THE CLEANING LADY: SUBTLE AND INTENSE

So often these days major horror films are given vast amounts of attention, spurred on by critics who rarely see horror films and are stunned by what they see. But for fans of horror most of those films are nowhere near the terrifying experience or enjoyable night at the movies that these critics think they are. True horror fans find the movies that stir them more on the fringes than in the mainstream press reviews. Those films are often small on budget and huge on fright, often far more interesting and original than those major releases. Like THE CLEANING LADY.

Alice (Alexis Kendra) is a young woman on her own with an addiction to love. Not intimacy or sex but love. She currently finds herself in an affair with a married man who continues to promise he will leave his wife for her one day. Attending group therapy for her addiction complete with a sponsor she swears off the relationship and plans to stick to her no contact promise. Working out of her home as a high end and in demand beautician Alice can afford to live well and on her own. She has no monetary need for Michael, the man she’s drawn to.

When her drain clogs Alice contacts her landlord about the problem. One day she comes home to find Shelly (Rachel Alig), a severely burn scarred young woman, taking care of the problem. Needing someone to clean her apartment she offers to pay Shelly in cash to avoid the landlord knowing to do so and Shelly accepts. From this an infatuation develops.

We already know something is up with Shelly having watched her in the opening moments of the film toss three live rats into a blender before serving them up to someone hidden in a trailer. But none of that is brought up until later in the film. For now she’s content to find a sort of friendship with Alice. Alice is just being kind to someone less fortunate but Shelly thinks of it as something more.

Things become even stranger when one night Shelly creeps in and chloroforms Alice. While out she makes a mold of Alice’ face and then replicates it to create a latex mask that she wears when on her own, all without Alice having knowledge of what took place. Soaking in Alice’ tub when she’s away, dressing in her clothes, this brings to mind films like SINGLE WHITE FEMALE with a bit of a twist.

As things progress we learn Shelly’s back story. Perhaps with one of the worst mothers in history we watch as her mother pimps her out at a young age. We see the problems the two face. And eventually we learn how Shelly was scarred. But the scars she has inside rival those on the surface and just how those will affect what takes place makes for the fright found in this film.

Well shot, well directed, well written and performed by actresses who may not be what Hollywood considers A-listers but who should be this movie will hold your interest from start to finish. It takes the time to develop the story that is involved here, both from the viewpoint of Alice and her needs and those of Shelly and hers. The combining of these stories that wrap around one another until the final story becomes one is will done.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I put this one in to watch. After viewing it and while I enjoyed it I wasn’t even sure if I’d ever watch it again. But the more time that passes since that first viewing the more I think I will. For me it was that good. Repeat viewings are something that help me judge how good a movie is. So take my word on it, this one is a solid horror film that will have you guessing and watching from start to finish. 

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THE NEW YORK RIPPER: FULCI’S SLASHER EPIC

One of the masters of film to come out of Italy is director Lucio Fulci. While working mostly in the exploitation genre he was still able to bring style to the films he made. This endeared him not only to the fans of horror films in particular but to all movie fans. Known mostly for films like CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD, THE BEYOND and ZOMBIE, Fulci also delved into the giallo genre from time to time. This film was one that didn’t garner praise when it was released but that fans have flocked to since its arrival on disc. Now Blue Underground is releasing the ultimate version of film to blu-ray.

When the body of a prostitute is found slashed horribly the case is presented to Lieutenant Fred Williams (Jack Hedley), a burned out detective nearing retirement but one of those never give up trying to solve the case types. A second murder occurs and Williams in talking to the coroner is told that a style is present in both cases.

Williams is told by the police chief not to say anything to the press for fear of alarming the public to the menace of a serial killer. To help him learn more about the mind of the killer Williams turns to Dr. Paul Davis (Paolo Malco), a young psychiatrist specializing in profiling criminals. Eager to aid Williams he begins looking into the case on his own.

