Formula for a Murder (Italian: 7, Hyden Park – La casa maledetta, lit. '7 Hyde Park – The Cursed House') is a 1985 Italian thriller film co-written and directed by Alberto De Martino.[1] The film is about Joanna who is recovering from her traumatic past when she was attacked by a man pretending to be a priest. In the present, she meets Craig and develops an infatuation with him, but despite warnings from her caretaker Ruth. People in Joanna's life all of a sudden begin experiencing violent deaths.
The film was shot in Boston and Italy, and was one of the last films directed by De Martino. When it was released in Italy, it war marketed as a more traditional horror film, while retrospective analysis compared it to 1960s thrillers such as Taste of Fear (1961).
A handsome teacher named Craig marries a wealthy, wheelchair-using woman named Joanna who suffers from PTSD and is tormented by a traumatic event that happened in her past. As a child, she was raped by a psychotic priest and thrown down a flight of stairs. The priest used a doll to lure her to the crime scene.
Her attractive female caretaker Ruth has a lesbian attraction to her and tries to stop the marriage. As if Joanna doesn't have enough problems, her husband only married her to steal her money. He is trying to stop her from donating one-half of her wealth to a church project to which her deceased father committed her while upon his deathbed.
One by one, priests start turning up dead, as the murder plot unfolds. One priest has his throat cut while in a confession booth, another has his head bashed in with a heavy blunt object. Joanna's doctor warns her that she has a bad heart and that she shouldn't allow herself to get overly agitated nor too aroused during sex. Joanna begins to experience hallucinations in which she sees a leering priest stalking her while holding a bloody doll in his hands.
Cast
Cast adapted from the book Blood & Black Lace (1999).[1]
Formula for a Murder was filmed under the title Formula per un delitto.[2] It was shot in Boston with interiors scenes done in Italy.[3] Director Alberto De Martino stated he initially wanted to cast two younger Italian actors: Valeria Golino and Nancy Brilli but had his choice in casting denied by producer Fabrizio De Angelis.[2] Both were replaced with American actors while the Golino and Brilli went on to be much larger careers in Italy.[2]
De Martino described the film as his own variation on the film The Postman Always Rings Twice.[2] Historians and critics Adrian Luther-Smith and Roberto Curti both pointed out that the film closer resembled the Hammer production Taste of Fear (1961) more.[2][1] Historian Troy Howarth echoed this statement saying that the film "harkens back to the "women in peril" thrillers of the 1960s" and "does not enter into the excessive spirit of the other gialli of the period."[3] The film was one of De Martino's final productions, as he retired from directing in the mid-1980s.[4]
Release
Formula for a Murder was released in 1985.[2][5] In Italy, it was released as 7, Hyden Park – La casa maledetta. Film critic and historian Roberto Curti stated this title was more akin to being an "out-and-out horror film" like The Evil Dead (1981) which was released in Italy as La casa.[2] De Martino was reportedly unhappy with the film, being constrained by a eighteen day shooting schedule.[1] The film was released in Greece on home video as Formula For a Murder.[1] It was released on DVD by Shameless Screen Entertainment.[3]
Reception
From retrospective reviews, in his book about Italian thriller films, Blood & Black Lace, Adrian Luther-Smith found the film to be an "enjoyably over-the-top exercise in grand guignol" and compared it to Luigi Russo [it]'s Dangerous Women [it], stating that the film "demonstrates how similarly themed material can be ruined by a static attitude."[1] Curti stated in his book on Italian giallo that the film exposes his it's villain early at the half an hour mark and that David Warbeck "hams it up shamelessly" towards the third act, resembling a "Jack Nicholson-wannabe".[2] In his book So Deadly, So Perverse on giallo, Troy Howarth stated that the film "not exactly loaded with surprises" while stating that the "murders are surprisingly brutal and bloody"[3]
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Formula for a Murder Italian 7 Hyden Park La casa maledetta lit 7 Hyde Park The Cursed House is a 1985 Italian thriller film co written and directed by Alberto De Martino 1 The film is about Joanna who is recovering from her traumatic past when she was attacked by a man pretending to be a priest In the present she meets Craig and develops an infatuation with him but despite warnings from her caretaker Ruth People in Joanna s life all of a sudden begin experiencing violent deaths Formula for a MurderDirected byAlberto De MartinoScreenplay byAlberto De Martino Vincenzo Mannino 1 Story byAlberto De Martino Vincenzo Mannino 1 Produced byFabrizio De AngelisStarringDavid Warbeck Rossano Brazzi Christina Nagy