‘Screaming scary and sexy!!!’
Amuck! is a 1972 Italian mystery thriller film about a young woman who becomes a writer’s secretary to investigate her lover’s disappearance.
The movie was written and directed by Silvio Amadio (Smile Before Death). It was produced by Italo Zingarelli (Trinity Is Still My Name; They Call Me Trinity; The Blancheville Monster).
The movie stars Farley Granger, Barbara Bouchet, Rosalba Neri, Nino Segurini, Dino Mele, Umberto Raho and Patrizia Viotti.
The soundtrack score was composed by Teo Usuelli (The Bloodstained Lawn; Dillinger is Dead; Revenge; Slave Trade in the World Today; Mondo nudo).
Our review:
This is another seductively entertaining erotic thriller from Silvio Amadio who also directed the equally titillating Smile Before Death the same year. Admirers of Euro actresses are well served by a cast that includes two of the best leading ladies from this era. Rosalba Neri exudes an intoxicatingly evil aura and looks great as ever, while wide-eyed Barbara Bouchet obligingly strips off and dons a baby doll noted within the film’s first few minutes. In addition, Neri and Bouchet share a dreamy sapphic scene while a completely gratuitous waterfall flashback reveals the lesbian nature of Bouchet’s character’s relationship with her missing close friend.
Furthermore, Amuck’s charms are not restricted to its female participants, former Stranger on a Train Farley Granger is splendid as the kind of suave yet serpentine-like character he portrayed so well for Hitchcock. Highlights include a tense, well-shot sequence in potentially deadly, waterlogged marshes and in which Bouchet is the object of Neri’s target practice, and spellbinding aural-erotic scene in which it is revealed that the missing woman died during a Bacchanalian session. On the downside, it’s a pity that the hypnotic ‘pleasure’ theme Teo Usuelli composed for the debauchery scenes isn’t utilised more because the rest of his score wouldn’t be out of place on an episode of Star Trek. It should also be noted the film’s often languid early ‘70s pacing may be too slow for some viewers.
Ade Smith, MOVIES & MANIA
Blu-ray release:
Buy Blu-ray: Amazon.co.uk
Extras:
Restored in 2K from the Original 35mm Negative
Uncompressed English Audio
Uncompressed Italian Audio with Newly Translated English Subtitles
An Icon Amuck – Barbara Bouchet
Barbara Boucher Q&A – From the Festival of Fantastic Films, Manchester
Cast and characters:
Farley Granger … Richard Stuart
Barbara Bouchet … Greta Franklin
Rosalba Neri … Eleanora Stuart
Nino Segurini … Police Inspector Antonelli
Dino Mele … Sandro
Umberto Raho … Giovanni, the butler
Patrizia Viotti … Sally Reece
Petar Martinovitch … Rocco
Bruno Alias … Party Guest (uncredited)
Filming locations:
De Paolis IN.CI.R., Rome, Lazio, Italy (studio)
Venice, Veneto, Italy
Technical specs:
101 minutes
Technochrome colour
Aspect ratio: 2.35: 1
Audio: Mono
Alternate titles:
Alla ricerca del piacere (Original Italian title)
Amuck! (USA: publicity title)
Em Busca do Prazer (Brazil)
A la recherche du plaisir (France)
Haus der tödlichen Sünden (Germany )
En busca del placer (Mexico)
A Fúria do Assassino (Portugal)
Hot Bed of Sex (Australia and UK)
Leather and Whips (USA: short video version)
Maniac Mansion (USA: re-release title)
Il passo dell’assassino “Footsteps of the Killer” (Italy: working title)
Replica de un delitto “Repetition of a Crime” (Italy: working title)
Fun facts:
The Big Lebowski (1998) re-used one of Teo Usuelli’s themes.
Trailer:
Watch on YouTube
Free to watch on YouTube in English:
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