| "Roberta's a woman to die for... whether she likes it or not. " |
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Darkness Surrounds Roberta
DVD/APPROX. 130 MINS/2008/USA UNRATED
DVD/APPROX. 130 MINS/2008/USA UNRATED
8.5
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Poor Roberta. Once a celebrated artist specializing in macabre erotic imagery, she's now a bored socialite focused on secret sex games and
decadent thievery. But tonight, a deranged admirer wants to re-awaken Roberta's unique talents with a horrifying offer that she simply cannot
refuse. The ill-fated woman soon finds herself trapped in the phantom's lair, witness to blood-thirsty acts that threaten some of Italy's most
sophisticated ladies-all in the name of art! “ Or so the fine folks at Cinema Image Productions would have us believe. Does this modern day giallo
hit the mark, or is it just a pale imitation of the past classics?
Well they certainly have the convoluted plot part down. Roberta, (well played by newcomer Yassmin Pucci) is a controversial artist who's given up
her painting since marrying a wealthy politician. After her partner in crime Dora, (Raine Brown) has to save her from her intended victim when an
attempt at robbery goes wrong things go from bad to worse…
Who is the masked man who has kidnapped her and why is he so obsessed with her art? And what is the connection to the women going missing
and turning up very dead? Will the police, led by a blind detective, (Joe Zaso) get a clue? Or know what to do with it if they do? And most
importantly, will we get to see Raine's breasts?
First off, despite being from the producers of “Barricade” this isn't a bloodbath on that level, not even close. It does have some pretty messy
deaths, opening with a long nasty stabbing and closing with a brutal fight for survival. The effects, (by Barricade director Timo Rose, who also has
a small role in the film), are well done and brutal but not over the top.
One place the film does fall a bit short of the mark is the cinematography. This was shot on video and can't match the brilliant images the old
masters could get from using actual film. They do try to do some interesting things with color and lighting but the effect is not the same. On the
other hand the light video camera lets them get highly mobile and pull off some very Argentoesque moves.
Gialli have never stood or fell on the basis of the acting but thankfully the performances here are quite good. Newcomer Yassmin Pucci plays
Roberta quite well pulling of several nude scenes and a wide emotional range quite well. The fact she looks great naked is a definite plus. Raine
Brown, who's been in genre fare ranging from Dante Tomaseli's “Desecration” to “100 Tears” to utter shit like “Plasterhead”. She does well in a
supporting role here and has a long, intense sex scene which unfortunately manages to keep all her naughty bits covered. For the ladies, big Joe
Zaso gets shirtless and flexes, can't say I'd object to being built like him. He also does a good job as the blind detective working the case. Genre
fans may notice “Razor Blade Smile” star Eileen Daley in a small role.
Special features are quite good especially the commentary track. Joe and Raine give a good running commentary and collection of anecdotes about
the filming. The “Deep Inside Roberta” featurette is a fun, if lightweight look at the filming of the movie.
All in all “Darkness Surrounds Roberta” is a worthy tribute to the genre. It will appeal most to giallo fans, but should be plenty of fun for anyone
who likes a good psycho killer type film.
decadent thievery. But tonight, a deranged admirer wants to re-awaken Roberta's unique talents with a horrifying offer that she simply cannot
refuse. The ill-fated woman soon finds herself trapped in the phantom's lair, witness to blood-thirsty acts that threaten some of Italy's most
sophisticated ladies-all in the name of art! “ Or so the fine folks at Cinema Image Productions would have us believe. Does this modern day giallo
hit the mark, or is it just a pale imitation of the past classics?
Well they certainly have the convoluted plot part down. Roberta, (well played by newcomer Yassmin Pucci) is a controversial artist who's given up
her painting since marrying a wealthy politician. After her partner in crime Dora, (Raine Brown) has to save her from her intended victim when an
attempt at robbery goes wrong things go from bad to worse…
Who is the masked man who has kidnapped her and why is he so obsessed with her art? And what is the connection to the women going missing
and turning up very dead? Will the police, led by a blind detective, (Joe Zaso) get a clue? Or know what to do with it if they do? And most
importantly, will we get to see Raine's breasts?
First off, despite being from the producers of “Barricade” this isn't a bloodbath on that level, not even close. It does have some pretty messy
deaths, opening with a long nasty stabbing and closing with a brutal fight for survival. The effects, (by Barricade director Timo Rose, who also has
a small role in the film), are well done and brutal but not over the top.
One place the film does fall a bit short of the mark is the cinematography. This was shot on video and can't match the brilliant images the old
masters could get from using actual film. They do try to do some interesting things with color and lighting but the effect is not the same. On the
other hand the light video camera lets them get highly mobile and pull off some very Argentoesque moves.
Gialli have never stood or fell on the basis of the acting but thankfully the performances here are quite good. Newcomer Yassmin Pucci plays
Roberta quite well pulling of several nude scenes and a wide emotional range quite well. The fact she looks great naked is a definite plus. Raine
Brown, who's been in genre fare ranging from Dante Tomaseli's “Desecration” to “100 Tears” to utter shit like “Plasterhead”. She does well in a
supporting role here and has a long, intense sex scene which unfortunately manages to keep all her naughty bits covered. For the ladies, big Joe
Zaso gets shirtless and flexes, can't say I'd object to being built like him. He also does a good job as the blind detective working the case. Genre
fans may notice “Razor Blade Smile” star Eileen Daley in a small role.
Special features are quite good especially the commentary track. Joe and Raine give a good running commentary and collection of anecdotes about
the filming. The “Deep Inside Roberta” featurette is a fun, if lightweight look at the filming of the movie.
All in all “Darkness Surrounds Roberta” is a worthy tribute to the genre. It will appeal most to giallo fans, but should be plenty of fun for anyone
who likes a good psycho killer type film.
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