Delirium: Photo of Gioia (1987)
Review by Doc Ezra
Film:
DVD:

Written by Gianfranco Clerici, Luciano Martino, and Daniele Stroppa
Directed by Lamberto Bava
Starring Serena Grandi, Daria Nicolodi, and Vanni Corbellini

Features:

• Biographical info on cast and crew
  
• Exclusive interviews with director and actors
  

Rated: R

Anamorphic: Yes

My advice: Ye gods, no.

Famous supermodel Gioia (Grandi) has retired from life in front of the camera, and now acts as a sort of combination talent agent, career consultant, and scout for the fashion publishing interests of Europe. She’s wealthy and contended, and enjoying this new phase of her career, despite the creepy paraplegic across the street that watches her from his windows and occasionally calls to freak her out.

That is, until people start dying. And arriving on her doorstep are photos of the corpses, elaborately posed in front of large wall mural photos of Gioia herself, from her heyday. Apparently, some member of her fan club has taken it upon himself (or herself?) to revive her name in the public eye, regardless of how unsavory the connection might be in the press.

The plot has promise, but never quite delivers, and director Bava is entirely too convinced of his own cleverness to stay out of the story’s way. Bizarre psychedelic visuals (that mostly just look like really low-budget special effects) are supposed to put us in the “mind of the killer,” but it always comes across more comical than creepy. To the story’s credit, though, it does manage to maintain some suspense as to who the real culprit behind the murders is until very late in the film. Too few contemporary “thrillers” can manage that, and the writer deserves credit.

The performances are passable, most notably Grandi’s and that of Karl Zinny as her wheelchair-bound neighbor. Most of the bit parts and supporting roles are played a touch on the heavy-handed side, though. Other technical aspects of the film are decent, except for the aforementioned mediocre visual effects.

The DVD is a good presentation, with video and audio as good as the original filmstock could provide--the film holds up pretty well for its age. The interviews with the cast and crew are more than the standard few minutes of press junket footage. Most of the interviews are newly filmed, and the actors and crew present an interesting inside look into the process of filmmaking in Italy. It’s a nice counterpoint to those only familiar with the American industry.

Tragically, Delirium only reinforces my opinion that the hype surrounding “Italian horror” is so much hot air. The film is in no way superior, and in many ways inferior, to the Hollywood shockers of the day. It’s an interesting idea that isn’t executed particularly well, and the couple of decent performances don’t come close to making up for the rest of the film’s weaknesses. Give it a miss.