User reviews

LA SORELLA DI URSULA (aka. "The Sister of Ursula" / "Curse of Ursula") of 1978 is an incredibly sleazy Giallo that is primarily recommendable for its perverted sleaze, beautiful settings and beautiful female cast members. Directed by the rather un-known Enzo Milioni, the film is certainly not a particularly memorable, suspenseful or convoluted example for Suspense-cinema's most intriguing genre, but, overall, the genre-typical combination of sleaze and elegance (the focus is on the sleaze-part in this case) makes it interesting enough for my fellow Giallo-enthusiasts to track down.

The beautiful Austrian sisters Ursula (Barbara Magnolfi) and Dagmar Beyne (Stefania D'Amario) come to Amalfi in Southern Italy in search of their mother, who left their late father a long time ago. Upon their arrival, a prostitute is murdered in a highly perverted and gruesome manner. Ursula, who has been traumatized by the death of her beloved father, seems hostile towards others and is sure that somebody is out to kill her as well...

The film is incredibly sleazy, though not particularly brutal for Giallo-standards. It starts out well, but gets a bit repetitive after a while. In its sleaziness, is sometimes compared to GIALLO A VENEZIA (1979), another incredibly sleazy Giallo made after the genre's heyday (which I would call the years 1970-1975), though that film was arguably the most graphically sadistic Giallo of all. LA SORELLA DI URSULA is far more elegant, however. The coastal small-town Amalfi in Campania, Italy is incredibly beautiful, and a wonderful location for any film, especially a Giallo. The hotel in which most of the film takes place is full of incredibly cool set-pieces. The genre-typical score featuring a mysterious female singing voice is beautiful and supports the film's elegance and eerie atmosphere. The murders are nasty, but not particularly brutal, since the killings as such are not that graphic. There are tons of sleaze and gratuitous female nudity, which is very graphic even for softcore-pornography standards. This is very welcome, since the female cast consists entirely of stunning beauties. The most ravishing woman in the film is Barbara Magnolfi, who will be recognized by any fan of Italian Horror for her supporting role in Dario Argento's masterpiece SUSPIRIA (1977), most likely the most famous of all Italian Horror films. She's also a fine actress, and delivers the most convincing performance here. Stefania D'Amorio, who plays her eponymous sister, is also very beautiful, as are the other female cast members. The male cast includes Cult-cinema regular Marc Porel in a shady role.

Overall, LA SORELLA DI URSULA isn't a must-see, and there are numerous Gialli that should be seen before this one. However, it provides sleazy and elegant entertainment, and while it isn't the most suspenseful specimen of the genre, my fellow Giallo-fans should have a good time watching it. Just don't expect anything on a par with Sergio Martino or Dario Argento.

Hey, aspiring filmmakers, here's a tip: If you want to give your picture an automatic 2 stars right out of the gate, shoot it on Italy's Amalfi Coast, a district so incredibly gorgeous that it makes any film look good! Case in point: the sleazy giallo "The Sister of Ursula" (1978), an otherwise tawdry, far-fetched affair whose stunning backdrop (the area between Positano and Amalfi, and nearby Ravello) is its main selling point. In the film, the two Austrian sisters of the title--randy, normal Dagmar (Stefania D'Amario) and fey, unpleasant Ursula (Barbara Magnolfi)--come to a luxurious hotel after the recent death of their father, but at an unfortunate time. It seems that a local whackjob has taken to killing nubile ladies using an enormous, phallus-shaped...oh, I guess I'd better not say...on the gals' northern Virginias (shades of 1971's "What Have You Done To Solange?"). Many suspects abound, including the hotel's handsome manager (Vanni Materassi) and the resident smack-addicted stud (played by giallo vet Marc Porel, a real-life addict himself). The film features copious amounts of male and female full-frontal nudity; tepid, simulated sex scenes (straight couples, lesbians, female masturbation); and even a surprising glimpse of pudendum. As far as violence is concerned, the dastardly deeds are blessedly done offscreen, with only the gory aftermaths on display. The picture also gives us a lush, catchy theme song in Mimi Uva's "Eyes," stylish direction from Enzo Milioni, and very decent acting by the four leads, but the killer's motivation and demise ultimately seem forced and unsatisfying, somehow. In all, a great-looking mixed bag, nicely presented on this Severin Films DVD, with excellent subtitling and a fascinating, 30-minute interview with Milioni himself.

