Torso

Ein ausgezeichnetes Giallo mit Slasher-Elementen. Der Film spart von Anfang an nicht an Leichen, Spannung und effektiven Schreckmomenten. Martino hat nur schöne Mädchen besetzt, von denen nur eine nicht entkleidet wird, und das ist natürlich die Hauptheldin, um bis zum nervenaufreibenden Finale zu überleben. Es ist erfreulich, dass sich ihr Charakter natürlich verhält und logisch denkt. Abgesehen von dem oft erwähnten letzten Drittel, in dem das Mädchen vor dem Mörder im Haus versteckt ist, muss ich auch die gruselige Szene im nebligen Wald erwähnen. Gute Musik, ein bisschen Gore, nur die Teleportation und Motivation des Mörders sind kleinere Fehler in ansonsten großartigem Gesamtbild. (23.03.2011)

Even after all the Italian horror films I’ve seen, I’m still not sure whether the Italians are really such bad actors and screenwriters, or whether the blend of bland and incredibly theatrical performances, together with downright stupid scenes in otherwise smart films is some sort of dubious artistic intent. Torso has all of that, but there’s something that makes it stand apart, this is the first Giallo (and maybe even the first Italian horror film) that made me feel scared (or at least very tense) for more than half its runtime. The part where the heroine is hiding from the killer in a house is incredible and unrivalled within the film, but there are also several scenes in the first hour that have a very good atmosphere! For me, a very pleasant surprise, I had already lost hope of ever having a positive reaction to an old Italian horror film. That said, all that nakedness still feels very cheap. (28.12.2009)

A Giallo as sharp as the saw the killer uses on his victims. I rarely get tense with these films, because they strike at the first signal and I just don't enjoy that, together with the requisite nudity that the Italian flicks were full of, but here I was really tense. The last half hour is a top example of build-up, with no room for humour or lightness, just pure horror and a huffing killer with a saw. Beware, there are two versions circulating on the net, the English dubbed one for American audiences is censored. (26.02.2021)

Sergio Martino is one of the better authors of the Italian school, and the film "I corpi presentano tracce di violenza carnale" is just another proof of that. It is a thrilling film, it is a sexy film - and not only from a woman's perspective, there are also interesting shots of Italy - and it is not lacking in terms of the screenplay. The final twist may not be the most perfect, but I definitely did not feel deprived as a viewer. (30.05.2015)