Several of my friends and I have set out to discover good little-known horror films using DVD rental services. This long, mostly fruitless task has resulted in many nights of tedium but occasionally we'll discover something worthwhile, which, for us, is euphoria not unlike that experienced by treasure hunters. We've made great discoveries like Alucarda, The Legacy, and Blue Sunshine after enduring substantial mediocrity. I personally find it revelatory when I find a film I can enjoy in some capacity even if it isn't a fully satisfying experience.The Sister of Ursula is such a movie. While it is intended to be a giallo, there are only obligatory inclusions of genre tropes. The film's unique focal points aren't on plot or artful deaths, but we see plenty of the victims and their surroundings before they die. Director Enzo Milioni knows he had no story, so he uses the running time as an excuse to photograph Italy's beautiful Amalfi Coast and its nubile inhabitants.There's enough nudity categorize the film as soft-core pornography, though most of it isn't exploitative. Ursula's sister Dagmar, for example, is seen wearing a golden necklace to impress a young man at the hotel where the two are staying. After she goes back to her room, we see her masturbating with the necklace, which he complemented. This scene would normally have no relevance, but in the absence of plot, it works nicely as a piece of erotic art. There's a refreshing frankness to much of the movie's nudity that even the classic giallos usually lack. Unfortunately, some plot is needed to tie up the more tasteful sexy parts. It's a boring cycle that repeats too frequently. As follows: a woman is shown to be naked for whatever reason (if a man is with her, he is stabbed), a masked marauder knocks her out and we see he is holding a phallic object, and then the slain woman is seen bleeding from her vagina. The amusement in these scenes wears off quickly, and they are hardly innovative. Another film from 1978 called Red Rings of Fear or Virgin Killer has the same death-by-sex toy gimmick.We easily realize Ursula is probably the killer before we're told she is, and we are given an explanation that adds a layer of intrigue to the film. Apparently Ursula's and Dagmar's father disappeared before we met them and Ursula is convinced his spirit tells her to kill sexually active women. So, the film could exist in a hyper-masculine alternative reality where male domination is so severe as to interfere with women's self-identities. Ursula is integrated entirely into this world, and sees its continuation as endearing to the memory of her father. That's why she kills her victims with her phallic sex toy; it's the ultimate expression of male superiority. Father would be proud.Plenty of contemporary directors should consider remaking this film, and I think Catherine Breillat would be ideally suited to its sensibilities. Then the story could drop the giallo disguise the original is forced to wear.Recommended

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.

The early Italian Giallo (yellow) films first appeared in the 1960's and were erotic thrillers which featured minimal nudity and largely avoided direct horror, but still had arresting and unusual story lines created largely through the complexities of everyday sexual interactions among ordinary people. At this time Hollywood, which had barely escaped from the rigid requirements of the Hayes code, still believed a flash of bare breast guaranteed an erotic film. Later, as North American films matured, the giallos tried to keep a step 'ahead' by an increasing emphasis on nudity and sometimes S & M practices. Eventually, when Hollywood moved to 'slasher' films that showed vastly more nudity as well as greater horror and violence, the giallo films which had remained relatively restrained, began to lose market share; and by the mid 1970's their end was in sight. 'The Sister of Ursula', first released in 1978 is a late film of this genre, I missed its perfunctory first release, and it only became accessible again here after a DVD was released by Severin in 2008. Its director, Enzio Milioni, probably sensing that his opportunity for creating many more films would be very small if 'Ursula' was not a major popular success, clearly decided to stir in everything he could to increase its viewer appeal. This did not work - I gather he only completed two more major films after making 'Ursula', even though the murders were plentiful, the work of a serial killer who used a most unusual murder weapon (No spoilers here - see the other reviews), and there were enough extended nude scenes, some portrayed in near porn style, to satisfy even today's jaded hotel viewers or late night cable TV audiences. I felt these interrupted the story to a point which eventually became very irritating, and overall most viewers have rated this film as inferior to many of the earlier Giallos. But whilst 'Ursula' is a violent story, the actual violence - unlike the eye candy - is not shown, only its consequences. To my mind this brings it much closer to being family entertainment, and ultimately it is still quite an enjoyable thriller with a psychologically interesting story line.Film Noir is a genre which is certainly not everybody's choice, and 'Ursula' has more sleaze with less satirical bite than many of the earlier giallos. But although it has too many plot holes and is clearly not a great film, 'Ursula' does have a number of other features going for it. It has easily read sub-titles which I find far preferable to the more usual very bad dubbing, and both the characterisation and acting are well above average. It is set in a magnificent period hotel offering a flamboyant art nouveau decor that is a joy to see; as well as interesting classical architecture and plenty of the requisite old stone walls or cellars. I wish a few more film makers would take the trouble to identify locations as good as this before they decide to start shooting. The lighting and the camera work also both earn high commendation. The story takes place on the lovely Amalfi coast of Italy, not far from Capri; and the Mediterranean scenery (for which I am a complete sucker as can be seen from some of my other reviews here) is intensely evocative. I had already reconciled myself to the thought that I would probably never travel in this area again, but after watching 'Ursula' I am already weighing the possibility of changing my mind. What more can an old man want or expect from a movie than this?