The Italian giallo eventually suffered a lingering, painful death, merging with the inferior American slasher movies in the 1980's and the vastly inferior American "erotic thrillers" in the 1990's (with which today it is virtually indistinguishable). It was clear though that the rot had set in as early as the late 70's with films like "Play Motel" or this one where the sex and nudity that had always been used to season the genre seemed to become its very reason for being. The only thing that separates a film like this from crappy American softcore porn is its almost cheerful political incorrectness, appalling lapses of taste, and a general paucity of silicone breast implants.

Two sisters with a disturbed past check into a seaside hotel where the guests are suddenly being offed by a killer wielding a most unusual murder weapon, a giant dildo! (Amazingly, this was the second Italian film of 1978, after "Red Rings of Fear", to feature the "death-by-dildo" device). I won't spoil the ending by giving away the identity of the killer, but it pretty much spoils itself within the first ten minutes. This one fails utterly as a giallo (or a real movie for that matter), but I guess it kind of succeeds on the level of softcore pornography--the photography is good, the scenery is pretty, and the score is decent. The actresses are also all pretty attractive, especially the one who plays the lounge singer "Stella Shining" (although I don't know that most guys would want to bury their entire face in her backside like one Italian lothario very graphically does here).

I'd recommend this perhaps for giallo completists (and maybe serious porn addicts), but for everyone else. . .uh, probably not.

Looking for some interesting Giallo and found this. Boy was i disappointed.

If you like smooth skin, silicone-less bobbies, and lots of bush, then you will enjoy the show.

The scenery was spectacular, the sets were exquisite, and the music was delightful, but that was it.

The attacks were really few and far between, as was the sex. It was a lot of talking, and I mean a lot.

Well, I got to see the murder weapon at the end, but it wasn't used in that scene.

Last Gasp of the Giallo genre by the end of the 70's, "Ursula's sister" will be on top of the list of european trash & sleaze fans. But boy this one was tragically bad & boring.

It's an utterly lacklustre attempt to mix sex & violence. From an uninteresting story (two sisters going on vacation by the sea are fighting over their father & mother relationship while a maniac kills young girls with a huge dildo (!!!!) right after they made love), Enzo Milioni's effort has a reminiscence of Jess Franco's early 70's works (The Bare Breasted Countess or Lady dracula) but with no talent shown. I rarely use my fast forward option on my remote but here I found a pure gem. Neverending dialogues by the sea, uneffective editing killing most of the suspense, cars chases at 50m/h that last at least 4 minutes (even with the beautiful sights of the Amalfi coast)are really too much for me.

Bad acting, bad dubbing... only Barbara Magnolfi seems out of this world, her eyes lost as if she didn't actually realize what she was doing. Even handsome Marc Porel at his worst is in this huge pile of crap.

Except the hotel location and the deep blue sea, it seems obvious that the budget was low, so were the expectations of the producers, I guess. But the TV-like cinematography doesn't help at all.

The only different thing are the sex scenes : they're all on the verge of an hardcore movie. Which is strange for an italian thriller of 1978. But besides the excitement for male straight viewers, it doesn't bring anything to this flick. It's not even titillating as the actresses & actors don't seem to believe in what they do. It's pure Sexploitation and totally useless...and not even fun!

On the top of all this nonsense, the score is simply atrocious. Horrible 70's italian muzak : mix of bad funk and Morriconesque women vocalizing surrounded. The murders scenes (no gore at all, by the way -not enough budget) are mixed with a tremendously funny violin that tones down all the thrill you might get. Oh, and there's the song sung by Yvonne Harlow (what a pseudo!) with the worst lipsync in all movie history. Gotta be seen to be believed.

Sexist stuff & simply trash...Just plain boring & insulting for the viewer.

Superwonderscope says 2

This would make a nice, if potentially wrist-spraining, triple bill with Play Motel and Giallo E Venezia, as it's another sleazy giallo that spends too much time on the rumpy-pumpy and not enough on the stabby-stabby.

