One has to wonder if all cinematic taxidermists have been painted with the same brush since the release of Psycho all those years ago in 1960. Well, that theory will be put to the test in the 1977 giallo Crazy Desires of a Murderer, directed by Filippo Walter Ratti (though titled in the credits as Peter Rush – his seventeenth and final film making credit).
Welcome to the slowly crumbling manor home of the Baron De Chablais (Stuart Brisbane Colin), the dilapidated location echoing the poor health of its aged owner. . . after two heart attacks, rampant dementia has attacked the brain, leaving this supposed psychic (oddly, this pre-credits reveal will never be followed up on) in very rough shape.
Despite the Baron’s condition, his globetrotting daughter Ileana (Isabelle Marchall) has decided to return home with a bunch of new and old amigos, including family friend and hotshot doctor Frank (Giuseppe Colombo), brunette Gretel Schanz (Adler Gray), a swarthy lowlife drug dealer playboy, Pierluigi La Rocca (Claudio Peticchio), and his redheaded lackey, Bobby Jelson (Gaetano Russo), as well as doe eyed blonde Elsa (Patrizia Gori).
Bringing the party back home, the manor’s disgruntled servants, Berta (Annie Carol Edel), Hans (sadly uncredited), and personal physician (again uncredited), don’t seem overly pleased by their arrival, while the Baron’s only other child, Leandro (a third uncredited cast member), a constantly spooked mute taxidermist with a troubled past (flashbacks shot in striking black and white), skulks around in his catacomb basement bedroom/workshop.
With youthful exuberance invading this crumbling locale, champagne flows, drugs are used (and hidden), all while the sixsome play the most sexually explicit game of charades likely to be seen – different twosomes must act out infamous sex scenes from a few films (namely, Le salamandre and A Clockwork Orange). Leading to a night of Peyton Place like complexities, a number of trysts are had. . . oh, and a gruesome murder takes place (rather grizzly even by today’s standards).
Bringing a hobbling, cane wielding Inspector (Carrado Gaipa) to the manor, he is perplexed by the skilled hands of the murderer. With two doctors on site and a talented taxidermist cloistered away next to the wine cellar, each would have the ability to pull off such a fierce feat. Further complicating things, drug pusher La Rocca is in trouble with his higher ups and is desperate for money (as he hasn’t paid for the product yet). Throw in the disgruntled servants, a hundred million plus dollar emerald headdress that has been stolen, an also missing ruby necklace, numerous shots of eyes from different people spying on others, and a third heart attack for the poor Baron (after witnessing the murderer), what is left is more red herrings than even a seagull could handle.
Visually stunning and rather meta in its approach, cinematographer Gino Santini paints a shadowy landscape of mystery and intrigue (undoubtedly gothic tinged), while Ambrogio Molteni’s script provides some wink wink, nudge nudge moments – especially for the Inspector (red herrings will literally be pointed out in the denouement). Though arguably too slow in its pacing as well as featuring a few storylines that go nowhere, its slick style, sketchy suspects, sultry sideshows, and suspenseful story should provide enough engagement to appease viewers. The gothic theme of duality is also worth noting and is used quite frequently in this picture (just one example being that Ileana and Elsa look an awful lot alike).
A rather obscure giallo for those murder mystery fans out there, Crazy Desires of a Murderer is by no means close to perfect, but can still be rather entertaining. In fact, there may be no better example of this than its music (by Piero Piccioni) – featuring variations ranging from pop and elevator music, to terror and suspense, it’s a bit of a head scratcher, but entertaining nonetheless. So, find out the answer to that above mentioned taxidermy query, it will serve you well.
This film is in Italian with English subtitles