偏执狂

ThisfilmisanextremelyentertainingpsychologicalthrillerwithCarrolBakerexcellentasarichAmericanwidowgettingawayfromitallatasecludedItalianvilla.Entersmartaleckdownonhisluckplayboy,LouCastel,whohassomegolddiggingmotivesbehindhisslickhipsterseductiontechniquesandhasnoqualmsabouthowhegetswhathewants.HeencouragesBaker'scharacter'sincipientalcoholismanddubiousself-esteem,bringsinhissupposed'sister'tohelpdragBakerevenfurtherintoamazeofsickmindgames,drugaddictionandgroupsex,allculminatinginadescentintonear-madnessandself-destructivedepravity.Iwon'tgiveawayanymore,sufficetosaythatthefilmdeliversonitsswingingsixties,Eurosleazeambienceandpsychologicalsuspensethrillercredentialsinspades.DirectorUmbertoLenzi'sworkhasbeen,atbest,unevenandhe'schurnedouthisshareofcrap.However,hemadesomequitegoodgiallosandcrimepicturesinthesixtiesandseventiesandthisisoneofthem(othergoodfilmsbyLenzi--SPASMO,SEVENBLOODSTAINEDORCHIDS,ASSAULTWITHADEADLYWEAPON,tonameonlyafew).Unfortunatelythisfilmisofenconfusedwithanotherokaybutnot-quite-as-goodLenzifilmthatwasalsoreleasedbrieflyhereinAmericaunderthesamePARANOIAtitle(butismorecommonlyknown,especiallyonvideo,asAQUIETPLACETOKILL).