User reviews

"Seven Blood-Stained Orchids" (1971) is a middling, fairly goreless giallo from director Umberto Lenzi that should just manage to please fans of this genre. In it, a hunky-dude designer, played by Antonio Sabato in a one-note performance, investigates when his pretty fiancée becomes the latest target of yet another Italian serial killer. With the help of this fiancée, appealingly played by German actress Uschi Glass, the couple realizes that all previous murder victims had stayed at the same countryside hotel several years before. But will this bit of knowledge enable them to save future targets of the killer? And why does this homicidal whack job insist on leaving crescent-moon medallions (NOT half-moon, as widely reported elsewhere!) at the site of his slayings? The film, as you may have discerned, tells an interesting story, with a twisty, slightly confusing plot that does ultimately manage to hang together. Lenzi has directed his film in a competent, no-nonsense manner, while the picture's score, from Riz Ortolani, is alternately somber, cool, menacing and lovely. The film's killer utilizes many expedients to off his victims, including beating, drowning, strangulation and--in a scene that should please most gorehounds--a power drill, and this many years before similar nut cases picked up their Black & Deckers in films such as "The Tool Box Murders," "The Driller Killer" and "The Slumber Party Massacre." Several scenes are indeed quite suspenseful, such as the ones with the poisoned kitties and the female mental patient. Shriek Show is to be thanked for this fine-looking DVD (sadly, with no subtitles) of a film never before released in the U.S. Oh...one other thing. Do NOT watch the film's trailer before viewing this picture. Amazingly, it reveals the killer's identity not once but several times! Talk about spoilers!

A serial-killer is attacking women in Italy, leaving a silver moon near their corpses. While traveling to Paris by train with her fiancé, the famous designer Mario Gerosa (Antonio Sabàto), Giulia Torresi (Uschi Glass) is assaulted by the serial-killer in her cabin. Police Inspector Vismara (Pier Paolo Capponi) decides to hide that Giulia has survived to protect her. Mario decides to investigate the victims and finds that six women had been in the hotel Giulia owned in the past. They travel expecting to save the women that have not been attacked before the killer finds them.

"Sette orchidee macchiate di rosso", a.k.a. "Seven Blood-Stained Orchids", is a thriller that could have been better. The plot is not engaging but there are violent murders. Indicated only for fans of giallo. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Sete Orquídeas Manchadas de Sangue" ("Seven Blood-Stained Orchids")

In this film, women keep getting murdered after receiving a phone call to ascertain their whereabouts, and each time, a crescent moon medallion is left in their hands. At first there seems to be no connection, until it's realized that all of the women happened to stay at the same hotel one night several years earlier. One victim escapes, fakes her own death, and sets off to find the killer... but will he find her first?

The main strength of "Seven Blood-Stained Orchids" was its tightly-woven "whodunnit" mystery plot, which contained tons of red herrings but felt much more coherent than many other movies in this genre. It played out in such a way that there was no real way the viewer could beat the camera to the big reveal in terms of deduction, but it still felt engaging throughout. I also thought the main characters were all quite likeable, and I especially appreciated the surprisingly good survival instincts of the main hero and heroine -- not a trait this type of character often has. The kills were suitably thrilling, the acting was good, and the music was solid without being a standout. The opening title track, "Ozarks", might be an exception to that statement, as its groovy base line strikes a great balance between sinister menace and smooth funk.

The only real negative I have to say about it is that the movie felt a bit lacking in artistry on the visual front. Most of my prior experience with gialli is that they're visually incredible, but the plot is a bit of a mess. This movie takes the polar opposite route, with almost no memorable or striking visual moments but a plot that feels tightly-scripted. Also, because so much of the film relies on the "whodunnit" element, I can't imagine that this movie would be particularly engaging as a rewatch in the same way that something like "Blood Red" or "All The Colors of the Dark" are.

All told, maybe not one to buy sight-unseen, but if you can rent or stream it somewhere, it's absolutely worth a watch at least once.

Umberto Lenzi delivers a giallo that has all the trademark elements fully in place, but somehow fails to achieve the right level of madness to produce a true classic. I'm not quite sure why, though. Let's blame Antonio Sabato!

No – let's get to the story instead. Someone wearing the standard issue giallo killer uniform (black gloves, floppy hat, raincoat) is murdering women in and around Rome, at rather a rapid rate, too! This guy knows how to create a giallo atmosphere – not only does he shake things up on the variety side, he also leaves a weird silver crescent next to the bodies.

