GATTI ROSSI IN UN LABIRINTO DI VETRO - "Eyeball" (1975)

For tonight's Wicked Wednesday presentation we go back to Italy and Spain and the 1975 wild world of Giallo film making!

Tonight's feature is titled "Gatti Rossi In Un Labirinto Di Vetro" which translates into English as (Are you ready for this one?) "Red Cats In A Glass Maze."
They tried everything possible to try and sell this movie to American consumers, but were not successful, so it is also released in English as "The Secret Killer," and/or
"Eyeball!"

The basic story is there is a group of American tourists, and the women are getting bumped off one by one, along with some of the locals by a maniac with a knife who is cutting an eye out of each one of them for some odd reason. Also, almost everyone on this a bus is also not only a potential victim, but also possibly the suspected killer!

My favourite day of the year!!

"Gatti Rossi In Un Labirinto Di Vetro" was filmed in Barcelona, Spain, as seen here, and also in Lazio, Italy!

After that, here's what you get, one eye at a time!

Lots of sharp knives!

More eyes gone!

Bloody sharp knives!

Bloody sharp knives in the hands of the wrong people!

It took me a long time to get over my initial reaction to Giallo movies, not being a big fan of people running around cutting other people up, but over time, I found out that despite all the lurid posters, and stinkin' knives, Giallo flicks are usually quite intelligent and confusing as Hell!

But then, that's just me!

It doesn't take a rocket surgeon to understand why the title got changed from "Red Cats In A Glass Maze".........................

...................To "Eyeball!"

Director Umberto Lenzi started off his career doing 'Sword and Sandal' movies, followed by 'Secret Agent/Spy' movies, before moving on into making 'Giallo' movies!

Umberto also directed one of my favourite films, "Kriminal."

After his run of 70's Giallo films, Maestro Lenzi turned to making Eurotrash horror and cannibal films like "Nightmare City," and "Eaten Alive."

To show you what a sense of humor Umberto had, he directed at least nine movies using names like Humphrey Milestone, Humphrey Humbert, Harry Kirkpatrick, and Bob Collins! 

This brilliant man only passed away a couple of years ago in 2017 at the age of 86.

The Detective on the case was set to retire in a week when all these gruesome murders started, but he was able to get it all figured out just in time!

I just stumbled into a snake pit of 60's and 70's strange and odd Euro horror, so I'll be back on Saturday with more, unless of course...........Something else happens!

ATTACK OF THE 50 FT. WOMAN / Please Don't Make Her Angry! - 1993

In today's HBO TV remake of the great schlock original, young heiress Nancy Archer is driving home after finding her husband with another woman at a motel, when, she encounters a UFO that zaps her with some kind of laser ray. After a second encounter, she finds herself growing in size every time she gets angry!

Stars include Daryl (BLADE RUNNER) Hannah, Daniel (VAMPIRES) Baldwin, William (THE MEPHISTO WALTZ) Windom, Frances (PINK CADILLAC) Fisher, Cristi (BATMAN RETURNS) Conaway, Paul (THIS IS SPINAL TAP) Benedict, O'Neal (DEEP IMPACT) Compton and many more...

This sucker was filmed in good old Taft, California, so, here's one for Eegah!! and all I have to say, is,,, The Seven Sisters!! Anyway, here's a nice shot of Nancy in her light blue Cadillac heading back home.

Being a Fifties Sci-Fi Guy, I just want to scream when I see another lame-ass rip off of an overused saucer design!.. JFC, D!! So, Nancy is hit in the chest with a pink ray before the ship disappears into the night...

Back at a motel, Harry's having a romp with Honey! Remember, this was an HBO production, a little nudity was added for a little viewer titillation! All I can say is, nice ass!

My favorite parts were Sheriff Denby and his little helper out looking for a UFO. The kid is basically the brains and it's fun to watch them interact. And, the Sheriff drives a classic 1950 Shoebox Ford, now, that's class!

Nancy talks Harry into helping her search for the saucer. After driving around in the country the damn thing shows itself again. Nancy goes over to the space ship only to be abducted! Man, the perspective is all screwed up here, first of all, if the ship was directly over her, it'd be a lot bigger!!

After Nancy has returned from wherever, she's having a discussion with her dad and Harry where she gets angry and grows to an enormous size, busting her head through the second floor! Boy, it's a good thing that her bra didn't snap off!

So, she's a bad girl and has to stay in the barn. Her doctors pay her a visit. Again, the perspective is off, the doctor's pointing like five feet above Nancy's head.

They had to do it, Nancy shows up at a drive-in where they're showing the original movie!

Great shot as Nancy heads into town, love those shadows!

She finds Harry and Honey at Honey's Nail Salon and pounds her fist through the roof. Harry's scared as Hell and tries to hide from his giant pissed off wife!

He gets to his Porsche but can't get it started before Nancy scoops up the car with Harry screaming bloody murder inside!! She wants to have a 'little' talk with him.

At the end, the military brings in helicopter gun ships. They fire at her like a thousand times and never fucking hit her once!!!!!.. Anyway, she gets crucified on the power lines, the ship then arrives and takes her away!

So, let's say goodbye...

Goodbye!

This movie is all about woman empowerment. Inside the spaceship, women control everything, and men like Harry are there to work on their social skills!!

Join us again on Wednesday when we'll try and come up with something cool for you, here, at The Dungeon!!

IT TAKES A THIEF - "The Three Virgins Of Rome" (1969)

This Saturday Night Special is episode seven from season three of the great 1960's TV show "It Takes A Thief."

For this episode they left Universal Studios in California and headed to Rome, Italy for a more authentic location!

"The Three Virgins Of Rome" has a real Eurotrash look and feel to it!

There's going to be an big outdoor exhibition of some famous paintings, so Al Mundy has been hired to stop them from getting stolen. His Father, a noted international art thief known as The Panther just happens to also be in town. Coincidence? Not likely!

I'm sure part of the reason this is such a good looking episode is because the Director is none other than Jack Arnold, the man who directed some of our all-time favourite monster movies like "It Came From Outer Space," "Creature From The Black Lagoon," "Tarantula," "The Incredible Shrinking Man," and "Monster On The Campus," to name a few!

Using International Dungeon fave Karin Dor as Angela was also a stroke of genius!

The pretty cool cast also includes Victor Buono as as Mr. Kent!

I read that Victor Buono at one point was close to 400 pounds in weight, and I believe it from the looks of him in this photo! He was also 6'3" tall!

They come in all sizes. On the complete other end of the scale, Davy (Satan's Harvest) Kaye, the gentleman in the middle, was only 4' 11."

Robert Wagner and Karin Dor make quite an attractive couple!

I really think you could plug Joachim Fuchsberger and Natalie Wood into the same two roles and get away with it! Wouldn't that be interesting?

Just in case you wondered, there are no real "Three Virgins Of Rome" paintings!

Now that is a tricky hiding place!

Time for a word from our sponsor, "Spa-Fon" cleaning products. If you can't get it out with "Spa-Fon," it's permanent!"

So here's where it gets a little slightly unbelievable!

They float "The Three Virgins" away with helium balloons!

And land them safely in this field!

Right!

Here's the cover of a great 7" 45 single by pianist Dave Grusin!

I didn't have any "It Takes A Thief" music to listen to, so I listened to this killer soundtrack from the movie "Robbery," written by John Keating to get me in the mood!

No matter the role, Karin always looks freakin' amazing!

Lord Litter in Berlin was the one who told me about this great episode, so, from the both of us,
 "Cheerz!"