Sergio Bergonzelli’s In the Folds of the Flesh is just about one of the most lurid, pulpy, and quite possibly downright strangest gialli one is likely to see. However, it doesn’t go over the deep-end in its weirdness and into the incomprehensible, and rather chooses to stay in the realm of the entertaining, and very nearly hits the realm of the satire even though it was 1970 when the film was made, and the giallo itself was barely a genre in its own right.
I probably should digress.
The film stars Fernando Sancho as Pascal, a recently released prisoner, who finds himself AGAIN on the wrong side of the law when he witnesses a burial of a body by a woman. When he makes it back out of prison years later, he goes back to the site only to find it now a bed and breakfast run by Lucille (Eleanora Rossi), her son, and another lady. Lucille has spent time in Nazi concentration camps, and this has obviously damaged her psyche. This causes Lucille to potentially suffer from delirium, and of course, poor Pascal after all his suffering finds himself in the midst of all this and MURDER TOO!
This is a wild slice of giallo fun. It dive deep into the psychedelia right from the get-go. The film is not slow in the slightest, and there are twists at every corner. At times it feels like this is a stylistic exercise, but a fun one. If you’re looking for a trashy wild time, this is it.
The 1080p restoration from Mondo Macabro aside from the stock footage seen throughout the film looks spectacular. Audio is presented in an HD mono track that sounds clear and crisp without issue. Extras include a highly informative commentary track by the always informative Samm Deighan who provides serious insight into the film and its background. We also get a solid background featurette into director Bergonzelli, and 2 trailers. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!