His third victim (I think) is the bride of Antonio Sabato, and she gets cut up on a train while her husband out buying McEwan's Export from the train bar. He attends her funeral while the cops take everybody's pictures covertly, but it's all a ruse! She's still alive though I'm sure her relatives are going to be chuffed when they find that out.

Antonio then gets on the job of finding out who the killer is, with the aid of the police to a certain extent. He discovers that all the woman being offed all stayed at a certain hotel at a certain time, but why are they being killed? And who is this American people keep referring to? And did Bruno Corazarri just say he gave the American a chewie?

So we've got the stupid clues, the Euro-babes, the set piece kills, what have you, but I couldn't help but feel that Antonio Sabato wasn't pushing himself as the hero (and I felt the same way about him in The Man with Icy Eyes), so his lack of animation made the film at bit dull. Or maybe that was due to the film following the giallo formula a bit too strictly (although the 'death by drill' was an eye opener). It could because I've watched about a hundred of these films in about six months. YOU DECIDE!

Before Cannibal Ferox and Eaten Alive!, Umberto Lenzi had his Giallo films. They are different from the American murder-mysteries in that we actually see the crime taking place, not just CSI showing up to process the scene, and we usually get lots of blood and tits with the deed.

OMG! A scene from The Driller Killer. The "Half-Moon Maniac" uses what is convenient to get the job done.

The last "victim" sets herself up for the kill to catch the maniac.

It doesn't work, and Mario (Antonio Sabato) keeps looking. Can he get home and save his wife, Giulia (Uschi Glas) before the killer strikes?

Great film, even though it was dubbed.

Despite some unfavorable reviews (notably Adrian Smith's), this is a classic giallo that really works. The puzzle of the half moon lockets is classic Edgar Wallace and is the tenuous thread that connects the set-piece murders and keeps the story moving. Sabato and Glass race around to solve the mystery and clear Sabato's name but, as per usual, the killer is one step ahead of them. It all ends in a hand to hand fight in a swimming pool that's a cut above the usual giallo climax, and everything is nicely resolved. In 1972 plot still mattered to the giallo genre (1973's Torso would change that) and the films were a lot better for it. This one goes high on the list of gialli and was a peak for Umberto Lenzi.

A killer with black gloves is murdering women and leaving silver crescent moon emblems on their bodies in this Umberto Lenzi directed film, which is quite a good deal easier to follow then his later made "Spasmo". Mr. Lenzi was never in the same league as, say Dario Argento or even Sergio Martino, but for me this film of his came the closest to either of them. The acting is good, although the DVD-version that I own sadly doesn't contain a sub-titled original language version. That's the only grip that I can think of right now. If you love the giallo sub-genre like I, you would do yourself well by seeing this one.

My Grade: B-

DVD Extras: Gabriella Giorgelli; Interview with Umberto Lenzi; liner notes; Art Gallery; Theatrical Trailer; Trailers for "Eaten Alive" and "Spasmo"

Eye Candy: Gabriella Giorgelli's mammoth melons get unleashed; Marina Malfatti does the same but pales in comparison; and a few hippie extras

I first saw "Seven Blood Stained Orchids" about 3 years ago and I remember being extremely surprised by it. In a good way, that is. This was the first Umberto Lenzi film I saw that was actually really good and showed a lot more style than his trashy & gory outings from the 80's. I was initially to give this movie 8/10, but I had to subtract one point because I guessed who the killer was before the final scenes. And that's a bit too bad, because this is a really good giallo with a solid mystery story that makes sense. The good thing was that I only knew who the killer should turn out to be, and not what his relation was to the events and the characters. So there are enough interesting things happening and plot elements to keep you going. The music was simply groovy as hell. I would love to own that soundtrack . In recent years I've caught up with quite some giallo films, and "Sette Orchidee Macchiate Di Rosso" sure remains a winner! The odds are even very likely that when I re-watch this baby, I just might chip in an extra point again.

Undoubtedly Lenzi's best film. More of a giallo than anything else he's made, af usually seems to deal in standard Hitchcock- influenced thrillers and forego the giallo tropes. Here however, all of the giallo trademarks are at play, and come together beautifully with a very well written story line.

