Release Date:
1970
Also known as:
5 Dolls for an August Moon (tr/en)
L'île de l'épouvante (tl/fr)
Cinco muñecas para la luna de agosto (tr/es)
A small group of people come to an island to relax but soon find themselves trapped on the island with a murderer in their midst.
This simple & classic giallo premise is directed by the genre's creator Mario Bava. 5 Dolls For An August Moon certainly doesn't feel like a film from 1970, it's groovy vibes make it look like something from around '66. The soundtrack which is really addictive yet somehow never feels like it fits the purpose of the film very well. Then the decor of the island house was about as swinging as can be.
Soon to be the queen of gialli, Edwige Fenech makes her first appearance in the genre, she tries to sleep with a number of the male leads & spends most the film wearing skimpy outfits which of course is easy on the eyes. Also like any respectable Giallo picture there are bottles of J&B on show but this time around we get a hilarious line of dialogue that should of been a commercial 'housewives come and ago but there's always a bottle' followed by the raising of the bottle of J&B.
Bava's usual flair is here, some nice cinematography with some flair and unique use of colours but the film does feel a little bit disposable & I'm not convinced the Who-Done-It plot really paid off like it should of. It's far off being a great Bava flick, there are definitely more essential titles & perhaps the fact he was made to make this film due to contractual regulations meant it never quite made the grade. Still, if you are a big Bava fan, or if you want a light hearted campy type of Giallo then this'll do nicely.
★★★
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