6 /10 1 Votes
6.2/10 Letterboxd Cinematography Marcello Masciocchi | 5.9/10 IMDb Initial release 1966 Producer Elio Scardamaglia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Directed by Lionello De FeliceElio Scardamaglia Produced by Elio ScardamagliaFrancesco ScardamagliaLuciano Martino Screenplay by Ernesto GastaldiLuciano Martino Starring William BergerFrançoise PrévostMary YoungBarbara Wilson Directors Elio Scardamaglia, Lionello De Felice Similar Giallo movies, Horror movies | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Murder Clinic (Italian: La lama nel corpo) is a 1966 horror film directed by Lionello De Felice and Elio Scardamaglia. The Italian title translates as The Knife in the Body. It was released in France as Les nuits de l'epouvante (Nights of Terror). It was released in English-speaking countries as either The Murder Clinic or Revenge of the Living Dead.
Contents
Plot
In 1870s England, the director of a mental hospital is secretly carrying out skin grafts on the patients in an attempt to restore his sister-in-law's mutilated face (it seems she accidentally fell into a lime pit). Meanwhile, a hooded killer is murdering people in the hospital with a straight razor.
Cast
Production
The film was shot in Villa Parisi in Rome. Although most sources indicate producer Elio Scardamaglia was also the director of the film, screenwriter Ernesto Gastaldi stated that Lionello De Felice was actually the film's director. Gastaldi stated that De Felice left the production near the end of shooting with only a few scenes remaining left for Scardamaglia to direct himself.
Style
Roberto Curti, author of Italian Gothic Horror Films, 1957-1969 described The Murder Clinic as an example of the way Italian gothic horror films would change and make way for the giallo genre in the 1970s.
Release
Murder Clinic was released in Italy on March 17, 1966 where it was distributed by Regional. The film grossed a total of ₤96 million Italian lira on its theatrical release. In 1971, a re-release poster played off of actor William Berger's own trouble with the law with the tag line "William Berger, guilty or innocent?"
The film was released in the United States first as The Murder Clinic, and then years later as Revenge of the Living Dead, which tried to promote the film as a zombie movie. The film was released on DVD by Code Red as part of "Six-Pack Volume Two" box set.
Reception
Curti described the films direction as being "nondescript" and that the many red herrings in the film were unconvincing. Curti also noted that "The film only comes alive when Françoise Prévost is on-screen." In his book Italian Horror Film Directors, Louis Paul described the film as a "handsomely crafted gothic thriller."