Seven Blood Stained Orchids (Sette orchidee macchiate di rosso, 1971) is extremely pleasant and atmospheric Italian mystery, giallo from the beginning of the 70's. Lenzi himself likes this film too, but doesn's think it is his masterpiece. I have not seen too much of his work (I have seen at least Cannibal Ferox, Mangiati Vivi! and Il Paese del sesso selvaggio) but when I saw this 70's classic I knew that Lenzi is at his best in this genre.

Murders take place and soon the main character starts to notice some connections and relations between the murdered ones. Couple of years ago something evil happened and now it seems to be payback time.

This is almost as masterful as Argento's Profondo Rosso in the suspense department. Argento's work is more stylish and artistic but Lenzi is definitely not less interesting or less skilled. Couple of scenes are very scary and shocking especially if the film is viewed alone in the dark..Music by Riz Ortolani is great, but not as great as in Cannibal Holocaust or La Casa sperduta nel parco by Ruggero Deodato.

In these giallos, there is always pretty confusing and non-believable plot but it doesn's matter because these films don't have to be realistic; they can be supernatural as well and it doesn't diminish their impact. Plot in this film isn't too confusing but many twists and turns take place during the film.

Seven Blood Stained Orchids is highly recommended for Italo fanatics and horror fans alike. Lenzi directed his most notorious cannibal films only because of money, so these mystery films are far more personal and artistic too. And the lead lady character played by Uschi Glas is unbelievably charming and sexy, and she is very nice to watch.

8 out of 10 and recommended!

Although this was director Lenzi's fifth (virtually) successive entry in the Giallo subgenre, as the title itself indicates, it was his first real 'body count' effort; it also turned out to be the last film produced by German company Rialto, noted for making Krimis which, for all intents and purposes, featured many traits of the later and more violent Italian Gialli. Composer Riz Ortolani's typically cool lounge tune over the opening credits is virtually the whole score here since variations of it are played throughout the film and, in hindsight, emerges as easily the most memorable thing about this average thriller; incidentally, I knew I had heard the song featured towards the midpoint of the film somewhere before and, as it turned out, it was lifted from an earlier genre effort by the same director – SO SWEET…SO PERVERSE (1969)!

While even the casting here is somewhat subpar with bland leading man Antonio Sabato and underused Rossella Falk and Marisa Mell (albeit in an unconvincing dual role), most of the girl victims (including Uschi Glas, Marina Malfatti, Gabriella Giorgelli) are certainly attractive as per the standard formula requirements but, atypically, none ever get truly naked. The rest of the male cast is made up of Pier Paolo Capponi (as the investigating Inspector), Claudio Gora (as an enigmatic clue-dropping stranger) and ubiquitous character actor Nello Pazzafini as the obligatory brutish but ultimately innocent suspect grilled by the Police. Needless to say, the presence of the equally mandatory gloved killer makes itself felt right from the very first scene but, funnily enough, here he is also made to dispose of his first victim's elderly mother or concierge asleep in the next room!

Although the motive for the murders is the tried-and-tested one of revenge for the death of a relative, the way the serial killer obtains his list of potential victims (a page of a signing-in book at a hotel they had all worked at during the previous year) is far-fetched. The "half moon" talisman left by the killer as his signature on the scene of the crime coincidentally ties the film to the unrelated Hollywood fantasy flick THE MAN IN HALF MOON STREET (1944) that I have just watched as part of this ongoing "Halloween Challenge" and, indeed, the film was even released under the alternate title of PUZZLE OF THE SILVER HALF MOONS in some territories! Par for the course is the investigation independently initiated by fashion designer Sabato soon after his 'fresh' bride Glas is assaulted on the train taking them to their honeymoon destination; somewhat foolishly, the film makes use of the same ruse of purposefully misinforming the murderer firstly of the success of his latest attack (Glas eventually goes into hiding) and later of Sabato's arrest (thus giving him free rein to conduct his attempts at amateur detection). Ultimately, a Giallo is only as good as its group of assorted potential suspects and, in this case, there are only three: an American émigré leading a hedonistic lifestyle in a hippie-like commune, nervous socialite Mell (who also gets the film's premiere murder set-piece via a driller to the chest – but, unluckily for the killer, it is her lookalike 'innocent' twin who gets it!) and a mousey priest.

