User reviews

You do know that in the real world, the chances of encountering women like Edwige Fenech, Susan Scott, and Marina Malfatti in the space of even a YEAR are almost zilch, right? George Hilton encounters them all in one day. He's an old man now, but I doubt he's got any regrets, and probably still has one of the most enviable wank banks in existence.

Edwige does a lot of 'startled over the shoulder glances' in this one, so if you're a big fan of that you will like this, a quasi-giallo involving that early seventies obsession: the satan worshipping cult. But I'm getting ahead of myself there. The main question of the first half of this film is: If Edwige has flashbacks to witnessing an OLD Ivan Rassimov killing her mother when she was a child, then why does she think a YOUNG Ivan Rassimov is stalking her now?

Needless to say when we first meet Edwige she's a messed up girl (in her head, she still looks immaculate no matter what happens to her) - she witnessed her mum being killed, she lost a baby in a car crash caused by husband George Hilton, and now she can't get it on with him due flashbacks. What's a girl to do? Go see a psychiatrist like her sister Susan Scott recommends? Or join a Satanic cult, drink the blood of a sacrificed dog, and get it on with some smelly hippies? If you thought Edwige's character in Anna, the Mafioso's Punching Bag was gullible, you aint seen nothing yet!

The Satanic cult element is introduced fairly early, but the main mystery of the film is who can Edwige trust? Probably not Ivan Rassimov, as she spends most of the film running away from him, but was is George Hilton up to? Is he a travelling salesman or is he something else? What about psychiatrist George Riguad? Or why does Susan Scott hate George? And what did lawyer Luciano Pigozzi want to talk to her about? Sergio Martino does a good job here of making everything as trippy as possible. The film starts with a bonkers dream sequence involving a floating man in drag and a pregnant woman rubbing blood on her stomach. He chops up the editing at several points so things repeat themselves, shows scenes that may or may not have happened in Edwige's head, and also has Edwige having visions of things that haven't happened yet. You can't go wrong with a good rooftop chase so Sergio throws one of them in too, and actually manages to explain most of what's going on before the end of the film! Except those visions.

That's it - I've now watched every Edwige giallo film (Top Sensation, Five Dolls for the August Moon, Strange Case of Mrs Wardh, Your Vice is a Locked Room and only I have the Key, The Case of the Bloody Iris, All the Colours of the Dark, 1975's Strip Nude For Your Killer and 1988's Phantom of Death). Apart from those, Edwige would appear in a whole lot of 'sexy comedies' that were seemingly the most popular genre in Italy in the late seventies. She would also appear in a couple of Euro Crime films, including Mean Frank and Crazy Tony, which I switched off after ten minutes due to the horrible comedy.

Though typically billed as a traditional giallo, All The Colors of the Dark owes more to Rosemary's Baby than it does The Bird With the Crystal Plumage. The stunning Edwige Fenech plays the lead character who finds herself getting wrapped up in a bizarre cult after a neighbor tells her that it might help her get over some of her issues. Naturally, things don't end well when she starts suspecting that this cult doesn't have the best of intentions.

For those expecting buckets of blood, you'll be disappointed, but the script for All The Colors Of The Dark and much smarter and more thoughtful than a lot of other giallo scripts and is filled with twists, turns, and even some honest-to-God suspense.

This is an entertaining Italian giallo that has often been unfairly compared to "Rosemary's Baby", even though the only bambina on display here is lead actress Edwige Fenech. There is a satanic cult here as in the Polanski classic, but they are much more interested in making Fenech the centerpiece of their ritualized sex orgies and getting their hands on her inheritance than they are in impregnating her with the Devil's spawn. And while "Rosemary's Baby" makes perfect sense, this is a quintessential giallo where making sense is completely beside the point. There is a powerful sense of paranoia in this film, but it is hysterical paranoia of low-budget Italian thrillers rather than the subtle, creeping paranoia of "Rosemary's Baby". Basically the plot here is just an excuse to move between dramatic chase sequences, bizarre dream sequences, and delirious satanic sex. The movie is certainly aware of it's similarity to the Polanski film and cleverly uses it to produce red herrings by giving the heroine a mysterious, remote husband (George Hilton) and a very odd psychiatrist.

