Umberto Lenzi, undoubtedly one of Italy's most diverse directors, directed a handful of Giallo's in his career, which ranged in quality from absolutely superb (Seven Blood-Stained Orchids) to rather silly (Eyeball),but Oasis of Fear was made while Lenzi still had a lot of respect for the genre, and as such it stands tall as one of his very best films. The first thing that struck me about the film was the happy pop soundtrack, and this ends up offsetting the nihilistic tone of the film beautifully once the first big twist hits. The film starts out by introducing us to two amiable British hippies, who travel to a foreign country to buy pornography. After spending all their money, the pair decides to begin making their own pornography, and it's not long before they find themselves on the run from the local coppers. After breaking down outside a lavish manor house, they decide to enter and steal some petrol. However, the lady of the house catches them and after initially wanting them to leave, she changes her mind and invites the pair in for a little three-way party...

This film doesn't adhere to the usual Giallo rules and traditions, and at first it's difficult to see where it's going. Lenzi does a good job with creating his characters, however, and although the first half of the movie is all about setting up the second half, it's interesting thanks to the handling and decent performances from all concerned. When the twist in the tale comes about, it's amazingly shocking because it appears to come out of nowhere, although Lenzi does a good job of ensuring that it doesn't feel superfluous to the plot, and the change of direction certainly suits the film. Oasis of Fear benefits from a good cast, which includes prolific Italian cult film star Ray Lovelock and future Italian beauty Ornella Muti. The pair interacts well, and provide good impressions of their characters; even though they're clearly not British. The real standout, however, is Irene Papas who is handed the meatiest role in the film (the one usually given to Carol Baker),and gets to have fun with a character who is anything but what she seems. The standout sequence of the film takes place in an aviary full of owls, and the nihilistic conclusion manages to be sad despite the lightweight nature of the movie, and overall; this is a Giallo definitely worth tracking down.

Normally, I would dismiss OASIS OF FEAR as a sub-par movie due to the slow pacing and total lack of gore and violence, ingredients which are usually central to the Italian giallo movie. There's no masked or mystery killer here, no female victims being stalked, and instead the movie is a low-budget three-hander about a man and two women, trapped in an isolated location, and the sex and power games that they play which eventually lead to death and ultimate destruction. However, in the hands of genre specialist Umberto Lenzi (already a veteran of the genre by 1971!),OASIS OF FEAR becomes a suspenseful, tense and supremely watchable little film with interesting characters and fine scripting which always keeps you guessing. Although the plot is very simplistic, an air of mystery hangs over the production and facts are never handed to the viewer on to a plate; you don't really find out what's happened until the very end of the film and Lenzi keeps you guessing - and therefore interested - throughout.

The first half hour of the movie, right up until the introduction of Irene Papas, is by far the weakest part. Basically it serves as an introduction to the two main characters, a young free-living couple who travel Italy making pornography, stealing, and generally causing a nuisance of themselves with the police. Unfortunately scenes of the pair wreaking havoc at a restaurant as a cry out for anarchy and falling in with a group of dubious gypsies serve only to stall the plot, and combined with the cheesy music and fashions these moments come across as very dated. It's only when the action moves to the country mansion and mysterious characters keep popping up, an undercurrent of sexual intrigue develops (even sexual torture is threatened at one point),with one character revealed to be a murderer, that things become really interesting.

Playing the young, idealistic lead is Ray Lovelock, better known as 'George', the hero in THE LIVING DEAD AT THE MANCHESTER MORGUE. Lovelock plays much the same character here as in his zombie epic but far less heroic, and in fact his character is rather unlikeable and irritating. The same can be said for Ornella Muti's character, Ingrid. However the two leads are realistic - in a world where 'teenage characters' on television are played by thirty-three year olds, the actual age of the actors involved is the same as that of the characters - and Lovelock and Muti fit the parts very well. The respected actress Irene Papas has the role of the repressed middle-aged housewife, Barbara, and is excellent in the part, especially when she flies off the handle and becomes disturbed, as in the aviary sequence. The acting, combined with the twisting plot and very watchable power games that occur, make OASIS OF FEAR an unusual and often successful movie that ranks as another solid entry from cult fave Lenzi.

Dick Butler (Ray Lovelock, The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue) and Ingrid Sjorman (Ornella Muti, Flash Gordon) are trying to enjoy their own summer of love, traveling through Italy and paying for it with porn magazines and nudes of Ingrid. Then they get busted by the cops. Then they get robbed by a biker gang. Then they get mistaken for crooks. They're on the run, out of gas and running out of options.

Also known as Oasis of Fear, Deadly Trap, Dirty Pictures and Love Stress in Japan, this Umberto Lenzi giallo is all about what happens next.

Soon, our hapless couple has found their way to the home of bored middle-class housewife Barbara Slater (Irene Papas, Don't Torture a Duckling). She's up for some sexual shenanigans, potentially with both of them, but she's also way smarter than either of our teenagers realize.

In the book Blood and Black Lace: The Definitive Guide to Italian Sex and Horror Movies, Lenzi claimed that he had trouble getting Papas to participate in the threesome scene. What he had no trouble with was getting Lovelock's help in capturing the free spirit of 1971, as he sings the theme "How Can You Live Your Life?" and rocks out some amazing clothes, including the Union Jack jacket that appears on the poster for the Oasis of Fear release of this movie.

Beyond a brand new 2k restoration in English and Italian, the new Mondo Macabro release of this film features roy Howarth and Nathaniel Thompson commentary, an archival interview with Umberto Lenzi, deleted x-rated scenes (they're basically photos inside the magazines that Dick and Ingrid sell) and the original Italian trailer.

This movie was shot in the same home as Fulci's Perversion Story and Argento's The Cat O'Nine Tails. I have no idea where they got the matching white bellbottom outfits or the yellow old school car that they covered in flower stickers.

While not a top tier giallo, this is still a quick watch packed with plenty of twists. Don't get it confused with A Quiet Place to Kill. We'll be getting to that one soon enough.