Starring Barbara Lass, Carl Schell, Curt Lowens, Maurice Marsac, Michela Roc
Directed by Paolo Heusch
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
After a professor of science with a secret past joins the staff of a young women's reformatory, shocking murders occur, perpetrated by a vicious werewolf.
This Italian horror thriller is essentially a "werewolf" mystery, in which we see the werewolf early on, and then have to sort through the suspects to guess who the monster's alter ego is, similar to the later Amicus production The Beast Must Die. The werewolf's stalking of victims through a dark forest just outside the campus grounds makes for some suspenseful scenes, and the film's focus on Lass as a noble young reform student trying to find the truth behind the murders, gives the audience an acceptable protagonist to root for. Romance between her and new teacher Schell, although clearly setup, seems almost like an afterthought in development. Nevertheless, I think the script unfolds satisfactorily, although it seemed to me to take a little long to reach the film's final climax after the werewolf's identity had been revealed. I also found Armando Trovajoli's score, with sinister piano notes for the werewolf's attacks, different and enjoyable.
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