On the Amalfi Coast, two sisters check in to a nice coastal hotel run by the seemingly nice Roberto. Dagmar is the more outgoing of the two sisters to say the least, as other sister Ursula is completely off her trolley. She hates the hotel and everyone in it on sight, including Roberto, club singer Stella Shining, and especially young, handsome guy Fillipo.

That night, a mysterious (gloved and hatted) stranger pays a hooker so he can spy on her getting it on with some guy (in one of many nudie scenes that litter this film). Once she gets rid of her customer, she's murdered by the stranger in a rather unique, and some would say symbolic, fashion. But who is the killer this time? We'll have to spend a lot of time with our various hotel staff/customers and their dark secrets before we find out...

(Deep breath) You see Ursula suffers from some trauma after her mother left her impotent father who then killed himself, leaving Dagmar to look after the ungrateful Ursula. Hotel owner Roberto has an open marriage to his wife, who is getting it on with a young girl called Jenny who also lives in the hotel. Fillipo is a lover of Stella Shining but she doesn't like jealous men and he is also a drug addict. It's like that old soap opera Crossroads, with more full frontal nudity.

The killer doesn't like it when the ladies get it on so they're busy going around killing them and to be honest the police didn't seem that bothered about it when I look back on it. What you have here is a giallo with the emphasis on the sleaze, so the film breaks down every fifteen minutes or so for a love scene complete with sexy saxophone soundtrack. Rather close to the bone, some of it too, if you know what I'm saying (winks like Sid James).

When you watch these things its fun trying to figure out who the killer is but it's not hard to guess here. The Amalfi locations add to the atmosphere, but the mystery of the film won't stimulate your brain, however. The bit where Dagmar uses a gold chain to set off the old fanny bomb might stimulate something else mind.

After the untimely death of their father, sexy brunette sisters Dagmar (Stefania D'Amario) and Ursula (Barbara Magnolfi) go in search of their estranged mother, with whom they intend to share their inheritance. Checking in at a luxurious hotel on the Amalfi coast proves to be a mistake when a mysterious killer starts to bump off the more promiscuous guests.

When it comes to gialli, I prefer 'em stylish, mean-spirited and gory, but, failing that, nice and sleazy does it every time. The Sister of Ursula doesn't feature all that much gore (although what there is is fairly shocking) and is lacking the visual verve of Argento or Bava, but it more than satisfies in terms of sex, nudity and general seediness.

Within minutes, delicious D'Amario has delivered the first of many full frontal nude scenes, and the bums, boobs and bush continue right through to the finalé, with virtually every woman baring all for the camera at some point. A hooker has sex with a friend for the pleasure of the killer; hotel owner Vanessa (Anna Zinnemann) has lesbian sex with her lover Jenny; cabaret singer Stella shags hotel manager Roberto; a pair of teenagers strip for sex (before being killed); and Dagmar masturbates with a gold chain while her sister sleeps in the bed next to her. While none of this is hardcore, it's still fairly graphic, with shots of both male and female genitals, some near the knuckle rubbing, and oral sex (a well-placed leg or massive '70s bush preventing it from being too explicit).

The killer's weapon of choice also adds to the sleaziness: a large carved wooden dildo is used to kill the women, resulting in a very messy downstairs department for those concerned. Makes a change from an open razor, I suppose!

Storywise, this one isn't anything special, and the killer's identity and motive probably won't come as much of a surprise, but all those attractive women in the altogether and the generally trashy tone made it hard for me to not enjoy myself.

6.5 out of 10, rounded up to 7 for IMDb.

Sister of Ursula is a bit of an obscurity. It's not a nunsploitation film as the title suggests. It's a twisted giallo with typical themes of Freudian Daddy issues, a killer with black gloves and some gorgeous locations in Amalfi.

It really ups the sleaze factor with full frontal nudity every 10 minutes and some sex scenes. It's actually low on violence apart from the aftermath of dead bodies which are well worth seeing for shock value. The soundtrack is very good, not up there with those by Goblin, Morricone or Riz Ortolani, but memorable enough.

It's not as jumbled plot wise as "In The Folds Of Flesh", but it's also not as exciting as most Giallo. Beyond the cinematography which is easily as good as anything from the luminaries like Bava, Argento and Fulci it's difficult to recommend other than to Giallo fans who want something a bit sleazy without going into the extremes of "New York Ripper" or "Malabimba" territory.

