Sergio Martino's name is pretty well known amongst Giallo and Italian exploitation fans - he's directed such classic Gialli as Torso, The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh, Case of the Scorpion's Tail and All the Colors of the Dark. He's also made some first-rate trash, namely Mountain of the Cannibal God, 2019: After the Fall of New York, Atomic Cyborg and The Great Alligator. Suspected Death of a Minor is one of Martino's less recognized films as it has never, until now, received a widespread release. Sazuma Productions present here an uncut and restored version of this long-lost piece of Italian genre cinema.
When a prostitute is found brutally murdered in a sleazy boarding house, renegade Inspector Paolo Germi (Claudio Cassinelli) teams up with petty thief and pickpocket Teti (Gianfranco Barra) to investigate. The trail leads them to discover a series of interlinking crimes including an underage prostitution racket, blackmail, kidnapping, incest and drugs. The plot is extremely convoluted, with many surprises along the way.
This film is a unique blend of the Giallo and Poliziesco (police thriller) genres with the odd touch of bizarre comedy. There is your Giallo-style killer who wears mirrored sunglasses and slashes up women with a switchblade (although, overall there's very little blood in this flick) but he's only seen in a few scenes as the police investigations take center stage here. Although Germi doesn't go about police business the usual way, he's more like Dirty Harry or something, he shoots at civilians, sleeps with hookers, and even leads members of his own police force on a huge car-chase during which he tells his passenger to rip off the car doors (his car's a piece of sh!t) and throw them at the car behind him! There's also other comedic elements during this car chase - they smash into one dude on a bike and he's left riding a unicycle, another guy narrowly avoids getting hit by jumping out of the way and when he falls he spins on his head a coupla times like a break-dancer (?!).
The film is extremely well shot with gorgeous cinematography by frequent Martino collaborator Giancarlo Ferrando, and an excellent Goblin-esquire score by Luciano Michelini.
Italian exploit fans will recognize a few familiar faces here too: Claudio Cassinelli (Flavia the Heretic, Mountain of the Cannibal God, and Lucio Fulci's The New Gladiators and Murder Rock). Mel Ferrer (both Lenzi and Hooper's Eaten Alive films, Nightmare City, The Great Alligator). Jenny Tamburi (Murder to the Tune of the Seven Black Notes, The Sinful Nuns of Saint Valentine, Women in Cell Block 7). And the Assistant Director was Michele Massimo Tarantini (Massacre in Dinosaur Valley, Women in Fury).
Overall, an OK film but probably more for fans of the Poliziesco genre than Giallo as its definitely more police / action orientated. 6/10
When a prostitute is found brutally murdered in a sleazy boarding house, renegade Inspector Paolo Germi (Claudio Cassinelli) teams up with petty thief and pickpocket Teti (Gianfranco Barra) to investigate. The trail leads them to discover a series of interlinking crimes including an underage prostitution racket, blackmail, kidnapping, incest and drugs. The plot is extremely convoluted, with many surprises along the way.
This film is a unique blend of the Giallo and Poliziesco (police thriller) genres with the odd touch of bizarre comedy. There is your Giallo-style killer who wears mirrored sunglasses and slashes up women with a switchblade (although, overall there's very little blood in this flick) but he's only seen in a few scenes as the police investigations take center stage here. Although Germi doesn't go about police business the usual way, he's more like Dirty Harry or something, he shoots at civilians, sleeps with hookers, and even leads members of his own police force on a huge car-chase during which he tells his passenger to rip off the car doors (his car's a piece of sh!t) and throw them at the car behind him! There's also other comedic elements during this car chase - they smash into one dude on a bike and he's left riding a unicycle, another guy narrowly avoids getting hit by jumping out of the way and when he falls he spins on his head a coupla times like a break-dancer (?!).
The film is extremely well shot with gorgeous cinematography by frequent Martino collaborator Giancarlo Ferrando, and an excellent Goblin-esquire score by Luciano Michelini.
Italian exploit fans will recognize a few familiar faces here too: Claudio Cassinelli (Flavia the Heretic, Mountain of the Cannibal God, and Lucio Fulci's The New Gladiators and Murder Rock). Mel Ferrer (both Lenzi and Hooper's Eaten Alive films, Nightmare City, The Great Alligator). Jenny Tamburi (Murder to the Tune of the Seven Black Notes, The Sinful Nuns of Saint Valentine, Women in Cell Block 7). And the Assistant Director was Michele Massimo Tarantini (Massacre in Dinosaur Valley, Women in Fury).
Overall, an OK film but probably more for fans of the Poliziesco genre than Giallo as its definitely more police / action orientated. 6/10