Hotel Fear (1978)

i know i wasted 90 mins of my life.

Excellent, Without a doubt!!

This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

This giallo is a film which has a good reputation despite its relative obscurity. I, therefore, had high expectations going into this one and have to say I came out of it a little disappointed. Firstly, it is a little questionable whether this truly qualifies as a giallo at all. It might just be me admittedly but I tend to think that films of this sub-genre need to be set in contemporary times (at the time of filming), whereas this feature has an atypical period setting. This simple detail gives it a different tone from other typical gialli, meaning it feels like a film somewhat apart from the others. Set in an Italian hotel during the latter stages of the Second World War, it focuses on a teenage girl who helps her mother run the establishment as she waits for her father to return from the front. Meanwhile, her mother hides a traitor in the attic, who is her secret lover, and the hotel is otherwise filled with an assortment of guests who could charitably be described as oddballs and more honestly be categorised as sleaze-bags, with all of them seeming to be using the hotel as a means of hiding from the horrors of the war. Murder, sexual assault and dark secrets soon follow.This one was directed by Francesco Barilli, who was responsible for the earlier The Perfume of the Lady in Black (1974), which was a more traditional giallo which remains one of the most visually beautiful in the genre. Pensione Paura is definitely less impressive for me. It is very slow to get going with little actually happening for a long time, so much so it really had me wondering just where exactly this one was going. The murder/mystery side of the story almost felt tagged on in order to tie it in with others in giallo category, as a means of marketing it easier. But this side of the story is too under-developed to have much impact both in terms of the murders themselves which are either off-screen or very brief and also the mystery aspect which only really is detailed very late on and makes little sense. Although admittedly, the senseless part is one thing that does tie this one in with its giallo brethren, as does its cast of unlikable characters. By no means is this a bad film, it's just one whose reputation suggests it will add up to more. It's odd ambiance and hotel setting reminded me a little of the earlier giallo Death Falls Lightly (1972), which was a film which improved on a re-watch; perhaps this one will be the same.

Its so satisfying to see a film like Pensione Paura, a rarity that really excels. Never released in English speaking territories and hence best seen on fan subtitled rips, its as worthy an outing of Italian horror as any others from the same period, indeed is actually superior to many. Best to know as little as possible about the plot before viewing as the film is slow in its revelations and hardly conventional, but essentially Pensione Paura is the tale of Rosa, daughter to hotel owners at the tail end of WW2 and awaiting her fathers return from fighting, who finds herself at the mercy of her assorted and somewhat dubious patrons. Its not really a plot focused film, more a matter of mood, slow accumulation of uneasy events, of aberrant characters, creating a mounting doom-like weight till all gives way. Little is fully explained, there are a variety of intrigues that move the characters along without ever becoming fully clear. Like Rosa we make our way through the fog of mystery, through the hotel with its colors, its peepholes, all decaying in isolation, fluid camera work and rich reds, blues and yellows compelling us in the journey. And the beautiful Leonora Fani as Rosa (one of her classier roles, she was also in Giallo A Venezia and Bestialita) makes for a perfect centre, pushed to the edge of her resources with innocence rubbing raw its almost impossible not to care for her and feel increasingly afraid. A shame she never achieved all that much fame as she really is terrific, highly watchable even in the quietest moments. Luca Merenda is the other big hitter of the film, in a bolder role as a scuzzy ageing playboy, he makes for a splendid arrogant brute, while Spanish veteran Francisco Rabal (Dagon) is warm yet frayed as one of the more sympathetic figures of the piece. Even the smaller roles convince, everyone coming together to make the film a smooth journey so as affairs turn darker and darker into a freaky and uncompromising finale it packs all the more ultimate punch. There is a small sense in which the film is too traditional, there are assorted moments, though variously suspenseful that remind us we are watching a giallo of sorts, and so the ultimate potential is never quite fulfilled. The relationship of characters and location is there, social and geographical isolation feeding the base and craven in man, decaying environment fuelling moral downward spiral, but the these themes aren't all that developed for all that they intrigue. Also the tension and fear of the piece stems more from events than themes, so instead of the truly exploratory, revelatory piece that lurks under the surface we have a top notch genre film that merely shines a searchlight. Yep, its still top notch. Could have done with a bit more blood, but for all that I've been jabbering you should know there are still some shocking jolts and a bit of sleaze and nudity. Its an arty film but it ain't yanking your chain, its still accessible. Those who shun slow burns should stay far away as for much of the first two thirds this only just about feels like horror, but if you can dig the suspense this is highly recommended. 9/10

