Lame giallo for hardcore fans only. Upper class girl Cristina Graziani decides to leave home and get away from her restrictive father, only to become a prostitute, albeit a high-class one thanks to the efforts of a dandy pimp named Oscar. As one might expect, soon everyone of her clients drops dead by a dark figure in trenchcoat and hat (and of course the killings are made with a razorblade - quite typical in giallo films). Demofilo Fidani is known as a hack director and he proves just that. No rhythm, no suspense, nothing spectacular about the killings and actually nobody seems to mind that much (not even Cristina). To complete the picture, no red herrings are used in this film and the disclosure of the killer's identity comes as no surprise. As I said earlier, no reason to see this flick, except for giallo-addicts.
5 Reviews
Condemns and savors sex at the same time
BandSAboutMovies13 January 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Cristina (Paola Senatore*, Emanuelle in America, Ricco the Mean Machine) is a call girl and for that, every man that has ever partaken of her services must pay, in some sort of role reversal for every other giallo and slasher.
Much like how his leading lady was known for westerns, so was director Demofilo Fidani, who made movies like Coffin Full of Dollars (how's that for a title?), Django and Sartana Are Coming... It's the End, One Damned Day at Dawn...Django Meets Sartana!, His Name Was Pot... But They Called Him Allegria and His Name Was Sam Walbash, But They Call Him Amen. As you can tell, many of his films were titled and treated like either sequels or - let's be fair - ripoffs of better-known characters and movies.
So when everyone else started making giallo, Fidani was sure to follow.
You know how people on Twitter like to use the term problematic? Well, they'd lose their brains all over those, which presents leaving home to enter the sex industry to be a loveable lark, even when your clients get their throats slit the minute they leave her flat. It's also a film that wants its cake - Vitelli is gorgeous and frequently involved in increasingly kinkier situations - and eat it too, as the whole moral of the story is that the world is falling into decay because of all this sex. So let's show some more sex! And violence!
Also known as Caresses à domicile (Caresses at Home), the funny thing is that her life gets better when she leaves her father's house - well, despite the fact that her daddy gave her everything that she ever wanted - to live with a friend, Paola (Simonetta Vitelli, who is the daughter of the director). So there's not really any drama here, other than you know, all the murder.
*Sadly, she became addicted to heroin late in her career. After making two softcore films for Joe D'Amato, she made her one and only hardcore film, Non stop... sempre buio in sala. She was then arrested for drug smuggling, went to prison and disappeared.
Much like how his leading lady was known for westerns, so was director Demofilo Fidani, who made movies like Coffin Full of Dollars (how's that for a title?), Django and Sartana Are Coming... It's the End, One Damned Day at Dawn...Django Meets Sartana!, His Name Was Pot... But They Called Him Allegria and His Name Was Sam Walbash, But They Call Him Amen. As you can tell, many of his films were titled and treated like either sequels or - let's be fair - ripoffs of better-known characters and movies.
So when everyone else started making giallo, Fidani was sure to follow.
You know how people on Twitter like to use the term problematic? Well, they'd lose their brains all over those, which presents leaving home to enter the sex industry to be a loveable lark, even when your clients get their throats slit the minute they leave her flat. It's also a film that wants its cake - Vitelli is gorgeous and frequently involved in increasingly kinkier situations - and eat it too, as the whole moral of the story is that the world is falling into decay because of all this sex. So let's show some more sex! And violence!
Also known as Caresses à domicile (Caresses at Home), the funny thing is that her life gets better when she leaves her father's house - well, despite the fact that her daddy gave her everything that she ever wanted - to live with a friend, Paola (Simonetta Vitelli, who is the daughter of the director). So there's not really any drama here, other than you know, all the murder.
*Sadly, she became addicted to heroin late in her career. After making two softcore films for Joe D'Amato, she made her one and only hardcore film, Non stop... sempre buio in sala. She was then arrested for drug smuggling, went to prison and disappeared.
Standard & textbook Giallo, only... completely opposite!
Coventry5 December 2023
In case you ended up here, in the user-comments section of an obscure and very little-seen early 70s Italian erotic thriller entitled "A. A. A. Massaggiatrice bella presenza offresi...", it means you know what a "Giallo" is, and that you also know what the trademarks and characteristics of a typical Giallo are.
