KNIFE UNDER THE THROAT (1986)

3 stars 

88 Films. Blu ray. 9th December 

Original title: Le couteau sous la gorge

It will come as no surprise to anyone watching this French attempt at a giallo to learn that writer/director Claude Mulot spent much of his career making adult films – like the infamous PUSSY TALK (1975) (I am sure you can work out what that is about).

Catherine Legrand (Florence Guérin) is being chased through the streets. Her dress is ripped and she is wearing a coat and boots but is nearly naked, as she desperately tries to escape from whoever is after her. However, when she gets to the police station they don’t believe her – as this is the second time that month she has reported such an incident. They phone her boss Valerie Landis (Brigitte Lahaie, known for acting in hardcore porn as well as films like THE GRAPES OF DEATH (1978) for Jean Rollin). They tell her to keep an eye on Catherine, who works as a model.

At a photoshoot at night in a graveyard, Catherine is joined by Florence (Natasha Delange) as they perform semi nude poses for photographer J.B. (Jean-Pierre Maurin), who we later learn is a drunk and a leery a-hole. The session is overseen by Valerie and watched by Victor (Pierre Londiche), who has hired out the site, and seems agitated by what is going on there. The first of our red herrings?

Before you know it, he ends up following a girl who looks like Catherine (after he discovers she has gone to America for a modelling job), and follows her in his car, runs her off the road and attacks and kills her – filled with remorse he throws himself in front of a truck! Oh well, that’s one suspect ticked off.

When she returns to Paris, Catherine starts to get strange phone calls, whilst people around her are attacked and killed.

This is an interesting, but not very successful endeavour to make a film in the style of those famous Italian thrillers. It’s well enough made, however not very engaging – it throws in a few suspects to keep you guessing, but seems to lean more into the rapes, attempted rapes and plentiful nudity, to enliven proceedings. The ending is frankly laughable. Florence Guérin makes for an attractive lead.

Steve Kirkham

EXTRAS

Brigitte on Your Mind – an interview with Lahaie (20 mins). Talks about Mulot, with whom she made some of he X-rated outings. René Chateau, who he was living with at the time – she was in the film as he put money into it. About her performance and other films including Faceless, working with Florence Guérin. Lahaie now works in radio.