Confessions of a Sex Murderer
What a strange decade the 1970s were - whilst the British film industry was busy collapsing and producing the likes of Rosie Dixon, Night Nurse, in Italy they were churning out ever more demented 'Giallo' films, like Strip Nude for Your Killer. I received the latter 'gem' on DVD as a Christmas present and watched it the other day. What can I say about a film which opens with a back-street abortion and culminates with the 'hero' (surely one of the most dislikeable characters ever to grace the screen), attempting to force his girlfriend into having anal sex with him? Quite extraordinary. Oh, and there is lots of gratuitous nudity. Not just of women. The scene in which a naked fat man - clutching a blow up sex doll in one hand and a carving knife in the other - is stalked around his house by a psycho-killer, will remain burned into my mind for all perpetuity. I'm not making this up - you can buy the DVD in HMV, for God's sake!
Anyway, in a desperate attempt to bolster its failing fortunes, the British film industry did, rather half-heartedly - try to ape the Italian product. Sadly, the best they could come up with was Confessions of a Sex Murderer. This barely released 1975 farrago featured the ever gormless Robin Askwith as a window cleaner accused of being a peeping Tom after witnessing a gruesome sex murder. With a bewildered-looking James Mason on hand as a Scotland Yard detective to give the film some gravitas, the production tries hard to come on like an Italian 'Giallo'. Sadly, the drab back streets of Bracknell are a poor substitute for sun-drenched Rome, and Askwith's window-cleaning round (based in a lock-up garage), can't compete with the photographic studios, art galleries and exclusive girls' schools which frequently provide the back drops for the Italian thrillers. The whole thing is ultimately scuppered by the ludicrous denouement, in which the slim and athletic masked killer is revealed to be overweight and wheezing British seventies comedy fixture Arthur Mullard. If you ever have the misfortune to see this rubbish - look out for Arthur Askey as a flasher in the park where Askwith is chased by the killer.
Anyway, in a desperate attempt to bolster its failing fortunes, the British film industry did, rather half-heartedly - try to ape the Italian product. Sadly, the best they could come up with was Confessions of a Sex Murderer. This barely released 1975 farrago featured the ever gormless Robin Askwith as a window cleaner accused of being a peeping Tom after witnessing a gruesome sex murder. With a bewildered-looking James Mason on hand as a Scotland Yard detective to give the film some gravitas, the production tries hard to come on like an Italian 'Giallo'. Sadly, the drab back streets of Bracknell are a poor substitute for sun-drenched Rome, and Askwith's window-cleaning round (based in a lock-up garage), can't compete with the photographic studios, art galleries and exclusive girls' schools which frequently provide the back drops for the Italian thrillers. The whole thing is ultimately scuppered by the ludicrous denouement, in which the slim and athletic masked killer is revealed to be overweight and wheezing British seventies comedy fixture Arthur Mullard. If you ever have the misfortune to see this rubbish - look out for Arthur Askey as a flasher in the park where Askwith is chased by the killer.
posted by Doc Sleaze at
8:06 pm
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