23 reviews
What do you do when you come across somebody tied up in the back of a car with a deadly snake loose inside?
Step 1/ Casually put your hand in the car. Step 2/ Once you grab it, hopefully you're not bitten, simply throw the snake away. Step 3/ Then nonchalantly ask "Hey Man. What's happening"?
This drive-in, occult themed horror (despite its Giallo tag) with an investigative mystery to the plot is just so ludicrously outlandish with its many random moments, jarring visuals, reckless scenarios and unintentional laughs. It's cheaply produced, but there's conviction, a touch of nervy, slow-burn suspense and the locations near or around Rome give it poignant character. The reveal to who's behind the red mask do all I these vicious acts is easy to detect, but a lot fun nonetheless.
Step 1/ Casually put your hand in the car. Step 2/ Once you grab it, hopefully you're not bitten, simply throw the snake away. Step 3/ Then nonchalantly ask "Hey Man. What's happening"?
This drive-in, occult themed horror (despite its Giallo tag) with an investigative mystery to the plot is just so ludicrously outlandish with its many random moments, jarring visuals, reckless scenarios and unintentional laughs. It's cheaply produced, but there's conviction, a touch of nervy, slow-burn suspense and the locations near or around Rome give it poignant character. The reveal to who's behind the red mask do all I these vicious acts is easy to detect, but a lot fun nonetheless.
- lost-in-limbo
- Jun 22, 2020
- Permalink
If you can make it through the slow first hour of Girl in Room 2A, you'll be rewarded with a somewhat insane final act that almost makes it worth the wait. It's still far off the mark in many ways and most of it feels really pedestrian and predictable.
- glenmatisse
- Jan 15, 2021
- Permalink
This one drags until thankfully the stupidity of it all overwhelms the drudgery. A young girl, just paroled from prison, is sent to a boarding house by parole officer Rosalba Neri. Now we all know that something is wrong with this house, as we've just witnessed a girl being ceremoniously killed by a sadistic cult led by someone who is a big fan of the 1965 Italian film Bloody Pit of Horror.
Our girl Margaret isn't too slow on the uptake either, spotting quickly a huge bloodstain on the floor of her room that keeps reappearing, sussing rapidly that the landlady is a bit of a loon, and reckoning that the landlady's son Frank is a nutter. An encounter with a man investigating the apparent suicide of his sister, a previous tenant of Room 2A, further confirms her suspicions. This leads to a long investigation/romance that goes on and on.
However, it's also about this time that the film's daftness begins to rise, what with the terrible acting of the nurse in a loony bin, choppy editing, and a flashback sequence where women are whipped in a Jess Franco fashion. The director also thinks it's a great idea to include upbeat jazz music at the most inappropriate of moments, like when the hero is thrown into the back of a car with a snake in a suitcase (a really crap way to kill someone, seeing how they just murdered everyone else without leaving anything to chance).
The gore increases around this point too, as does the introduction of two muscle men who take on the cult. You also get an explanation as to how that bloodstain keeps appearing on the floor of room 2A, and I use 'how' on purpose because you'll be asking 'why' even after you find out what's happening. There's also the mystery of who is in the red mask if you still care about that by the end of the film.
Not much Rosalba in this one either. This is a hugely stupid film but sometimes we need a bit of that in our lives too.
However, it's also about this time that the film's daftness begins to rise, what with the terrible acting of the nurse in a loony bin, choppy editing, and a flashback sequence where women are whipped in a Jess Franco fashion. The director also thinks it's a great idea to include upbeat jazz music at the most inappropriate of moments, like when the hero is thrown into the back of a car with a snake in a suitcase (a really crap way to kill someone, seeing how they just murdered everyone else without leaving anything to chance).
The gore increases around this point too, as does the introduction of two muscle men who take on the cult. You also get an explanation as to how that bloodstain keeps appearing on the floor of room 2A, and I use 'how' on purpose because you'll be asking 'why' even after you find out what's happening. There's also the mystery of who is in the red mask if you still care about that by the end of the film.
Not much Rosalba in this one either. This is a hugely stupid film but sometimes we need a bit of that in our lives too.
Margaret Bradley (Daniela Giordano) is released from a two week stay in jail, moves into the titular apartment, and discovers a very disturbing stain on the carpet. She also experiences strange goings-on and nightmares about a group of cultists in red masks.
Margaret seeks help in getting out of her new apartment from her friend Alicia (Rosalba Neri), but winds up caught in a murder mystery with supernatural overtones.
THE GIRL IN ROOM 2A is a macabre occult thriller. The plot tends to meander in a disjointed way that somehow works. It's suspenseful, and the creepy characters and paranoiac atmosphere add a lot. Of course, the gratuitous nudity doesn't hurt.
For giallo fans looking for something different...
Margaret seeks help in getting out of her new apartment from her friend Alicia (Rosalba Neri), but winds up caught in a murder mystery with supernatural overtones.
THE GIRL IN ROOM 2A is a macabre occult thriller. The plot tends to meander in a disjointed way that somehow works. It's suspenseful, and the creepy characters and paranoiac atmosphere add a lot. Of course, the gratuitous nudity doesn't hurt.
