The Young, the Evil and the Savage (1968)

the audience applauded

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

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

This solid and enjoyable if unremarkable Giallo from director Antonio Margheriti has quite the titillating title, but it's a bit of a misnomer. People hungry for something really sleazy will be sorely disappointed. Only one person dies while naked, and that's right at the beginning. Also, some viewers won't appreciate the lack of explicit gore and nudity.At least "Naked You Die" has a decent story. It's fairly uncomplicated, and easy to follow, although it is also, in the end, pretty predictable. It benefits from a typically lovely and engaging cast of ladies. Another bonus is the presence of familiar faces Mark Damon ("House of Usher" 1960) and Michael Rennie ("The Day the Earth Stood Still" 1951). And fans of Italian cinema will be pleased to have Luciano Pigozzi, a.k.a. Alan Collins, a.k.a. "The Italian Peter Lorre", on hand as a creepy gardener.A mysterious psycho kills a woman, and has her body sent to the distant St. Hilda's School for Girls. Soon, they'll be running amok at this place, and the girls will live in terror until the police (led by Mr. Rennie) turn up.All things considered, this is an entertaining thriller, with very nice widescreen photography by Fausto Zuccoli. The music by Carlo Savina is sometimes good, but at other times it's hilariously inappropriate, sounding more like something you'd hear in a James Bond adventure. The dialogue can be very silly on occasion. Performances are good, with Sally Smith a standout as Jill. Jill is an aspiring novelist with an overactive imagination, a perfect character for such a story. Some viewers may find her annoying, but this viewer thought that she was charming. Eleonora Brown is a fine heroine, Damon is likable, and Rennie has a very calming presence that adds a great deal to this film.As long as people are aware ahead of time not to let the title get their hopes up, they can have a good time with this one.Seven out of 10.

Co-written, albeit unaccredited, by Mario Bava (who's the greatest Italian horror genius of all times) and directed by Antonio Margheriti (who's the most underrated Italian horror genius of all time); this simply had to be a terrific Giallo-outing and a downright must-see for all fans of the Italian horror industry. It's a bit unfortunate that the majority of reviews I encountered thus far aren't as enthusiast as they ought to be. Several people seem to complain about the predictability of the plot and the overall lack of rudimentary Giallo trademarks like gory murders and naked chicks. Well, they do make a valid point but also appear to be forgetting that "Naked You Die" is actually one of the earliest entries in this wondrous sub genre of horror, predating Dario Argento's most famous Gialli ("Deep Red", "Bird with the Crystal Plumage") and carefully elaborating on the trend started by the aforementioned deity Mario Bava ("The Girl Who Knew Too Much", "Blood and Black Lace"). "Naked You Die" was made in an era when clichéd plot twists were still considered original and the image of black gloved hands around the neck of a young defenseless co-ed were still found ultimately shocking and disturbing. On the contrary, I bet in 1968 "Naked You Die" was quite controversial and provocative with its themes about lewd boarding schoolgirls secretly meeting up with their hunky teachers at night and pervert janitors peeping at young girls showering. And, if anything, this was undeniably an influential piece of horror film-making being one of the first to use a remote all-girl school as the playground setting for a psychopathic killer. Several films followed this example, including "The House that Screamed", "What Have you done to Solange" and – not in the least – Dario Argento's "Suspira" and more recent Lucky McKee's "The Woods".The movie opens with the atmospheric and reasonably creepy murder of a young woman in her bathtub. For whatever motivation, the killer literally parcels up the victim in a suitcase and sends her to a secluded boarding school. Here, we meet a handful of playful and very sexy girls and an assembly of staff members (teachers, headmasters and garden personnel) that all appear suspicious in some way. As to be expected, not everything is kosher in this boarding school. The riding teacher meets up with his favorite pupil in the birdhouse, the overly talkative girl aspires to date the new gym teacher and the gardener is a peeping tom. When girls mysteriously start to disappear and turn up brutally murdered, the experienced police detective Durant has a difficult time getting everyone to fully cooperate with the investigation and tell the truth. The first half hour to forty-five minutes (after the promising intro) admittedly pass very tediously and there isn't much excitement to behold, but at the same time you could also claim director Margheriti takes the time and effort to extendedly introduce all his main characters and make them look extra suspicious. The pacing increases quite a bit around the hour, but sadly from then on the film also becomes very predictable and the climax is even downright transparent. Still, avid Giallo buffs will unquestionably find "Naked You Die" a highly pleasing effort, partly also thanks to the stylish photography, adequate acting performances and the stupendously catchy and rhythmic credit song "Nightmare".

