FORMULA FOR A MURDER is a late-stage '80s giallo from director Albert De Martino, who had previously helmed such diverse works as THE PUMA MAN, HOLOCAUST 2000, and THE BLANCHEVILLE MONSTER. His competent handling of the directorial chores means that this is a film where style often wins out over substance, but that's no bad thing in my book.
In many ways, FORMULA FOR A MURDER feels a lot more old-fashioned than your typical giallo. There's a small-scale, low key feel to the nature of the action, and the plot has many twists and turns so that sometimes you feel like you're watching a Hitchcock thriller. The genre it most reminded me of was of the old Hammer psycho thrillers, themselves indebted to PSYCHO, and particular stuff like A TASTE OF FEAR.
The film features fan favourite David Warbeck as a guy who falls in love with a disabled athlete, played by Christina Nagy. Nagy does very well in the unusual lead role; disability isn't often touched in the cinema but it seems to work well when it does pop up, and her character is completely sympathetic as a result. There isn't much in the way of gore here, but there are some great twists, harrowing dream sequences, and a wonderfully extended stalk 'n' slash climax. You could do worse.
In many ways, FORMULA FOR A MURDER feels a lot more old-fashioned than your typical giallo. There's a small-scale, low key feel to the nature of the action, and the plot has many twists and turns so that sometimes you feel like you're watching a Hitchcock thriller. The genre it most reminded me of was of the old Hammer psycho thrillers, themselves indebted to PSYCHO, and particular stuff like A TASTE OF FEAR.
The film features fan favourite David Warbeck as a guy who falls in love with a disabled athlete, played by Christina Nagy. Nagy does very well in the unusual lead role; disability isn't often touched in the cinema but it seems to work well when it does pop up, and her character is completely sympathetic as a result. There isn't much in the way of gore here, but there are some great twists, harrowing dream sequences, and a wonderfully extended stalk 'n' slash climax. You could do worse.