Well, the main reason I reviewed this is it’s kinda considered the first giallo film, the Italian murder mystery where there’s always some killer stalking, a lot of dead bodies, and a hot chick that never quite gets naked. Well, at least in the earlier films. This one? Also a weird subplot of cigarettes, mari-Huana and that ultimate evilness, the Devil’s Dandruff, the Cacacocaaaaaine.
Young American gal Nora (Letícia Román) is traveling to Rome to visit her aunt. But she experiences a lot of weird shit pretty much all at once, including but not limited to accepting a cigarette from a stranger (just don’t!), smoking on a plane (ah, good times!), a sudden death during a thunderstorm while in a blackout (unsettling for sure), getting mugged (not cool, Rome. Not Cool), seeing a murder (blurrily?), and being rained upon (so soggy). She is a very unlucky gal, and very probably negatively influences her future perceptions of Rome altogether. Unfortunate, really. And, she just might be the next murder victim. Which all things considered, even More unfortunate. But she does get to look sexy in a bikini on the beach, so there’s that.
It’s early 60s, so nothing too risque. Definitely an ode to the pulp muuurder novels, with a lot of paranoia, red herrings, and weird courting rituals by an Italian doctor played by John Saxton. Quite a few Macguffins to keep things rolling along while introducing a nice tourist travelogue filmogarphies of Rome. Even with all the muuurders, how quaint!
