BootDigest Such a frustrating disappointment

Sexyloutak Absolutely the worst movie.

Zlatica One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

Darin One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

Leofwine_draca A superior giallo classic from Aldo Lado, who would follow it up with the watchable but not quite so gripping WHO SAW HER DIE?. SHORT NIGHT OF THE GLASS DOLLS is an acknowledged classic of the genre for the few people who have seen it, a suspenseful and thoroughly atmospheric conspiracy thriller which takes an understated approach to rival the sheer claustrophobic paranoia of such '70s classics as INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS. Lado's movie is expertly-made, from the stylish cinematography which brings the beauty of the Prague location to the fore, to the strong acting on display and the fitting score by genre maestro Ennio Morricone.The conspiracy lies at the centre of the movie and we watch as the lead, Gregory, gradually gets a step nearer at a time to discovering the truth about the disappearance of his girlfriend, as played by the incredibly fragile Barbara Bach. The slow-paced nature of the narrative may be off-putting to some viewers but the lack of action is by no means a hindrance, rather a plus as Lado takes time out to characterise the leads, build atmosphere, and also work on the level of suspense the film offers, ever increasing. The framing narrative of the story unusually comes from the point of view of Gregory's corpse, or rather his body as he is suffering from a form of the rare condition catalepsy (which of course led to Edgar Allan Poe's fears of being buried alive). However, the fear of something much worse is at hand here - an autopsy! The finale involves Gregory's body being laid on the autopsy table in front of a student college and is sheer nail-biting stuff, which brings the tension up to breaking point and is near unwatchable. An extremely powerful conclusion that I can't really say any more about, other than it's well worth waiting for and one of the scariest bits of cinema I've seen in a long while.Lado ignores the typical horrific approach for the genre - i.e. to ladle in oodles of sadism and gore - and instead concentrates on psychological horror over the physical stuff - there are no faces burned off by acid or gruesome knifings in this movie. Instead what we have is a deliberate pacing which helps get us into the increasingly desperate head of the lead Gregory as he alienates those around him and becomes a murder suspect himself as he hunts for the missing Mira, becoming increasingly dishevelled as he does so. Lado has some excellent set pieces in which the filming and lighting are spot on (take for instance the shot where Gregory hides in the darkened room, or the train station murder sequence). Technically the film is perfect and, seen in its subtitled version, the dialogue is witty, believable, and often packed with double-meanings.Jean Sorel is perfectly cast as the young, handsome male lead, in what is a chivalrous and Franco Nero-type role. His acting gets better as he gets increasingly fraught throughout the production and I couldn't imagine a better actor in the role. The supporting cast also turn in strong performances which give the movie a realistic edge - you don't feel like you're watching actors acting here, just real people. Lado deepens his movie with political subtexts and inserts some arty clues (a case of butterflies which cannot fly), which are the norm for the genre. The title, incidentally, refers to a crystal chandelier which hangs above Sorel's bed. Other spine-shuddering moments include mysterious characters hanging around on street corners (always a good scare for me) and a really weird orgy/Satanic ritual which comes as a real surprise. Lado's movie avoids being sleazy (there are nude scenes, but mainly of old women!) and gory yet stands out as one of the highlights of the giallo genre - a minor classic that deserves a better reputation than the (lack of) one it has at the moment.

GL84 Brought into the city morgue, a still-alive American recalls visiting Prague with his girlfriend when he stumbles onto the mysterious disappearance of a young woman and sets out to find her which plunges him deeper into the underworld and forces him to stop the nefarious plans.This one has quite a lot to really like about it. What really works well here is the fact that this one manages to dwell quite heavily in such an engrossing mystery that it's main protagonist going crazy trying to solve it doesn't seem the slightest bit ludicrous or out- of-place. The early set-ups here, from the main part of him paralyzed trying to remember what happened and launching from there into the recollections of the events that transpire throughout here, from the party and her eventual disappearance to the gruesome discovery in the river and how that works into providing the remaining parts of the storyline. That leads into the more enjoyable giallo portions in the later half where he finds himself stumbling onto a fine mystery and getting into the usual demands of such a situation, generated by the fact that there's some rather ingenious scenes of him being psychologically tormented by the overt attempts on his life in the encounter in his hotel room or the murderer striking at the train-tracks which are clearly after him yet there's little about the scenes themselves that make sense in his unraveling of the mystery that draws him deeper into the underworld club that's at the center of his quest, and more importantly the scenes there not only wrap the film into quite a thrilling series of twists as well as the addition of some sleazy thrills to be had there with the disturbing orgy featured and the nice chase out of the club. Likewise, these are bolstered quite well with the interludes of him on the slab waiting to determine why he's showing the signs of death yet is not truly dead yet, and though these may somewhat disrupt the flow here there's more than enough to get engaged with the gradual tension of what's to come whether or not they realize this in time makes for a gripping main storyline on display. While these here give this a lot to really like, it's still a flawed effort overall. One of the biggest issues here is the fact that this one tends to interrupt it's main storyline chase for a series of overly bland and unimpressive shots here not only showing him being hounded by the police officer or at the music centers but also the numerous inserts of him on the phone calling others that it does seem to stutter at times. Due to the low body-count in here, that does compound measures somewhat slightly as well with the fact that there's not a whole lot of truly overt and obvious giallo leanings that come from this one, and on the whole these here are what hold it down.Rated R: Violence, Full Nudity, Language and drug use.

