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The deviant population of Milan is being targeted by a murderer (the first victim we see is a heroin addict who looks like what would have happened if Demetri Martin were portraying Shaggy from Scooby Doo) who likes to leave a blood-soaked ornamental dragonfly on the bodies of his or her victims. Why? Don’t ask me, ask Inspector Paolo Sacporella (my hero and yours, Paul Naschy sporting one hell of a stellar mustache). He’s the sometimes violent lawman with his hands full trying to figure out who the psychopath is and how he can put an end to all this death. It’s especially important because this case is his big break and may get him away from dealing exclusively with perverts. At least that’s how the chief kind of phrases it. Paolo’s wife Silvana (my crush and yours Erika Blanc) may be able to help when the killer leaves a unique button behind and she happens to be friendly with some folks who deal in haute couture. Refreshingly, he has no trouble sharing the grizzly details with her and asking for her help. It’s a pretty great fucking team. It helps that it’s two euro-horror dreamboats but the healthy relationship between a husband and wife in a giallo (even a Spanish one) is a pleasant surprise. The couple’s friend group is full of interesting folks and some of them seem like they may be hiding more than a couple things. Eduardo Calvo (House of Psychotic Women, The Devil’s Cross) shows up as a professor who offers some more clues involving the historical context of the dragonfly added to the clothing of undesirables. He also has a necrophilia kink so… don’t worry, it’s just live girls playing dead… well, ok, worry a little. Of course there’s the possibility of a conspiracy in the works which always puts our hero and the woman he loves in danger. Even more so when the killer starts communicating with Paolo. Death by sword, by hatchet, by Bigfoot costume, by golf club and even by umbrella keep the bodycount rising. Paul Naschy rocks an apron while he cooks, Erika Blanc rocks every piece of clothing she wears, full frontal nudity is on display, so is concerning facial hair, more than a few people look like they could use a shower, Nascy’s chubby stunt double gets the shit kicked out of him by some Nazis who look like they have a background in musical theater, Erika Blanc somehow makes pigtails work, a person of interest becomes a head in a box (delivered as a birthday present to our dear inspector!), a Nazi is shot off his motorbike, a homosexual dressmaker is not treated as a joke (he’s actually instrumental in solving the mystery), the fashion looks like it was created by a clown throwing up while exploding, there’s a shootout between Naschy and a drag performer at a circus (yes, a rollercoaster comes into play and it’s just as poorly thought out as one would imagine), multiple tumbling dummies serve as human stuntmen and Erika Blanc does some detective work buck naked in her bed… I mean, this movie has everything! My only complaint is that we didn’t get an ongoing series of Naschy and Blanc solving crimes together.
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