For giallo fans looking for something different...
- azathothpwiggins
- Aug 23, 2021
- Permalink
There basically only exist 3 groups of people in this world. The first group considers "The Girl in Room 2A" to be a giallo and the second group doesn't. The third group has never even heard about "The Girl in Room 2A" and thus couldn't care less whether it's a giallo or not. This last group covers about 99,5% of the world's population, but of course we'll completely disregard them in this review.
Yours truly homes in the second group. Somehow, the American born smut director William Rose (previously responsible for duds like "Rent-A-Girl" and "50,000 B.C.") found some financers and collaborators in Italy. Good for him, but just because a film is released in 1974 and the title contains keywords like "casa" and "paura", it doesn't necessarily make it a giallo. Admittedly, certain trademarks are present, like beautiful and innocent young women being slaughtered by a masked assailant, the boarding house type of setting and the brother of a former victim independently investigating the case. But it's made clear rather early in the film that the girls are being targeted by a perverse satanic cult rather than by a perverse lone killer and, moreover, "The Girl in Room 2A" doesn't feature any stylistic giallo trademark like imaginative camerawork or a dazzling soundtrack. Margaret Bradley is a young woman just released from prison and, just like many girls before her, the friendly and caring parole officer Alice Songbird sends her to the boarding house of the elderly Mrs. Grant where she can quietly build up her life again. During the pre-opening credits scene (basically the only good part of the entire film) we already witnessed how the tenants of this house are kidnapped, tortured, killed and thrown off a cliff. After some strange occurrences, Margaret hooks up with a handsome young stranger who's looking for his sister that went missing. The biggest default of "The Girl in Room 2A" is the miserable script. Everything that happens seems so random and meaningless. Who are these cult members? Why and to whom are they sacrificing the girls? The answers are quite simple, in fact: William Rose is a completely untalented writer/director and his entire repertoire proves that he isn't interested in atmosphere, tension-building or consistent storytelling. He likes to film young girls in various states of nakedness and suffering. And then still he's not very good at it, since ravishing cult sirens like Rosalba Neri and Karin Schubert are dramatically wasted. There are a few notably grisly death sequences, but (again) popping up randomly. Perhaps in the hands of a REAL contemporary Italian giallo-director, this could potentially have been a modest classic. In the hands of this guy, it's nothing but a daft and forgettable non-giallo.
Yours truly homes in the second group. Somehow, the American born smut director William Rose (previously responsible for duds like "Rent-A-Girl" and "50,000 B.C.") found some financers and collaborators in Italy. Good for him, but just because a film is released in 1974 and the title contains keywords like "casa" and "paura", it doesn't necessarily make it a giallo. Admittedly, certain trademarks are present, like beautiful and innocent young women being slaughtered by a masked assailant, the boarding house type of setting and the brother of a former victim independently investigating the case. But it's made clear rather early in the film that the girls are being targeted by a perverse satanic cult rather than by a perverse lone killer and, moreover, "The Girl in Room 2A" doesn't feature any stylistic giallo trademark like imaginative camerawork or a dazzling soundtrack. Margaret Bradley is a young woman just released from prison and, just like many girls before her, the friendly and caring parole officer Alice Songbird sends her to the boarding house of the elderly Mrs. Grant where she can quietly build up her life again. During the pre-opening credits scene (basically the only good part of the entire film) we already witnessed how the tenants of this house are kidnapped, tortured, killed and thrown off a cliff. After some strange occurrences, Margaret hooks up with a handsome young stranger who's looking for his sister that went missing. The biggest default of "The Girl in Room 2A" is the miserable script. Everything that happens seems so random and meaningless. Who are these cult members? Why and to whom are they sacrificing the girls? The answers are quite simple, in fact: William Rose is a completely untalented writer/director and his entire repertoire proves that he isn't interested in atmosphere, tension-building or consistent storytelling. He likes to film young girls in various states of nakedness and suffering. And then still he's not very good at it, since ravishing cult sirens like Rosalba Neri and Karin Schubert are dramatically wasted. There are a few notably grisly death sequences, but (again) popping up randomly. Perhaps in the hands of a REAL contemporary Italian giallo-director, this could potentially have been a modest classic. In the hands of this guy, it's nothing but a daft and forgettable non-giallo.
A young girl named Edie is mysteriously kidnapped and taken to a country house where she is tied up,stripped and hung from the ceiling by her wrists.She is then tortured and finally killed by a long spear that penetrates her soft flesh Meanwhile the beautiful Margaret just released from a women's prison takes a room at Mrs. Grant's remote country mansion.Soon the strange things begin to happen...This sleazy and rather perverse giallo from Ramiro Oliveros is quite similar to Massimo Pupillo's "The Bloody Pit of Horror".The action is slow and the mystery elements aren't well-handled,but there is enough nudity and misogynistic violence to keep fans of Euroexploitation happy.Give this one a chance.7 out of 10.
- HumanoidOfFlesh
- Mar 25, 2007
- Permalink
- Steve_Nyland
- Mar 28, 2010
- Permalink
Girls who stay in room 2A at a mysterious boarding house are being abducted, tortured and killed by masked assailants. The latest female tenant and the brother of the last victim begin investigating the mystery.