Once the lifeless body of the blond Yank is found hanged, the priest-killer reveal is rendered predictable (also because we keep going back to him for no evident reason) and links it with DON'T TORTURE A DUCKILING (1972) but his drowning comeuppance is pretty weak and anticlimactic – especially compared to the visceral one suffered by the child-killing clergyman in the latter Lucio Fulci film! Unfortunately, unlike the positive comments I had expressed regarding the English dubbing of Riccardo Freda's THE IGUANA WITH THE TONGUE OF FIRE (1971), the one present here is mediocre at best.

From adventures movies ("Il Trionfi Di Robin Hood") to spy thriller ("A 008 (sic) Operation Termini") ,from sword and sandal ("I'Ultimo Gladiatore ") to horror ("Cannibal Ferox") Umberto Lenzi has tried his hand at all the genres .

"Sette Orchidee Macchiate Di Rosso ":the title recalls those of Dario Argento but ,although there are sadistic scenes ,the movie is primarily a detective story:the screenplay was made with a certain care ,which in this kind of low-budget movie is to be underlined.A whodunit and seven women who have something in common and a killer who is doing away with them one by one, a plot in the tradition of Agatha Christie.Most famous name is probably Austrian Marisa Mell ("Diabolik") whose career was already on the wane when she played this supporting part in Lenzi's movie.

Like this ?try these

"Sans Mobile Apparent " (Philippe Labro,1971)

"Le Dernier Des Six" (Geoge Lacombe ,1941)

"Sei Donna Per L'Assassino" (Mario Bava ,1963)

(aka: SEVEN BLOOD STAINED ORCHIDS)

The half-moon killer is on a mission to kill the seven women who attended a seaside resort the night his brother was killed in an automobile accident with one of the women. He doesn't know which one (and doesn't really care) so all seven have to be murdered in serial killer-like fashion, including Gulia (Uschi Glas) who owned the hotel at the time.

She and her husband Mario (Antonio Sabato) then spend the next 90 minutes sleuthing the killer out after he attempts to kill Gulia on a train. The gore is restrained except for one murder where the killer uses an electric drill to dispatch his victim.

Lenzi did a pretty good job with this Edgar Wallace murder mystery and you never know what's going to happen next or what Mario and Gulia turn up as the clues mount. And the killer's identity is a surprise which makes it effective without giving away any clues before hand until it needs to be given away.

The Shreik/Media Blasters anamorphic DVD is excellent with nice widescreen colors and no damage to the film elements they used. Sound is dubbed in English although the original Italian with English subtitles would've be nice.

Extras include a brief poster gallery and interviews with Lenzi and Gabriella Giorgelli, who played the first victim, a hooker who is slashed to death at the beginning of the film. Giorgelli has aged quite a bit since the film's release in 1971. I didn't even recognize her.

If you're into giallo like I am, then this is a welcome addition to your collection. Fully recommended.

7 out of 10

These Italian horror directors never cease to surprise their fans, don't you agree? No matter how notorious they are for extremely gore and gut-munching films, they nearly always started out with genuinely creepy and well-plotted gialli! Lucio Fulci has his "Don't Torture a Duckling", Dario Argento initially made "The Bird with Crystal Plumage" and even Umberto Lenzi, infamous for his nasty and downright repulsive cannibal flicks like "Cannibal Ferox", "Nightmare City" and "Eaten Alive" stunned us with the delicious Giallo "Seven Blood Stained Orchids". THIS is the kind of horror that reminds my why I love the genre so much!

"Seven Blood Stained Orchids" (the title alone is exciting) stands for mystery and suspense from start to finish, atmospherically filmed by Lenzi and provided with a chilling musical score by Riz Ortolani (Cannibal Holocaust). The idea is based on an Edgar Wallace novel and tells the unbelievable, yet truly intriguing story of a black-gloved murderer with seven beautiful women on his hit list. Initially it seems that there's absolutely no relation between all these women and the only thing that brings them together is the symbol of a half moon, which the anonymous killer leaves behind on their bodies as a trademark. After a few murders, the police still know absolutely nothing about the identity or the possible motives of this madman so one of the victims' fiancée starts his own investigation. The killer believes his third target is dead but she survived the knife-attack and she even begins to remember what the seven girls might have in common… The story is complex and every new clue or plot twist comes as a complete surprise to the main characters as well as to you, the viewer. No matter how badly you attempt to unravel the mystery before Mario does, you're in the dark about this dangerous madman as much as anyone else. A constant high-tension level and a solid premise are Lenzi's biggest trumps here, since the movie is pretty low on budget and scenery. The actual murders are a bit tame but suggestive enough and the bonus for patient gore-fanatics comes near the end, when an unfortunate girl is literally drilled to death. The thing I like most about gialli is that they're beautiful to look at and nearly always handled with an unusually large amount of style and elegance. Even though you wouldn't give it to him considering his vicious reputation, Umberto Lenzi also proves himself to be a master in this as "Seven Blood Stained Orchids" contains several, downright beautiful sequences. Although it has to be said that the cast also contributes a great deal to the beauty-element. All seven women come close to being goddesses, especially Marisa Mell who even plays two roles! Italy-cult freaks will definitely remember this girl from Mario Bava's psychedelic masterpiece "Danger: Diabolik!". This film is a must for everyone who ever showed interest in undiscovered horror highlights. This belongs to the category of films that truly define the brilliance and range of horror.

