9. Giallo a Venezia (Thrilling in Venice) (1979)
A giallo of jaw-dropping sleaze proportions, Giallo a Venezia, directed by Mario Landi, combines the salubriousness of a hundred giallos wrapped up into one (which is no mean feat!). This is without a doubt the nastiest, scuzziest, most mean spirited, most depraved Giallo you will ever see. The plot is threadbare. Two bodies are fished out of the river in Venice and police start questioning their family and friends. More corpses appear. Who is the murderer out of all of the unappealing people we meet? Who has an alibi? Now down to the depravity: sex, sex, sex, sex - indoors, outdoors, in pairs, in threesomes and in groups. Almost incessant nudity at all times. Buggery. Masturbation. Voyeurism. Scissor stabbings to the crotch. A human set on fire. The gore set piece highlight involved a woman stretched on a table whilst her leg is sawed off. She passes out midway from the pain and the killer slaps her face just so she can wake up and experience more pain - now that's
depraved! A sleazy giallo can be entertaining, though I think that all giallos have a whiff of sleaze about them - it's a hazard of the job. But to actively wallow in sleaze for about three quarters of the film shows desperation and a weak script. Giallos can get away with sleaze if they have a decent plot and are well executed, but Giallo a Venezia is just a chore of incessant boring sex and unpleasantness. If the sex was sizzling, we might have derived at least a cheap thrill. The English title for this film is Thrilling in Venice. Biggest misnomer ever.