The film was released uncut 18 by Shameless/Argent Films in the UK for DVD and features a nice print.

People do not seem to like this one although they all seem certainly to like the Italian Amalfi coast and the stunning vistas and the pretty villages. I have to say that there are plenty of steps, balconies and little streets so lovely. Actually I also like the ladies and the sex which is really well done and I wouldn't have called it as sleazy but of course the dildo killings I would have. The beautiful, Barbara Magnolfi was in Suspiria (1977) the previously year and with The Suspicious Death of a Minor (1975) but has very little else for some reason. Stefania D' Amario who plays the sister in this film was also with, Zombie (1979), Nightmare City (1980) and Identification of a Woman (1982). Whether it is down to Vittorio Bernini as the cinematography or as the director Enzo Milioni who also did the story and the screenplay, it looks wonderful, all the time.

Well, it's safe to say that The Curse of Ursula isn't the greatest Giallo ever made, but there's plenty of sex and sleaze, and the whole thing is at least enjoyable. The Curse of Ursula came rather late on in the Giallo cycle - in fact, it had pretty much dried up by the time this film came along, and as such; it would seem that writer-director Enzo Milioni was extremely keen to put as much sex and nudity into the film as possible to ensure that people would watch it; and while this sort of stuff isn't really what I watch Giallo for, it doesn't go amiss in a film such as this, which has little in the way of a plot. As the title suggests, the film focuses on a woman called Ursula. Along with her sister Dagmar, she finds herself at a hotel, where the sisters are looking for their mother, believing she has a right to some inheritance left by their father. However, a vicious psychopath, who uses a dildo to murder his (female) victims has also taken up residence at the hotel, and begins dispatching of everyone who has sex...

I had heard that this film was particularly sordid, and while I can certainly see why that is said, I have to say I was expecting more from it...though admittedly, I probably do watch a bit too much of this stuff! Sex fuelled Giallo's got more common towards the end of the cycle, which is unfortunate as the style of the earlier films was lost. As well as the sex, this film also features some pretty gruesome death scenes, which is nice but it does seem like director Enzo Milioni (with his first feature) is trying to force the film down the audiences throats a little bit as everything is completely over the top. The plot takes a backseat to the sex and gore, and typically it is a rather dull affair. There isn't much to it after the foundations are laid down, and while the twist ending isn't too bad; I have to say I didn't really care about it. There is some style in the film, the way we only see the killer's eyes, for example, shows some attempt to build atmosphere, but overall; if you're looking for a great Giallo, you really shouldn't track this one down!

Two sisters (Barbara Magnolfi and Stefania D'Amario) check into a sea-side resort hotel, hoping for some peace and quiet. Ursula (Magnolfi) seems unable to relax, feeling as though something terrible is going to happen. Meanwhile, a mad killer is on the prowl, preying on unwary lovers.

THE SISTER OF URSULA is a solid giallo with strong horror elements. Ursula appears to have a psychic ability / clairvoyance, as well as an empathic sense. She's a very interesting character. Her sister, Dagmar (D'Amario) is generally annoyed by her episodes.

As with many of the later giallos, there's a lot of sexual content, in the form of simulation. So, if you're a fan of the female form, this movie certainly has its share of full-on, heavenly bodies on display! Yep, there's a rich vein of sensuality running through this one. As a matter of fact, the killer has quite an unusual trademark, er... weapon. Let's call it the "torpedo of death".

There are some nice twists toward the end, leading up to a terrific finale...

I've watched a lot of giallo films, but this is the most exploitative I've seen yet. You want full-body nudity within the first four minutes? You've got it (though the actress is very thin and almost unhealthy looking)! Do you want nudity so gratuitous that they foist it on you more than once when we should be feeling concerned for a woman clearly distressed and having an episode? Here ya go! Do you want tons of female nudity but no equal male nudity? Have some! Do you want a bunch of women who merely serve as vessels for bodily fluids and then victims? Help yourself! This movie is someone getting a bunch of women he deemed attractive to take their clothes off and very poorly simulate coitus under a thin veneer of filmmaking. Also, what fully grown woman sleeps fully nude (and plays with herself) in the same bed as her sister?