That's right, quite commonly, a Giallo revolves around beautiful, lewd, and scarcely dressed women (like prostitutes, strippers, fashion models, ...) getting slashed up with razors or similar sharp objects by a malevolent figure entirely dressed in black. This film is exactly like that, except for one crucial element that is, well, the complete opposite. In "A. A. A. Massaggiatrice bella presenza offresi..." (which refers to the structure of a typical newspaper ad and translates as "Beautiful masseuse offers her services") it isn't the prostitutes who are getting their throats slit, but the sleazy men who are paying for their physical services; - and then more particularly the illustrious customers of new-girl-in-town Christina.
Breath-taking but rebellious twenty-something Christina is fed up with living by the rules her strict and uptight parents and decides to run off. She quickly finds a fitting and profitable career for herself, as she offers her massaging (and other bodily) skills to wealthy male customers via a newspaper ad. Business is booming, but Christina comes under the influence of an aggressive and greedy pimp and learns that several people - like the vicious boyfriend of her roommate - want to take advantage of her. And then, suddenly, Christina's prominent customers receive a visit from a heavily breathing maniac wielding a razor blade!
Who's the killer? Christina's jealous pimp? Her underperforming boyfriend from her previous life? Her obsessive father? The roommate's sleazy boyfriend? The roommate herself? Or maybe Christina herself? For me, it wasn't much of an enigma because I accidently read the plot synopsis here on IMDb which blatantly reveals the identity of the killer! So, please, DON'T READ anything in advance. I'm trying to get the spoiling synopsis deleted.
"A. A. A. Massaggiatrice bella presenza offresi..." is a reasonably entertaining Giallo, but certainly not a must-see or a hidden gem. Even without the dumb revelation here on the website, it's not too difficult to guess the plot twists and writer/director Demofilo Fidani didn't spend much time or effort in generating suspense or intrigue. The murders are disappointing since we only vaguely see a swinging razor and a few bloodied throats. The only thing that truly seemed to interest Fidani was lead actress Paola Senatore's naturally beautiful curves and her fantastically sensual undressing talents. She's lovely to watch, for sure, but it's not enough.
That's right, quite commonly, a Giallo revolves around beautiful, lewd, and scarcely dressed women (like prostitutes, strippers, fashion models, ...) getting slashed up with razors or similar sharp objects by a malevolent figure entirely dressed in black. This film is exactly like that, except for one crucial element that is, well, the complete opposite. In "A. A. A. Massaggiatrice bella presenza offresi..." (which refers to the structure of a typical newspaper ad and translates as "Beautiful masseuse offers her services") it isn't the prostitutes who are getting their throats slit, but the sleazy men who are paying for their physical services; - and then more particularly the illustrious customers of new-girl-in-town Christina.
Breath-taking but rebellious twenty-something Christina is fed up with living by the rules her strict and uptight parents and decides to run off. She quickly finds a fitting and profitable career for herself, as she offers her massaging (and other bodily) skills to wealthy male customers via a newspaper ad. Business is booming, but Christina comes under the influence of an aggressive and greedy pimp and learns that several people - like the vicious boyfriend of her roommate - want to take advantage of her. And then, suddenly, Christina's prominent customers receive a visit from a heavily breathing maniac wielding a razor blade!
Who's the killer? Christina's jealous pimp? Her underperforming boyfriend from her previous life? Her obsessive father? The roommate's sleazy boyfriend? The roommate herself? Or maybe Christina herself? For me, it wasn't much of an enigma because I accidently read the plot synopsis here on IMDb which blatantly reveals the identity of the killer! So, please, DON'T READ anything in advance. I'm trying to get the spoiling synopsis deleted.
"A. A. A. Massaggiatrice bella presenza offresi..." is a reasonably entertaining Giallo, but certainly not a must-see or a hidden gem. Even without the dumb revelation here on the website, it's not too difficult to guess the plot twists and writer/director Demofilo Fidani didn't spend much time or effort in generating suspense or intrigue. The murders are disappointing since we only vaguely see a swinging razor and a few bloodied throats. The only thing that truly seemed to interest Fidani was lead actress Paola Senatore's naturally beautiful curves and her fantastically sensual undressing talents. She's lovely to watch, for sure, but it's not enough.