Perhaps the most defining thing about this giallo is the fact that it was directed by an American. When I saw the name William Rose in the opening credits, I automatically assumed that this must be an Americanised Italian name for a director wishing to sell his product in the States. But no, it was in fact an American B-movie director working in Italy. I'm not sure if this has anything to do with the fact that The Girl in Room 2A is not exactly the most stylish giallo out there. Visually it is pretty pedestrian when set alongside other similar Italian productions, although, in fairness, this may be due to the quite limited settings. Quite a lot of the movie takes place within the confines of the boarding house and this may also account for the lack of good lighting. It's certainly a relatively restrained effort in terms of violence, except for the pre-credit sequence of course, which is very salacious. In fairness, the beginning promises more than the movie ultimately delivers. I wouldn't say it ever gets dull but it just doesn't necessarily live up to its potential.
There are a few strange details such as the mysterious villain who looks very similar to the Crimson Executioner from Bloody Pit of Horror (1965). This one doesn't possess the sheer delirium of that crazy film though, this one is much more down-beat, while still being far from realistic. The casting is notable for a couple of the actresses. The lead girl is Daniela Giordano who made a very memorable and sexy turn in Mario Bava's comedy Four Times That Night. She isn't quite as well utilised in this feature, as Bava's playful movie was better suited to her. The other actress of note is Rosalba Neri who starred in many Italian genre pictures in the 70's, such as the excellent Amuck! Sadly she is very under-utilised in this film which is somewhat careless of the film-makers.
This isn't a prime example of the genre. It isn't quite stylish enough, nor is the mystery interesting enough. Nevertheless, it does have enough strangeness to be worth a watch if you are a fan of Italian thrillers.
Perhaps the most defining thing about this giallo is the fact that it was directed by an American. When I saw the name William Rose in the opening credits, I automatically assumed that this must be an Americanised Italian name for a director wishing to sell his product in the States. But no, it was in fact an American B-movie director working in Italy. I'm not sure if this has anything to do with the fact that The Girl in Room 2A is not exactly the most stylish giallo out there. Visually it is pretty pedestrian when set alongside other similar Italian productions, although, in fairness, this may be due to the quite limited settings. Quite a lot of the movie takes place within the confines of the boarding house and this may also account for the lack of good lighting. It's certainly a relatively restrained effort in terms of violence, except for the pre-credit sequence of course, which is very salacious. In fairness, the beginning promises more than the movie ultimately delivers. I wouldn't say it ever gets dull but it just doesn't necessarily live up to its potential.
There are a few strange details such as the mysterious villain who looks very similar to the Crimson Executioner from Bloody Pit of Horror (1965). This one doesn't possess the sheer delirium of that crazy film though, this one is much more down-beat, while still being far from realistic. The casting is notable for a couple of the actresses. The lead girl is Daniela Giordano who made a very memorable and sexy turn in Mario Bava's comedy Four Times That Night. She isn't quite as well utilised in this feature, as Bava's playful movie was better suited to her. The other actress of note is Rosalba Neri who starred in many Italian genre pictures in the 70's, such as the excellent Amuck! Sadly she is very under-utilised in this film which is somewhat careless of the film-makers.
This isn't a prime example of the genre. It isn't quite stylish enough, nor is the mystery interesting enough. Nevertheless, it does have enough strangeness to be worth a watch if you are a fan of Italian thrillers.
- Red-Barracuda
- Feb 2, 2013
- Permalink
Still no proper release this is just one to hunt down for the geeks of Italian horror. It's made in the heydays of the giallo's but I won't say that this is a giallo. There's to much ,so-called, supernatural going on. Once Margaret Bradley (Daniela Giordano) is released from prison and stays at room 2A after her release she's seeing things that aren't for real like for example that's she is locked into a prison.
Also strange is that William Rose, the director, made an Italian flick. He was better known for exploitation like Rent-A-Girl (1965). The Girl In Room 2A was the last one he directed. The direction was okay but what a weird editing it had. There were a lot of jumps made by editing towards the story.
The flick itself started of rather nasty with a naked girl being impaled with a stick by a hooded killer. Even their the bad editing is shown were suddenly she's killed and next shot she's being thrown from a cliff. It never becomes really bloody it even becomes a bit dull after the opening credits. But still I kept watching what would happen. It's easy to see who the hooded killer is so there isn't that much mystery added to this flick.
For the collectors it does have some value due the actors being involved like Brad Harris who went further to Hercules (1983) or our main lead Daniela Giordano who appeared one year later in Inquisicion directed by cult actor Paul Naschy. But most will be disappointed by the short role Rosalba Neri had here in this flick, she appeared in a lot of B-flicks (Lady Frankenstein 1971).
Not exactly my cup of tea but somehow I kept watching this dull flick with not that much of blood and some cheesy torturing, of course being Italian, it do has a lot of overdubs and nudity.
