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Directed by Written by Starring Presented by 107 minutes |
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DARKNESS SURROUNDS ROBERTA Review
In horror, perhaps the most respected but most difficult genre to master has been the giallo film, mastered in Italy by Dario Argento over the past three decades. There have been many attempts (with the most popular in America being the first SAW movie before it become too over the top for its own good) but the combination of artful slayings and kinky sex hasn’t been duplicated. DARKNESS SURROUNDS ROBERTA, from the producers of BARRICADE, serve up a full homage to the genre while providing something new for genre fans, but this is one of the better efforts in recent times. Roberta is a talented artist who is not going through the best of times. Her works very erotic, taken to the extreme with her masochistic sex games, and has even resorted to stealing to make her ends meet with her sexy partner in crime. However, Roberta is soon kidnapped and held in a dungeon by a masked assailant who’s also murdering young women around Italy. The masked abductor wants one thing from Roberta; he wants her to paint again and attempts to inspire her by having her bear witness to some gruesome and kinky acts. The film, shot on a low budget, perfectly captures the feel of the old giallo films, literally looking like it was made in the 1970s. The Italian landscapes are incredibly gorgeous and vibrant colors give the film a very old fashioned, gritty, realistic look. Giallo fans will not be disappointed here. Director Giovanni Piangiani creates a gorgeous atmosphere with some gory scenes, provided by makeup artist and producer Timo Rose. The acting is also very good here, though I admit I will be extremely biased when it comes to Raine Brown (for obvious reasons) who gives a very good and shocking performance as Dora, Roberta’s friend and partner in crime who takes center stage in a very well acted sex scene that did surprise me. OK, so I liked the scene, I’m a guy after all! Yasmin Pucci is gorgeous and excellent in the lead role of Roberta, showing a nice mixture of sexiness, complexity, and vulnerability. The character itself is very strong and multi layered, and while you may not completely sympathize with her, you are drawn into her story and what happens next. Joe Zaso, who serves as executive producer, also shines as a blind American detective on the hunt for the killer obsessed with Roberta. While not as relentlessly gory as BARRICADE, DARKNESS SURROUNDS ROBERTA does provide some very gory moments courtesy of Timo Rose, who just knows how to let the blood fly. There are some unpleasant moments, yes, but there are no moments where you feel your lunch come up as in a few scenes with BARRICADE. The one thing I really do like about the film is that it does take its time establishing the characters, especially Roberta, before the story kicks in. It’s a good sign that you initially see characters in a bad light, but once you get to know them, you get to see the reasons behind them, which causes some understanding, which makes the story flow better and especially when a character is murdered. The screenplay by Piangiani and Bruno Di Marcello is pure Argento admiration while providing something original to stand on its own. The music is also excellent and reminiscent of classical and even some Goblin overtones. Marco Werba does a great job scoring the film as the beautiful melodies correspond with the gorgeous imagery quite well. In all, DARKNESS SURROUNDS ROBERTA is a very good film that giallo fans will love, and in particular fans of Raine Brown and Joe Zaso will enjoy as well. It’s a deep, multi layered mystery thriller with enough gore to satisfy the deep red fans while those looking for something different will no doubt enjoy this fine giallo piece. DARKNESS SURROUNDS ROBERTA: 8 Out Of 10 Maggots
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