Umberto Lenzi is one of Italy’s most prolific and under-appreciated filmmakers, having directed over sixty movies in four decades. Most genre fans may know of Umberto Lenzi from CANNIBAL FEROX (1981) and NIGHTMARE CITY (1980). Both films are solid gorefests, but their notoriety reflects only a fraction of Lenzi’s work. This series will focus on Lenzi’s pre-80s contributions to cinema and bring light to Lenzi’s more forgotten repertoire.
A QUIET PLACE TO KILL
(AKA PARANOIA)
Dir. Umberto Lenzi, 1970
Italy. 94 mins
In English
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1 – 7:30 PM
TUESDAY, MARCH 7 – 10 PM
FRIDAY, MARCH 24 – 7:30 PM
THURSDAY, MARCH 30 – 7:30 PM
After a fiery crash, professional race car driver, Helen, is invited to recuperate at her ex-husband’s villa. Once there, she forms an unexpected bond with her ex’s new wife, and the two women plot his murder. When their plan goes awry, Helen relies on her wits to hide the truth of what happened at sea.
By the end of the 60s, Lenzi directed the first of eight Gialli films, ORGASMO (1969), SO SWEET… SO PERVERSE (1969), A QUIET PLACE TO KILL (1970) and OASIS OF FEAR (1971). These four films represent Lenzi’s first cycle of Giallo, and three showcase his longtime collaboration with Oscar nominee Carroll Baker.
This film isn’t what audiences have come to expect from the Giallo genre, lacking excessive gore or a black-gloved killer. Instead, A QUIET PLACE TO KILL plays like a murder mystery featuring beautiful locations, double-crossing socialites, love triangles, and exciting plot twists.
EYEBALL
Dir. Umberto Lenzi, 1975
Italy. 92 mins
In English
SATURDAY, MARCH 4 – Midnight
THURSDAY, MARCH 9 – 10 PM
SATURDAY, MARCH 18 – Midnight
FRIDAY, MARCH 24 – Midnight
A red-gloved murderer is gouging out the eyes of American tourists. It’s up to Inspector Tudela to discover the killer’s identity and stop them before their sick game is complete.
The international success of Argento’s THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE (1970) ushered in the golden age of Giallo and enshrined the trope of the black-gloved killer. Lenzi directed four Gialli during this period: SEVEN BLOOD STAIND ORCHIDS (1971), KNIFE OF ICE (1972), SPASMO (1974) and EYEBALL (1975).
By 1975, the film market was oversaturated with subpar Gialli and the genre’s popularity waned. Lenzi reflected on this decline with his final Giallo, the satirical EYEBALL (1975), an intentionally low-brow film that never takes itself too seriously.
THE TOUGH ONES
(AKA ROME, ARMED TO THE TEETH)
Dir. Umberto Lenzi, 1976
Italy. 94 mins
In English
FRIDAY, MARCH 10 – Midnight
TUESDAY, MARCH 14 – 10 PM
FRIDAY, MARCH 24 – 10 PM
TUESDAY, MARCH 28 – 10 PM
CONTENT WARNING: This film features depictions of sexual assault.
The anti-gang squad, led by the hot-headed Inspector Leo Tanzin, won’t let the rule of law stop their plans to bring down a criminal kingpin. After planting drugs on a suspect known as The Hunchback, Tanzin may have finally met his match.
The late 60s marked the beginning of a period of political violence and social unrest in Italy known as the Years of Lead. Italian filmmakers processed the movement by creating a wave of ultra-violent crime films known as Poliziottesch. These films not only showcase the criminals’ ferocity but also expose parallel brutality and corruption from within the police force.
For four years after EYEBALL, Lenzi turned his attention exclusively to Poliziotteschi films and directed ten movies in the genre between 1974 and 1979. Starring Poliziotteschi staples Maurizio Merli and Tomas Milian, THE TOUGH ONES (1976) is a white-knuckle roller coaster that takes no prisoners.
With a special thanks to Grindhouse Releasing.