Gore 1/5 Nudity 1,5/5 Effects 1,5/5 Story 2/5 Comedy 0/5
Also strange is that William Rose, the director, made an Italian flick. He was better known for exploitation like Rent-A-Girl (1965). The Girl In Room 2A was the last one he directed. The direction was okay but what a weird editing it had. There were a lot of jumps made by editing towards the story.
The flick itself started of rather nasty with a naked girl being impaled with a stick by a hooded killer. Even their the bad editing is shown were suddenly she's killed and next shot she's being thrown from a cliff. It never becomes really bloody it even becomes a bit dull after the opening credits. But still I kept watching what would happen. It's easy to see who the hooded killer is so there isn't that much mystery added to this flick.
For the collectors it does have some value due the actors being involved like Brad Harris who went further to Hercules (1983) or our main lead Daniela Giordano who appeared one year later in Inquisicion directed by cult actor Paul Naschy. But most will be disappointed by the short role Rosalba Neri had here in this flick, she appeared in a lot of B-flicks (Lady Frankenstein 1971).
Not exactly my cup of tea but somehow I kept watching this dull flick with not that much of blood and some cheesy torturing, of course being Italian, it do has a lot of overdubs and nudity.
Gore 1/5 Nudity 1,5/5 Effects 1,5/5 Story 2/5 Comedy 0/5
Girl in Room 2A (1974) is an Italian giallo picture that I recently watched on Shudder (and is also available on Tubi). The storyline follows an apartment building that has a woman recently released from jail move in. She starts hearing and seeing weird things around the building. Meanwhile, a man arrives at her apartment and says his recently murdered sister lived in the same room as her. The two of them work together to try and uncover what happened to the man's sisters and what's behind the spooky building.
This movie is directed by William Rose (Rent-a-Girl) and stars Daniela Giordano (Violent Rome), Rosalba Neri (The Arena), Brad Harris (Goliath against the Giants), Frank Latimore (All the Presidents Men) and Giovanna Galletti (Last Tango in Paris).
This is one of those movies with a worthwhile storyline, unpredictable circumstances but inconsistent dialogue and acting. There's scenes in this movie that feel stiff. However, the opening stab sequence was entertaining. The background music provides a classic 70s giallo feel and there's some classic Italian hot ladies and the nudity that goes with it in this genre. Mrs. Craig was a smoke show in this. The fireplace scene followed by the car off the cliff was fun, the cult aspects were well delivered and the last 15-30 minutes was really good with some worthwhile kills.
Overall, this is a worthwhile addition to the Italian giallo genre that I would consider a must see for fans of these pictures. I would score this a 6.5/10 and strongly recommend it.
This movie is directed by William Rose (Rent-a-Girl) and stars Daniela Giordano (Violent Rome), Rosalba Neri (The Arena), Brad Harris (Goliath against the Giants), Frank Latimore (All the Presidents Men) and Giovanna Galletti (Last Tango in Paris).
This is one of those movies with a worthwhile storyline, unpredictable circumstances but inconsistent dialogue and acting. There's scenes in this movie that feel stiff. However, the opening stab sequence was entertaining. The background music provides a classic 70s giallo feel and there's some classic Italian hot ladies and the nudity that goes with it in this genre. Mrs. Craig was a smoke show in this. The fireplace scene followed by the car off the cliff was fun, the cult aspects were well delivered and the last 15-30 minutes was really good with some worthwhile kills.
Overall, this is a worthwhile addition to the Italian giallo genre that I would consider a must see for fans of these pictures. I would score this a 6.5/10 and strongly recommend it.
- kevin_robbins
- Jun 17, 2023
- Permalink
Daniela Giordano plays recently released jailbird Margaret Bradley, whose parole officer Alicia (Rosalba Neri) sends her to the house of Mrs. Grant (Giovanna Galletti). Soon after moving in, Margaret becomes convinced that something strange is afoot, and her suspicions are compounded when she is approached by Jack Whitman (John Scanlon), who is investigating the disappearance of his sister, a previous guest at the house.
The Girl in Room 2A kicks off in fine giallo style, with the bloody murder of a topless woman during the opening credits, the victim impaled, her body thrown over the edge of a cliff; however, giallo fans are bound to be disappointed by director William Rose's lack of style (all of his previous films were pure sexploitation; I'm thinking he should have stuck with what he knew best), the low body count and a plot that strays a long way from the conventions of the genre.
Regular bouts of female nudity and some gratuitous sleaze (girls are tied up and flogged by a maniac in a red hood and cape) help prevent the viewer from dozing off, but remaining invested in the film is a struggle, the pedestrian direction, lack of gore, and dreary pace all taking their toll. The film ends with the revelation that the women are being killed by a sect who seek to 'cleanse' the wicked, and shows the masked killer to be none other than... well, that would be telling, but suffice to say it's suitably silly.
5 out of 10, minus one point for the inexplicable scene that shows a machine pumping blood through the floorboards of Margaret's room - what the hell was that all about?
The Girl in Room 2A kicks off in fine giallo style, with the bloody murder of a topless woman during the opening credits, the victim impaled, her body thrown over the edge of a cliff; however, giallo fans are bound to be disappointed by director William Rose's lack of style (all of his previous films were pure sexploitation; I'm thinking he should have stuck with what he knew best), the low body count and a plot that strays a long way from the conventions of the genre.
