20. Torso (1973)
Known as The Bodies Present Traces of Carnal Violence in its original Italian title, which is way more cooler than Torso, this film is an enjoyable piece of sleaze. A murderer is chopping up female students in Perugia, so a group of friends flee to a house in the countryside to escape harm - only to find Mr Axeman has followed them there. Who will survive and what will become of them? Featuring graphic sex and lots of nudity along with liberal sprees of violence, Torso has a lot going in its favour. It has beautiful Euro-trash starlets Suzy Kendall and Tina Aumont as well as a fabulous soundtrack from Guido and Maurizio de Angelis which is close to Goblin standard. It is ably helmed by Sergio Martino and is a nice tight wee Giallo for your delectation.
19. Thriller: A Cruel Picture (1973)
They call her one eye! Swedish rape revenge story. Our heroine Frigga has survived severe sexual abuse as a child that has made her mute. She meets a man who kidnaps her, gets her addicted to heroin and pimps her out as a prostitute. Frigga quietly on the side learns martial arts, how to drive, how to shoot and seeks revenge against her tormentors. A highly enjoyable exploiter - you may or may not get hard core sex inserts depending on how you attain this film. It is quite a slow movie and given that our heroine is mute, there is not a great deal of talking. The violence is quirkily shot in extreme slow motion. Like Camille Keaton in I Spit on Your Grave, you will be cheering on Christina Lindberg as she executes the baddies in A Cruel Picture.
18. The Frightened Woman (1969)
Featuring sexpot Dagmar Lassander and Philippe Leroy, this slice of swinging 1960s kinkiness is definitely worth checking out. Philanthropist (Leroy) invites female journalist (Lassander) over to his pad for the weekend. Little does she know he is a sexually sadistic freak who gets his thrills out of humiliating and torturing women. Dagmar is subject to his degrading tricks but she has some weapons up her own sleeve. Primarily interesting as a 1969 zeitgeist capsule, the film is incredibly groovy. Lassander does a saucy dance dressed in skimpy bandages to some groovy 1960s vibes. Leroy enters and exits through a giant pair of legs with vagina dentata! I found this film highly enjoyable and I recommend you seek it out. Kudos to Shameless for resurrecting it!
17. Female Vampire (1973)
If you are going to like a Franco film, then this will be the one. Countess Irina Von Karlstein (Lina Romay), who wanders through the film wearing nothing but a cape and a pair of thigh high boots, is a different type of vampire - she drains victims of their life force through oral sex. Released in many different versions and under many different titles - you could end up with a full on hardcore movie or a film stripped of any fun at all. Lina Romay is undeniably beautiful and her presence is haunting, but the film is confusing and the dialogue tedious (whenever there is some - the Countess is mute). It has a nice score by Daniel White. Worth watching for Romay. Go Lina!
16. Killer Nun (1978)
Killer Nun has the distinction of being a Video Nasty. I have no idea why. It is an enjoyable little nasty nun romp. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I am hypnotised by Sister Gertrude's (Anita Ekberg) full face of make up at all times. Gertie is basically a nursing sister at a geriatric hospital who has had brain surgery and has been rushed back to work too soon. Utterly bonkers, she institutes a reign of tyranny at the hospital, getting rid of the doctor (Joe Dallesandro), inflicting vigorous calisthenics on the oldies, crushing an old biddie's false teeth in front of her, having a lesbian affair with a fellow nun, shagging strange men in the city. Can anyone escape this woman of God? Terrific good fun, highly camp and boasting a stellar performance from Anita Ekberg as the seriously deranged nun, if you have never tried nunsploitation, now is the time to get stuck in. It has the Clare stamp of approval.