Paganini Horror (1989)

Luigi Cozzi’s Paganini Horror might not go to the history as the best movie ever, or even of the year or the day – but it’s still a quite fun and cheesy lowbudget production with some bizarre ideas. It’s the superficial style of Cozzi that I like so much, he just want to make pure entertainment and nothing more. He’s capable of making more serious stuff too, but he seems to prefer fun and joy before more destructive horror themes.

A female rock band has hired a horror director to make a music video in Paganini’s old house. The producer rented/bough the house from a sinister Donald Pleasence, who then goes up in a big tower and throw the money all over the city. The video goes well until one of the women disappears, and soon they are all in danger when the Paganini-demon starts to stalk them with his dangerous violin!

There’s nothing much to write about Paganini Horror, but it flows by easily and is never boring. It’s fun to see Daria Nicolodi in one of the leads, and she’s easily the best actor together with Donald Pleasence (who has a very small part). I guess there wasn’t much time to shoot this movie, because the typical stylish Cozzi-quality is a bit weaker than usual, more longer takes without cuts and less focus on close-ups. Just much more simple editing.

I’ve seen Paganini Horror a couple of times over the years, and I always enjoy it without saying it’s even close to a masterpiece. But it’s just brainless entertainment, it has some gore – not to much though – and this crazy idea with Paganini walking around killing people with a sword stuck into his violin! I guess the concept is that he sold his soul to the devil or something similar.

But the wackiest thing is the song used in the music video. It’s almost a copy of Electric Light Orchestras old hit Twilight, but with the chorus changed to something else. It’s actually a quite catchy version and I wonder if it ever was released commercial on vinyl?

Paganini Horror is a colorful and silly movie that can entertain some of us, we who appreciates Luigi Cozzi’s talent and love for the cinema.