The Film (3.5/5)

After a botched abortion, a series of bloody murders break out at a Milan fashion house. Two unlikely detectives, Carlo (Nino Castelnuovo), a photographer at the aforementioned fashion house and his assistant/girlfriend Magda (Edwige Fenech), get to work trying to solve the case. The pair can’t work with the police because Carlo happens to be one of the suspects. He also deserves to be in jail because he’s just a massive piece of shit. Seriously, he’s actively not helping the investigation at all and worse, he treats Magda like garbage. Fuck you, Carlo! Sorry about that. Where was I? The cops have their hands full thanks to a bevy of red herrings who are all sketchy as heck. The killer’s propensity for hacking up his victim’s genitals is also a concern. 

Strip Nude for Your Killer comes from exploitation maestro Andrea Bianchi who directed such trash classics as Cry of a Prostitute (1974), Malabimba (1979), and splatter fan favorite, Burial Ground: The Nights of Terror (1981). While it came out a full two years after the tail end of the giallo’s heyday, this 1975 film proves that some choice titles were still popping up like awkward erections at a crime scene. Like his contemporaries, Bianchi knew the trend was headed towards sleaze so he injected Strip Nude with as much lewdness as he could.

This film plays like a parody, thanks in part to the goofy English dubbing. While it never goes so far as to become an outright slapstick giallo comedy in the vein I due gattoni a nove code... e mezza ad Amsterdam (1972), starring prolific Italian comedic duo Franco Franchi and Ciccio Ingrassia, there’s an undeniable comedic element to the proceedings. Bianchi and co-writer Massimo Felisatti penned a sly script that preys on the expectations of audiences well versed in the trappings of the giallo.

Even though the budget feels cheap (especially with the repetitious use of the same sets over and over), this is far from a throwaway title thanks in no small part to a fine cast including genre film staples Femi Benussi and Erna Schurer. Naturally, Edwige Fenech is radiant as Magda, a plucky gal with terrible taste in men. It’s important to note that even though his character is a garbage person, Nino Castelnuovo is always a welcome presence on the screen. He plays this problematic dude (read as: asshole) with gusto, literally standing on his head for the audience. I would be remiss not to mention comedic actor Franco Diogene, who plays Maurizio, a man with the least understated case of erectile dysfunction ever portrayed on film. Is there an awards ceremony for that?

Audio/Video (4/5)

The video presentation for this Arrow Blu looks pretty great. I wouldn’t exactly call this a revelation but it’s definitely an upgrade in picture quality over the previous Blue Underground Blu-ray. Cinematographer Franco Delli Colli’s camerawork looks tantalizingly luscious -and more than little lascivious- on this release. The English dub and the incredibly funky score by Berto Pisano are darn near perfectly balanced. A welcome addition to this release is the original Italian language track with English subtitles. Some of the silliness of the English version is toned down with this option, which may or may not give fans more mileage out of this release. There’s even a bit of minor dialogue in the Italian that was never translated into the English dub at all.

Extras (5/5)

I hope you have a comfortable chair (or sex swing) because this release has got a full load of extras for you to wade through. There’s an audio commentary by Horrorpedia’s Adrian J. Smith and David Flint. There’s an excellent and hugely informative video essay by Kat Ellinger (editor-in-chief of Diabolique magazine) about the career of Edwige Fenech.

There are interviews with two cast members. First up is Nino Castelnuovo, who is just so damn charming! He shares insights into a career in film that spans over 60 years, including reminisces about working with Lucio Fulci, Franco Nero, and George Hilton on Massacre Time (1966). Next, Erna Schurer is an eccentric delight to watch. She talks candidly about her career, including a story about punching a fellow actress in the face while holding a pipe -the tobacco kind, not the lead kind used for bludgeoning.

For Italian genre cinema nerds, there are a pair of extensive interviews with assistant director Daniele Sangiorgi and production manager Tino Polenghi. They provide fascinating insights and behind-the-scenes information about the era of filmmaking that Strip Nude for Your Killer was made during. But that’s not all! There are two versions of the graphic opening scene of the film, one which was tinted blue to soften its effect for different territories. This release also comes with an awesome booklet with illustrations and production stills. It includes an article by film critic Rachael Nisbet, whose take on the film is an essential and entertaining read. Rounding things off is an image gallery and Italian and English trailers for Strip Nude.

Overall

I don’t know about you but when I strip nude, I only ever do it for my killer. Gore, style, intrigue, sex, sleaze, and a nightclub sequence that looks like it was snatched right out of a Jess Franco film; what more could you possibly ask for from this life? For me, Strip Nude for Your Killer isn’t one of my go-to titles but I can’t deny that it’s entertaining as hell and much smarter than folks give it credit for. Shocking no one, Arrow Video has dropped the definitive release of this film onto the world and I highly recommend that you pick it up. There’s only one way to end this review and that’s with three magic words: “surprise butt sex”. Thank you. I’ll show myself out.