Regular bouts of female nudity and some gratuitous sleaze (girls are tied up and flogged by a maniac in a red hood and cape) help prevent the viewer from dozing off, but remaining invested in the film is a struggle, the pedestrian direction, lack of gore, and dreary pace all taking their toll. The film ends with the revelation that the women are being killed by a sect who seek to 'cleanse' the wicked, and shows the masked killer to be none other than... well, that would be telling, but suffice to say it's suitably silly.
5 out of 10, minus one point for the inexplicable scene that shows a machine pumping blood through the floorboards of Margaret's room - what the hell was that all about?
- BA_Harrison
- May 29, 2018
- Permalink
The Girl in Room 2a doesn't really fit in with a lot of the Giallo films released around their heyday back in the early seventies. The plot, as is the case with many of these films, focuses on murder; but there's very little mystery to it, the cinematography is entirely mundane and the plot just seems to settle as soon as the credits have rolled, which a direct contrast to the sprawling and over complicated story lines that most Giallo's feature. After the opening credits, you'd be forgiven for thinking that you've hit the Giallo jackpot, as we get to watch a screaming young woman skewered with a huge metal spike. From there we watch as her corpse is thrown off a cliff in order to make people believe that she in fact committed suicide. Soon thereafter, a young ex-inmate named Margaret moves into room 2a in a boarding house owned by Mrs Grant, who lives with her weird son Frank. Margaret soon meets a man named Jack, the brother of the girl killed at the start of the film and the two begin investigating the suicide, which he believes has something to do with Mrs Grant's boarding house.
Despite being slow, the film is at least interesting for the most part, and American director William L. Rose seems to have some sense of direction where the story is concerned, as it eventually comes to a point that mostly makes sense. The lack of mystery is a major negative point, however, and while I'm not entirely sure whether you are meant to have guessed the identity of the murderers, it's so blindingly obvious that I find it hard to believe you weren't already supposed to know. The cast features just one name, and that belongs to sexy seductress Rosalba Neri...who is unfortunately wasted with a role that is far too small for illustrious persona. The locations didn't impress me much, as the film doesn't feature a lot of variety in this department, and the cinematography isn't exactly awe-inspiring. There are a couple of grisly murders - one of which is the one that happens before the opening credits. The lack of murders wouldn't have been a big problem for me, however, if the film was more exciting. Overall, Girl in Room 2a isn't the worst Giallo you're ever likely to see; but it certainly isn't the best, and I don't recommend going out of your way to find a copy.
Despite being slow, the film is at least interesting for the most part, and American director William L. Rose seems to have some sense of direction where the story is concerned, as it eventually comes to a point that mostly makes sense. The lack of mystery is a major negative point, however, and while I'm not entirely sure whether you are meant to have guessed the identity of the murderers, it's so blindingly obvious that I find it hard to believe you weren't already supposed to know. The cast features just one name, and that belongs to sexy seductress Rosalba Neri...who is unfortunately wasted with a role that is far too small for illustrious persona. The locations didn't impress me much, as the film doesn't feature a lot of variety in this department, and the cinematography isn't exactly awe-inspiring. There are a couple of grisly murders - one of which is the one that happens before the opening credits. The lack of murders wouldn't have been a big problem for me, however, if the film was more exciting. Overall, Girl in Room 2a isn't the worst Giallo you're ever likely to see; but it certainly isn't the best, and I don't recommend going out of your way to find a copy.
Casa della paura, La aka The Girl in Room 2a, (1973) William L. Rose A sadistic cult that preys on vulnerable women, uses a local women's prison as a place to get these unfortunates into their lodging house, where they commence mind games while using hallucinogens to prepare their victims for their fate. Margaret Bradley is one such girl just released penniless from her imprisonment,so she takes up an offer to stay at the Grant's lodging house where she can stay for free until she finds some finance, almost immediately though she becomes suspicious of her hosts strange behaviour and the nocturnal events that keep her awake. She finds a friend in a stranger who is looking into the disappearance of his sister who also stayed at the Grants house, together they commit to finding out the truth.
