It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

It is not only a funny movie, but it allows a great amount of joy for anyone who watches it.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

A leather-gloved maniac is slicing up girls with an open razor. Married woman Julie (Edwige Fenech) finds herself menaced by the killer, but is the culprit her sadistic ex-lover Jean (Ivan Rassimov) or someone much closer to her (possible suspects including husband Neil and new lover George)?Immediately prior to watching The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh, I saw the unofficial Turkish remake, Thirsty For Love, Sex and Murder, which replayed many of the Italian film's scenes verbatim. I was hoping that Sergio Martino's original would be a little more coherent (it runs about half an hour longer than its Turkish counterpart), and it is, but there are still a few moments that prevent it from being a truly great giallo—scenes that take quite a bit of swallowing.Thankfully, 'The Strange Vice…' doesn't have the silly decapitated head trick that rendered the remake laughable, but the alternative is still pretty daft (how long did Jean have to lie in that bloody bath pretending to be dead before Julie and George found him?). Then there's the issue of Julie's plush, high spec apartment having a leaky, rusting radiator. The ending also stretches plausibility an awful lot, with Julie also playing possum in order to help catch the real villains. Still, at least this one offers up a whole lot of gratuitous nudity (a giallo staple) and violence, is better acted and far more stylish than 'Thirsty For Love…', the excellent cinematography and lush score making it both an audio and visual delight.Fenech fans, of course, won't need convincing that the film is worthy of a watch: with the brunette beauty frequently stripping off, this one's a no-brainer for admirers of the Latin lovely.

Attractive, confident and haughty, Mrs. Julie Wardh (picturesque Edwige Fenech) has a plethora of men interested in her. Husband and lovers, some more depraved than others, pursue her in this heady, fast-moving chiller. What makes her increasingly fragile state of mind worse is the knowledge that she also appears to be haunted by a series of vicious killings. A coincidence? Her new lover, George (George Hilton) is somewhat intense. Could he have something to do with it all, do you think? Otherwise known as 'Next!' 'The Next Victim' and 'Blade of the Ripper', this has acquired a reputation as one of the best giallo films, and it is not difficult to see why. The pace does not falter, it is very tightly written and the wonderful twists are delivered with expert ease, and don't let up until the very end. The locations – as in many such productions – are mainly real, not studio sets, and as such are packed with colour and detail, from every rusted radiator to flaking window pane, and the lush expansive exteriors are never less than breath-taking. The direction, by Sergio Martino is faultless (at one point a letter, delivered with flowers to Wardh, reads: 'Your vice is a locked room, and only I have the key', which is also the (English) title of another of Martino's giallo films).For many films of this period, females are portrayed as pretty feinting screamers for pretty brave males to rescue, and yet here, Wardh has every reason for hysterics (Fenech is a legendary performer, due in part to this film – she has since become a prolific producer; her most recent film acting credit is in 'Hostel 2 (2007)') as she is given no respite in between scares and attacks. Crucially, the audience is entirely with her throughout, which makes the fact that she really doesn't appear to stand a chance that much more powerful.

This was the first of director Sergio Martino's five gialli released in the period 1971-73. A quite astonishing series of films by anybody's standards. It's an arguable point but The Strange Vice of Mrs Wardh may actually be the best of the five. Whatever the case, there is no question that this is an essential giallo, and one all fans of the genre should see.It's about an ambassador's wife who finds herself in the middle of a series of brutal murders of women. There is no shortage of suspects, while her own kinky past adds a further dimension to the mystery.First and foremost this is a highly stylised film. Martino certainly had an eye for a great shot and was somewhat skilled in constructing memorably beautiful set-pieces. The film consistently looks gorgeous, with the lush and ornate settings used to great effect. Like many a giallo from the time this one is set outside Italy - in this case Vienna and Spain – and the contrasting locations are well integrated. Of course, this is a giallo so the suspense scenes need to be mentioned and this one is well served on this score. There is a beautifully photographed scene in a park at dusk, which clearly was an influence on Dario Argento, seeing as he filmed a very similar sequence for Four Flies on Grey Velvet; also of note is a really tense set-piece in an underground car park where the killer stalks the heroine. The latter is played by the one and only Edwige Fenech, the star of many an excellent giallo, she is once again great here and is very ably supported by a trio of male genre regulars, namely Alberto de Mendoza as her aloof husband, Ivan Rassimov as her sadistic ex-lover and George Hilton as her shifty new squeeze.All of Martino's thrillers were quite sexy but this one has the most pronounced eroticism of them all. With several scenes of abundant nudity and kinky sex. A couple of slow-motion flash-backs of Fenech and Rassimov in particular are very memorable, with lots of stylish eroticism. The music in these scenes helps hugely; in fact, the soundtrack in general by Nora Orlandi is without question one of the best the giallo sub-genre has to offer. That's saying quite a lot considering the quality of scores in most of these films but Orlandi's one is unbelievably haunting and quite mind-blowing to tell you the truth.The plot line is pretty convoluted – what else could you expect? It's another written by giallo specialist Ernesto Gastaldi who seemed to have a natural feel for these things. It holds together well enough though and ends with a pretty surprising final act that has at least one shock moment that impressed me quite a bit. In all honesty the movie as a whole pleased me greatly. It's a prime example of the Italian giallo and shows quite clearly why they will always have cult value. A triumph from Martino.

I never could understand why someone wears a bathrobe to bathe or shower in their own apartment. It's a small thing, but one that irks me. Thank goodness Mrs. Wardh (Edwige Fenech) displayed all of her incredible beauty on the way to her bath. We later see Pouchi in her only screen role getting it in the shower; a trip she also made without a robe.Here Fenech is paired with George Hilton for the first of several films in what is probably the best example of Italian Giallo you could watch.There is someone going around slashing beautiful women. Even Fenech's best friend Carol (Conchita Airoldi) is a victim. When Marella Corbi escapes, everyone thinks the killer is dead. Or is he? Twists and surprises are sure to come.