Fenech was always good in these hysterical victim roles, and she is ably supported here by the rest of the cast. The creepily blue-eyed Ivan Rassimov is a killer stalking her. (Why? Who knows, but he's great). Nieves Navarro (aka Susan Scott) plays the conniving sister and provides some relief nudity for Fenech. George Hilton is smooth and suave as always (he even seems remarkably unperturbed that his wife is cheating on him with an entire satanic cult).

This is not the best gialli with Fenech (that would be "What Are Those Strange Drops of Blood Doing on Jennifer's Body")nor is it Martino's best (that would be "Torso"). But it's the best one they did together. And there are good-looking widescreen bootleg copies of it floating around. It's definitely worth checking out.

A woman : Edwige Fenech , recovering from a car crash along with her boyfriend : Uruguay-born George Hilton, suffers hallucinations and strange dreams , being plagued by nightmares about a coven of devil bloodline worshippers . She lost her unborn child , being nowadays mercilessly pursued by an ominous killer with blue eyes : Ivan Rassimov and wielding a knife . A blood-drenched nightmare from which you awaken too late ! .Something is out there .. coming closer .. Don't be afraid to be afraid . They exist . They bear the Mark of the Devil inside them. They May be neighbors . They May be your wife , husband , sweetheart . They May even be your children . Their time has come . They cannot be exorcised from the World because their power has grown too strong.. their numbers too many !

Sergio Martino's Gialli getting certain success , being compellingly shot , including well staged crimes with plenty of startling visual content and adding Rosemary's Baby thematic . This is the usual Gialli where intrigue , tension , suspense , stabbing and chases show up lurking and threatening throughout parks , buildings , elevador, corridors and grim interiors . The film combines atmospheric blending of thrills , chills , nudism and suspenseful final . The rather perplexing tale weavers so many red herrings when ultimately the murderer is unmasked . Based on a story by prolific Santiago Moncada and whose scripts were created films as The Cauldron of Death , Bell from Hell , Corruption of Chris Miller and A Hatchet for Honeymoon by Mario Bava . Nice ambiance and setttings from Jose Luis Galicia and Raúl Pérez Cubero , enhanced by the well photographed London carried out by good cameraman Miguel Fernández Mila . As well as intriguing musical score by Bruno Nicolai, usual collaborator to Ennio Morricone . Being an Italian/Spanish co-production here appears Italian actors : Edwige Fenech , Ivan Rassimov , Marina Malfatti , Luciano Pigozzi or Alan Collins , Dominique Boschero and Spanish ones : Nieves Navarro or Susan Scott , Jorge Rigaud and Julián Ugarte , giving all of them acceptable interpretations .

The picture was decently directed by the Italian director Sergio Martino . Talented and versatile writer/director Sergio Martino has made unaffected products for mass consumption , realizing a vast array of often entertaining films through an uneven career . Brother of producer Luciano Martino, Sergio has frequently worked with actors George Hilton , Ivan Rassimov , Claudio Cassinelli and actress Edwige Fenech . Directing all kinds of genres as horror, gialli , sex comedy , Spaghetti Western as proved in Mannaja , Arizona returns . Sergio Martino was an expert on Giallos , such as : Torso, The suspicious death of a Minor , The Case of Scorpion's tale, Murder in an Etrusco cemetery, The strange vice of Mrs Ward and this Tutti i color del buio 1972 . Furthermore , he made other genres as Warlike : Casablanca Express , and Sci-Fi : Destroyer , 2019 After the fall of New York . Rating : 6.5/10, a notable slasher that will appeal to Giallo enthusiasts and Edwige Fenech fans.

