Plot: What’s it about?
A murderer has just struck, a victim was slain in cold blood and now, the killer readies to dump the corpse into a local river. As he does so, he is spotted and approached, but in a strange turn of events, he is not taken down or captured. No, instead of facing justice for his crimes, the killer is blackmailed and asked to murder yet another innocent person. The man who caught the killer is Mainardi (George Hilton), a wealthy man who loves to carouse with beautiful women, but his wife slows down his fun. He has planned and even dreamed of his wife’s death for some time, but he could never do the deed himself. Now a door has opened, so he offers the killer a large sum of money to murder his wife, then hide the corpse well. In addition to the cash, Mainardi’s offer of silence is what forces the killer to agree to the deal. The actual murder proves to be no problem whatsoever, as the killer enters the couple’s home, then slays the woman. He takes the body down to the car, places it in the trunk, then ventures back inside once more. But when he returns, he discovers that two joyriders have taken off with the car, dead body and all. Now the killer is in hot pursuit, determined to erase all witnesses, while Mainardi finds himself on the hot seat with the police.
Once again, Mondo Macabro has dusted off a once hard to find cult film and rolled out the red carpet, this time for the rare giallo The Killer Must Kill Again. The films of director Luigi Cozzi (Contamination, Paganini Horror) aren’t often discussed with reverent tones, as even genre fans find his resume to be inconsistent. In fact, his better known films are well known not because of the skilled direction involved, but because of the hilarious ineptitude involved, as seen in his sci/fi epic Starcrash. That is all the more reason for fans to seek out The Killer Must Kill Again, which hasn’t been that simple in the past, as only black market, edited versions were available and even then, in limited supplies. The film deserves more attention, as it is perhaps Cozzi’s greatest work and quite an impressive giallo picture. The pace is just right, with ample time to build tension and atmosphere, but not slow enough to bore the audience. This is also helped by how intense the film can be, with minimal easement, until the finale, of course. The end satisfies, with a nice little twist that should please genre fans. As expected, the film has violence and naked bodies, but not in bulk, so gorehounds be forewarned. The Killer Must Kill Again is a well crafted giallo and Mondo Macabro has conjured up a superb treatment, so if you’re at all interested, this disc is more than worth a purchase.
Video: How does it look?
The Killer Must Kill Again is presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen. If you were able to track down one of the black markets releases of this film, then you were forced to suffer through cropped, faded prints that ruined the film’s visual design. But no more, as Mondo Macabro has gone back to the original negative and struck a brand new widescreen transfer. The new print looks incredible, with the only flaws being some minor nicks and a tad of grain at times. The image is splendid, with a much more refined visual depth than expected, which allows detail to be quite impressive. I found colors to be natural and consistent also, while black levels retain rich hues and never fall into error. Not much else I can say, as Mondo Macabro has gone all out and given us a treatment that is sure to thrill fans.
Audio: How does it sound?
In terms of stereo, the included tracks aren’t too bad, so long as you don’t expect too much in the end. I think the music sounds pretty good in this mix, but the limits of the sound design and the age of the materials do hinder it somewhat. But while it might sound a little dated, the music is still cool and adds a lot to the atmosphere of the picture. Not too much to speak of in the realm of sound effects, but what is present sounds decent enough and never overpowers the other elements. I was pleased with the dialogue clarity & volume also, as no problems were evident in the least. This might not be a memorable audio option, but it gets it all done without too much trouble. This disc includes both Italian and English language tracks, so choose whichever you’d like, while optional English subtitles have also been provided.
Supplements: What are the extras?
In a most welcome surprise, director Luigi Cozzi provides an audio commentary track, joined by author Pete Tombs. This is how these sessions should be done, a constant flow of stories and insight, with little to no dead air to mention. Tombs moderates and keeps the discussion brisk, but Cozzi has a lot to say and reveals much about the production. The two touch on numerous topics, including the unique nature of giallo cinema, location details, and all manner of other production details and anecdotes. Cozzi returns in two featurettes, one substantial piece in which he provides even more details about the production, then a second, more brief segment in which he talks about his relationship with Dario Argento. A seventeen minute featurette is next, which covers the history of the giallo film, quite a solid piece. This disc also includes an alternate opening credits sequence, some still photos, and the film’s theatrical trailer.
