Death Walks At Midnight

Available DVDs

Main Details

• Released in 1972

• Color

• Running Time: 102 Min.

• Distributed by C.B. Films S.A./Cinecompany

• Directed by Luciano Ercoli

• Written by Ernesto Gastaldi & May Velasco

• Starring Susan Scott, Simon Andreau, Carlo Gentilli, Luciano Rossi

Film Review

A beautiful blonde fashion model named Valentina (Susan Scott) is encouraged to try to a new experimental hallucinogencic drug by her journalist friend Gio (Simon Andreu). As the drug takes effect Valentina begins to laugh crazily and suddenly she begins having a vision of a young woman being attacked by a man with a iron spiked glove. Valentina is frightened by this vision and she begins to be obsessed by it, telling everyone she knows about what she saw. When the word gets out that Valentina was on drugs and saw this vision, pretty soon all the tabloids have her face plastered on the covers. Valentina is now an outcast and shes not sure who to trust. Valentina finally gets a call for a new job and conveniently its in the apartment next door. Valentina shows up and knocks on the door, when noone answers she goes in and looks around. From behind she sees the same man who attacked the unknown girl in her hallucination. She runs away as fast as he can and Gio shows up. As Valentina embraces Gio on the terrace in relief we see the mysterious killer quickly leave out the door. Now Valentina knows that what she saw was real and the killer is out to stop her from identifying him. Valentina goes to the police and tries to tell them who the man was, but they seem to regard her as a liar. The reason being, the killer who murdered the woman in the apartment next door was put into a mental institution and the girl he killed wasn't brunette as Valentina saw in her vision.

The killer is tracking Valentina down at every corner and meanwhile, she meets a women who seems to be trailing her as well. Could this woman be the killer dressed as a man? After bringing Valentina to the mental hosptial where the girl's killer is, she dissapears. On her way out of the hospital Valentina spots something shes seen before: the iron spiked glove the killer used on the girl. Valentina runs out of the hospital and sees the woman who brought her there driving away. A young guy offers her a ride instead. As Valentina drives along she sees the killer inside a limosine on the highway and she begins to freak out. The truck driver pulls over and then he tries to rape her, but she gets away and hails down a police car. Valentina continues to try to dodge the mysterious man from her hallucination, but soon she realizes that he may not be the only one who's trying to get to her. For Valentina, theres simply no escape when Death Walks At Midnight!

Death Walks At Midnight is an interesting giallo in that it doesnt really play by the usual conventions. From the beginning we see the killers face, theres also alot of humor in the film in terms of wisecracks by the characters. While watching, it will throw you for several loops. Just when you think you know who the killer is, it will take another twist again and again. Look out for a crazy character (Luciano Rossi) who laughs like a hyena and has a special skill with knives. Susan Scott as Valentina is both beautiful and totally bitchy. She must scream the word "bastard" about 20 times during the film. I found myself giggling every time she blew up or got slapped.

The film is directed expertly by Luciano Ercoli (Long Days Of Vengeance) and is a nice spin on the typical giallo.

Reviewed by Popeye Pete - 6/13/07