Sweets from a Stranger (film)

In Rome a maniac kills several sex workers, torturing them with a razor. Soon they are informed that the murderer kills the victims not only with a razor, but delivers the deathblow to them with a bolt gun. Stella, a luxury call girl, learns about the murder of Bruna, a fellow streetwalker and old friend. Only Bruna's colleagues attend the funeral. Nadine, an experienced sex worker with a cheerful but tenacious personality, decides to organize a group of her fellow prostitutes to protect themselves and to discover the identity of the serial killer before he strikes again. == Cast ==

Cast adapted from So Deadly, So Perverse Volume 2. ==Production==

Directo Franco Ferrini got the idea for Sweets From a Stranger while scripting the film Red Rings of Fear (1978). Ferrini stated he was inspired by Fritz Lang's film M (1931) for the film. It was shot with a budget of 2 billion Italian lire. ==Style==

In his book Blood & Black Lace, Adrian Luther-Smith described the film as a "subdued thriller with social realism at its core.", while saying "it's clearly a giallo and the revelation of the killer's identity is suitably ridiculous" Troy Howarth, in his book So Deadly, So Perverse stated the films giallo elements are "somewhat muted" and that the film "in some respects more of a social document than a proper thriller, but it warrants inclusion [in his book giallo] for its novel variation on a standard formula." ==Release and reception==

The film was released in Bologna, Italy on April 2, 1987. This was followed by screenings in Bari on April 3, Milan on April 10, and other locations in Italy. Film critic and historian Roberto Curti described the audience and critical reception to the film as being "cold to say the least". From a contemporary review in Corriere della sera, a reviewer stated "for our part, we think Ferrini went way over his head." From retrospective reviews, Howarth stated that "emphasis on the social aspect of the film will likely be off-putting for some more thrill hungry viewers" while stating that "Ferrini paces the material wery well and the actors all give very credible performances" noting that "Ferrini ensures that the film is engaging as both a drama and a thriller." Luther-Smith stated that "despite [Ferrini]'s best intentions, I would rather sit through [Ferrini-scripted Rings of Fear] ten times than watch this docu-drama again." Curti stated that the film was an uneasy mixture of violence, patronizing character study, and weak dialogue. ==References==