While most of the Italian Giallo films were produced in the early ’70s, a few were shot later. One of the best post-boom titles was Off Balance that featured an all-star cast and major director. Ruggero Deodato didn’t make a Giallo film during the peak time although he gave us Live Like a Cop, Die Like a Man and Cannibal Holocaust. His entry into the genre didn’t arrive until 1987 which could still be considered the tail end of the genre before it became a source of revival in the 21st Century. Off Balance (released as Phantom of Death when released in America back in 1988) is what you’d desire when Deodato approached the genre with a horror twist and grotesque effects.
Robert Dominici (Cabaret‘s Michael York) is a star classical pianist in Italy. He’s recording a live concert at a ritzy estate for a TV special. When he’s not tickling the ivories, Robert is all about using bamboo swords in Kendo fights with a Japanese master. While not connected, a woman is looking through a microscope when someone behind her comes down with a real sword. Back at the TV concert, Inspector Datti (Halloween‘s Donald Pleasence) arrives extra late to find his daughter raving about the performance. He’s been busy dealing with the scientist’s death. Also busy is Dominici as he meets up with his girlfriend Suzanna (The City of Lost Children‘s Mapi Gallan) and Elaine Martell (The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh‘s Edwige Fenech). Things aren’t going great with the girlfriend as she’s been hooking up with another guy who is also into the Kendo action and knows Dominici. When she wants back with him, she catches the train into town. But there is no happy reunion as she gets killed at the station. Inspector Datti is on the crime scene picking through the broken glass and gallons of blood and meets up with Dominici. He’s having issues figuring out the suspects. These aren’t easy cases or connected in his mind. Later Elaine comforts the pianist by letting him know that she’s there for him and it’s no strings attached. Could she be the real killer?
It’s hard to describe too much about the film without giving away the mystery. But the special effects in the second half are extremely effective. The cast is great. Michael York has that distinguished artist attitude when he’s sitting at the piano. Donald Pleasence is spot on as the beleaguered detective struggling to expose the killer. He looks so frustrated when the killer gets him on the phone to taunt him. Even though this is 15 years after Edwige Fenech became the Queen of Giallo, she still rules when on the screen. Nothing sounds as sweet as her offering a no strings attached relationship.
Off Balance isn’t a straight ahead Giallo. There is a horror element that Ruggero Deodato applies just right so the two textures blend on the screen. I can’t say too much about the horror elements since it will ruin your experience of watching the movie the first time. There is a shot involving a swing seat that will be the seed of nightmare for me. Off Balance might be a late entry to the genre, but it feels fresh in its suspense, jolts and performances as anything from 1972.
The Video is 1.66:1 anamorphic. There are slight black bars on the sides of the screen. The 1080p transfers brings out the textures of Venice. The Audio is DTS-HD MA 2.0 Stereo for the English dub. Both Michael York and Donald Pleasence have their voices on the dub track. The Italian is DTS-HD MA 2.0 mono. Both tracks sound clear. The movie is subtitled in English.
An Uncommon Director: Interview with Ruggero Deodato (32:50) is one of the last interviews with the director. They talked with him in July, 2022 and he sadly passed away in December. He gets into how after the wide-open times of film production in the ’70s, things began to tighten up in the ’80s. He still found producers, but it was hard to get ones that would take chances. He was approached to direct Off Balance by Luciano Martino even though it wasn’t his kind of film. He gets the idea that Sergio Martino passed on the project, and he was on the list. He enjoyed working with the actors even though Edwige Fenech was forced on him by the producers when he wanted Kelly LeBrock (Weird Science). That didn’t happen because her then husband Steven Seagal was jealous. He admits he wasn’t passionate about the film although it was well-made. He talks a bit about Cannibal Holocaust.
Trailer – English (3:21) sets up the creep factor with the swing set shot.
Trailer – Italian (3:21) is the same as the English version except all the text and dialogue is in Italian.
Audio Commentary by Troy Howarth and Eugenia Erolani has them give us a lot of background and context. The actors are identified. They go into what interests them about the film that’s a late ’80s Giallo. They talk about how the script was written in 1982 for Lucio Fulci. They also get into how the film turned out to be slightly autobiographical for Michael York and a future medical condition.
Cauldron Films present Off Balance. Directed by Ruggero Deodato. Screenplay by Gigliola Battagnini, Vincenzo Mannino & Gianfranco Clerici. Starring Michael York, Donald Pleasence, Edwige Fenech, Mapi Galan, Fabio Sortar, Renato Cortesi and Antonella Ponziani. Running Time: 92 minutes. Rating: Unrated. Release Date: July 9, 2024.
