5 Dolls for an August Moon (1971)
** (out of 4)
Mario Bava's twist on the "Ten Little Indians" story has a group of people being invited to an isolated island where one by one they're murdered. 5 DOLLS FOR AN AUGUST MOON isn't considered one of the director's best films and it's easy to see why as it's lacking the flair and style of his earlier giallos but it's also quite tame when compared to what the director would do a year later with TWITCH OF THE DEATH NERVE. This film here pretty much falls well below what one would come to expect from the director, although there are a few good moments scattered throughout. One such moment happens to be the twist that happens towards the end of the picture but after the twist the events that play out really aren't all that special. I'm going to place the majority of the blame on the screenplay because it's simply never all that exciting and there's really no one you like or care about. It takes quite a while for everything to get going and once it does you realize that the characters are rather bland and it also appears that the director isn't all that interested in anything going on. That typical Bava style is missing throughout the picture and this is certainly true during the murder scenes. The majority of them happens off camera and we're slowly let in on them in ways that are just rather dull and lifeless as the bodies themselves. Even the sexuality in the film is pretty tame to the point where it really does seem like Bava isn't interested in anything that's happening. Of course, this tame sexuality and violence might be why he went full steam ahead the next year with TWITCH OF THE DEATH NERVE. Cult favorites William Berger and Edwige Fenech are on hand but neither add enough to save the film.
** (out of 4)
Mario Bava's twist on the "Ten Little Indians" story has a group of people being invited to an isolated island where one by one they're murdered. 5 DOLLS FOR AN AUGUST MOON isn't considered one of the director's best films and it's easy to see why as it's lacking the flair and style of his earlier giallos but it's also quite tame when compared to what the director would do a year later with TWITCH OF THE DEATH NERVE. This film here pretty much falls well below what one would come to expect from the director, although there are a few good moments scattered throughout. One such moment happens to be the twist that happens towards the end of the picture but after the twist the events that play out really aren't all that special. I'm going to place the majority of the blame on the screenplay because it's simply never all that exciting and there's really no one you like or care about. It takes quite a while for everything to get going and once it does you realize that the characters are rather bland and it also appears that the director isn't all that interested in anything going on. That typical Bava style is missing throughout the picture and this is certainly true during the murder scenes. The majority of them happens off camera and we're slowly let in on them in ways that are just rather dull and lifeless as the bodies themselves. Even the sexuality in the film is pretty tame to the point where it really does seem like Bava isn't interested in anything that's happening. Of course, this tame sexuality and violence might be why he went full steam ahead the next year with TWITCH OF THE DEATH NERVE. Cult favorites William Berger and Edwige Fenech are on hand but neither add enough to save the film.