Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

Crazy Desires of a Murderer Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf March 20, 2021

Vinegar Syndrome hopes to do the world of B-movies some good by offering 1977’s “Crazy Desires of a Murderer” to larger Blu-ray audience, pulling the feature out of obscurity after it was denied distribution in North America for decades. Now that it’s here, the picture provides a weird ride of tonal changes, with director Filippo Walter Ratti trying to develop a murder mystery with sexploitation asides, also working in some extreme gore and mild perversion. There’s a lot to unpack with the endeavor, which never finds true storytelling stability, but there’s just enough oddity to enjoy as Ratti tends to try everything to see what sticks in his film.

Ileana (Isabelle Marchall) has returned from a trip to Hong Kong with her friends, hoping to spend a celebratory weekend at her father’s castle, with the wheelchair-bound, senile man careful about company. While drinks and dancing are enjoyed, a few of the gang are interested in reclaiming a bag of drugs they’ve smuggled inside Ileana’s souvenirs. However, such underworld business dealings are disrupted by a murder, as a young woman is found dead, with her eyes gouged out. Now it’s up to The Inspector (Corrado Gaipa) to figure out the culprit, paying careful attention to the castle’s creepy inhabitants.

“Crazy Desires of a Murderer” arranges a traditional collection of reckless characters, with the young people returning from a special trip, trying to take the edge off with a party. It’s all fun and games until someone is murdered, but the death involves a particularly gruesome end, giving the picture some graphic content to snap viewers to attention. “Crazy Desires of a Murderer” isn’t exactly an Agatha Christie-like viewing experience, with the general flow of the central mystery disrupted by B-movie additions, including a few sex scenes, while the appearance of a disturbed young man who lives in the bowels of the castle (learning to become a taxidermist specializing in eye removal) ruins to potency of other red herrings, diminishing the feature’s detective story.

Crazy Desires of a Murderer Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation for "Crazy Desires of a Murderer" is listed as a 4K scan from the 35mm original negative. There is some wear and tear to be found during the viewing experience, with the main titles rougher in appearance, along with some mild discolorations, warped frames, and scratches. Colors are most compelling here, offering bright primaries with period costuming and interior decoration. Greenery is distinct and skintones are natural. Detail is strong, with compelling facial surfaces, which explore displays of age and makeup effects. Clothing is fibrous, and castle interiors are dimensional. Delineation is satisfactory. Grain is fine and film-like.

Crazy Desires of a Murderer Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 1.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix supplies a comfortable listening event for "Crazy Desires of a Murderer," leading with satisfactory dialogue exchanges, as dubbing efforts maintain clarity with performances. Scoring cues are appreciable, with decent instrumentation and volume, setting various moods without disruption.

Crazy Desires of a Murderer Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• "Crazy Memories of an Actor" (15:08, HD) is an interview with Giuseppe Colombo, who shares his leap from film producer to acting for "Crazy Desires of a Murderer," soon asked for advice from the picture's men in charge. Colombo is candid about his professional experience, discussing daily arguments with director Filippo Walter Ratti and patience-testing interactions with his co-stars. The interviewee details his professional history and the shooting location, and questions the sexual content of "Crazy Desires of a Murderer," fearing he was in an adult film.

• A Theatrical Trailer has not been included on this release.

Crazy Desires of a Murderer Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Crazy Desires of a Murderer" attempts to be a solid whodunit, but it fares much better with cult movie interactions and weirdness. Scenes with The Inspector are nicely performed by Gaipa, but they aren't nearly as compelling as extremity, finding the goopy particulars of the feature, and the actions of corrupt characters, providing more of a genre jolt for viewers in the mood for this type of entertainment.