"Pensione Paura" takes place in northern Italy during the last months of World War 2 - the war is not really important for the story of the film, but rather its psychological aspects. The authorities in power are about to fall and new authorities will soon take over. There's in reality a power void, and this stimulates the people to drop their masks and live out their desires - there's just a thin veil of control holding them in place. The war is something far away. The only time the war shows its presence is during a night air raid. What really concerns the people (as always) is their own survival. In this nowhere land, Marta (Lidia Biondi), seconded by her daughter Rosa (Leonora Fani), runs a hotel. The hotel's guests are dubious and/or shady characters. There's a man who lost all his family in a bombardment and he walks around mumbling about his family, spying on other people. What's up with him? There's also a sleazy gigolo, Rodolfo (Luc Merenda) and his rich lover (Jole Fierro). Rodolfo doesn't limit himself to exploiting rich women, he has still other plans in mind, but what really turns him on is the sight of Rosa. He lusts after her. There's Marta's lover (Francisco Rabal) hidden in a room in a distant corner of the hotel. He's in hiding for political reasons. Two noisy war profiteers (so it seems) and their lovers complete the picture.One night we hear a shrill cry. A body is found. Now Rosa stands alone in the world.What really happened? The hotel, its dark corridors, its mysterious guests - a vague but also very real threat seems to hover around. The arrival of two unexpected guests with a very suspicious behavior (thugs? police?) thickens the plot still more.Rosa has a father that is away fighting with the partisans. Rosa thinks of him, writes to him. She thinks that when he comes back everything will be alright again. But meanwhile, the black cloud has grown larger and larger - violence and murders...And red becomes the color. The climax is really delirious, and by the ending of the film we are left with a great interrogation mark. So violent and yet so peaceful! "Pensione Paura" is a showcase, particularly for Leonora Fani (her beauty and talent), but all the cast deliver good performances. Francesco Barilli directed the masterpiece "Il profumo della signora in nero" and gives us with "Pensione Paura", another worthy film. In spite of their obvious differences, both films have some striking similarities. "Pensione Paura" is an excellent film, but like "Il profumo della signora in nero" is a difficult film to write about.

This is the second film I've watched from little-known director Barilli; like the first – the slightly superior THE PERFUME OF THE LADY IN BLACK (1974) – it can be labeled an arty horror film…though, frankly, there's much more of the former than the latter this time around! In fact, it's set during World War II in a downtrodden Italian hotel run by a woman (whose husband is a flyer) and her innocent young daughter.Apart from the somewhat wasted Francisco Rabal (as a partisan informer hiding out in the titular hotel and a paramour of its owner), the casting looks rather unimpressive on paper but, surprisingly, we get a couple of excellent performances from the two nominal leads – 23-year-old Leonora Fani (as the harassed daughter who is an object of desire to several of the hotel's guests!) and an unheralded sleazy turn from usual 'good guy' Luc Merenda (as a shady stud living off a rich mature keeper). Both Merenda and Fani are involved in several nude scenes and, in the latter's case, looking much younger than her true age makes for some disturbing viewing (particularly her rape by Merenda himself – witnessed by the latter's mistress and by which she's visibly aroused!).The film has a memorably sinister soundtrack by one Adolfo Waitzman which may best be suited to accompany a bona-fide giallo, but it certainly elevates the end product considerably; the composer's name didn't register with me at first, but a quick check on his IMDb resume' soon revealed him to also be the man behind the music for (at least) two other significant "Euro-Cult" efforts – Jess Franco's THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MIRROR (1973) and Claudio Guerin Hill's A BELL FORM HELL (1973). Also notable in PENSIONE PAURA, the film's original title, is the atmospheric lighting – where the adoption of various color gels for disquieting effect was, in all probability, directly influenced by Dario Argento' contemporaneous classic of supernatural horror SUSPIRIA (1977).As with most efforts from this genre, the major liability would have to be its deliberate pacing – however, since the film is a mood-piece first and foremost, I guess it was to be expected and, well, unavoidable. Still, the shock moments (when they come) certainly deliver the goods – with the most effective being the double axe-murder of Merenda and his lover (with its slimy aftermath), and the last-minute rescue of the heroine (about to be victimized yet again) which turns into a machine-gun massacre of the hotel's entire guest list by an as-yet unidentified character (soon revealed to be a partisan companion of Fani's reportedly deceased father). The latter scene actually leads immediately into the unexpected and ambiguous conclusion – which seems to be a particular thorn with most viewers discussing the film on an Italian forum; then again, a happy ending would have been highly unlikely for an essentially somber piece such as this! Until the fairly recent Italian DVD release, this was considered a very rare item even on its home turf; hopefully, the film's reputation will soar in future…even though it's one the director himself seems not to like much at all (undeservedly, if you ask me)!