In the Folds of the Flesh ( it, Nelle pieghe della carne) is a 1970 Italian / Spanish

giallo In Italian cinema, ''Giallo'' (; plural ''gialli'', from ''giallo'', Italian for yellow) is a genre of mystery fiction and thrillers that often contains slasher, crime fiction, psychological thriller, psychological horror, sexploitation, and, ...

film produced and directed by

Sergio Bergonzelli Sergio Bergonzelli (25 August 1924 – 24 September 2002) was an Italian director, screenwriter, producer and actor. Life and career Born in Alba, Cuneo, Bergonzelli graduated in Philosophy, then he started working as an actor with the stage ...

. The screenplay was co-written by Fabio De Agostini and Bergonzelli, from a story outline by

Mario Caiano Mario Caiano (February 13, 1933 – September 20, 2015) was an Italian film director, screenwriter, producer, art director and second unit director. Career Born in Rome, he directed nearly 50 films between 1961 and 2001 and wrote some 27 ...

. Ferdinando Merighi and Juan Vilches were the assistant directors. It starred

Eleonora Rossi Drago Eleonora Rossi Drago, born Palmira Omiccioli, (23 September 1925 – 2 December 2007) was an Italian film actress. She was born in Quinto al Mare, Genoa, Italy, and had the leading role in '' Le amiche''. She appeared in ''Un maledetto imbr ...

and Anna Maria Pierangeli. It was released in Spain as ''Las endemoniadas'' ("The Possessed") and years later on French video as ''La Folle'' (''The Madness'').

Plot

An escaped convict named Pascal Gorriot happens to witness an attractive woman named Lucille disposing of her second husband Andre's corpse. Thirteen years later, Andre's cousin shows up at Lucille's villa and he is stabbed to death by Andre's daughter (Falaise) who is still living there. Lucille's son kills the visiting cousin's pet dog who arrived with him. Soon after, another friend of the family moves into the villa and seduces the criminally insane Falaise, who decapitates him afterwards. The escaped convict returns to the scene, down on his luck, and decides to blackmail Lucille for murdering her husband years earlier. He winds up in an acid bath. The police investigate the chain of murders going on at the villa. The film even has a brief flashback to a WW2 Nazi death camp, scenes from which were used exploitatvely in the sleeve design of the British Redemption video release.

Cast

- Lucille * Anna Maria Pierangeli - Ester Gardere/Falaise Gardere *

Emilio Gutiérrez Caba Emilio Gutiérrez Caba (born 26 September 1942) is a Spanish film and television actor. Personal Caba is the son of actors and Irene Caba Alba and brother of and Julia, both dedicated to acting too. From his mother side, he is the grandson of ...

- Colin *

Fernando Sancho Fernando Sancho Les (7 January 1916 – 31 July 1990) was a Spanish actor. Biography He was born in Zaragoza, in Aragon, Spain on 7 January 1916 and died at Hospital Militar Gómez Ulla in Madrid on 31 July 1990 from a liver failure during o ...

- Pascal Gorriot * Victor Alcazar - Michel Bordelin * Maria Rosa Schlauza - Elizabeth *

Alfredo Mayo Alfredo Fernández Martínez (17 May 1911 in Barcelona – 19 May 1985 in Palma de Mallorca) better known as Alfredo Mayo was a Spanish actor. Biography After studying medicine, in 1929 Mayo made his debut in the theatre with the company of ...

- police inspector * Giancarlo Sisti - Andre * Luciano Lorcas Catenacci - Antoine * Gaetano Imbro * Bruno Ciangola

Critical Reception

Adrian Luther Smith commented "The film has enough aberrant behavior and neuroses to keep a conference of psychologists busy for a week...a ridiculous overwrought trash masterpiece.....the film even manages to drag in Etruscan skeletons, squawking vultures and flashbacks to a Nazi death camp.....the multiple beheadings are painfully unconvincing.". He added "The plot is so convoluted and bizarre, it defies serious explanation."

Release

The only uncut VHS release of this film was the letterboxed British Redemption video which ran 88 minutes, and had a BBFC 18 Certificate. Severin Films released what they claim is an uncut "87-minute" print on DVD in 2008, "fully restored from the Italian vault elements". The film was released on video in Argentina as ''Mansion Sangriamente'', in France as ''La Folle'', and in Greece as ''Felicity''.

References

External links

*{{IMDb title, 0065693
Film Review: In the Folds of Flesh (Nelle pieghe della carne) (1970)

Anatomy of the Irrational: An attempt to explain In the Folds of the Flesh - Diabolique Magazine
1970 drama films 1970 films Spanish thriller drama films Giallo films Films produced by Sergio Bergonzelli 1970s Italian films 1970s Spanish films