My study of Horror/Thrillers is so vast, there are naturally going to be little pockets that don’t interest me. Italian giallo is one of those pockets. There are the popular choices that have already listed – Deep Red, Blood and Black Lace – but finding a gem is difficult because there are so many half-baked films to look through. This is an interesting case because I’ve watched Wardh rise in stature over the years as it gained wider exposure. It originally came to the U.S. in a cruddy VHS form with edits to the violence and the title Blade of the Ripper. In 2005, it was properly restored and released, and it currently ranks slightly higher than The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, which kicked off giallo as a cultural phenomenon.
Wardh has large doses of what people come to expect from a giallo, embracing the gimmicky plot with a twist followed by a double surprise reveal and then another double twist. Obviously, plot logic can’t possibly survive all these turnabouts, but there’s a fun to the boldness of it. Fast moving thriller that’s mostly a series of suspense set pieces in the back half. The style isn’t flashy, but there’s an atmosphere of brutality and vulgarity. The film also boasts Edwige Fenech, who became known as THE Scream Queen of Italian cinema, and some of the score was reused by Quentin Tarantino for Kill Bill Vol. 2
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