The film starts promisingly with a kidnap and torture of a young girl who is then impaled on a spike by a crimson hooded killer, who does show up on occasion throughout the film, but there is very little in the way of spectacular giallo killings after that, the story kept me interested, but overall its not a Giallo I'd recommend, the visuals are uninspired, the score is at times laughably unsuitable but the biggest crime of all is the under use of Rosalba Neri who is restricted to about 3 minutes screen time, the identity of the Hooded killer is also rather obvious. 5/10
The film starts promisingly with a kidnap and torture of a young girl who is then impaled on a spike by a crimson hooded killer, who does show up on occasion throughout the film, but there is very little in the way of spectacular giallo killings after that, the story kept me interested, but overall its not a Giallo I'd recommend, the visuals are uninspired, the score is at times laughably unsuitable but the biggest crime of all is the under use of Rosalba Neri who is restricted to about 3 minutes screen time, the identity of the Hooded killer is also rather obvious. 5/10
- Prof-Hieronymos-Grost
- Nov 19, 2007
- Permalink
well now this was not bad but not good... it started off with this girl living in this mysterious house and some really bad death scenes and a killer with a red mask. i remember being about 7 or 8 and seeing a few of the scenes really late on TV one night.. but it was all kind of hard to recall. how ever the thing that saves this little film is the over all creepy way it unfolds its self . it kind of feels like a they were rushed to finish it. anyways ...its kind of hard to get a hold of a copy of it so if you see it maybe it will be worth $$$ to the right horror film buff worth a rent but maybe not worth buying .. only for die hard horror film fans of the 70's
I thought I have seen most of giallos (Yes, I am big time giallo fan & watching them for last 5 years) but every once a while, I get a little surprise. This was one of them. Its about a secret cult & how they kidnap & torture pretty young woman. This is not of the class of Suspiria - but its pretty decent. Girls are pretty, atmosphere/setup was good & plot had some suspense. Murders are little tamed in comparison to typical giallos, but not half bad. Overall, a pretty enjoyable movie.
Even though this does have the look of a typical 1970s B-grade exploitation film, there was some intrigue involved initially. However, the sub-plots involving the lead character detract from the main plot and slow the film down.
Moreover, the further into this you get, the sillier the plot becomes. Disappointing as this had some potential.
Moreover, the further into this you get, the sillier the plot becomes. Disappointing as this had some potential.
Although it is not well written but the astonishing credit sequence has a naked girl, whipping and more before we have any chance to realise what is going on. I notice that William Rose named for this Italian giallo, like one I remember from Rent-a-Girl (1965) was very similar in this earlier film but this one and others, like The Smut Peddler (1965) have all been made in US as he had been born in New York. The main girl is Daniela Giordano a lovely girl but she seems not to have been in many films although was in Your Vice is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key (1972). She is very good and we see Rosalba Neri early on in the film but it is one of her last roles it is a shame as she made almost 100 films was the end and her little part in this one. This film, Girl in Room 2A (1974) is completely mad where the girls are mostly stripped and hung and tortured. There are men who appear as sadist with kidnaps in prison and cellar although there seems no particular need so just for the fun. Although Daniela still seems to have an idea what is going on and there is an element of horror when she sees blood on the carpet early on and then the people outside the door and the windows opening and give a sense of unease. So the film is completely daft but this enough of something to keep us to going.
- christopher-underwood
- Dec 20, 2021
- Permalink
Generally speaking I have very little tolerance for films which make no sense, but this movie is an exception. I was sober when I saw it but I can tell you I really did feel like I was under the influence of something as I was watching it. The director probably was.
I simply could not follow what was going on. Everything seemed very dreamlike, the dialogue was nonsensical, you could not tell what sort of people any of the characters were or why they acted the way they did. It is very much a film of its time and is best enjoyed as a weird acid trip. A lot of the time I was watching with my hand on my head and my mouth open. And what a soundtrack. I'm surprised more has not been written about this movie. It's not good but it's certainly weird and psychedelic, definitely an example of style over substance. Again good luck understanding what the hell is even happening. But it is a fun ride.
I simply could not follow what was going on. Everything seemed very dreamlike, the dialogue was nonsensical, you could not tell what sort of people any of the characters were or why they acted the way they did. It is very much a film of its time and is best enjoyed as a weird acid trip. A lot of the time I was watching with my hand on my head and my mouth open. And what a soundtrack. I'm surprised more has not been written about this movie. It's not good but it's certainly weird and psychedelic, definitely an example of style over substance. Again good luck understanding what the hell is even happening. But it is a fun ride.
- hswasserman
- Mar 1, 2024
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You don't grow old in the "House of Fear" - nerve-racking Giallo with Raf Vallone and Brad Harris
This Italian horror thriller by William Rose has now also been released on Blu-Ray as "Das Haus der Angst / The House of Fear". The bloody fun was produced by Dick Randall (1926-1996), a grand master of exploitation films.
After her release from prison, the attractive Margaret Bradley (Daniela Giordano) doesn't really know what to do with the rest of her life. Through the intervention of the lovely social worker Alicia Songbird (Rosalba Neri), the stricken woman finds accommodation in the luxurious house of Mrs Grant (Giovanna Galletti) and her somewhat strange son Frank (Angelo Infanti). Margaret soon begins to notice a few things strange. She dreams of a beautiful girl in chains (Carla Mancini) and has to keep cleaning up a strange blood stain. Strange! The young girl is particularly frightened by the presence of Messrs. Dreese (Raf Vallone) and Johnson (Frank Latimore), who keep appearing near the house.
There she meets the charming Jack Whitman (John Scanlon), whose sister lived in room 2a before her and apparently committed suicide, which Jack doesn't really believe. Margaret is soon in bed with the strong-armed young man, which doesn't go unnoticed by Frank, who is secretly in love with the fallen beauty. Margaret and Jack begin - after doing extensive mattress sports - to research the background to his sister's suicide. They visit Jack's ex-brother-in-law Charlie (Brad Harris), who had a lot to do with the deceased's slide and is already ready for the next feast for the eyes. Even if Jack can't forgive his ex-brother-in-law for everything yet... you never know what you could use such a powerful bully for!
