Strange Shadows in an Empty Room
| Strange Shadows in an Empty Room | |
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| Directed by | Alberto De Martino |
| Screenplay by | |
| Story by |
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| Produced by | Edmondo Amati[1] |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Aristide Massaccesi[1] |
| Edited by | Vincenzo Tomassi[1] |
| Music by | Armando Trovajoli[1] |
| Distributed by | Fida |
Release date |
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Running time | 99 minutes[1] |
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Strange Shadows in an Empty Room (Italian: Una magnum special per Tony Saitta) is a 1976 film starring Stuart Whitman as a tough cop who sets out to discover his sister's killer.
Cast
- Stuart Whitman as Tony Saitta
- John Saxon as Ned Matthews
- Martin Landau as George Tracer
- Gayle Hunnicutt as Margie Cohn
- Tisa Farrow as Julie Foster
- Carole Laure as Louise Saitta
- Jean LeClerc as Fred
- Anthony Forrest as Robert Tracer
- Jean Marchand as Terence
- Jerome Tiberghien as Ted Sullivan
Production
Strange Shadows in an Empty Room was shot in Ottawa and Montreal, Canada.[1]
Style
Roberto Curti described the film as "essentially a whodunnit of sorts, with the inclusion of the odd [[[Dario] Argento]]-like detail" and that the film has "very little to do with Italian poliziotteschi of the period".[2]
Release
Strange Shadows in an Empty Room was released in Italy on March 9, 1976 where it was distributed by Fida.[1] The film has been released with different titles in other English-speaking countries such as Blazing Magnum in the United Kingdom[1] Director De Martino stated that the film was based on an old story her had titled D come Delitto (M for Murder) whihe he re-arranged slightly.[2] After finishing it, a producer for the film sent a telegram to De Martino, which he claims it stated that "It's got nothing to envy in any American film"[2]
Reception
In a retrospective review, AllMovie stated that the film had "plenty of slick visuals and action but makes little sense: The script is a chaotic jumble of half-baked mystery" and that it is "never convincing or believable for a second and is further hurt by a lack of sympathetic characters"[3] The review concluded that "fans of trashy B-movies might want to check out Strange Shadows in an Empty Room" noting the cast and the film that the director "never hesitates to go for the gusto when it comes to action: an extremely well-choreographed car chase adds a few sparks to the film's mid-section and there is also an exceptionally bizarre scene where Whitman engages in fisticuffs with a trio of transvestite kung-fu experts." and that "the film is poorly paced and too uninvolving to be termed a success. As a result, Strange Shadows in an Empty Room can only be recommended to hardcore Eurotrash buffs."[3]