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Naked You Die
[Dark Sky Films]
1968; color
Directed by Antonio Margheriti
Starring: Mark Damon, Eleonora Brown, Michael Renine, Sally Smith, Patrizia Valturri, Ludmilla Lvova & Luciano Pigozzi
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Naked You Die sports an impressive, if not confusing lineage. Giallo master Mario Bava penned the script (originally titled Cry Nightmare) and Antonio Margheriti (Long Hair Of Death, Castle Of Blood, Cannibal Apocalypse, etc…) got the nod to direct. AIP retitled the finished film The Young, The Evil and The Savage, and then chopped it up to fit on US double bills. (Alongside Conqueror Worm; which makes no sense as a pairing, but that's another train of thought altogether.) Newly released on DVD under the title Naked You Die, we have the original unedited version and it's definitely a strong entry in the genre - replete with red herrings, as well a great swerve at the end that I won't reveal. (Although I will say it was one Bunny and I joked about earlier in the movie, with absolutely no idea it would come to pass.) The pace builds slowly at first but once the hunt for the killer is on everything quickens substantially, which lends a snowball effect to the proceedings and helps the conclusion seem even more dramatic and intense. Using one of the tried and true Giallo settings (an exclusive all girls school) combined with a traditional horror angle (the school is conveniently on break so that only a handful of students are around), the school's sprawling campus becomes a character in itself. (Particularly because it's so damn big you can pretty much hide, or hide a body, anywhere.) After we settle in with the first couple murders, and an air of confusion and terror begins to descend on the school, the plot begins to unfold and a girl named Lucille becomes the center of attention. It seems she's about to come into a large inheritance when she turns 18 (in a few days), and her guardian back in Paris (who also manages her money) has been missing for about two months. Coincidentally, there's a new riding instructor on campus (named Richard Barrett), who's been at the school approximately two months, along with a new gym teacher (Mr. di Brazzi) and a new natural history teacher (Ms. Clay). Lucille, it turns out, is also having a romance with Richard that's very much hush-hush (the old student-teacher thing, y'know), and "coincidentally" every time they're supposed to meet, a body turns up in their meeting place; thus casting major light on Richard as the prime suspect. Lucille, though she professes her love for him, also begins to think Richard has ulterior motives. Soon more bodies crop up, narrowing down the process of interviewing the remaining students and teachers, while simultaneously increasing the likelihood of Richard's guilt. Out of nowhere though, the body of Ms. Clay (who, up until now, was basically lurking around the halls sounding monotonic and glum) turns up all dead and disfigured in the lime pit. (Doesn't every girls' school have one?) Shortly after, a note is found in her room confessing her murderous guilt. Needless to say, this stuns and confuses the cops, not to mention the audience. Thanks to a snoopy student who wants to be a crime novelist though, the real killer is soon killed just as Lucille is about to become the final victim. As stated earlier, this final twist is definitely out of left field but, if we follow the rules of Giallo it makes perfect sense. While Naked You Die might not be for the genre novice (as it is a bit confusing) it's definitely got a lot to offer, even for the casual fan.
—Giallo Biafra
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