Scott LeBrun Handsome Jean Sorel plays Gregory Moore, an American reporter in Prague. At the beginning of the film, his supposedly dead body is discovered in a park. However, the word "supposedly" must be used because Gregory's mind is still active, yet he cannot move a muscle. While attempting in vain to try to indicate to observers that he's not really dead, his mind flashes back to his recent past. He'd become obsessed when his smoking hot young girlfriend, Mira (Barbara Bach) had disappeared, and done quite a bit of sleuthing of his own.This unusual structure lends a nice hook to this effort from writer / director Aldo Lado. One can hardly fail to notice how subtle and deliberately paced it is. It's also not punctuated by the typical spate of elaborate and bloody killings. Therefore, it will not appeal to all devotees of the Giallo genre. But patient viewers will find it to be a reasonably absorbing story, with Lado making very fine use out of many striking locations. One valuable component is an excellent soundtrack by the always reliable Ennio Morricone. There is a certain aspect of sleaziness to Lado's scenario, considering the ultimate revelation that is in store for Gregory. It involves the sight of many, shall we say, older people doffing their clothes for the camera.Sorel is quite engaging in the central role. Ingrid Thulin (who is actually top billed) is fine in the supporting role of his associate Jessica. Ms. Bach looks positively luscious in her brief time on screen. Recommended viewing for those new to this genre.Seven out of 10.

Witchfinder General 666 Aldo Lado's "La Corta Notte Delle Bambole Di Vetro" aka. "Short Night Of The Glass Dolls" of 1971 is a work of art in style and beauty that every fellow lover of Italian Horror cinema should see for its many ingenious aspects. Yet, I cannot deny that I was a tiny bit disappointed with this film, which I bought under the title "Malastrana" and which several fellow Giallo-enthusiasts had recommended to me as something absolutely unique. My expectations were high, and I also expected something quite different in the film. I was (miss)lead to believe that "Malastrana" was a typical Giallo, and while it can be attributed to the Giallo-genre, it can not really be described as a Giallo in the traditional sense. It was not the lack of stylish murders from the perspective of a black-gloved killer that bothered me, however. The visually striking film has a downright brilliant premise and an ingenious ending, but in-between it tends to drag a little. While the general atmosphere is an eerie one, however, I would have loved a little more genuine scares.Not that the film wasn't suspenseful. It actually builds up a great tension. The film begins very promising, when a man (Jean Sorel) is brought to a morgue while he is actually still alive. The man, who soon remembers that he is Gregory, an American Journalist working in Prague, experiences how he is pronounced dead, and yet he is unable to do anything about his situation. He therefore decides that all he can do is to try and remember how he got in this peculiar situation... A more than original beginning indeed, which made my expectations for the rest of the film even higher. A fellow Giallo fan had described the film as one of his personal favorites to me, and in the beginning I almost felt that it might become one of mine. Sadly, there are some points that I didn't like. The film drags a little in the middle, and the suspense could sometimes have been more intense. Also, the film does not really make the viewer care for the characters, which lessens the intensity a little. Then again, the film has many brilliant aspects. Visually, the film is incredibly striking. The photography is beautifully done and Prague is an excellent setting for a Giallo, even more for one with an occult twist. The visual impressions are intensified by a brilliant score by maestro Ennio Morricone. Jean Sorell is very good in the lead and the rest of the performances are also brilliant. The cast includes the great Mario Adorf in a typically unpolished role, and the immortal Ingrid Thulin. The ravishing Barbara Bach is unbelievably beautiful in the role of Mira, the main protagonist's young girlfriend who takes every man's breath away. Overall, "Short Night Of The Glass Dolls" did not quite live up to my very high expectations, but it is not the film alone which can be blamed for that. I began to watch this film expecting a masterpiece, and while, in my opinion, it is not, it is nonetheless a highly atmospheric, original and visually striking film that no Italian Horror fan should consider missing. Especially the ending is breathtaking. Not an absolute masterpiece, in my opinion, and yet highly recommended to all my fellow Giallo-buffs!