Carroll BlumenbergCinematographyGianlorenzo Battaglia 1 Edited byVincenzo Tomassi 1 Music byFrancesco De Masi 1 ProductioncompanyFulvia International Films 1 Release date1985 1985 CountryItaly 1 The film was shot in Boston and Italy and was one of the last films directed by De Martino When it was released in Italy it war marketed as a more traditional horror film while retrospective analysis compared it to 1960s thrillers such as Taste of Fear 1961 Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast 3 Production 4 Release 5 Reception 6 References 6 1 Sources 7 External linksPlot EditA handsome teacher named Craig marries a wealthy wheelchair using woman named Joanna who suffers from PTSD and is tormented by a traumatic event that happened in her past As a child she was raped by a psychotic priest and thrown down a flight of stairs The priest used a doll to lure her to the crime scene Her attractive female caretaker Ruth has a lesbian attraction to her and tries to stop the marriage As if Joanna doesn t have enough problems her husband only married her to steal her money He is trying to stop her from donating one half of her wealth to a church project to which her deceased father committed her while upon his deathbed One by one priests start turning up dead as the murder plot unfolds One priest has his throat cut while in a confession booth another has his head bashed in with a heavy blunt object Joanna s doctor warns her that she has a bad heart and that she shouldn t allow herself to get overly agitated nor too aroused during sex Joanna begins to experience hallucinations in which she sees a leering priest stalking her while holding a bloody doll in his hands Cast EditCast adapted from the book Blood amp Black Lace 1999 1 David Warbeck as Craig Christina Nagy as Joanna Carroll Blumenberg as Ruth Rossano Brazzi as Doctor Sernich Andrea Bosic as Father Peter Farlow Loris Loddi as Father Davis Daniela De Carolis Rodolfo Ruzza Adriana GiuffreProduction EditFormula for a Murder was filmed under the title Formula per un delitto 2 It was shot in Boston with interiors scenes done in Italy 3 Director Alberto De Martino stated he initially wanted to cast two younger Italian actors Valeria Golino and Nancy Brilli but had his choice in casting denied by producer Fabrizio De Angelis 2 Both were replaced with American actors while the Golino and Brilli went on to be much larger careers in Italy 2 De Martino described the film as his own variation on the film The Postman Always Rings Twice 2 Historians and critics Adrian Luther Smith and Roberto Curti both pointed out that the film closer resembled the Hammer production Taste of Fear 1961 more 2 1 Historian Troy Howarth echoed this statement saying that the film harkens back to the women in peril thrillers of the 1960s and does not enter into the excessive spirit of the other gialli of the period 3 The film was one of De Martino s final productions as he retired from directing in the mid 1980s 4 Release EditFormula for a Murder was released in 1985 2 5 In Italy it was released as 7 Hyden Park La casa maledetta Film critic and historian Roberto Curti stated this title was more akin to being an out and out horror film like The Evil Dead 1981 which was released in Italy as La casa 2 De Martino was reportedly unhappy with the film being constrained by a eighteen day shooting schedule 1 The film was released in Greece on home video as Formula For a Murder 1 It was released on DVD by Shameless Screen Entertainment 3 Reception EditFrom retrospective reviews in his book about Italian thriller films Blood amp Black Lace Adrian Luther Smith found the film to be an enjoyably over the top exercise in grand guignol and compared it to Luigi Russo it s Dangerous Women it stating that the film demonstrates how similarly themed material can be ruined by a static attitude 1 Curti stated in his book on Italian giallo that the film exposes his it s villain early at the half an hour mark and that David Warbeck hams it up shamelessly towards the third act resembling a Jack Nicholson wannabe 2 In his book So Deadly So Perverse on giallo Troy Howarth stated that the film not exactly loaded with surprises while stating that the murders are surprisingly brutal and bloody 3 References Edit a b c d e f g h i j k l m Luther Smith 1999 p 51 a b c d e f g h Curti 2022 p 377 a b c d Howarth 2015 p 117 Howarth 2015 p 118 Curti 2022 p 9 Sources Edit Curti Roberto 2022 Italian Giallo in Film and Television McFarland ISBN 978 1 4766 8248 8 Howarth Troy 2015 So Deadly So Perverse Vol 2 Midnight Marquee Press ISBN 978 1936168583 Luther Smith Adrian 1999 Blood amp Black Lace Stray Cat Publishing ISBN 0 9533261 1 X External links EditFormula for a Murder at IMDb This article about a 1980s thriller film is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte This article related to an Italian film of the 1980s is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Formula for a Murder amp oldid 1128810450, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
