem a little off. Erika Blanc decidedly gives the most impressive performance. An unintentionally hilarious moment occurs when the police insist on one character making an ID in the morgue, although the corpse has been described as "completely unrecognizable!" This is one of four movies that Carroll Baker did for director Umberto Lenzi: Knife of Ice; Paranoia, which was originally called Orgasmo; and A Quiet Place to Kill, which was originally called Paranoia! Go figure!

Verdict: Minor but absorbing suspense film -- and nominal giallo -- with some new twists on an old idea. **1/2.