Perversion Story aka One On Top Of The Other (1969)
Okay, I have to be honest here and say I'm not all that familiar with Fulci's entire body of work. I know he's directed close to 70 films, and truthfully, I've seen about five of them all the way through. And that was during my gorehound phase in the 1980s...so, it's safe to say Fulci's comedies, westerns, and thrillers were not on the menu. Admittedly, I've been slacking on my review duties for Dr. Julius and his associates, but you know how it is, shit comes up, the yard needs mowing, and The Wife and I just had our Paul Snider Sex Bench installed in the garage last weekend...so, needless to say I've been a little more than busy.
But I'm back! So today we talk Lucio Fulci's "gripping giallo", Perversion Story! Wait....giallo? Here's your first and only spoiler kids, P-Story isn't really a giallo. There's no elaborate murders by black gloved psychopaths or bizarro torture scenes...but, in true giallo fashion, Fulci whips out some amazing camera work creating an overwhelming feeling of paranoia and voyeurism and the psychedelic jazz score (included on a bonus disc) by Oscar winner, Riz Ortolani, is knock your socks off sexy, adding a welcomed sleazy feel to the 1969 San Francisco settings. And even though there is very little in the murder/blood department, Fulci knows how to keep his fans interested by adding a healthy dose of natural naked breasts throughout the entire picture.
So, what's it all about? Usually I ramble on in my "reviews" giving away all sorts of plot points and generally spoiling the end of every movie, but not this time. Since P-Story is a cool little thriller I'll keep my observations quick and spoiler free. The set up is this: George (Jean Sorel), a totally French Mr. Hart type, is saddled with crushing debt on the loan he took out on the clinic he runs with his brother, Henry (Alberto de Mendoza). George's asthmatic wife, Susan (Austrian hottie, Marisa Mell), is a sickly shut-in that's well aware of George's philandering ways and tired of being in her sham of a marriage. You see, our man, George, is too busy banging his boyish girlfriend, Jane (Elsa Martinelli), figuring out new scams to make some quick cash, and hoping his shrew of a wife will just up and die already to pay any real attention to his marriage.
Luckily for George, a medication mix up by Susan's home nurse takes care of a few of his problems. Susan's dead, the nurse has skipped town, and George just got awarded two million dollars in insurance money! Whoo-hoo, bitch of a wife out of the picture, debt is paid off, and George is free to play hide the baguette with Jane all the live long day! But wait, what's this? The insurance company and the cops think all this is just a bit too convenient for George. And what about the mysterious phone calls George is getting? Who wants George to go to the shady strip club and meet sexy stripper and part time whore, Monica (also played by Marisa Mell in a wig and sluttier makeup)? And why does Monica look just like George's dead wife Susan?
Fulci keeps the pacing pretty tight and his camera work is top notch here. I don't remember being overly impressed with his direction of Zombi, but he really shines in P-Story. A sex scene is shot from beneath the lovers through the red silk sheets...kind of like it's the bed's POV, mirrors and glass panes are used to cast reflections in odd corners of the frame, and every other shot is peeking around stairways, between bars, under stairs...and one shot is is actually from inside of the medicine cabinet. The women (when dressed) are decked out in in some amazing late 60s fashions. Jane rocks some ridiculously awesome Oscar Wilde meets Truman Capote outfits...but her best is the Sarah Douglas as Ursa inspired black leather number and Monica made the old Johnson take notice in her 101 Dalmatians meets Rob Halford motorcycle stripper ensemble.
I may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I'm fairly bright...and I really had no idea who the killer was until the villain's "this is how I did it and why" speech near the end. I was hoping it wasn't George but I didn't trust that handsome rascal either....so....whodunit? Is Susan really Monica? Is Michael Cain really Monica? Is Monica really a man? There's only one way for you to find out - watch it for yourself...or go to IMDB and click on the plot summary, some asshole has already ruined the surprise.
Moon Boy