Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Decent Giallo for euro-trash fanatics, March 20, 2003
This 1971 giallo from Umberto Lenzi has never been released in the US in any form until this welcome Shriek Show release. The film itself is somewhat average as far as giallos go - the cinematography is nice, there's a black-gloved killer, some violent murder scenes (one with a power drill!), and some nudity to spice things up ---- but the mystery itself is pretty substandard and doesn't really have much punch. I also guessed the killer the first time that character appeared on screen - maybe I've just seen too many of these things. Still, if you're a giallo fanatic or euro trash junkie, this disc is a no-brainer and you need to buy it. The anamorphic transfer looks great (bar some minor EE and shimmering around vertical lines or plaid clothing) and there's another great score by Riz Ortolani that will have you groovin' in no time. Extras include a 10 minute interview with Lenzi and a short interview with one of the female victims. Plus, the trailer and one for "Spasmo" and "Eaten Alive", liner notes, and a brief "art gallery". So, it may not be one of the best giallos out there, but it still has a lot to offer. Check it out.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
SUPERB!, March 30, 2005
SEVEN BLOOD-STAINED ORCHIDS is a close second to Argento's excellent DEEP RED as my favorite giallo! Directed with flair and tension by Umberto Lenzi, who was best known for CANNIBAL FEROX/MAKE THEM DIE SLOWLY, EATEN ALIVE, and NIGHTMARE CITY, ORCHIDS tells the story of a killer who murders women in all kinds of gruesome ways (bludgeoning, drowning, strangling, and power-drilling) and leaves a silver half-moon locket in their hands. One victim (Uschi Glass) survives her attack and, together with her husband (Antonio Sabato), she finds a connection between herself and the other victims: They were all at the seaside hotel that she once managed. And the locket belonged to a guest that was also there one day.
To reveal anymore about SEVEN BLOOD-STAINED ORCHIDS would be unfair, as this film requires very little foreknowledge as possible. The story is engrossing from beginning to end, the performances are great, and the murder sequences rank up there with anything Bava or Argento (or even Fulci) has ever done. The power-drill sequence is the highlight for me; it was the inspiration for Abel Ferrara's DRILLER KILLER and murders with power drills were featured in THE TOOLBOX MURDERS and DePalma's BODY DOUBLE. And the music by Riz Ortilani is among the best music scores in EuroHorror history; it's right up there with the works of Ennio Morricone, Goblin, and even Bernard Herrmann. I'll even go as far as to say that ORCHIDS reaces the levels of Hitchcock!
Yes, Lenzi's film was more infulential than its obscurity might lead you to believe. I highly recommend this film to any horror or thriller buff!
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful babes and lots of style, January 1, 2005
Good god, I love Media Blasters! Every time you turn around, these guys are unleashing yet another depraved classic from years gone past. It seems that most of the stuff they release are Japanese anime flicks, a genre I haven't gotten into in a serious way yet, but they also make sure to release tons of gooey gorefests that send horror fans into paroxysms of joy. And they go out of their way (usually) to stuff the disc with plenty of supplemental materials like trailers, interviews, and commentaries. That doesn't sound like a big deal since lots of DVDs today contain extras, but it's a lot easier to find someone like Oliver Stone than it is to uncover the whereabouts of Ruggero Deodato or Umberto Lenzi. Heck, these guys actually locate cult favorites like George Eastman and Ivan Rassimov in order to interview them on camera! If you love films that delve deep into the inner recesses of shock cinema, Media Blasters is the place for you. Thanks to these guys, we can finally watch Lenzi's suspenseful giallo, "Seven Blood-Stained Orchids," on DVD. I love gialli films--I've seen a bunch of them at this point--and I always find time to watch one more.
Fans of Eurohorror know Umberto Lenzi more for his cannibal and crime films, but the man makes a mean giallo too. "Seven Blood-Stained Orchids" possesses all the things a good giallo should, namely a black gloved killer, false leads, multiple grisly murders, plot twists, and beautiful, shrieking Eurobabes running all over the place. The problems start with the gruesome murder of the beautiful harridan Inez Tamborini (Gabriella Giorgelli), a crime that brings in Inspector Vismara (Pier Paolo Capponi) and his cohorts into the picture. At first the crime looks like just another slaying, but then a second murder provides a startling link hinting at the beginnings of a terrifying murder spree. The second victim, Kathy Adams (Marina Malfatti), runs into black glove at her house and promptly moves on to another plane of existence. More victims will follow throughout the film, including a patient at a mental asylum, Eleanor, who dies when the killer drowns her in a bathtub. The cops set up surveillance and other traps in an attempt to catch the killer, but continually fail to do so. Meanwhile, a teacher perishes in a confessional, and Anna Sartori (Marisa Mell) and her twin sister Maria discover that black glove isn't worried about discriminating between the two. There are more victims, including one on the wrong end of a drill, but the most important potential victim is Julia (Uschi Glass).
Julia and her husband Mario (Antonio Sabato) learn they are in trouble when the killer makes an attempt on her life but fails to finish the job. The authorities soon bring the two in on the case, hoping to use Julia as bait to draw out the killer. Ultimately this tried and true investigative method will work, but in the meantime Julia and Mario spend a great deal of time trying to figure out why this maniac is hunting down these specific individuals. It turns out that some years before all of these women were in the same place on the same day, a resort hotel, when a suspicious car accident claimed the life of a guest. Obviously, the killer has some connection to this event, and subsequent events show that the person donning the black gloves isn't sure which woman was responsible for the death of this guest. In true terminator fashion the criminal merely eradicates every female on the list, secure in the knowledge that he will eventually get the one who was in the car that night. The journey involved in unmasking the murderer is fraught with peril, as Mario and Julia must deal with an enigmatic informant with a photographic memory, Raffaele Ferri (Claudio Gora), and an odd priest (Renato Romano) who appears to know some things about the background of the case.
Like all decent gialli, it's tough to describe what's happening in "Seven Blood-Stained Orchids" without giving away the ending. Anyone and everyone could be a suspect, and the twists and turns encountered on the way to the conclusion keep the viewer constantly on their toes. It is safe to discuss the women and the stylish aspects of the movie, however. The highpoints of the film definitely include Uschi Glass, Gabriella Giorgelli, and Marisa Mell. All gialli contain at least one attractive actress, but this one has three extraordinarily beautiful women. Mell is nothing less than spectacular, on the same plane as veteran Eurobabe actress Edwige Fenech. These easy on the eyes actresses help propel the film through the inevitable slow spots. Just as important as the actresses are the stylish aspects of the movie. The scenes involving the cats, the drill atrocity, and a nifty elevator sequence involving one of the Satori sisters are all memorable scenes that help distinguish "Seven Blood-Stained Orchids" from lesser gialli efforts. I surprised myself by picking out the killer well before the movie concluded, something I can only occasionally do with these types of films on the first viewing.
There are plenty of extras on the disc. Poster stills, liner notes, and trailers for "Eaten Alive," "Spasmo," and "Seven Blood-Stained Orchids" put you in that Eurohorror frame of mind necessary for enjoying the feature. Too, interviews with actress Gabriella Giorgelli and Umberto Lenzi reveal some information about the making of the movie. The director explains that he got the idea for this movie from a Cornell Woolrich story, and that the imaginative death scene of Giorgelli's character brought praise from some cinematic bigwigs who liked how Lenzi photographed the carnage. "Seven Blood-Stained Orchids" is a must see for gialli fans and a great introduction to the genre for those viewers just starting out.
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