KNIFE OF ICE
original title:~IL COLTELLO DI GHIACCIO
also known as:~THE ICE PICK,SILENT HORROR,DAGGER OF ICE
directed by:~UMBERTO LENZI (1972)
starring:~CAROLL BAKER,ALAN SCOTT,EVELYN STEWART,EDUARDO FAJARDA,JORGE RIGAUD,FRANCO FANTASIA.
Synopsis
Martha Cauldwell (Carroll Baker) has been mute,since the age of 12,when her parents were killed in a railway accident,she invites invites her sister (a country and western singer) to stay with her at her adoptive family home.Her sister is soon murdered ,as was a local girl shortly before her arrival,and the police conclude that there is a mad killer loose in the area.
A local hippy is arrested as he is believed to be a drug addict and satanist and is ,therefore, an obvious suspect.Whilst the hippy is in custody both Marthas' housekeeper and a young girl are killed,so the police ,reluctantly,release him
With so many people around her being murdered ,and employees and family members acting in a manner which makes it clear they are up to no good,it appears that it is only a matter of time before Martha herself becomes a victim.
Another of Umberto Lenzis' thrillers starring Caroll Baker (see 'paranoia' review) and their 4rd film together is another someone-trying-to-drive-the-heroin-mad film (a well used device in the horror/thriller field) though being an italian thriller there are more twists,red herrings and murders than you can shake a pointy stick at (though why you might want to do so is you're own business).
As with 'paranoia' this is a fairly slow affair, and a little drawn out, though better paced than 'paranoia' and with a twist that actually did suprise me (though it probably shouldn't have).There are plenty of (fairly restrained) killings and a mass of red herrings~almost everybody ends up as a victim ,suspect or both, and there are enough bizzare occurrences to keep fans of Italian thrillers interested until the killers identity is finally revealed.
Review
'Knife of ice' is fairly sedate compared to other Lenzi gialli such as 'Eyeball' and 'Spasmo' (which pile on one bizzare event after another with no regard for logic or common sense and are all the more entertaining for it) and is a more traditional thriller more in the style of 'Paranoia' than the 'classic' giallos of Argento,
To be fair,the copy of 'Knife of Ice' under review is neither particularly good quality nor in widescreen~and it would,no doubt, have benefitted greatly from being in its' correct widescreen ratio and from good clear picture quality,in any case 'knife of ice' is neither the best nor the worst italian thriller you'll ever see,but is far more entertaining than most of the rubbish clogging the shelves of your local video library.
Version used for review~copy of greek release-English language/Greek subs fullscreen,very 'washed out picture' ok sound~(apparently the original tape is not great quality and has a washed out,grainy picture)
