One
of Lucio Fulci's later and lesser known works, sees the director taking on
the lead role, in which he plays himself, as a troubled movie director, who's
plagued with nightmarish visions from his latest film (which is actually
made up of clips from his previous movies).
Fearing that he might be cracking up, he goes to see a psychologist. But this only seems to make matters worse, as he starts attacking cast members, then assaulting a girl reporter from a documentary team who were interviewing him.
Fortunately she doesn't seem to mind being roughed up, but realising his behaviour is not becoming of him, he goes back to see his psychologist who tries hypnotising him to find out what’s wrong. But this does not improve his situation, as he discovers that he apparently confessed to a series of recent murders whilst he was under.
Refusing to believe what he’s supposed to have said, Fulci presses on with his latest film, which interestingly enough is about some maniacal killer taking chainsaws and assorted butchers implements to nubile young women. But when not on the set it seems that he is somehow connected with the recent slew of killings in the town, as we’re treated to several brutal stabbings, axe murders, and even chainsaw killings.
Is he really turning into a schizophrenic killer, or is it all in his mind? If’ he’s not the killer, then who could be? Does his psychologist know more than he’s letting on? Well obviously, the answer to that last one is yes, but in case you’re unfamiliar with this film I won’t ruin the plot.
Totally incoherent, even by Fulci's standards (probably because the story is spun around clips from several of his other films), whilst displaying many of his usual trademarks, including maggot ridden corpses, bloody disembowellings, eye trauma, throat slashings and of course plenty of female nudity. As is the case with many of his later efforts, fans of his earlier works may not find this as satisfying and is certainly not in the same calibre, but still proves to be enjoyable enough Z- grade splatter.
