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Binding: VHS Tape EAN: 9780764008313 Format: Color, Letterboxed, Original recording remastered, Special Edition, Widescreen, NTSC ISBN: 0764008315 Label: Starz / Anchor Bay Languages: Manufacturer: Starz / Anchor Bay Number Of Items: 1 Publisher: Starz / Anchor Bay Release Date: March 21, 2000 Running Time: 92 minutes Studio: Starz / Anchor Bay Theatrical Release Date: 1973-11 Editorial Review: Amazon.com: There's a killer on the loose who's murdering and mutilating beautiful young college girls, and there's no shortage of suspects. Four comely coeds decide to escape the madness by vacationing in an isolated country villa, but the maniac has his eye on them--one of them suspects his identity--and drops in for a homicidal holiday. With a title like Torso you know what you're getting, but despite the high body count and the suggestion of dismemberment, most of the gore in this Italian giallo is offscreen... with a few exceptions (an icky eye gouging stands out). Director Sergio Martino is no Dario Argento and the film is blunt, direct, and vicious, as can be seen when the killer disposes of a witness by ramming his skull into a brick wall with his car, not once but twice (with the appropriate close-up). The killer, who hides behind a ratty ski mask and strangles his targets with a florid scarf, is haunted by some obscure childhood memory involving a porcelain doll and a traumatizing accident. He straddles two clichés, the Norman Bates-variety psychos and the hooded, zombielike automatons of Halloween and Friday the 13th. It doesn't make much sense, but like most slasher films, it's really about suspense, spectacle, and a body count, and Martino doesn't disappoint. To restore the film, Anchor Bay has included a few brief scenes in Italian with English subtitles. --Sean Axmaker Average Rating:
 Rating:  - "Torso" Is Sergio Martino's Giallo Masterpiece"Torso" is to Sergio Martino what "Deep Red" is to Dario Argento. It is a wonderful slash-and-stalk giallo with a delightfully high body count. Numerous American movies during the slasher frenzy era, especially "Friday the 13th," were influenced by this Italian giallo. Instead of a hockey mask, the serial killer wears a ski mask. Also, some of the musical score for "Torso" reminded me of that found in "Halloween." "Prom Night" was similar to "Torso" in that both movies involved a killer ... Read More Rating: - Awesome MovieThe tension makes this movie great. Watch it and see what I mean....hacksaw anyone!?!?! Rating:  - A Truly Luscious Giallo Gem!Sergio Martino's "TORSO"(aka:Carnal Violence) wich is actually a more fitting title is truly the most luscious italian murder mystery(giallo) ever made. With damn good acting(for the genre),Great Directing from meastro Martino, Very good storyline, some truly carnal violence and a handful of some of the sexiest females the species has to offer cherry topped with a spooky masked killer makes this one a lost gem that this horror fan is very glad to own. The ski-mask wearing killer in this giallo definitely ... Read More Rating:  - Lacklustre gialloI was disappointed with this film. Having recently seen Martino's other giallo's, this easily ranks as his worst effort. But if you love giallo's (like me) there's some to enjoy here. The music score is good, the photography excellent (and the picture quality of this disc allows you to enjoy it's scenery to the fullest) and it's got some decent kills. However it's nearly completely devoid of any real suspense. It's brutal subject matter is handled rather clumsily, it drags incredibly; for ... Read More Rating: - Terrific 70's Psycha-PsychoMartino's TORSO is a well-crafted, compelling and fun movie. There are several original sequences, and the film doesn't always remain too tediously dogged to some of the more overwrought conventions of the genre. There's plenty of blood, but much of the over the top gore commonly found in Italian Exploitation gives way to a solid narrative. This film was one of the first and best of the "Giallo" films of the 1970's. |
