Year: 1974
Duration: 01:25:26
Directed by: León Klimovsky
Actors: Paul Naschy, Erika Blanc, Ángel Aranda
Language: English | Spanish
Country: Spain
Also known as: Una libélula para cada muerto, Il giustiziere sfida la polizia, Red Killer, Todeskreis Libelle,
Description: In Milan wielding serial killer, cracking down with the inhabitants of the city “bottom”: drug addicts, vagrants and prostitutes. At all of the corpses he leaves as a business card glass pendant dragonfly. Engaged in investigating police inspector Paulo. He guesses that maniac took up “cleaning the city.”
Review: A giallo every bit as gritty once the ones made in Italy. It’s complete of strange figures, a flamboyantly clad killer (he wears a wig and red-colored flare pants, therefore Redkiller) with an objective tracing returning to childhood stress, a lot of red herrings, all shot in lurid shades. Best of all of the it’s Paul Naschy as the hard as fingernails Inspector whom scours the Milanese underworld looking for the person leaving scale design dragonflies by the corpses of his victims. Naschy chomps on cigars, has a legislation moustache, and is also maybe not above conquering a confession out of a suspect. It’s one of his most unlikely personas, miles away from the victimized werewolf, Waldemar Daninsky, and a tribute to his versatility and a razor-sharp rebuke to individuals who have underestimated his performing abilities. Naschy’s script moves vertically through the different social strata of modern Milan. “There are different courses,” one of the characters points out and the middle class investigator locates himself socializing aided by the rich upper-class Edmundo, architect (Angel Aranda) along with his businessman pal (Ricardo Merino). The team around him comes with a respected teacher, a homosexual manner designer, the spouses associated with the businessmen, one of who is cheating with a transvestite gangster. Most of them are the meaning and suspects for the dragonfly icon is supposed to be an element of the puzzle’s complicated answer. The Inspector has a special connection together with stunning partner (Italo category star Erika Blanc) whom determines to just take it upon herself to beat her spouse within the competition to determine the killer.
The exteriors were shot on location in Milan whilst the interiors were done in Spain, but Klimovsky shows expert at integrating the locales (perhaps as a result of his helming many Spanish-Italian westerns during the 60’s). He sets the world within the very first shots of this red-colored light area of Milan, the glittering, tacky neon edifices under which lurk the hookers, drug and addicts dealers just who the Inspector sees as signs of a social malaise. There’s a skewering, hackings, a beheading and also the dismembering of a hooker hanging around in a coffin for her necrophiliac client (whom transforms completely to be the learned Professor). Everybody seems caught up into the sleazy atmosphere so well defined by Klimovsky. As a scriptwriter Naschy’s themes here appear to be social decay and class corruption; he appears as disgusted utilizing the top of the feeding chain as he is using the bottom. It’s ironic, embittered worldview which pervades the turning narrative. The CAM score, which includes prominent cues from BLOOD AND BLACK LACE and TWITCH OF THIS DEATH NERVE, works astonishing well, despite the sense of deja vu it undoubtedly evokes. Those only familiar with Naschy’s werewolf films should definitely check this one out to experience another aspect of the actor-writer during his busy early 70s period.
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