The secret is finally revealed in a beautiful villa in the countryside, which turns out to be the headquarters of a gang of Satanists, who immediately set about their bloody work to kill the sinful Maria (Karin Schubert, born in Hamburg in 1944, who can also be seen in "Alle für einen...Prügel für alle / Alle for one...beating for all" and "Zwei Schlitzohren in der gelben Hölle / Two rascals in the yellow hell") to turn off the light of life. In order to spare his lovely Margaret this fate, Jack once again has to rely on the help of the extremely strong Charlie, who then immediately beats some of the nasty villains to a pulp. Will the two warriors succeed in unmasking the heads of the Satanist gang...?
The nice thing about this giallo is that it's really wonderfully bloody. As with most Gialli, the plot is less noteworthy. The performance of Raf Vallone (1916-2002) is wonderfully successful. He is a little older, but still the virile Latin lover of old (with Simone Signoret in "Therese Raquin" and with Maria Schell in "Rose Bernd") can bring to mind. Seeing Brad Harris (1933-2017) in a giallo is a bit unusual. But you need him in the hearty fights with the masked sadists. So the numerous fans of the very popular Italian spanking films got their money's worth. Rosalba Neri, born in 1939, skilfully uses her experience in various films of the genre.
There's a lot on offer here for fans of the genre: lots of sex, lots of violence, good-looking stars and plenty of brawls with Brad Harris!
That's fun!
This Italian horror thriller by William Rose has now also been released on Blu-Ray as "Das Haus der Angst / The House of Fear". The bloody fun was produced by Dick Randall (1926-1996), a grand master of exploitation films.
After her release from prison, the attractive Margaret Bradley (Daniela Giordano) doesn't really know what to do with the rest of her life. Through the intervention of the lovely social worker Alicia Songbird (Rosalba Neri), the stricken woman finds accommodation in the luxurious house of Mrs Grant (Giovanna Galletti) and her somewhat strange son Frank (Angelo Infanti). Margaret soon begins to notice a few things strange. She dreams of a beautiful girl in chains (Carla Mancini) and has to keep cleaning up a strange blood stain. Strange! The young girl is particularly frightened by the presence of Messrs. Dreese (Raf Vallone) and Johnson (Frank Latimore), who keep appearing near the house.
There she meets the charming Jack Whitman (John Scanlon), whose sister lived in room 2a before her and apparently committed suicide, which Jack doesn't really believe. Margaret is soon in bed with the strong-armed young man, which doesn't go unnoticed by Frank, who is secretly in love with the fallen beauty. Margaret and Jack begin - after doing extensive mattress sports - to research the background to his sister's suicide. They visit Jack's ex-brother-in-law Charlie (Brad Harris), who had a lot to do with the deceased's slide and is already ready for the next feast for the eyes. Even if Jack can't forgive his ex-brother-in-law for everything yet... you never know what you could use such a powerful bully for!
The secret is finally revealed in a beautiful villa in the countryside, which turns out to be the headquarters of a gang of Satanists, who immediately set about their bloody work to kill the sinful Maria (Karin Schubert, born in Hamburg in 1944, who can also be seen in "Alle für einen...Prügel für alle / Alle for one...beating for all" and "Zwei Schlitzohren in der gelben Hölle / Two rascals in the yellow hell") to turn off the light of life. In order to spare his lovely Margaret this fate, Jack once again has to rely on the help of the extremely strong Charlie, who then immediately beats some of the nasty villains to a pulp. Will the two warriors succeed in unmasking the heads of the Satanist gang...?
The nice thing about this giallo is that it's really wonderfully bloody. As with most Gialli, the plot is less noteworthy. The performance of Raf Vallone (1916-2002) is wonderfully successful. He is a little older, but still the virile Latin lover of old (with Simone Signoret in "Therese Raquin" and with Maria Schell in "Rose Bernd") can bring to mind. Seeing Brad Harris (1933-2017) in a giallo is a bit unusual. But you need him in the hearty fights with the masked sadists. So the numerous fans of the very popular Italian spanking films got their money's worth. Rosalba Neri, born in 1939, skilfully uses her experience in various films of the genre.
There's a lot on offer here for fans of the genre: lots of sex, lots of violence, good-looking stars and plenty of brawls with Brad Harris!
That's fun!
- ZeddaZogenau
- Nov 7, 2023
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While the setting seemed promising the overall film is exploitation at one of its lowest points. The Girl in Room 2A is a poorly edited mess, switching back and forth from English to Italian without purpose, revealing not just poor translations but literally actors speaking in different tones of voice. In one scene, the Italian speaking women seem confident and engaged in their conversation, when the track switches to English their voices are suddenly low and timid as well as in a different language. All of the English is the sort of thing you'd hear in English 101/102 - antiquated polite phrases and people much too eager to please. I swear it's like someone watched the film without an Italian script and made up the English script as they went along, and dropped out in scenes when they couldn't think of anything interesting to say (thus the sudden Italian dialogue). Bizarrely enough, it's all done with American English accents, so we're not talking about ESL students literally unable to speak English properly.
