Lover of the Monster

Lover of the Monster
Film poster
Directed bySergio Garrone
Screenplay bySergio Garrone[1]
Produced by
  • Amedeo Mellone
  • Şakir V. Sözen[2]
Starring
CinematographyEmore Galeassi[1]
Edited byCesare Bianchini[1]
Music by
  • Elio Maestosi
  • Stefano Liberati[1]
Production
company
Cinequipe[2]
Distributed byMorini
Release date
  • 28 May 1974 (1974-05-28) (Italy)
Running time
87 minutes[2]
Countries
  • Italy
  • Turkey[2]

Lover of the Monster (Italian: Le amanti del mostro, lit.'Lovers of the Monster') is a 1974 gothic horror film directed by Sergio Garrone and starring Klaus Kinski.[3]

Plot

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Dr. Alex Nijinski (Klaus Kinski) stumbles upon a secret experimental laboratory when he returns to his wife's ancestral homestead. Work in the lab turns the curious doctor into a Jekyll and Hyde split personality, with the evil alter ago going on a killing rampage in the town which is blamed on a pair of tramps.

Cast

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  • Klaus Kinski as Prof. Alex Nijinsky
  • Katia Christine as Anijeska Nijinsky
  • Ayhan Işık as Dr. Igor Walensky
  • Marzia Damon as the farmer's wife
  • Erol Taş as the Tramp
  • Roberto Messina as the Farmer
  • Bruno Arié as the Inspector
  • Osiride Pevarello as Feodor Polanski
  • Amedeo Timpani as the Judge
  • Romano De Gironcoli
  • Luigi Bevilacqua
  • Pasquale Toscano

Although credited, Carla Mancini, Alessandro Perrella and Stella Calderoni do not appear in the film.[2] Ayhan Işık, Erol Taş and Roberto Messina are not credited in the Italian prints of the film.[2]

Production

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After directing the war film La colomba non deve volare, director Sergio Garrone began work on a horror film.[2] After contacting the Italian distributor named Sabatini, he was introduced to the Rome-based Turkish producer Şakir V. Sözen.[2] Sözen had previously produced Farouk Agrama's crime film L'amico del padrino and was offered the location of a huge villa and proposed casting the Turkish actor Ayhan Işık who had co-starred in Lamico del padrino.[2] According to Garrone, Sözen suggested instead of making one film in six weeks, that they should make two films in eight weeks.[2] This led to the production of both le amanti del mostro and The Hand That Feeds the Dead.[2][4]

Le amanti del mostro was filmed in Istanbul and at Elios Studios in Rome.[2]

Release

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Le amanti del mostro was released theatrically in Italy on 28 May 1974 where it was distributed by Morini.[2][1]

Footnotes

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  1. ^ a b c d e Curti 2017, p. 106.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Curti 2017, p. 107.
  3. ^ Curti 2013, p. 60.
  4. ^ Curti 2017, p. 108.

References

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  • Curti, Roberto (2013). Italian Crime Filmography, 1968-1980. McFarland. ISBN 978-0786469765.
  • Curti, Roberto (2017). Italian Gothic Horror Films, 1970–1979. McFarland. ISBN 978-1476629605.
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