The Psychic

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🎙️ EPISODE 279: 07.15.2020 I find it pretty hard to critique someone like Fulci, who is such an acquired taste in many ways. On some level, I want to love him more than I do/have and perhaps that's a problem with not having seen the right stuff (only 4 of his 40+ features) or some other dischord with how my perception of my own personal tastes is different than the reality of it. (I assume it's somewhere in between here and there, honestly). Having previously reviewed his Gates of Hell Trilogy, I can say that this is decidedly more "giallo" than it is horror. There's not much by way of blood and gore here, and quite honestly those practical effects were kind of the best part of those movies. Thankfully we have some absolutely delightful moments with a few unimportant characters which provide some "lost in translation" chuckles, like this Italian barber and his ridiculous overdub...

The funny overdubs, like the unfortunately absent gore, is a big part of the appeal. Don't ask me to explain why. It's a secret club and you either appreciate or you don't.

Anyway, this one had its moments throughout and the kooky plot anchoring it was either too kooky or not kooky enough. The original Italian title of this was Sette note in nero ("Seven notes in black") and was variously released around the world as Murder to the Tune of the Seven Black Notes and Death Tolls Seven Times, and most notably in America: The Psychic (I watched a recent Blu-ray transfer packaged as that but with the title card, Murder to the Tune of the Seven Black Notes). This is all part of the fun, though. The appeal of giallo in 2020 is as steeped in irony as it is in genuine appreciation for the techniques and methods employed by the filmmakers.

Oh, I should mention that part of the reason why I didn't like this more is that it could never live up to its opening sequence...


Other fun/random moments include this lady saying she's had 56 lovers and hasn't murdered one of them...

and just some general loveliness re the editing, the mood and music, a giallo staple...

Anyways, sorry for this scatterbrained review (as usual). The FulciHeads deserve better, and–in fact–I hope to one day count myself among them. Godspeed.

CHRONOLOGICALLY
⫷ EPISODE 278 - (YOU ARE HERE) - EPISODE 280 ⫸

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