TOUCH OF DEATH (1988, original title Quandro Alice ruppe lo specchio) is another low budget gorefest from Lucio Fulci, made at the tail-end of his career. His heart is still there but sadly the elements required to make a decent film just aren't at his fingertips and the end result is a rather boring little piece highlighted by a few sequences of stand-out gore and little more besides. This slimly-plotted tale sees Brett Halsey - whom you may remember from RETURN OF THE FLY all those years before - as a man who makes his living by romancing rich widows before bumping them off, hiding their bodies, and stealing their fortunes. There's little more to it than that, and the only thing memorable here is the gore. There's a very nasty scene involving an oven but the most unpleasant part is a chainsaw dismemberment which goes way beyond the bounds of taste. Halsey comes across as a pure misogynist and a calculating sociopath so it's hard to spend so much time with his character. There are sub-plots involving gambling associates (and a cameoing Al Cliver of ZOMBIE FLESH EATERS fame) and a psychological twist involving Halsey's 'double', but it all leads to a very underwhelming climax that dials back on the mayhem and plays out in a very ordinary way. A disappointment.
Review of Touch of Death
