Delirium (1987)
7/10
Delirium:Photos of Gioia
19 August 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Models who work on the nude shoots of the adult magazine "Pussycat" are being murdered by a deranged psychotic who sees various colors before confronting them. Two of the first female victims, appear to the killer with grotesque faces commenting to us that he's quite mad(one model has the face of an eye with veins bulging;another victim has the face of an insect). After they are murdered, the psycho sits them on a sofa in front of the massive blown-up photos of Gioia(Serena Grandi, one hot mama with curves..think Anna Nicole Smith, except much prettier)a former model who is now in charge of her late husband's company of the Pussycat mag. Meanwhile, Gioia receives naughty phone calls from a wheel-chair bound cripple, Mark(Karl Zinny)who lost his girlfriend in an unfortunate car crash that has left him embittered and angry. Who could be the one threatening Gioia? And, what is the killer's motive for sending photos of dead victims in front of her old photos?

This late 80's giallo is long on style and nudity(LOTS of flesh is shown and the camera glides so lustfully down Grandi's naked flesh..Grandi's naked body is shot by Lamberto Bava's camera in every lascivious way possible), but short on nasty violence. Much of the violence is non-gory(even the first victim's death by being stabbed through with a pitchfork isn't all that gruesome)and this particular giallo seems to concentrate on the story/mystery elements. The camera-work in this film is exceptional. The cast has Dario Argento vet Daria Nicolodi as Gioia's assistant Evelyn and Capucine has a small role as Gioia's rival Flora who wishes to buy the magazine from her. Most of the supporting roles are minor diversions such as George Eastman as hulky actor Alex who is offered as a promising love-interest to Gioia, but he stays away on shoots for most of the film's duration and David Brandon as Gioia's photographer Roberto. The only other real meaty part goes to Vanni Corbellini as Tony, Gioia's brother and the one responsible for getting the most out of the models who work on the mag's nude shoots.

My favorite sequence is in the massive multi-floored clothing store where Gioia runs for her life as the female cackles of the psycho echo throughout. The identity of the killer is quite an interesting little twist, if a tad bit far-fetched.
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