It's sexist and stupid, as many giallo are, but at least the others I've see have tension and an actual plot, even the weird ones. This is a loop of a night of murder, the sisters wake up, argue, be rude, endure unattractive, flawed men, rinse, and repeat. Also, the description for the film says promiscuous women were being killed, but how is a 16-year-old girl in love with her boyfriend "promiscuous"? And finally, this movie continues the giallo tradition of having awful, unattractive, abusive or borderline abusive men with women we're supposed to care about, making them even more unpleasant to watch. This is the most softcore adult film masquerading as a thriller that I've ever seen! Oh, and the music is very repetitive! 2 stars for the location.

When it comes to most popular Italian genres - from spaghetti westerns to poliziotteschi - you can tell that they are on the downward slide when they start becoming comedies and parodying their genres. With the giallo by direct comparison, this never seemed to happen and instead the decline of the genre - which started in the late 70's - was heralded when they started making entries which were sexploitation films with giallo elements, as opposed to gialli with erotic flavour. The Sister of Ursula, similar to other examples from the period like Giallo a Venezia, was a clear example of this. Consequently, what defines it more than anything is its very explicit softcore sex scenes, which punctuate the runtime on a regular basis, with the more traditional giallo suspense aspect, a clear secondary consideration. The murder set-pieces don't dwell on the act of murder itself (given the method of murder, I can honestly say that this is a blessing) and instead rely almost exclusively on build-up (which always incorporates extended sex scenes). The story, such as it is, is needless to say a bit half-hearted. It revolves around two sisters who check into a hotel by the seaside in a pretty town after their father's death. At the same time young women in the vicinity start being murdered by a maniac with dildo weaponry.

The aesthetics of this one are dangerously close to being in Jess Franco bargain budget territory. Its far more lo-fi and lower budget than these films tend to be. The griminess of the narrative is somewhat offset by all this depravity playing out in such an attractive location (I guess you could categorise this as almost a given for the giallo genre right enough). There's a selection of odd characters populating the story, such as a drug addict, a cabaret star and a sleazy hotel owner. The mystery is very much by-the-by, albeit it does get the job done. I've seen this one a couple of times now and I can safely say that the second viewing was preferrable to the first. Once you know what this film isn't (i.e. Stylish and well crafted) it becomes a more enjoyable watch. Its not going to ascend the heights of anyone's favourite movies in the genre but as an example of a sexploitation-heavy gialli, its pretty serviceable.

Nothing to see here except marginally sexy sex scenes between marginally sexy people. The only thing exceptional is the massively annoying quality of the score.

This is a great movie for the cinematography alone- it features some of the most gorgeous scenes i've ever seen in a film, ever. Hands down. THe locations, the decor, everything! It's just so luxurious and opulent and beautiful. I guess this is what Howarth meant when he wrote that 'giallo often confuses or replaces the plot with the mise en scene itself'; If only the pacing had been a little tighter to create more tension and the dialogue a little less trite this could have been a truly top tier film. It's sad to see what could have been a phenomenal film reduced to merely pretty damn good but at the end of the day it's one I really enjoyed and will surely watch again.

Barbara Magnolfi plays Ursula,who along with her sister Dagmar checks into a beautiful hotel by the sea in sunny Italy.Soon the guests start to be murdered by an unseen assailant with a dildo.Ursula,being a touch neurotic due to the trauma of her fathers recent death has a bad feeling about the hotel and some of the guests,especially the shady Fillipo,drug addict boyfriend of the hotels resident cabaret star Stella Shining.I must admit that I'm a fan of super sleazy Italian giallos from 70's like "Giallo a Venezia" or "Play Motel",however "La Sorella di Ursula" is the worst of the bunch.The soft-core sex scenes are quite steamy,each one followed by a murder.Still the film is poorly acted and made.Give it a look,only if you are a fan of Italian sleaze.Enzo Millioni went on to direct only two more films after "La Sorella di Ursula" the most notable being "Fuga Dalla Morte"(1989),one of the five films that Lucio Fulci supervised and used the footage from it in "Cat in a Brain".