Torso (1973): Suzy Kendall, Tina Aumont and Luc Merenda. Directed by Sergio Martino, Screenplay by Ernesto Gastaldi and Sergio Martino.

Not to be confused with the rumored David Fincher project about Elliot Ness hunting a serial killer. "Torso", also, more creatively known as "I corpi presentano tracce di violenza carnale" ("Bodies bear traces of carnal violence"), is a little known Italian gore movie that is notable, maybe not as a perfectly executed film as a whole (it's definitely not), but for a couple of really genius sequences which have gone on to inspire other films and filmmakers.

If you're anything like me (and I do pity you for that) and you enjoyed "Haute Tension" up to the point of its impossibly-stupid and not-well-thought-out-at-all "twist" ending, then you'll love "Torso" with it's impossibly-stupid and nearly-difficult-to-understand opening, but brilliant, frightening second half. It's funny I should mention "Haute Tension" because one scene in "Torso" in particular is blatantly stolen for one of its better scenes.

"Torso" goes through great (and sometimes baffling) effort to set up its basic premise, which is a killer on the loose and a house full of beautiful women who like taking off their clothes a lot, but once it does this, the real "high tension", Italian style starts. It's basically nearly laughable light entertainment that slowly takes a turn into something uncomfortable and frightening, basically a definition of what good horror is, and Sergio Martino knows exactly what he is doing here, mixing beauty and unspeakable horror to great effect.

Italian Giallo films are a whole sub-genre of their own, exemplified by the likes of Dario Argento and Mario Bava. While I've included only one film for each director on this list of 31, they're all infinitely watchable if you're a fan of the horror or gore genres.

Try and find a copy of "Torso", if you can. Even if you haven't seen or aren't a rabid fan of "yellow films", you'll still enjoy this as a piece of good 1970's horror filmmaking.

Get it at Amazon.com:
TORSO. UNCUT RESTORED VERSION.