One thing that many Giallos suffer from is low quality production values, which doesn't bother me too much - but it can give them a very unprofessional feel, which accounts for a lot of the reason why many Giallo haven't received the praise that they rightly deserve. That certainly can't be said for this one, however, as Seven Blood-Stained Orchids is as beautiful and professionally made as Giallo comes! The sets are lavishly captured, and the way that their colours soak the screen gives the film a potent aesthetic edge. The music bodes well with director Umberto Lenzi's camera-work and also, somewhat strangely for Giallo, the plot isn't too convoluted and, while its not very intricate - it moves well and everything makes sense! The plot follows the murders of two young girls. These are seemingly unconnected, except for the fact that both girls have a piece of jewellery in the shape of a half moon on them when they died. After the attempted (but not successful) murder of another woman, her and her husband team up to catch the killer before he can kill another four women that they believe are on his 'hit list'.
One common aspect of the Giallo that Seven Blood-Stained Orchids hasn't managed to get over is the terrible dubbing and trite script. Don't get me wrong, neither are terrible examples - but they could make this hard viewing for people that haven't seen much of the sub-genre. It hardly matters, though, because the rest of the film is more than ample to mask these small complaints. The acting is surprisingly good, with an experienced cast of Italian film actors doing well at portraying their respective characters. Umberto Lenzi, more famous for splatter flicks such as Nightmare City and Cannibal Ferox, has kept the gore surprisingly restrained for this film, with only one sequence involving a drill springing to mind for anything like splatter. This is never a problem, however, as the murder sequences on display are brilliantly done, and this is a film that doesn't need gore in order to work. The mystery is well plotted, and definitely catches the 'thriller' feel - but it disappointed me slightly as no red herrings were thrown in, meaning the audience is left to unravel the film WITH the central characters, rather than being able to take a stab themselves. Still, even that hardly matters - and Seven Blood-Stained Orchids is easily one of the best Giallos ever made.
6 out of 18 found this helpful