Called A Lizard in a woman’s skin in English, the movie is as bizarre as the title. It’s probably best known for a (very controversial) scene showing are room filled with dogs being submitted to vivisection. The scene looked so realistic that a complaint was lodged against director Lucio Fulci; his special effects artist, Carlo Rimbaldi, saved him from a prison sentence by showing the fake dogs that were used in the movie in court.  

 

A woman (Florinda Bolkan) is accused of having killed her depraved neighbour (Anita Strindberg) who was experimenting with LSD and lesbian sex. A shrewd police inspector is investigating the case in Sherlock Holmes style while a conceited psychiatrist is interpretating the lady’s dreams in the tradition of Mr. Freud himself. Set in London (still swinging around this time) the inspector is played by British actor Stanley Baker, who looks very unhappy with his latest toupet. 

 

Apart from the (extremely unpleasant) scene with the dogs, the movie also offers drug use, nudity, psychedelic nightmares, sex orgies, hippies, you name it. Even the usual whodunit structure of the plot is presented with a twist; instead of a whodunit, it’s more constructed like a 'did-she-do-it-or-not?’: Are those bad-trip nightmares drug-induced hallucinations or are they snippets of what really happened on the fatal night? 

 

The movie has its moments, but almost collapses under its pounding score (is that really Morricone?) and obtrusive visual style. I even found it difficult to enjoy the nudity and sleaze: Strindberg looks menacing with her fake tits and even though she’s not ugly, I simply don't find Bolkan sexy. All Movie called this "a wild ride that offers plenty of bizarre moments that will stay stuck in the viewer's mind" 

 

I hope they won’t. 

 

For sure not my type of giallo, but others have been more positive about it, so maybe it’s a matter of taste.