Mario Bava is generally credited with creating the Giallo with his 1963 movies The Girl Who Knew Too Much and Blood and Black Lace. While a few more examples were made in the 1960s, the Giallo really took-off after Dario Argento released The Bird with the Crystal Plumage in 1970. I mention these two dates because I think they're important when discussing 1968's The Young, the Evil & the Savage because they point how early in the Giallo cycle it falls. Yet, strangely enough, the movie feels rater tired. It's difficult for me to explain why, but I'll give it a try.Part of the problem is that even though The Young, the Evil & the Savage is an early Giallo, it's actually rather unoriginal. There's very little new ground broken in the movie. It plays like a cross between the previously mentioned Blood and Black Lace and the 1962 film Werewolf in a Girls' Dormitory. Replace the werewolf with a mad killer and copy some of Bava's murder scenes and you've got The Young, the Evil & the Savage.Another factor that makes The Young, the Evil & the Savage feel tired is its rather staid, conservative look especially when compared with other films of the same period. There's really no comparison between this film and Lucio Fulci's One on Top of the Other made just a year later. Fulci's film has that hip, colorful, groovy feel to it that is definitely a product of the swinging 60s. To this day, it maintains its fresh and interesting look. The Young, the Evil & the Savage, on the other hand, has a feel and look to it of something much older. Visually, it has more in common with the previously mentioned 1962 film Werewolf in a Girl's Dormitory than it does something from 1968.There are, however, a couple of reasons to see this movie. First, if you're a Giallo fan, the novelty of seeing such an early example should not be bypassed. From a historical perspective, it's an interesting film. Second, the final twist where the killer is revealed is quite well done and is easily the highlight of the movie. I'm seen a number of Gialli with underwhelming finales, so it was nice to see one where the ending was not only a winner, but the best thing about the movie.* Edit: I just watched Dark Sky's new transfer of The Young, the Evil, and the Savage (or Naked You Die). Gotta say it was like watching a different movie. There's nothing like have a nice looking transfer with good sound and cuts restored to make you change your mind about a movie. It's still not the best Giallo I've ever seen, but my opinion has improved. Dark Sky's transfer gave the movie some of that funkiness I thought it so desperately needed. Things like the mod/matching clothes to the groovy title song really stood out. I'm definitely glad I gave it another chance.

There are artists (like Argento)and there are hacks (like Bruno Mattei) and inbetween there are pros like Antonio Margheriti. He could turn out quite competent movies which, although lacking in originality, have a certain verve. This one develops more along the lines of an Agatha Christie effort than anything else, eschewing as it does the supernatural elements of the ostensibly similar SUSPIRIA. I wouldn't bother with the cut version as it has been trimmed of almost all the nudity and violence, which are pretty much what one watches these things for. What remains are the performances: Michael Rennie fans should beware as he is barely in it, but there is a great (dubbed) turn from Lorenza Guerrieri as Jill, a hyper-imaginative pupil.For Margheriti fans, I would place this among his dreary late-60s efforts - nowhere near the Gothic elegance of DANSE MACABRE or VIRGIN OF NUREMBERG, and neither coming close to the simple joie de vivre of his 80s movies with David Warbeck.