Reflections in Black

Original title: Il vizio ha le calze nere

1975
1h 30m

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

A number of women are brutally murdered. It quickly becomes apparent that all the victims are connected to a woman who had been having illicit affairs with them.A number of women are brutally murdered. It quickly becomes apparent that all the victims are connected to a woman who had been having illicit affairs with them.A number of women are brutally murdered. It quickly becomes apparent that all the victims are connected to a woman who had been having illicit affairs with them.

Director
- Tano Cimarosa
Writers
- Adriano Bolzoni
- Luigi Latini de Marchi
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

4.9/10

204

YOUR RATING

Director
- Tano Cimarosa
Writers
- Adriano Bolzoni
- Luigi Latini de Marchi
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

User reviews12

Featured review

4/10

Below average Giallo

Very rare but highly improbable giallo, that's about it. This movie is part of the late entries into the giallo genre and obviously hasn't much to say.

A lady in black (close shot on the black hose she wears)kills several young ladies (wearing undies, as usual) with no apparent motive (oh, really?). Except that the ladies are all related to a picture on which they appear altogether. The detective( John Richardson)penetrates the world of a very rich family where everything seems to be, well...mysterious.

Oh well, very usual indeed. Vice always finds home in the italian haute-bourgeoisie, loads of lesbian scenes & female nudity, and murders scenes piling up in a very tired way (all razors except one strangulation). The resolution is completely absurd (and the explanation of the sole survivor is utterly funny as she doesn't seem to be convinced of what she says).

The director has no sense of rythmn (essential in that genre) and lacks of strength when it comes to direct. The actors are like robots doing their thing over and over, lead by british actor John Richardson (and genre veteran)who was on the decline of his career.

The suspense does work anyway and for those who know the Giallo tricks, it's nevertheless obvious who's doing what. The director although tries to give a different tone (a comic one) with John Rochardson's sidekick, as if he wasn't interested in the suspense : that's why maybe the murders scenes are so mechanical and uninteresting.

For genre lovers only, IL VIZIO HA LE CALZE NERE has very few appeal on all levels even though the version I've seen is a 71 mn running time and appears to be heavily cut.

has been shot in Techniscope 2.35:1. Watch out for the horrible pan and scan version

Superwonderscope says : 4

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Trivia
When the cultured but assumedly heterosexual dress designer happens to employ the French phrase "mise en scene" to "set the scene" for his testimony, Sgt. Panto, who just assumes all designers and hairdressers are automatically gay [he's previously insinuated that the couturier wears his own wares, and later professes the belief that the guy's a "fag"], on a hunch it must be something subversive and immoral, mimics back "mise en shame", so as to indicate that he knows it's pervy code for a proposition to commit some sort of disgusting same-sex act.

Goofs
When the cultured but assumedly heterosexual dress designer happens to employ the French phrase "mise en scene" to "set the scene" for his testimony, Sgt. Panto, who just assumes all designers and hairdressers are automatically gay [he's previously insinuated that the couturier wears his own wares, and later professes the belief that the guy's a "fag"], on a hunch it must be something subversive and immoral, mimics back "mise en shame", so as to indicate, wrongly, that he knows it's pervy code for a proposition to commit some sort of disgusting same-sex act.

Quotes
Dressmaker: Our work requires a certain "mise en scene." ... Do you understand Sergeant?
Sgt. Pantò: Well,,, I try ... So I wanted to ask you if you ever dressed as a woman?
Dressmaker: Me, dress as a woman? Why would I?
[Panto stutters, trying to avoid an indelicate or explicit response]
Dressmaker: Mise en scene?
Sgt. Pantò: [cutting him off, relieved he didn't have to say it first] "Mise en shame!" Exactly!