All The Colors of the Dark is a combination of a giallo, an occult horror and a Roman Polanski style claustrophobic apartment-based thriller. It's possibly director Sergio Martino's most ambitious film from a period when he produced a series of excellent pictures. Unlike Martino's other gialli, this one is much more psychological in approach. It doesn't have a series of murders or anything like that but instead focuses on the troubled world of its female protagonist played by cult actress Edwige Fenech. She is recovering from a car crash which claimed the life of her unborn baby, shortly after this she is menaced by a mysterious man and is introduced to a black magic group by an enigmatic neighbour. The story isn't all that great to be perfectly honest it's the style in which it's presented that's its strength. It's consistently photographed in an interesting way, with unusual angles and good colour schemes. The disorienting camera angles do add to the overall theme of a psychologically troubled woman. The London settings are also used very well indeed – the apartment block and country manor are both very effectively shot. It would also be deeply remiss to not mention Bruno Nicolai's soundtrack. It's a really nice psychedelic piece that adds to the atmosphere very nicely, it comes into its own in the scenes of the cult indoctrinating Edwige Fenech's character into their circle; this scene is one of the best that Martino ever directed, it's pure 70's psychedelic delirium. It's only matched in this movie by the very creepy and bizarre opening dream sequence which includes things like a murdered pregnant woman and a hideous old crone dressed like a child's doll.

The movie is immeasurably helped by the presence of Edwige Fenech. She looks like the definitive giallo heroine here, with her gorgeous mane of long black hair, porcelain skin and big eyes. She is certainly a welcome character to base the movie around and does play the vulnerable victim very well it has to be said. Her co-star, the always excellent Susan Scott, who plays her sister, is sadly underused but at least she's there. The male stars don't particularly shine but Ivan Rassimov has a fairly memorable role as the blue-eyed psycho. Overall, Sergio Martino produced another fine Italian thriller with this movie. I'm not convinced it's his best necessarily, and perhaps it sometimes promises more than it actually delivers. Nevertheless, this one should most certainly please fans of this kind of thing.

There's isn't any black-gloved killer butchering one fashion model after the other with an exceptional weapon here, yet that certainly doesn't make "All the Colors of the Dark" any less of a genuine Italian giallo! This solid thriller, directed by the almighty Sergio Martino ("Torso", "Blade of the Ripper") , benefits most from its extremely stylish cinematography and, of course, the mesmerizing looks of lead actress and reigning giallo-queen Edwige Fenech. With this natural beauty running around hysterically all the time – often scarcely dressed – you almost feel forced to forgive the story for being overly confusing and the violence for being too tame. Jane is a young woman, still recovering from a traumatizing accident in which she lost her unborn child, and suffers from re-occurring nightmares as well as hallucinations of being stalked by a blue-eyed creep. With her lover Richard out of town a lot, others try to help Jane with her mental problems. Her sister recommends seeing a psychiatrist and a befriended girl in the apartment even advises her to join a satanic cult. This last initiative obviously isn't a very good idea, as lovely Jane becomes involved in an occult mess of rape & murder, starring all the people of her unexplained hallucinations. Sergio Martino creates and sustains a powerful atmosphere of paranoia and morbidity, yet it's truly regretful that there isn't any more gore on display. Jane's nightmares are remotely bloody, but true fans of Italian horror cinema require a bit more sadism. There are several suspenseful scenes to make up for this, notably the one where Fenech awakes in a countryside cottage and painfully realizes she STILL isn't safe. The screenplay makes several intriguing twists & turns near the end, just in time to make it a great giallo after all. I have to admit that the first hour of "All the Colors of the Dark" nearly wasn't as compelling and involving as other contemporary gialli. The music is great as usual and, apart from Edwige, this movie also contains great performances by George Hilton, Ivan Rassimov and Nieves Navarro.

Tutti i colori del buio or All the Colors of the Dark (also released as Day of the Maniac and They're Coming to Get You!) got some good points - a nice soundtrack (including some good psychedelic rock tunes), some well crafted scenes/settings and psychedelic shots, some beautiful ladies. Where this movie lacks is in providing an interesting story line and the elements of horror or terror are rather on the weak or tame side. The occult scenes with some trippy elements are well shot and spiced up with some softporn elements. Is it bad? No. Is it good? Not so much. Only recommended if you want to watch some movie deep rooted in the 70s style of Italian movie making - but for a real giallo movie this one is too tame in my opinion.

In London, Jane Harrison (Edwige Fenech) lives with her boyfriend Richard Steele (George Hilton), who is a pharmaceutical salesman that frequently needs to travel. Jane has two serious traumas, the first when her mother was murdered when she was a child and recently when she was pregnant and lost her baby in a car crash. Presently Jane is a frigid woman that has nightmare disorder with a man with blue eyes and a dagger and frequent daydreams. Richard gives vitamins to cure her. Her sister Barbara Harrison (Susan Scott) wants to schedule a medical consultation with her chief, the psychiatrist Dr. Burton (George Rigaud). When Jane meets her neighbor Mary Weil (Marina Malfatti), she convinces Jane to go to a cult where her fears would disappear. But now she believes the blue-eyed man and the cult worshippers are hunting her down.

"Tutti i colori del buio", a.k.a. "All the Colors of the Dark", is a dated film of horror and giallo genres. The screenplay is a complete mess and the cult is based on "Rosemary's Baby" (1968) and the use of hallucinogen and free-love movement typical from the 70´s in a psychedelic environment. My vote is five.

Title (Brazil): "Todas as Cores da Escuridão" ("All the Colors of the Darkness")

A film of hypnotic, at times hypnagogic, beauty. The Italian directors of this particular era had an unparalleled aesthetic sensibility. Martino is no exception. His wife, at the time, the deliciously pulchritudinous Edwige Fenech (oh what a lucky man Martino was) delivers one of the most dazzlingly frazzled performances of all-time. Constantly startled, breathlessly looking over her shoulder all deer-in-the-headlights-eyed as she is pursued by Satanistic stalkers. Amazingly, she never looks like less than a perfect 10, you kind of just want to sip her through a straw and/or turn her into a giallo pudding pop and get to licking. Just don't let her cook your eggs. The Satanic cult leader was a dreadful actor, but he reminded me of this guy Dennis I know who sings throwback doo-wop with a group called the Delneros, so this, and this alone, made him bearable. Once again we see the infamous lightning blue contacts, this time being worn by some Polish-looking dude with a self-inflicted haircut. Those contacts really made the rounds in the early 70s, as did George Hilton, who has an Engelbert Humperdinck swagger about him, but maybe it's just the turtlenecks. Got to dig that dude's ubiquity. Not Martino's best film, but probably his most occultish and psychedelic. A technicolor thrill!

Stunning as always, Giallo regular Edwige Fenech stars here as Jane Harrison, a young woman involved with Richard Steele (hunky George Hilton, another staple of this genre). Once upon a time, they'd had a traffic accident that resulted in her miscarrying their baby. Now, she's being plagued by nightmares full of bizarre, kinky, and threatening imagery. She's taken first to a psychiatrist (George Rigaud); then her conniving sister Barbara (Nieves Navarro) gets her involved with a Satan-worshipping cult. Naturally, this only makes things worse for the fragile Jane.

Film director Sergio Martine and the lovely Fenech did some fine work together, and she's good in a role that requires a lot of histrionics. The cast is full of compelling performers, though: Marina Malfatti plays the solicitous neighbour Mary, Ivan Rassimov is perfectly creepy as an ominous mystery presence in Janes' life, the sharply featured Julian Ugarte is likewise very sinister-looking as the cult leader, and ubiquitous Luciano Pigozzi turns up as a lawyer.

The score by Bruno Nicolai is haunting and beautiful, and is one of the best done for a Giallo. The film itself is quite stylish and interesting; its main hook is that it flirts with unreality at all times. One is never really sure where the dark fantasies end and where real life comes back in. Of course, everything is explained at the end, and it's up to the individual viewer whether they go for these kinds of exposition scenes. Until then, "All the Colors of the Dark" is the kind of exercise in surrealism that's sure to appeal to lovers of European shock cinema. Its colours are vivid and its use of camera angles is striking. There was also a lot of excellent location shooting in England. Perhaps most intriguing is that this doesn't really utilize a "murder mystery" approach like a lot of Gialli, but instead goes for this psychological approach. That in itself is admirable.

Highly recommended to fans of the genre.

Seven out of 10.

Having recently watched and loved Sergio Martino's two other gialli "Strange Vice of Mrs Wardh" and "Your Vice is a Locked Room and only I have the key", I decided to rewatch this one, which I always thought to be a pretty average film, and I ended up loving it. It's probably the director's best tied with "Strange Vice". Highly atmospheric and suspenseful, the film opens with a bang and never lets go. It's nightmarish, dreamlike feel is about as good as anything done by David Lynch, and is enhanced by Bruno Nicolai's lovely soundtrack and Bava-style cinematography. Also, Edwige Fenech proves that she actually can act, giving a tremendous performance of a sexually frustrated housewife who may or may not be going insane.

The film is often criticized for being a rip-off on "Rosemary's Baby", and while I can see an influence of Polanski's classic, both films very different in style and substance, and if anything, "All the Colors of the Dark" plays much more like an acid version of "Repulsion" than anything else.

One thing that may put some people off is that the film has a very strong 70's feel, which makes it slightly campy at times, but still, I think it only adds to it's charm and 'grooviness'.

Overall, a highly entertaining and stylish giallo. A must-see for genre fans.

The opportunity to watch the voluptuous Edwige Fenech is a guilty pleasure one should partake of over and over again.

She freely gives us her body to admire in all manner of twisted thrillers such as this one. She is obsessed with strange dreams where a man with a knife is coming to kill her. Soon, she sees the man as really following her. She tries psychiatry, and then is taken to a Satanic cult by her sister (Nieves Navarro), who really desires her boyfriend (George Hilton).

What is imagination? What is real. We are never quite sure, but the one thing we are sure of is that it is a pleasure watching Fenech running and screaming.

The solution to everything is elementary.

Set mostly in London, this giallo has some things going for it, including stylish direction, good-looking photography and surprisingly decent dubbing. But Sergio Martino makes the crucial mistake of letting Edwige Fenech carry the movie almost all by herself (he should have given the task to the smooth-as-always George Hilton). Don't get me wrong, she looks good enough to eat, but her acting is monotonous and her character terribly boring. She has no other function except to get scared (and to undress a couple of times). The whole movie basically proceeds like this: Fenech gets scared, gets chased, gets away, has a bad dream, gets scared again, gets chased, gets away....ad nauseam. The one effective scare occurs when she wakes up in a cottage to find...but I won't spoil it for you. (**)

"Tutti i colori del buio" is worth a look if you are interested in the visuals of cinema. Sergio Martino's directing of the mostly dreamlike scenes is almost unbelievable. The use of wide-angle lenses, strange perspectives and slow-motion serves perfectly the weird atmosphere of this thriller.

Add to this a stylish 70s score by Bruno Nicolai and an unusually good script (well, for Italian giallo films) and you have another unknown classic.

9 out of 10

One of the problems with many giallos is the unsatisfactory way they resolve the mystery the audience was plagued with. It is often either completeley predicatable or, in the other extreme, so completely unconnected to what was going on earlier to be meaningless. Tutti i colori del buio does not suffer from either problem, in fact the viewer is thoroughly misled about where the film is going.

The film is situated in England (mostly London), which was a rather fashionable location for Italian films of that period. This was probably not an ideal choice - in many ways the central characters remain unmistakably Latin, and some attempts to inject Englishness into the film have gone wrong. For example, Luciano Pigozzi's lawyer speaks a mixture of posh English and working-class English which sounds very weird - the whole cinema (in London) was laughing when he said "come to me office".

The movie manages to differentiate itself in the giallo genre by being very atmospheric and full of interesting hallucination scenes. Music is awesome! Edwige Fenech again presents us with her beautiful body and George Hilton is here too (they both acted in another giallo "The Case of the Bloody Iris from the same year and were also in the lead roles). There are even some moments of tension present in the movie, though not much. All in all, it's worth to watch the movie if you are fan of the genre and to experience it's uniqueness. Just don't expect too much. It's just a decent giallo. 7/10!