AC
As Chianese
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A RAI miniseries broadcast in 5 episodes in 1995, written and co-produced by Pupi Avati, who brought the talented Fabrizio Laurenti back behind the camera, known in his horror filmography for having directed only apocryphal remakes ("La Casa 4", "Troll 3"). The lifeless body of a young man is found by the police on the banks of the Tiber River, near a bridge. It is the corpse of the son of a wealthy industrialist involved in American high finance. Meanwhile, the deceased's best friend begins to investigate, discovering strange drawings and notes on esotericism and cults on the dead man's computer. The autopsy reveals traces of herbs and other oddities in the young man's body, leading to the hypothesis that his murder occurred during some kind of sacrificial ritual. Meanwhile, a detective hired by the industrialist is murdered, and strange phone calls with the voice of the deceased reach the family, deepening the mystery… A rarity for our national broadcaster, which aired this dark and evocative horror in prime time, true to Avati's style. Laurenti's excellent direction, a screenplay that is nothing short of perfect, and an eerie soundtrack by Ugo Laurenti (the director's brother) make it one of the best horror films made for TV. However, the overall assessment is hindered by the film's cast, which is rather awkward and unconvincing in several aspects: Massimo Bonetti, Lorenzo Flaherty, and Jason Robards III fail to deliver their best in a group of promising actors. Some sequences also feature Stefania Rocca and Stefano Accorsi (now both quite famous) in some of their worst performances. Who knows if a stronger cast might have changed things... perhaps it could have become a small cult classic like "Belfagor" or "Il Segno del Comando". Currently, it is practically impossible to find.