Why do people artificially inflate these extremely low-effort giallos where even the director obviously didn't care enough about editing or style to make a cohesive film? There are MUCH MUCH better giallos out there - at least 30 of them - so why give trash like this a 7 or higher?
Why do people artificially inflate these extremely low-effort giallos where even the director obviously didn't care enough about editing or style to make a cohesive film? There are MUCH MUCH better giallos out there - at least 30 of them - so why give trash like this a 7 or higher?
- thalassafischer
- May 6, 2023
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Look, I'm pretty forgiving. There are very few films in the giallo genre that I'd consider high-quality filmmaking. There's a general agreement between filmmaker and viewer that you'll get gore, nudity and some suspense, even if the story is muddled or outlandish. 'The Girl in Room 2A', however, is 'Mystery Science Theatre' material.
The first clue that this isn't going to be standard giallo fare is the photography. It feels like a TV show, none of the noir-ish style and moody lighting we're used to. Everything is way overly lit and super flat, giving it a super cheesy feel.
We're used to a masked killer, normally creating a creepy effect, but this one looks like Nacho Libre-I'm not kidding-with a Mexican wrestler-style mask and full leotard, even the knee-high boots. You're too busy laughing to be afraid of them.
The acting is terrible. The script is terrible, and I mean 'The Room' bad. Like it was written by a 9-year-old, with zero cleverness and massive plot holes. The action is really awkward, feeling slapstick in parts. The fight choreography looks unplanned and fake. Even the deaths are straight lifts from other films, lacking the suspense.
It actually feels almost like 'The Girl in Room 2A' was written by AI. It's close to what a giallo should be, it has the elements, but it lacks any originality of its own.
The first clue that this isn't going to be standard giallo fare is the photography. It feels like a TV show, none of the noir-ish style and moody lighting we're used to. Everything is way overly lit and super flat, giving it a super cheesy feel.
We're used to a masked killer, normally creating a creepy effect, but this one looks like Nacho Libre-I'm not kidding-with a Mexican wrestler-style mask and full leotard, even the knee-high boots. You're too busy laughing to be afraid of them.
The acting is terrible. The script is terrible, and I mean 'The Room' bad. Like it was written by a 9-year-old, with zero cleverness and massive plot holes. The action is really awkward, feeling slapstick in parts. The fight choreography looks unplanned and fake. Even the deaths are straight lifts from other films, lacking the suspense.
It actually feels almost like 'The Girl in Room 2A' was written by AI. It's close to what a giallo should be, it has the elements, but it lacks any originality of its own.
- mikeburdick
- Oct 12, 2024
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Disappointing film.
There are a number of interesting elements in the script. There are some great themes about punishment and morality. There is a nice occult infusion into a giallo story line. I also thought the special effects/gore were well done. Karin Schubert's death scene was particularly a highlight... a real standout in an otherwise unremarkable movie.
There is a lot wrong here. The dialogue is bad. The direction by William Rose is particularly bad. He takes excellent actors like Raf Vallone and gets really below average performances out of them. It's a crime.
In addition, the music was all wrong. It did not compliment the film, and I found it distracting.
Despite some of the potential, the film turned out more bad than good. At the end of the day, you can skip this one.
There are a number of interesting elements in the script. There are some great themes about punishment and morality. There is a nice occult infusion into a giallo story line. I also thought the special effects/gore were well done. Karin Schubert's death scene was particularly a highlight... a real standout in an otherwise unremarkable movie.
There is a lot wrong here. The dialogue is bad. The direction by William Rose is particularly bad. He takes excellent actors like Raf Vallone and gets really below average performances out of them. It's a crime.
In addition, the music was all wrong. It did not compliment the film, and I found it distracting.
Despite some of the potential, the film turned out more bad than good. At the end of the day, you can skip this one.
- dopefishie
- Jul 2, 2024
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This is something of an oddity in the 70s Giallo films. It is a good movie and does use so many of the tropes for slashers and Giallo films of the day. It still is a bit of a stand alone in its story.
The acting is what it is and the settings are beautiful. There are some very intense and at times, downright nasty moments, but that is the kind of movie that it is. This is not a criticism of the movie itself, it is more of an observation. The biggest problem for me was it really did not hold my interest. I love Giallo movies and there are some terrific ones out there, this one is so-so, not bad, but not great either.
This is one that lovers of this genre might enjoy but I found it got bogged down in the middle, the last fifteen minutes did make up for that though. Check it out but don't expect a classic, more just an interesting entry into the genre.
The acting is what it is and the settings are beautiful. There are some very intense and at times, downright nasty moments, but that is the kind of movie that it is. This is not a criticism of the movie itself, it is more of an observation. The biggest problem for me was it really did not hold my interest. I love Giallo movies and there are some terrific ones out there, this one is so-so, not bad, but not great either.
This is one that lovers of this genre might enjoy but I found it got bogged down in the middle, the last fifteen minutes did make up for that though. Check it out but don't expect a classic, more just an interesting entry into the genre.
- ladymidath
- Jun 13, 2024
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