Nine Guests For A Crime (1977)

 

While spending their annual vacation on a small Mediterranean Island, nine bourgeois family members are stalked and killed one by one by a mysterious killer.

Nine Guests for a Crime (Italian: Nove ospiti per un delitto) is a 1977 Italian giallo film directed by Ferdinando Baldi. It was also known as La morte viene del passato (Death Comes From the Past) in Spanish markets. An alternate Italian title was Un urlo nella notte (A Scream in the Night).

Let's break down the set up kids. Twenty years after Charlie’s death on a windswept beach, the wealthy villa owner Ubaldo invites his family back to the island for a guided visit to the spot where the crime took place. The group includes Lorenzo, Michele, and Patrizia, along with their spouses Greta, Carla, and Walter. Also present are Elisabetta, Ubaldo’s sister and the deceased Charlie’s former lover, and Giulia, Ubaldo’s new young wife. Once ashore, a mysterious assassin murders the sailors who ferried them to the island, and suddenly the group finds themselves cut off from help as danger closes in. 

Oh My. So much nudity in this film. I'm shocked. 

Agatha Christie meets Italian giallo-sleaze! This film has more sex and tits hanging out then any film that's not a porn. The first half of the film has everybody sliding off fucking everyone else and it is almost impossible to keep track of just who is who and who they are supposed to be with. And they just fuck in the open which usually leads to someone else seeing them in secret. I'm assuming all Italian women in the 1970s kept their high heels on in the shower

The male cast here is indeed quite impressive including Arthur Kennedy (as the father) and John Richardson, Massimo Foschi, and Venatino Venetini as the sons. As for the female cast, well, they do take off their clothes a lot. Actually, the most recognizable might be Sofia Dionisio (aka Fabiani Flavi), the sister of Silvia Dionisio and one-time sister-in-law of director Ruggiero "Cannibal Holocaust" Deodato.

While not a top tier giallo, this film does score points for a rigorous adherence to logic, only to immediately lose them for being somewhat overly predictable. The killer's identity shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone who's seen more than a handful of murder mysteries. 

To sum up, this is a solid, enjoyable film which pushes the envelope slightly with its pantheon of villainous characters, but which plays it safe and sound with regard to the plot. The cinematography and soundtrack are well above average, and extreme props to Mr Baldi for not even bothering to offer up a reason as to why no-one telephones for help. A visit from the mainland police is obviously never going to happen; we have nine guests, and nine guests only (once the boathands are killed) for the titular crime. We know that, Ferdinando knows that, so why waste valuable screentime offering a pat explanation for the lack of a phone call, when there are tits to be filmed?

Making love is the only thing that pleases me and makes me feel like a woman

There's no trivia to be found so I'm just going to add a bunch of pictures.