TORSO

(a.k.a I CORPI PRESENTANO TRACCI DE VIOLENZA CARNALE;CARNAL VIOLENCE; BODIES BARE TRACE OF CARNAL VIOLENCE).

The onscreen title here is TORSO CARNAL VIOLENCE.

Beneath yellow titles, two perfectly toned young females cavort nakedly with an unseen third person. The threesome is caught several times by the flash of a camera, but the images caught on its film are softened to obscure our knowledge of just who this act involves. It will, after all, prove to be a vital clue in Sergio Martino's (MOUNTAIN OF THE CANNIBAL GOD; THE CASE OF THE SCORPION'S TAIL) classic giallo.

The focus then shifts to an Italian university, where Franz (John Richardson, THE CHURCH; EYEBALL) is addressing a hall full of bored hippyish students. As his seminar ends, the students rush out onto the cobbled streets and we meet foreign exchange student Jane (Suzy Kendall, THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE; SPASMO) and her foxy teenaged friends - one of whom is getting hassle from an estranged boyfriend.

This latter point becomes more significant when a pretty student and her beau are killed while making out in their car one evening, and a funky scarf is left at the scene of the crime. You see, the disgruntled ex-boyfriend wears has been spotted wearing an identical scarf! Oh hang on, so does slimy lecturer Franz. As do plenty of the local students, and so on. As a red herring, the idea of the scarf suggesting possible suspects is an extremely feeble conceit!

But where Martino's film fails in it's laughable attempts at establishing a host of potential assassins, it does offer loads of ambience with prolonged shots of misty woodlands (the stalking and eventual killing of a stoner chick lost among the trees is film's cinematic highpoint) and a wonderful flute-led Goblin-esque score.

Plotwise, TORSO makes little sense and is full of holes. It's the usual giallo guff, only weaker: a bunch of nubile young ladies are being killed off, there are plenty of would-be suspects with hidden pasts and occasional flashbacks that eventually will form together to reveal why the killer has now decided to follow their murderous urges.

Just to numb the brain even further, Martino shifts the action in the final third to a remote villa set at the top of a hill overlooking the village. This is where the students - one of them now injured and effectively bed-ridden (!) - are completely at the mercy of the psychopath waiting outside. It's strictly by-the-numbers fare - and you'll guess the killer's identity long before Martino clumsily volunteers it.

But Martino pulls this off thanks to a succession of well-executed set-pieces. As mentioned, the stoner-in-the-woods scene is masterfully shot for maximum atmosphere (and we get bare breasts thrown in gratuitously, which is always a plus). Elsewhere, there's a nifty car chase which is cut short when the car's target is cornered and smashed graphically against a wall several times; a primitive yet curiously effective eye-poking (another visual clue to the murderer's deep-rooted problem); Kendall trembling with fear as she watches from her hiding place while the killer dismembers her friends with a hacksaw; the tense final fifteen minutes as one student barricades herself in her bedroom while the murderer closes in.

For these reasons, coupled with the sterling cinematography, scenic Italian locations and memorable score, TORSO works as dim but gripping entertainment. It's testament to Martino's talent that he's made something genuinely enjoyable from Ernesto Gastaldi's (ALMOST HUMAN; GAMBLING CITY) nonsensical screenplay.

Part of the credit must also go to Kendall and Richardson though, who carry the film with sincere performances that ensure likeable leads and even manage to pull off an unlikely romance between their characters.

Shameless' disc presents TORSO for the first time on UK DVD. It's also the first time the uncut version of the film has been passed with an 18 certificate from the BBFC.

The 1.85:1 transfer has been 16x9 enhanced and looks very good indeed. Images are bright and clear with minimal grain evident, while colours are vivid without bleeding. I strongly suspect Shameless have used the same source material as Anchor Bay US did a few years back, and the results are pretty much identical. There's no conversion issues evident.

The English mono audio track is a solid reliable affair too. A couple of scenes are presented in Italian mono and come equipped with English subtitles.

The film can be accessed via 12 chapters, by way of an attractive static scene-selection menu.

Extras are limited to an original trailer for TORSO (very psychedelic), and trailers for other Shameless attractions: THE NEW YORK RIPPER, KILLER NUN, VENUS IN FURS, THE BLACK CAT, BABA YAGA and PHANTOM OF DEATH.

Although it's hardly an extra, there are a couple of pages of text that precede the film proudly declaring its uncut status. And keep an eye out for the copyright warning that opens the disc - a light-hearted take in the standard caution, ending with a sarcastic "Or else!".

It's nice to see TORSO make its long overdue DVD debut on British soil. It's even nicer to see it uncut with a pleasing transfer and arresting cover art. Kudos to Shameless all round. Recommended.

Review by Stuart Willis