The Monster of Venice (1965)

- Il mostro di Venezia
One memorable moment cannot save a movie, 22 September 2005

A deranged frogman is kidnapping the most beautiful women of Venice and taking them to the sunken cathedral that serves as his lair. Once there, he dons a hooded robe and skull mask and embalms the young women in an attempt to preserve their beauty. The police are so ineffective that it's up to a local reporter to crack the case. And when his sweetheart goes missing, he steps up his efforts to discover the whereabouts of the missing women and the crazed killer.

What Works:

- The Chase Scene. The final chase scene through the cathedral does provide a few suspenseful moments. It also provides the only real memorable image from the movie. The scene where the hooded, masked killer hides himself among the decaying corpses of the monks is easily the highlight of The Monster of Venice.

What Doesn't Work:

- The Acting. In a word, it's abysmal. I don't think it's just a case of bad dubbing – these people couldn't be convincing if their life depended on it.

- The Travelogue. While Venice is undeniably a beautiful city, much of the movie appears to have been directed by the local tourism bureau. We are treated to scene after scene of the lovely buildings and waterways of Venice. While they are certainly some nice looking moments, they have nothing to do with the movie and bring an already dull script to a screeching halt.

- The Killer's Monologue. The hooded killer loves to go on and on about preserving the beauty of his captives. It quickly becomes pointless and repetitive. And why does he feel the need to deliver these soliloquies? There's no one around to hear his words. He has embalmed his only audience.

- The Beautiful Women. This may sound shallow, but if these are the most beautiful women Venice has to offer, I would hate to see the rest of the populace. I would have trouble going so far as to say that any of the women approach being mildly attractive, let alone beautiful.

I give up. I could probably continue to list more individual weaknesses, but what's the point. Everything you could name – plot, characters, action, atmosphere, dialogue, etc. – are bottom of the barrel. Other than the finale, this is one incredibly dull film. If you really feel the need to watch The Monster of Venice, do yourself a favor and fast-forward the movie to the final 10 minutes. You'll thank me for this piece of advice.

3/10