The Bloodstained Shadow

Lore & Background

The killer targets members of the medium's circle: the count is impaled with his own rapier, Sandra's mother-in-law is burned alive in her wheelchair, and the local doctor is rammed to death by a boat. Don Paolo receives threatening typewritten messages and a skinned goat's head. Stefano eventually deduces that the abortionist, Elizabeth Nardi, strangled the medium to prevent exposure of her illegal abortions, but that Don Paolo—who killed the young girl years ago while at seminary school—murdered the coven members and other witnesses to stop blackmail. Paolo confesses, hallucinates his victims, and commits suicide by jumping from the bell tower.

Reader's Guide

The Bloodstained Shadow is a late-period giallo that, according to retrospective reviews, contains all the requisite elements of the genre. Italian film critic and historian Roberto Curti described its box office gross of 271 million lire as 'underwhelming,' and found the film less original than Bido's earlier Watch Me When I Kill (1977), though he noted better-than-average acting and a good score from Stelvio Cipriani. Adrian Luther-Smith, in his book Blood & Black Lace, called it an improvement over Watch Me When I Kill. The film was released on home video in Australia and the United Kingdom under the title The Bloodstained Shadow. Its plot—involving a priest as the killer, childhood flashbacks, and a series of murders of 'sinners'—exemplifies the giallo's blend of mystery, horror, and psychological thriller elements.

Did You Know?

• The film was developed under the title Dietro l'angolo il terrore (lit. 'Terror Behind the Corner').
• The score was performed by the Italian progressive rock band Goblin.
• The killer, Don Paolo, was a priest who had murdered a young girl years earlier while at seminary school.
• The film grossed 271 million Italian lire, which critic Roberto Curti described as 'underwhelming.'