Umberto Lenzi, whose nickname is zoom lenzy, does zoom in this movie but he also comes up with some good sequences in the plot/talk heavy Giallo. The ending is a bit weak, best sequence is probably the killing involving some buckets of paint. It's a professionally done film that just feels a bit long and there isn't enough drama or kinkiness to put it into the great Giallo territory. There is style but not the style over content power that also is in the best Giallos.

A better cast would have helped perhaps, meaning some star power. This is a decent film but not much more than that. People who hate Lenzi will be surprised, for a while, at the relative polish here but unfortunately it's not quite enough of a good film to put it over the top. For completeists only, it is a better than average Edgar Wallace film, though that isn't saying a whole lot either. Very nice DVD with a spotless transfer from Shriek Show by the way.

When I first saw "Seven Bloodstained Orchids" I was pretty impressed. The acting is pretty good compared to some other giallos I've seen and the plot is actually coherent without having to watch it fifty times.

Now, over a year later, and having seen several more giallos, I think this film is rather bland. The suspenseful scenes with the killer are rather predictable. This film is not only tame for a Lenzi film, but tame for a giallo. There is really only one memorable murder sequence: the one with the drill.

I'd recommend several before recommending this one. I'd also recommend a cup of coffee before viewing because it drags in parts and the ending is a bit lackluster.

5 out of 10, kids.

'Seven Blood-Stained Orchids' is an enjoyable giallo thriller with a well-constructed story with all the classic genre elements such as a twisted black gloved killer, effective suspense scenes, an intriguing mystery and elegantly staged murder sequences thanks to Umberto Lenzi's masterful direction. The movie's stylish production and sophisticated set pieces are also worth mentioning with a stunning colour palette and gorgeous cinematography by Angelo Lotti.

The plot = Six women are dead, murdered by a serial killer known as the Half-Moon Killer. After his latest victim Giulia (Uschi Glas) survives the killer's latest attack, she and her husband Mario (Antonio Sabato) sets out to solve the mystery and stop the killer before the killer strikes again.

The movie is a strong effort and although thoroughly entertaining there are a few things that holds it back from being truly great such as the pace which lags a bit in the middle after such a brilliant opening, the score while does have some nice distinctive jazzy instruments but gets a bit repetitive after a while and the climax wasn't all that memorable either. But there's just enough red herrings, tense set-pieces and outrageous violence to keep you entertained throughout.

The performances are pretty good with Antonio Sabato giving a decent and charismatic performance as the male lead Mario. Uschi Glas gives a strong performance as Giulia. Pier Paolo Capponi provides a great and memorable presence to the cast as Inspector Visma while the stunning Marisa Mell puts in a standout double performance as a potential victim to be and her twin sister Anna/Maria Sartovi.

Overall 'Seven Blood-Stained Orchids' is a decent example of a giallo thriller with an interesting plot, stylish camerawork and all the genre gimmicks to keep fans such as myself happy.

Handsome Antonio Sabato (father of Antonio Sabato Jr of such films as THE BIG HIT) and his wife are on the trail of a cold blooded killer whose only clue is the crescent shaped locket he leaves behind at every murder he commits. The killer has already tried and failed to kill her, will he be able to finish the job? This is just one of the questions that SEVEN BLOOD STAINED ORCHIDS asks. Another is how the hell did I manage to sit through this without falling asleep? I guess it was the funky retro finger painting free loving SWINGIN' SEVENTIES STYLES!! Seriously though, while this film has dated a little, director Umberto Lenzi crafts a moderately engaging murder mystery. Plus there's a fair amount of gore and nudity to engage the rest of us.