Running concurrently with this story we have a woman who frequents the bawdier sides of NYC. Jane Lodge (Alexandra Delli Colli) is a married woman who we first see masturbating in a live sex show while recording herself on a small tape recorder. When the show ends she leaves. Backstage we see the female performer (Zora Kerova) in her dressing room hearing a noise in her clothing rack. She is viciously attacked and stabbed to death with a broken bottle, the newest victim of the killer. At the apartment of his prostitute girlfriend Kitty (Daniela Doria), Williams is called by the killer who talks in a “duck” voice, taunting the detective and letting him know of the last murder.

We then move on to yet another story mingled in with these two. Fay Majors (Almanta Keller) is followed on her way home by a man missing two fingers (Howard Ross), the same man who was in the live sex show with Kerova. She is then attacked and her leg sliced with a razor before she escapes. She awakes the next morning with her boyfriend Peter Bunch (Andrew Painter) there. Williams and Davis show up to question her and they learn about the suspect with two missing fingers.

Finally bringing things together Jane (whose husband is well aware of her sexual encounters including one that’s a bit extreme between her theater encounter and now) is picked up by the man missing two fingers for a sexual fling. Seeing he is being sought by the police she escapes when he falls asleep. But will she truly escape? And will Fay just be an intended victim or will the killer seek her out? And will Williams and Davis be able to put together the clues before the next victim fall to the New York Ripper?

Fulci’s film is highly graphic and filled with some of the goriest moments in film history, topping even some of the notable scenes in his other films. So graphic were these moments that the film was banned in the UK as long ago as 2011 when the film was first released on disc. And while I’ve seen plenty of blood spilled in film I have to agree that this one is particularly gruesome. I think the fact that this has nothing to do with the supernatural and that killers like this exist in the real world might be the cause of that.

Much has been said about Fulci not liking women and having a need to degrade and savage them on screen and off while making films. At the same time those who actually worked with him said this isn’t true. In one of the extras here co-writer Dardano Sacchetti clarifies this by saying that it wasn’t women Fulci had an issue with but bad actors who didn’t take well to direction. Other interviews with the female cast members of this film have them fondly recalling working with Fulci so perhaps there is much truth in those words.

The movie is entertaining for fans of not just Fulci but for giallo and foreign film fans as well. There are some truly gut wrenching moments and a mystery to solve here that will keep movie goers guessing until the end. The acting is better than usual and the intensity of the film is there on screen. A warning to more sensitive viewers this film could qualify as hardcore porn, at least as it was back then. The sexuality on display here from the simulated stage sex to the sequence involving Colli as she is set upon in a bar is more terrifying than arousing. Some will be repulsed by it and that may have been what Fulci was going for.

While the movie wasn’t well received when it was released it has developed quite a fan following since that time. Although banned in the UK as I mentioned a large number of bootleg and foreign editions made their way into that country for rabid fans seeking it out. The film did well enough when first released on DVD and my guess is that this new Blue Underground blu-ray edition will sell quite well. In no small part that would be due to the amazing amount of extras to be found here.

To begin with the movie here is a 4k restoration from the original uncensored original camera negative. Then there is a third disc included offering the motion picture soundtrack by Francesco De Masi. A second disc includes a ton of extras including an audio commentary track with Troy Howarth the author of “Splintered Visions: Lucio Fulci and His Films, “The Art of Killing” an interview with Dardano Sacchetti, “Three Fingers of Violence” an interview with Howard Ross, “The Second Victim” an interview with co-star Cinzia De Ponti, “The Broken Bottle Murder” an interview with Zora Kerova, “I’m an Actress!” a 2009 interview with Kerova, “The Beauty Killer” an interview with Stephen Thrower the author of “Beyond Terror: The Films of Lucio Fulci”, “Paint Me Blood Red” and interview with poster artist Enzo Sciotti, a now and then location featurette, the theatrical trailer, a poster and stills gallery and a collectable booklet with a new essay by Travis Crawford.

