Casa d'appuntamento

The French Sex Murders (Italian: Casa d'appuntamento (Translation: House of Rendezvous) is a 1972 giallo film directed by Ferdinando Merighi under the pseudonym "F. L. Morris", and edited by Bruno Mattei. It was released as The French Sex Murders in the US, The Bogey Man and the French Murders in the UK, and Meurtre dans la 17e avenue in France.[1] It stars Rosalba Neri, Anita Ekberg, Barbara Bouchet, Howard Vernon and Gordon Mitchell.[1] The actor who played the police inspector in this film (Robert Sacchi) was a professional Humphrey Bogart lookalike, which explains the alternate "Bogey Man" title.[1] Special effects technician Carlo Rambaldi handled the throat slashings and beheadings that take place in the movie.[1]

The French Sex Murders
Directed by
  • Ferdinando Merighi
  • (as F.L. Morris)
Screenplay by
  • Marius Mattei
  • Ferdinando Merighi
  • Robert Oliver
Story byPaolo Daniele
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography
  • Mario Mancini
  • Gunter Otto
Edited byBruno Mattei
Music byBruno Nicolai
Production
companies
  • Costantino International Films
  • Gopa-Film
Distributed byVariety Distribution
Release date
16 June 1972 (Italy)
Running time
88 minutes
Countries
LanguageItalian

Plot

A petty criminal named Antoine (Peter Martell) is blamed for the murder of a prostitute who was killed at Madame Collette's exclusive whorehouse in Paris. He is sentenced to death by guillotine, and he swears revenge on everyone who helped convict him. At the last moment, he manages to escape from the prison – but is then decapitated in a motorcycle accident. A scientist Prof. Waldemar obtains the criminal's severed head from the morgue for purposes of experimentation. The judge, who sentenced Antoine to death later turns up murdered, and then one by one, the prostitutes at Madame Collette's begin turning up murdered as well. Everyone believes that Antoine is causing the murders to happen, and that he is wreaking vengeance from beyond the grave.

Cast

Main

Cameo/Uncredited
  • Flavia Keyt as Prostitute
  • Gordon Mitchell as Man in Nightclub
  • Mike Monty as Detective
  • Xiro Papas as Thug in Bar
  • Riccardo Petrazzi as Other Man Repairing a Van
  • Dick Randall as Mr. Hassan
  • Goffredo Unger as Man Repairing a Van

Critical reception

Allmovie gave it a mixed review, writing "The contrived script [...] is completely off the hook, which fans of the giallo form will be expecting, but those who come to the film cold may be somewhat nonplussed."[2]

wizzley.com noted: "trashy little piece of nasty entertainment that's not very good, but pretty fun".[3]

DVDTalk noted: "the production particulars of French Sex Murders are more interesting than the film itself"..." plot simply strings together a series of gory murders"..."poor lighting and direction only highlight the phony severed heads and poster paint blood"..."Action scenes are particularly incompetent".[4]

References
  1. Luther-Smith, Adrian (1999). "Bogey". Blood and Black Lace. Stray Cat Publishing. p. 17. ISBN 978-0-9533261-1-2. Retrieved 25 March 2023 – via archive.org.
  2. Robert Firsching. "Casa d'appuntamento (1973)". Allmovie. Retrieved 18 June 2012.
  3. "Retro Horror Review: "The French Sex Murders" (1972)". wizzley.com. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  4. Erickson, Glenn (July 22, 2005). "DVD Savant Review: French Sex Murders". dvdtalk.com. Retrieved 25 March 2023.


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