An insurance scam lands a man on death row for murdering his wife. What everyone does not know is she really is not dead.This film has been cited as having been inspired by Alfred Hitchcock's film "Vertigo". Indeed, it has that Hitchcock feel, perhaps much more than the usual giallo. Being filmed in San Francisco does not hurt. The film also has been cited as a thematic precursor to later films such as "Basic Instinct" and "Body of Evidence". Was there a conscious connection? From what I understand, the film has a few different release versions. I one I saw was "Perversion Story", which is said to be the smutty one. Indeed, it is quite smutty and personally I could have used less of that. But the plot is no less good, and although Fulci is best known for horror, he clearly had thrillers mastered as well.

I must admit that I do not care for the films of Lucio Fulci - his horror films are filled with repulsive gore and devoid of intelligence, and his gialli (murder mysteries) are better but filled with unnecessary perversion and debauchery - so suffice to say I was apprehensive when viewing this giallo by the "godfather of gore". To my surprise, I actually enjoyed this quite a bit.Admittedly, there was the unnecessary nudity that littered the film, but luckily it was neither maliciously exploitative (instead, it was tastefully done) nor was it overwhelming in content (most of it is localized only in a few key scenes in the beginning of the film).However, the factor that truly made the film work was its focus upon its narrative rather than attempting to provide cheap thrills (as Fulci often does). The plot is obviously borrowed from "Vertigo" but not to the degree that I would call it a blatant rip-off (like Brian DePalma's "Obsession" was) as it had its own unique twists and turns to the proceedings. It does seem to plod somewhat in its initial reels as it focused on the lavish lifestyles of a stripper and a photography model, but once the twists begin at the half-way point the viewer's interest is perked and it manages to hold onto it until the end.The direction is surprisingly subtle and aesthetic for a Fulci film, focusing upon images of mirrors and reflections on glass windows the reflect upon the duality of the characters (each often have two sides to their beings, such as the doctor who is married but is having an affair, but also the fact that the doctor believes his wife has a doppelganger).I wouldn't necessarily recommend this film to many as its material is lurid (despite Fulci's admirable restraint), and the plot isn't anything unique, but it's all done in a very sufficient and stylish manner with just enough intelligence to make it a pleasant watch. Recommended for giallo fans, a slight recommendation to mystery/thriller aficionados, but others not really interested in the genre should just watch Hitchcock's "Vertigo" again.

This is not a giallo film, nor is it in the lines of the fun but more exploitative Fulci film THE DEVIL'S HONEY. Nor is it a horror film, though you should watch fast for a Fulci cameo as a doctor in the film's one very gruesome moment. It has some nice well thought out plot twists and a fun 1960's San Francisco atmosphere. It's a very well made film on all levels.This deserves a decent release as most copies look like crud. The film is well staged in and around San Francisco and features ample but appropriate nudity.The whole things builds momentum and suspense with an especially cleverly done ending. Also watch for the use of mirror and mirror images throughout the film. Unlike many Euro films from this era it is also well acted and decently dubbed into English. It actually looks like it was all shot in English as there is none of the usual rubbery lip sync.Fulci was not a one trick pony director (as the better known Dario Argento definitely is) and if you're interested in seeing his diversity, see this film. If all you want is horror look elsewhere.

This little Italian number is superficially similar to the famous Hitchcock film "Vertigo" in its basic premise and in its San Francisco location. But I don't recall "Vertigo" having the nude dancing, the psychedelic body painting, and the abundance of straight and lesbian sex. And as great an actress as Kim Novak from "Vertigo" may have been, she was no Marissa Mell. Marissa Mell was a six-foot Austrian model/actress who became infamous in the late 1960's more for her antics off-screen than on (her various paramours supposedly included everyone from Warren Beatty to the Shah of Iran). She was the archetypal Bond girl, even though she never actually got around to appearing in a Bond movie. Actually, the only big movie she was ever in was Mario Bava's pop-art, comic book adaptation "Diabolik". This obscure movie was probably her second most famous role before her career fizzled and she died at a young age from cancer. She is excellent here in the dual role of an asthmatic, dying wife and a seductive stripper. She also has copious nude scenes (if you're into that sort of thing).You might also have heard of the director of this one, guy named Lucio Fulci, made a few zombie movies or something. This is actually the first of a series of superior gialli Fuici directed early in his career (the others were "A Woman in Lizard's Skin" and "Don't Torture a Duckling"). Fulci fans will find the plot of this film to be surprisingly coherent, but will probably be disappointed at the lack of gore (aside from one grisly scene of a post, post-mortem). It also lacks much of the directorial flair Fulci would demonstrate in his later gialli and his zombie films. The last act is particularly weak with one of those tiresome innocent-man-on-death-row countdowns. The very last scene is a pleasant surprise, but by then much of the momentum has been lost. Still, it's definitely worth seeing, for Fulci and Mell if nothing else.