What Have You Done to Solange? (Widescreen)

"Giallo" films (from the Italian for "yellow", referring to the yellow covers of paperback suspense novels sold in Italy) almost always center on the mysterious deaths of attractive young women.

"Solange" is no different, but adds a startling degree of social relevance. Made in 1971, "Solange" tackles the abortion legalization issue 2 years before Roe v. Wade (a similar horror film examination of abortion is 1974's "Black Christmas").

This is one of the finest of the giallo genre.

The blood and gore are very minimal, though the killer's methods are positively disgusting.

of all the giallos i've seen in my life, this is by far my personal favorite & i've seen it nearly five times since purchasing on 01/01/04. what way to start the new year! solange has all the trappings of a wonderful classic giallo without indulging us into the graphic & extreme gore as many of the latter giallos would do. however, there is a great deal of suspense & mystery to draw you in & keep you involved til the very last scene. solange could've very well been a mainstream pyschological thriller with a bit of romantic undertone with the themes & atmosphere at hand but works well no matter genre it's filed under. the bottom line is we have gone way too long without this film & shreik show dvd has done a helluva job in presenting a crystal clear version of the classic on dvd for the entire world to see. there isn't much avaialable here in the line of extras but you do get some trailers including the original theatrical trailer for solange & there is a nice press kit included in the pack. without doubt, i feel like i got my money's worth as i usually feel when i've purchased the jean rollin films on shriek show. the story is quite complex & often eerie or seductive much like a pulp fiction paperback novel. the acting is nearly brilliant here & i can't possibly imagine any others actors who would've done a better job given the material involved. the film opens up with a creepy but cool montage of some some catholic school girls riding their bicycles across the screen in an almost blood-red lighting which basically sets us up for the chilling events which will take place in the next 104 minutes. unlike slasher films, solange offers more plot which thickens each & every second. after seeing this film, you may literally cower everytime you see a priest. GREAT FILM! i will watch this one from time to time & recommend this to everyone who loves thriller dillers or very classy horror films.

WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO SOLANGE? (1972): Enrico Rossini (Fabio Testi) is a married teacher involved in an affair with one of his students, Elizabeth (Christine Galbó). One afternoon in a park, while enjoying one of their amorous trysts, Elizabeth witnesses the murder of a young woman, a crime that her lover does not see. When the corpse of a student is found at the park, the teacher finally believes Elizabeth and decides to revisit the scene of the murder. More girls are killed and the police begin to suspect that Enrico is the murderer. In a desperate attempt to clear his name, Enrico turns detective and eventually discovers the secret of a young woman named Solange (Camille Keaton), whose shocking past is linked to both the killer's choice of victims and the gruesome manner in which he dispatches them.

This solidly plotted and engrossing murder thriller is easily among the finest giallos ever made. The conventional storyline is enlivened with genuinely surprising twists, strong characters and a shocking, unexpected ending. Slickly directed by Massimo Dallamano, and featuring striking cinematography by Aristide Massachessi (who, as Joe D'Amato, had a subsequent career as one of the most incompetent directors of all time), SOLANGE is an unusually well made and restrained Italian thriller. Excellent performances from Fabio Testi, Joachin Fuchsberger, Karin Baal and the beautiful Christine Galbo raise the movie's quality level even higher. A fine, moody Ennio Morricone score provides some necessary tension enhancement. If you've never seen a giallo before, the film is a great starting point for anyone interested in taking an initial plunge into this fascinating genre.

The Shriek Show DVD is one of this small company's finest releases yet. The widescreen (1.85:1) transfer features gorgeous colors and sharp detailing, with only a few speckles, hair marks and some modest print damage. The movie itself is the real prize here as the extras are fairly skimpy: A poster and lobby card gallery is scored to the movie's main title theme and a nice 12 page booklet is provided with liner notes and quite a few stills. Finally, five trailers are included, for SOLANGE itself and some other related Shriek Show releases. Despite the lack of enticing extras, this is a worthy addition to any horror/suspense enthusiast's DVD library.