Two Austrian sisters Dagmar and Ursula Beyne go on holiday along the Amalfi coast in Italy, in the hope of finding their mother, who deserted them when they were young, they have recently inherited some money after the death of their father and want to share some of it with their mother. Ursula is quite a fragile girl though and on medication ever since the loss of her father. She also is somewhat telepathic and can foresee bad events in an instant. They book into a local hotel where Ursula's visions continue, she tells Dagmar her sister to stay clear of Filippo, a man who hangs out in the hotel bar as she says he will cause her death. Filippo is a heroin addict whose lover "Stella Shining" is the night club singer at the hotel, but that relationship is soon in trouble and Filippo makes his move on Dagmar. Meanwhile a masked and leather gloved man hires a local hooker, he wants to be a voyeur while she makes love to another man, she agrees and he hides behind the curtains in her room to watch the proceedings. When the deed is done the stranger savagely kills the hooker. Ursula wakes from her sleep with a scream, as she has felt that something bad has happened, she pleads with Dagmar that they should leave this place before its too late, but they disagree and stay. A young amorous teenage couple are turned away from the hotel and make their bed in a deserted part of the hotel, mid coitus they are interrupted by the killer, who slashes the boys throat before doing heinous acts on the girl. The shocking murders continue in abundance as the frantic search for the killer continues…….. Well what can I say about this little seen Giallo, it is positively the filthiest Giallo I have ever seen, the film is positively verging on hardcore porn, its full of sleazy sex, there is plenty of full frontal nudity, beautiful women in varying degrees of degradation, oral sex, masturbation, including one scene where a gold chain is used, so that the the girl can feel closer to man who gave the gift, lesbian sex, arse licking, I mean this hotel is so full of deviants, that I'm thinking of booking a room myself, not least the killer who uses a large dildo to kill his prey…I'm not kidding. The film itself was made at the end of the end of the great Giallo era and as such was trying to keep the genre fresh by making it more titillating and it that respect it succeeds in bucket loads, but the film is not without its more esteemed merits, Vittorio Bernini's cinematography is excellent and captures the wonderful and stunning vistas of the area perfectly, the hotel and its surrounding buildings were well chosen and give a real feel for the area and add immensely to the atmosphere. The killer's face is never seen, we only see his eyes captured in a beam of light before he kills, it's a cliché but it works really well when accompanied by the sinister score associated with the killer. All in all a much better film that its IMDb rating would suggest and an intriguing entry in the genre, certainly not for everyone though and a caution should be taken by anyone with a sensitive nature. What also intrigues me is that there is supposed to be a mythical hardcore version of this film and if this isn't it, the real one must be off the scale for sleaze.