The Female Eunuch
Bezenby5 October 2017
Remarkably, even for a giallo, this one takes sexism to the extreme, so much so that it gives Strip Nude for Your Killer a run for its money!
Cristina is a young girl who decides for some reason to become a prostitute, much to the horror of her father Hunt Powers. She puts an ad in the paper offering her services as a masseuse, and is hired by a buff body builder type, only for it to turn out that he genuinely hired her for her masseuse skills for his mother's sciatica! Her next customer gets the idea, but tells her she wasn't that good, short changes her, then gives her some French soap in compensation. Maybe she needs some help
It's around this time that Cristina meets Oscar, a man who offers to be her business partner (pimp) by hooking her up with better paying customers. First up is Franco Ressel (with that damn combover back in all its glory) but once he's done giving her a bath (?) and paying her, some black gloved killer slashes his throat with a straight razor. Who can it be this time round?
There's a few good suspects kicking around – her father, who periodically tries to stop Cristina, her ex-boyfriend, who does the same, then there's the pimp, although that wouldn't be a good business model to murder your customers, and then there's Cristina's best friend's boyfriend, who introduces himself by staring at her arse then putting the moves on her.
Most of the film is spent with people hitting on Cristina, watching Cristina strip, having sex with Cristina, staring at her arse, discussing her performances or customers recommending her services to one another by telephone or giving her a slap. Cristina herself is bizarrely detached from everything that's going on around her, but that might just bad acting I guess. I could also guess that there might be some social comment her about how men view women, but judging by the hilarious way the killer gets caught, I'm doubtful. Funky soundtrack too!
I noticed that Demofilo Fidani also made a film called Karzan the next year – Karzan? A rip off of Tarzan? Please let there be a copy on Youtube!
(Checks)
Dammit! There wasn't.
Cristina is a young girl who decides for some reason to become a prostitute, much to the horror of her father Hunt Powers. She puts an ad in the paper offering her services as a masseuse, and is hired by a buff body builder type, only for it to turn out that he genuinely hired her for her masseuse skills for his mother's sciatica! Her next customer gets the idea, but tells her she wasn't that good, short changes her, then gives her some French soap in compensation. Maybe she needs some help
It's around this time that Cristina meets Oscar, a man who offers to be her business partner (pimp) by hooking her up with better paying customers. First up is Franco Ressel (with that damn combover back in all its glory) but once he's done giving her a bath (?) and paying her, some black gloved killer slashes his throat with a straight razor. Who can it be this time round?
There's a few good suspects kicking around – her father, who periodically tries to stop Cristina, her ex-boyfriend, who does the same, then there's the pimp, although that wouldn't be a good business model to murder your customers, and then there's Cristina's best friend's boyfriend, who introduces himself by staring at her arse then putting the moves on her.
Most of the film is spent with people hitting on Cristina, watching Cristina strip, having sex with Cristina, staring at her arse, discussing her performances or customers recommending her services to one another by telephone or giving her a slap. Cristina herself is bizarrely detached from everything that's going on around her, but that might just bad acting I guess. I could also guess that there might be some social comment her about how men view women, but judging by the hilarious way the killer gets caught, I'm doubtful. Funky soundtrack too!
I noticed that Demofilo Fidani also made a film called Karzan the next year – Karzan? A rip off of Tarzan? Please let there be a copy on Youtube!
(Checks)
Dammit! There wasn't.
little could be done about her generous bust
christopher-underwood11 October 2013
The seeming clumsy title relates to the newspaper advertisement placed by the leading lady/masseuse/call girl in this entertaining giallo. Little seen but my print was fine with English subtitles and decent score. Not the most sophisticated of stories and for the first 20 minutes or so it seems as if we are simply in for a series of soft core encounters but once the killings begin and the police become involved things shape up fairly well. Good looking girls and great costumes as usual for a 1972 Italian giallo, although as there is so much emphasis on the lead being so young maybe Paola Senatore was a bit older looking than she should have been. Less hair would have helped but I guess little could be done about her generous bust and she deservedly went on to make many exploitation movies including, D'Amato's, Immagini di un Convento and also Eaten Alive. Enjoyable.
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