My Dear Killer
by Tonino Valerii
List Price:
Our Price: $13.52
You Save: $7.46 (36%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $8.99 (click here)
Category: DVD
See more DVD releases
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
DVD Cover Information
Actor: George Hilton, Manuel Zarzo, Patty Shepard, Salvo Randone, William BergerDirector: Tonino Valerii
Brand: Media Blasters
Cinematographer: Manuel Rojas
Writer: Tonino Valerii
Editor: Franco Fraticelli
Writer: Franco Bucceri
Writer: José Gutiérrez Maesso
Writer: Roberto Leoni
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language)
Format: Color, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 96 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2003-04-29
Audience Rating: Unrated
Studio: Shriek Show
Movie Reviews of My Dear Killer
Movie Review: Very confusing but clever
Summary: 4 Stars
Anyone who used to follow my movie reviews knows how much I love a good giallo. Mario Bava and Dario Argento are the ultimate masters of this intriguing film genre that dominated the Italian box office back in the 1970s, but plenty of other directors stepped up to the plate and took a swing at the genre, too. Before moving on to a review of Tonino Valerii's "My Dear Killer," let's look at the defining elements of a giallo thriller. "Giallo" means "yellow" in Italian, and the term comes from the color of the cover of certain cheap pulp paperback mysteries that were popular in Italy several decades ago. The defining elements of a giallo (plural: gialli) film include but are not limited to: a crazed black-gloved killer, lots of bloody killings carried out in unusual ways, a convoluted plot loaded down with red herrings so as to confuse the viewer about the identity of the murderer, and lots of very beautiful Eurobabes. Sometimes we also see flashbacks within the film that hold clues about the motivation of the killer. We almost always see inept police officers bumbling around trying to solve the case. I could list more elements, but you get the general idea.
So, what we have here is Valerii's entry in the giallo genre. "My Dear Killer" stars Italian film staple George Hilton as Inspector Luca Peretti, a good cop about to embark on the strangest case of his career. It all starts at the beginning of the film, when we see a man attempting to dredge a body of water out in the sticks. He directs a crane operator to start the work only to discover far too late that said operator wants him dead. The workman accomplishes this feat by using the crane to separate the man's head from his body. Ouch! Enter Inspector Peretti, whose job it is to investigate this gruesome crime. The cop soon discovers the identity of the dead man, along with another find that leads him to the body of the crane operator. It appears he hanged himself, but Peretti points out to the other cops in elaborate detail that suicide is out of the question. Now we have two murders and no solution in sight. Not to worry, however, as Peretti is not your typical giallo detective. He's good, and he smells something extremely sinister in the air, something that runs far deeper than a couple of random murders.
It turns out the dead man was an insurance investigator working on the case of a murdered girl, and Peretti learns from the man's wife that the object he found in the investigator's pocket, a key, opens a mailbox down at the post office. The wife perishes at the hand of a black-gloved killer while retrieving the box's contents. Our hero finds a child's drawing in the woman's hand, and he's able to track down the school where the picture came from. Aha! Now we know that the girl who drew the picture is the same one whose death the investigator was working on. Interesting. Peretti begins investigating the girl's family and friends in an effort to track down the killer. Or something like that. I'm not sure since "My Dear Killer" contains one of the most byzantine plots I've ever seen in a giallo. And that's saying something, my friends. Anyway, our hero discovers that almost anyone could be guilty of the crime, a lot of money was involved, and that the black-gloved killer continues to strike people down with frightening, and extremely graphic, regularity. To solve this case Peretti must discover the location of a specific clue that will blow the thing wide open.
To say "My Dear Killer" ranks as one of the most confusing giallo films I've ever seen is an understatement. It's terribly confusing, to the point where I was pretty much lost during the last thirty minutes. I'm glad I took notes on the film while I watched it. Without those, I'd have had a better chance of memorizing the New York City phonebook than I would describing the plot of Valerii's giallo. In fact, it's less a plot than an all-out attack on logic and reason. Red herrings abound, and there are so many suspects in the crime that the mind simply boggles at the possibilities. Who killed the little girl? The question ought to read: who didn't kill the little girl? That one has an easy answer: Peretti. Everyone else is fair game. I was so busy trying to figure out where this movie was going that I almost didn't notice how Marilu Tolo is totally wasted in the role of Anna Borghese, Peretti's voluptuous girlfriend. Almost. It's a shame when such a fine example of womanhood takes a backseat to the proceedings. More face time from Tolo and a clearer plot would have greatly enhanced the viewing experience.
Enough with the complaining. "My Dear Killer" does offer up some good stuff on occasion. Tolo, of course, but also Hilton doing what he does best. Too, the carnage stands out. The crane tearing off the cranium bit stays with you, as does a bludgeoning involving a statue. The absolute capper, immortalized on the cover of the DVD case, involves the black-gloved kook going after a girl with a circular saw! Oh yeah! It's bloody and convincing all at the same time. Extras included on the DVD include several trailers for other gems, including "What Have You Done to Solange," "Spasmo," and "Hitcher in the Dark." Interviews with Valerii and Hilton also grace the disc. The best part of these interviews comes when Valerii explains how they pulled off the circular saw murder. With these extras, a nice picture transfer, decent audio, and another haunting Ennio Morricone score, you can't go wrong with "My Dear Killer". Just pay real close attention to the plot as you go along!
Summary of My Dear Killer
A spectacularly graphic decapitation and a questionable suicide sets the stage for a police inspectors search for a deranged killer responsible for a series of gruesome murders and a kidnapping! Studio: Media Blasters Inc. Release Date: 04/29/2003 Starring: George Hilton Run time: 102 minutes Director: Tonino ValeriiSimilar DVD Movies
Naked You DieMPI; Release date: 2007-04-24; DVD
Best price: $8.36
Price in other shops:
The Bloodstained ShadowWEA DES Moines Video; Release date: 2008-02-26; DVD
Best price: $5.99
Price in other shops:
All the Colors of the DarkMBL; Release date: 2004-10-12; DVD
Best price: $11.32
Price in other shops:
The Black Belly of the TarantulaWEA DES Moines Video; Release date: 2006-03-28; DVD
Best price: $6.93
Price in other shops:
The Fifth CordKoch; Release date: 2006-03-28; DVD
Best price: $7.10
Price in other shops:
The Pyjama Girl CaseWEA DES Moines Video; Release date: 2006-03-28; DVD
Best price: $7.13
Price in other shops:
The Perfume of the Lady in Black (Il Profumo della Signora in Nero)E1E; Release date: 2011-03-22; DVD
Best price: $8.99
Price in other shops:
What Have You Done to Solange?Release date: 2002-07-30; DVD
Best price: $97.98
Killer Must Kill AgainRelease date: 2005-01-25; DVD
Best price: $13.40
Price in other shops:
Seven Blood-Stained OrchidsMBL; Release date: 2003-02-25; DVD
Best price: $14.53
Price in other shops: