The Killer Must Kill Again

The Killer Must Kill Again
Italian theatrical release poster
Directed byLuigi Cozzi
Written byAdriano Bolzoni
Screenplay byLuigi Cozzi
Daniele Del Giudice
Patrick Jamain (French screenplay)
Story byLuigi Cozzi
Daniele Del Giudice
Produced bySergio Gobbi
Umberto Lenzi (as Umberto Linzi)
Giuseppe Tortorella
StarringGeorge Hilton
CinematographyRiccardo Pallottini
Edited byAlberto Moro
Music byNando De Luca
Production
companies
Albione Cinematografica
Git International Film
Paris-Cannes Productions
Release date
  • 1975 (1975)
Running time
86 minutes
CountriesItaly
France
LanguageItalian

The Killer Must Kill Again (Italian: L'assassino è costretto ad uccidere ancora) is a 1975 Italian giallo film directed by Luigi Cozzi. Cozzi originally wanted to call the film Il Ragno (The Spider) but it was changed to The Killer Must Kill Again by the producers. It is based on the novel Al mare con la ragazza (translation: By the Sea With the Girl) by Giorgio Scerbanenco. The film was also released as The Dark Is Death's Friend.[1] Michel Antoine (who plays the killer in this film) later played the tortured painter in Lucio Fulci's The Beyond.[2]

Plot

A serial rapist and killer of women across Italy is seen sinking the latest woman he murdered into a river by Giorgio Mainardi. Giorgio married his wife Norma for money and has numerous affairs, making for an unhappy marriage. When he takes the killer's lighter, which has his initials, he says he won't turn the killer into the police if he murders Norma on Giorgio's behalf. The killer eventually does so, but a young couple, Luca and Laura, steals the killer's car with Norma's body in the trunk. They wanted the car for the chance to go to the beach, and because of the carjacking, the killer takes his own car to find them. Giorgio, meanwhile, pretends to be in grief from Norma's disappearance, but the police immediately suspect him.

When the couple arrive at a rundown villa, Luca leaves Laura to get some supplies. He picks up a stranded blond woman on the side of the road when she has car troubles. Back at the villa, the killer finds Laura alone, and furious at her and Luca carjacking him, he rapes her, coinciding with Luca making out with the blond woman in the back of his car. When Luca and the woman return to the villa, the killer knocks Luca out and stabs the blonde woman dead. As he prepares to kill the couple, Laura breaks free from her ties and stabs the killer to death. The police thank the couple for stopping him, as they'd been searching for him for months. To catch Giorgio, they leave the car with Norma's body in front of his house. When Giorgio is caught trying to sink Norma and the car, he's arrested.

Cast

Critical reception

AllMovie called the film "too erratic for the general horror audience", but "offers just enough suspense and style to please patient giallo fans."[3]

References

  1. ^ Luther-Smith, Adrian (1999). Blood and Black Lace: The Definitive Guide to Italian Sex and Horror Movies. Stray Cat Publishing Ltd. p. 29
  2. ^ Luther-Smith, Adrian (1999). Blood and Black Lace: The Definitive Guide to Italian Sex and Horror Movies. Stray Cat Publishing Ltd. p. 29
  3. ^ Guarisco, Donald. "The Killer Must Kill Again (1975) - Review - AllMovie". AllMovie. Retrieved 2 August 2012.


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