Tulpa

I wish I knew how to talk about Giallo, the horror/thriller/semi-pornographic movie genre tha was more popular in the 70s and 80s; then maybe I could do a better job of explaining a movie like Federico Zampaglione’s Tulpa.

Is it a horror film? Is it a comedy? A mystery, a parody?

Zampaglione obviously wants to revive the moribund genre and if I’d watched more of the movies that inspired Tulpa I’d be better able to decide if he’s achieved. They all seem pretty silly to me. The gore, the cheesy cool jazz soundtrack, and the pointless eroticism; all things I normally hate in a movie. So let’s talk about what’s good about Tulpa.

First, there’s the beautiful and talented Claudia Gerini. As Lisa Boeri, she’s a stockbroker who by night lets her hair down at a members-only sex club, Club Tulpa – a shady, members-only nightclub that promotes sex with strangers and spiritual enlightenment. Through ecstasy, the goal is to find your true inner self and show it a good time.

Lisa finds out two terrible things in one glance of a newspaper; her job may be in danger, but worse yet, all of her sexual partners are ending up murdered. She can’t admit how she knows these people,and didn’t really know them very well anyway since relationships outside the club are against the rules. She’s terrified, but she goes about trying to figure out who the pervert killer is on her own – and if she’s next.

It’s absurd and it’s seedy but it’s also stylish and shocking, in a good way. There’s a mystery to solve, and I didn’t solve it, if that means anything. Zampaglione was lucky that he has Gerini, his girlfriend in real life, to add an extra element of credibility with her great performance.

If you like Giallo, I think you’ll like this one. I remain uncertain of the difference between Giallo and Giallo parody; are they one and the same? Does it matter?