I’ve talked at length about the release of films from Arrow Video. That company, based out of England, is doing amazing things. But it appears that Blue Underground has stepped up to the plate to give them a run for their money. They may not be releasing as many titles as Arrow but the quality of the product they are releasing is equal to that company’s. One can only hope that they continue to do the amazing job they’ve shown so far with this and releases of ZOMBIE and MANIAC. If they do fans will be flocking to the sales racks. 

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NO OFFENCE SERIES 3: CONTINUED EXCELLENCE

Having had no exposure to this series prior to the release of each season on disc I never knew what to expect when putting the first one on. I’ve grown to love it since and find it one of the best made series around. My guess is that after watching it you will as well. Now with series 3 available the only thing that bothers me is wondering if a fourth, fifth and sixth will follow.

The series revolves around the officers of the Friday Street police station, a division of the Manchester Metropolitan Police (a fictional group but based on real life). While bureaucrats may come and go in the series it is the rank and file, the combination of detectives and officers, who solve the mysteries involved. Those include DI Vivian Deering (Joanna Scanlon) who oversees the group, troubled detective DI Dinah Kowalska (Elaine Cassidy) her top detective, DC Spike Tanner (Will Mellor) who has issues of his own and DS Joy Freers (Alexandra Roach) a young and somewhat naïve supervisor coming into he own. Each character brings a different essence into the cast and make it more well-rounded than most.

I’ll let you know it’s spoiler time for those haven’t seen the first two series so go watch those and then come back. Okay? Here we go. Series three opens with an attack on a local politician running for mayor named Caroline McCoy (Lisa McGrillis) at a rally. It may be the work of a radical group that was protesting out front but as the police chase the killer they lose one of their own, DS Joy Freers. This is a shock to the system for fans as Freers was one of the most innocent of characters in the series. It immediately sets us fans up for seeking vengeance.

But things progress to more issues from there. The killer is on the run and continues a reign of terror. He calls in and claims to have poisoned a load of Halal meat, meat food blessed and allowable for Muslims in the community. All of this is because the current mayor is a Muslim (perhaps a nod to the current mayor of London?). This sets the team trying to find the tainted meat before a mass murder occurs.

Along the way more problems arise in the form of someone blocking the team from getting to the root of the problems from above. Just who and why isn’t clear until the end. At one point their top supervisor takes a bullet for the team, protecting them but losing her position at the same time. She’s replaced by a bumbling fool who has no clue what is going on, but who fortunately has a connection in his past with Spike. This allows Spike to keep an eye on him while the team solves the mystery.

Eventually we learn that not all is as it seems and trusted allies turn out to be devious enemies. I’m not sure about all viewers but I saw this coming early on. It didn’t ruin the show for me but instead increased my interest as I waited to see not only when the team would realize this but how they would handle it as well.

Not only that the series takes a topical issue with the concerns of immigrants in England and never treats it as a good or bad thing, not taking one side or the other in telling the story. It treats individuals as good or bad guys rather than label an entire group. The closest it comes to that is a white supremacist group and even members of that are shown to be human as well rather than depicted as cartoon like villains.

One of the things that make this series work well is the cast. To being with Vivian as played by Scanlon is an amazing character. She’s not this thin model in an acting role but a larger woman with a domineering presence who still has a softer side. Most shows avoid larger actresses like the plague unless they’re playing grandmother roles. It’s wonderful to see Scanlon here as the center of the stories being told, a character who in the first series you start by hating and come to love by the end. Kudos to the makers of this show for bypassing the norm. The rest of the cast surrounding her is amazing as Scanlon is. Each of them brings to their characters enough enthusiasm for their jobs as well as the home lives that affect them as officers as well. It brings a more thought out group together than most shows do.

With just six episodes to this series it can easily be binge watched in a weekend. The only problem that you will have is finding yourself anxious for the next one to arrive and watch. It truly is one of the best things out there and a shame more people aren’t aware. If they were odds are you’d be seeing an Americanized version of it within the year. Instead enjoy this one over and over again and wait for word on series 4. 

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