1971 ‘Lo strano vizio della Signora Wardh’ Directed by Sergio Martino
When socialite and heiress Julie Wardh begins receiving blackmail letters attributed to a mysterious serial killer, she suspects her cruel and sadistic former lover Jean is behind them. With her husband Neil frequently out of town, she falls into the arms of her friend's cousin George, and as the unknown assassin begins to make his move, she fears that one of the three men in her life may be the killer.
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Hong Kong
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Razor blade bloodshed, twisted motives, psychosexual sleaze, double crosses, and a deranged killer reffered to as ‘sex maniac’. The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh is an influential descent into depravity that showcases Sergio Martino’s feverishly intense direction and a who’s-who of giallo genre staples firing on all cylinders, including 1970’s Italian cinema queen Edwige Fenech in perhaps her best role.
Psychological in nature, there’s a lot going on here: Lackluster marriages, S&M relationships, lecherous lowlife Ivan Rassimov, a steamy sexxxed up affair with the handsomely suave George (played by italio MVP, George Hilton), and a tormenting sadistic sex maniac killer send Mrs Wardh spiraling into a demented vortex of murder, paranoia, and sexual vices.
My second favorite Martino behind All…
Sex. Boobs. Eroticism.
Red paint. Razor blades. Murder.
Fever dream music. Twist after twist.
Edwige Fenech.
— “A Giallo”, author unknown
Sergio Martino’s first in a string of classic giallos, The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh follows the wife of a diplomat being stalked by a past lover whom she suspects may also be the lustful serial killer that has been cutting up girls all over Vienna. It has all of the trademarks of your standard 1970s Italian slasher fair, so naturally I had a ball.
P.S. Edwige Fenech’s eyebrows are welcome to tie me up and spank me. What? I didn’t say that.
Spooktober IV: Morte all'italiana
Wrapping up the day with a Sergio Martino double feature, and we begin with what apparently was the director’s first entry into the giallo genre and he succeeds mostly thanks to the way he balances very well both the style (that Rosemary Baby-esque dream sequence was dope) with substance. The psychological side of the film, combined with the twists and turns, makes for an intriguing viewing that ends on a rather satisfying note. The cinematography is some of the greatest I've seen in a while during this run, particularly in the dream and murdering sequences. And the music is effective in imparting a haunting feel to the picture that fits nicely with the film while also…
Begin rant: WHY is this bland Blade of the Ripper bullshit listed as the title for this movie?! This movie is called The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh and a beautiful title like that should be the only title recognized instead of this inferior American grindhouse theater re-release alternate name crap and I just don’t like it. End rant.
Anyway, this is another exquisite giallo from Sergio Martino. I used to think I slightly preferred All The Colors of the Dark, but after this rewatch I’d say they’re both equally sublime. I know as a hardcore giallo fanatic I’m a bit biased, but this really is a gorgeous, sexy, twisted, and suspenseful work of art. Brilliant cast with diva goddess Edwige…
Great giallo, without any plot holes, which is relatively surprising because of the rather complex story and several twists and turns.
#Giallo
The feeling of la dolce vita mixed with murderous intent and a thirst for money. Sergio Martino's The Strange Vice of Mrs Wardh is a merciless deep-dive into paranoia and the startling realization that it is not all in the head but creepily playing out in reality.
The tone is of the darker giallo kind with an emphasis on dread that crawls under the skin. We get eerie flashbacks to a domineering ex-lover and his demented love rituals (sprinkling shards of glass on Mrs. Wardh's body and then making love to her), who stalks her in the present and sends her threatening notes and red roses. We likewise get thrown into a garage at night with the killer wielding…
Edwige Fenech stars in another hypnotic giallo brimming with stylish psychadelia and stunning visuals. A deadly mystery steeped in psychosexual energy and bloodshed. A mesmerizing display of lavish settings, a whimsical score and a captivating story that floats into your subconscious like a surreal dream. That enchanting instrumental of melancholy that repeats throughout the film...blew me away. A glaring blindspot of Martino's gialloverse I've been eager to dive in!
Steamy love triangles, a mysterious killer, red paint blood splashed across the screen and no shortage of sleazy shenanigans and bare skin...another top tier Martino! The layers of refined style and beauty run deep in this extravagant tale of murder and deceit.
One of those films that I just want to…
Martino murder jam brings everything to the table... edwige, hilton, j&b... it’s all so perfect and flows with disturbing sleaze and perfectly placed tension. Oh yeah, that ending is a real banger too!
Discussion of the ending ahead!
In a desperate attempt to end a two-year sadomasochistic relationship with a man named Jean (Ivan Rassimov), Julie Wardh (Edwige Fenech) got married to the upright, staid Neil (Alberto de Mendoza). Though doing this was not a solution to the problem but rather the dropping of a veil between that life and her new one, Julie was nevertheless able to call her new life "normal," at least for a while. But, because she lives inside a giallo, it was always only a matter of time before Jean returned, and Julie was forced to deal with what she'd locked away for so long.
The first time she decided she needed to get away from Jean, she…
"What you really are doesn't matter to me. It's what I can see and feel that counts."
Sex perverts! Maniacs! Nothing unites people like a vice in common. Of course the title is ironic since Julie Wardh's (Edwige Fenech) desire isn't so unusual after all; whether she fantasizes about a rain-soaked tryst in the mud, shards of glass glittering all over her like diamonds, the sting of a blade or the back of a hand, all she wants is to feel.
They say in this film that you can't expect everything from only one man, but for George Hilton, I think an exception could be anticipated. No offense to Franco Nero in The Fifth Cord, but he's chopped…
“The worst part of you is the best thing you've got…and it will always be mine.” - Bouquet card
The second part of my Sergio Martino Giallo double feature last night was The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh. It has one of the best titles, ones of the best scores and one of the best casts of any Gialli out there. A highpoint of the genre and personal favorite of mine, and not just because it largely takes place in Vienna, a city I lived in for several years. It represents the best of the genre in many ways. The score by Nora Orlandi, especially the main theme is absolutely iconic and accompanies some of the best sequences in the…
Top tier Martino, Top tier giallo. Edwige, Hilton, and Rassimov. Sex, blood, and crazy
