ENIGMA ROSSO - Riz Ortolani - "Trauma" (1978)

Welcome back to another Warped Wednesday the 13th down in The Dungeon!

And when I say warped, I mean it! This film is so twisted, they couldn't even figure out what to call it! The original title is "Enigma Rosso," and it must have really been an enigma, because they tried every trick in the book to sell it! The version I was able to acquire is simply called "Trauma," and it shouldn't be confused with the 1962 title "Trauma," nor either of the 1976 releases with the same name, or any of the other seven "Trauma" titles that have come out over the years!

It's also been released as "Red Rings Of Fear," and plain old "Rings Of Fear!"

And it's been released as "Nemesis,"  "Virgin Killer, and "Virgin Terror!"

In an effort to be totally original, the main location for most of the killing is a religious school for girls!

And that allows for shower scenes, and a boob count of somewhere around 50 if I had to guess!

Will this strange cat icon on a pair of jeans reveal any clues?

A white horse goes crazy and throws it's rider when it gets shot in the ass with this dart!

The music in this thrillfest was created by the omnipotent Maestro Riz Ortolani! Riz was one of those slacker musician types who only managed to rack up 228 composing credits! You can read about four of them by searching for Riz on the sidebar! His funky 70's music could possibly be the highlight of this film, and if you don't believe me, then take a listen to this!

The body count just keeps piling higher!

Still working today, Fabio (Whatever Happened To Solange?) Testi is Inspector Gianni Di Salvo, the man in charge of putting all the pieces of this puzzle together! I liked this one scene where he's wearing his cat!

 From girl's school to abortion clinic!

 Inspector Di Salvo has a unique way of getting answers to difficult questions! He doesn't screw around with penny ante things like waterboarding, he just takes the perp on a terrifying roller coaster ride, and doesn't quit until he gets some answers!

 This cute little girl is not any way near as sweet as she looks!

And this happy ending is bittersweet and not exactly satisfying!

This poster from the original title looks like it's from a James Bond movie! 

It's all just a little strange, and that, my friends, is why you find movies like this in 50 movie packs for next to nothing!

THE UNKNOWN / Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer - 1927

Welp, it's time to pay a little visit with Mister Monster himself in a wild and crazy silent movie directed by Tod Browning, who doesn't do anything that isn't complicated. It also stars 22 year old Joan Crawford as the love interest.

I got this copy off TCM, it looks like they redid the title and dialogue cards as the best print available isn't that great, they look too modern to me though.

Lon Chaney is showman Alonzo The Armless, knife throwing ace for the circus.

After using a pistol with his feet to shoot beautiful Nanon's dress off, he then tosses knives around her while the stage spins!

Alonzo is in love with Nanon but sees her with the handsome strongman, Malabar.

Then, Alonzo hears her ranting about...

Uh-oh, things aren't what they seem! Alonzo's little pal Cojo helps him out of his harness after a show, revealing his arms.

It also comes out that Alonzo is hiding from the police from some earlier crime, and, he has a deformity of his thumb. A little detail in the story Lon probably had fun creating.

Great shot as Alonzo relaxes in his room, he's still using his feet while smoking! It's amazing to watch Lon effortlessly use his skills in this scene.

Alonzo wants Nanon bad! He knows how she feels about men's hands, so, he figures out a shocking plan to win her over!.. He blackmails a surgeon into... REMOVING HIS ARMS!!! What guys won't do for love, jeez!

After some time has passed, Alonzo has returned to the circus, Nanon updates him on her love life. Her and Malabar are madly in love, she has finally matured and is now all woman!

Put yourself in Alonzo's shoes, whoa, the look on his face says it all...

Rich people always love a good show when someone might lose their life in a death defying event like this one...

Malabar is holding back two horses on tread mills while the crowd goes wild.

There is a lever that will stop the tread mills in case of emergency, so, Alonzo's plan is to pull the lever and have the horses rip Malabar's arms off. There is a weird theme about arms going on here...

All Hell breaks loose and Nanon tries to help her lover while nearly being trampled.

Alonzo flips out and pushes Nanon out of the way only to be the one to get trampled! It makes you flinch when the horse comes down on Alonzo, it looks real...

A TRIBUTE TO CARL HEINZ JAFFÉ - Part Two - The Science Fiction Films

Welcome to the Dungeon Saturday Night Special, and The Films Of Carl Jaffé Part Deux! Tonight's segment focuses on Carl's Sci-Fi films, and is once again brought to you courtesy of his Grandson Michael! But before we delve into the films, here are a couple of shots from The Spotlight Casting Directory!

 

Here's Carl as a suave but mysterious character from his listing in the 1939 Directory!

 

And here's the photo from his listing in the 1963 directory in the category of Character Men and Comedians! 

Two of Carl Jaffé's earliest excursions into Science Fiction films were "The Atomic Man," in  1955, and .....

......"Satellite In The Sky" in 1956!!

Next was "The Electronic Monster," aka "Escapement," from 1958, where Carl has the role of the strange Dr. Hoff. This original scan is courtesy of the Jaffé archive owned by Michael  Jaffé'!

"This image is a scan of the ORIGINAL bromide photo, not a printed repro as used in "The Electronic Monster" poster!" - Michael Jaffé

Next up is the classic "First Man Into Space" from 1959!

"Sometimes Carl did get a credit!"

"And sometimes his image just got used!"

Michael says "Here's a great still from "First Man Into Space,"... there are others similar to this around online (most of which I also have) but you won't find THIS one!"

"You're not likely to have seen this iconic still before either!"

"In Germany "First Man Into Space" was released as "Rakete 510" and this is the film programme for it."

"Curiously enough, an extreme likeness of Carl appears to have been used on the front cover of a 20 film DVD compilation set...!"

In 1967, Carl was in "Battle Beneath The Earth" as a Dr. Galissi.

Lastly, here is a great production still of Carl as Dr. Galissi, with Kerwin Mathews as Commander Jonathan Shaw!

 I'll just wrap this up with this nice double portrait of Michael Jaffé holding a portrait taken of Carl by Carl's friend, the German modernist photographer Mr. Hans Casparius! Keep your eyes open for the whole story as written by Michael some time soon, because it will surely be a fascinating tale! I'll keep you posted!!