Lisa Gastoni
- 1977
- R
In this tragic drama, the neglected wife (Lisa Gastoni) of a purveyor of antique glass finds sexual fulfillment with a brutish shop clerk (Franco Nero), who swiftly establishes a master-slave relationship with her. The relationship is satisfying for both of them until he begins making demands that she bring her teenaged daughter in to him for similar treatment. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lisa Gastoni, Franco Nero, (more)
- 1974
An older woman and a much younger man explore their attraction and the differences between them in this romance, based on the novel by Carlo Bernari and set in the pre-World War II period. Among the obstacles they must face is the disapproval of the society around them. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
Rod Steiger portrays Italian dictator Benito Mussolini in this internationally produced "how the mighty have fallen" biopic. In the waning days of the war, the once-strutting Il Duce hides from his pursuers like a common thief. He's hoping to fall into the hands of his former Axis comrades or the benign Allied troops, rather than suffer the vengeance of the out-for-blood Italian freedom fighters. But it is the latter group who reaches Mussolini first, ignominiously executing both the dictator and his mistress Clara Petracchi (Lisa Gastoni). This strangely cast period piece features Henry Fonda as a German cardinal and Franco Nero as an Italian officer. Originally titled Mussolini: Ultimo Atto, The Last Days of Mussolini was also issued as The Last Four Days. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1971
- R
This curious Italian drama is the medium for bringing to light the soul-searching conversations of an erotomaniac woman and a troubled priest. The woman is desperate to have some sort of real relationship with someone. She decides the priest is an appropriate person. He, in turn, needs to confide his philosophical and spiritual questionings to someone and unburden himself of his own doubt about his moral fitness to fulfill his role. Each represents an adequate temptation for the other. This film boasts one of the better musical scores by Ennio Morricone. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- 1970
A group of amoral students pay a visit to their professor, a noted architect with plans to construct his buildings in Africa. Marcello (Michel Piccoli) and his wife Marina (Lisa Gastoni) invite the dissident students into their home and a philosophical discussion develops. They start to paint his walls and begin to debase the couple. One student urinates on the professor while two make love to the wife amidst the crowd of cheering voyeurs. When his wife starts to take on more men in their bedroom, the professor reveals his homosexual yearnings. The hosts are willingly subjected to sexual debauchery and have their home nearly wrecked by the student visitors. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michel Piccoli, Lisa Gastoni, (more)
- 1968
This comedy concerns identical twin brothers who have a very different way of looking at life. Filippo makes a living selling nude photographs and engaging in forgery and petty crimes, much to the consternation of his brother Mario, an honest law man employed by the government. Mario is driven crazy by Filippo, who eventually sleeps with Mario's wife and becomes a respected member of Parliament. Filippo excels, in spite of his sordid background, while the virtuous Mario loses everything and is unrewarded for his strong convictions of morality and law and order in this offbeat comedy.Vittorio Gassman stars in the double role of the disparate identical twins. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Vittorio Gassman, Lisa Gastoni, (more)
- 1967
Grazie Zia is better known by its English-language title Thank You, Aunt. As an act of defiance against a world he never fit into, 17-year-old Alvise (Lou Castel) has willed himself into a state of psychosomatic paralysis. From the vantage point of his wheelchair, Alvise cruelly manipulates all those around him. The only one who seems to resist his tyranny is his gorgeous aunt Lea (Lisa Gastoni). Hopelessly in love with Lea, Alvise determines to "conquer" her as well. Her response to his insidious mind games is hardly what Alvise expects, but it's certainly what the audience has been clamoring for since Reel One. To call Grazie Zia kinky would be putting it mildly. The film was also released as Come Play With Me. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lisa Gastoni, Lou Castel, (more)
- 1966
Dashing Austrian actor Robert Hoffmann stars as Luciano Luthring, a small-time hood who rises quickly to to the ranks of ruthless professional criminal, only to be betrayed by his beautiful moll (Lisa Gastoni). This fact-based crime thriller, directed by veteran Carlo Lizzani, also contains a fine supporting performance by Gian Maria Volonte as the cunning inspector who psychologically manipulates Gastoni into turning on her lover by playing on her guilty conscience. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Hoffman, Lisa Gastoni, (more)
- 1966
Those fun-loving Borgia's are back in yet another chronicle of their 16th century political and sexual shenanigans in this bizarre Italian exploitation film. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lisa Gastoni, Edmund Purdom, (more)
- 1965
Richard Harrison is Maciste, Hercules' offspring (or so the theme music would have you believe), in this sword-and-sandal opus. Marilou Toro is the wicked, seductive Messalina, who uses her wiles to gain power in Rome. But Harrison is impervious to Messalina's charms; his only interest is in the just and true. The fight scenes are adequately staged, even if the blood looks more like cranberry sauce. Empress Messalina was given its widest American exposure as part of the ubiquitous "Sons of Hercules" TV package. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1965
In this low-budget sci-fi adventure, Martian light creatures employ mind control to overtake the Earth. Fortunately, Earthlings are tougher than they look and quickly send the evil beings back to Mars. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tony Russell, Lisa Gastoni, (more)
- 1965
This film has two segments exploring relationships subjected to sudden trauma. In the first, "Violence," a young wife is gang-raped while her husband is forced to watch. Afterwards, neither one even acknowledges what happened. In "Love," a wife is hospitalized after attempting suicide, and her husband flirts innocently with a pretty young nurse. When the wife dies, the husband is consumed with guilt over his perceived unfaithfulness. ~ Steve Huey, All Movie Guide
- 1965
In this campy Italian sci-fi adventure wicked aliens from outer space abduct and miniaturize Earth's leaders to make it easier to destroy the planet until a courageous hero appears to fight against him and his legion of skintight leather-clad robot women. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tony Russell, Lisa Gastoni, (more)
- 1964
Alan Steel, Mimmo Palmara, Rosalba Neri may not be the Three Avengers of the title, but they do command top billing. Steel plays the leader of an Arabian Knights-era team of dogooders. Their special target consists of tyrants and desports. The film bogs down during the court intrigue sequences, as the mulitlingual cast members struggle to understand one another. Things pick up tremendously during the action scenes in the desert. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1964
Based on a novel by Laurence Meynell, this film tells of a young businessman from England who who gets involved in a scheme to inundate a small communist country in the Middle East with counterfeit money. Things do not go as planned when his wife begins digging into matters. This thriller runs a short 59 minutes. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Reynolds, Dermot Walsh, (more)
- 1964
A slave unites the people of Rome against their emperor, Messalina. The Italian film was dubbed into English. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Harrison, Lydia Alfonsi, (more)
- 1963
Gidget Goes to Rome was the third film to be inspired by the beach-happy characters created by Frederick Kohner back in the mid-1950s. This time, surfer gal Francie "Gidget" Lawrence is played by newcomer Cindy Carol. Per the title, the film finds Gidget vacationing in the Eternal City with faithful boyfriend Jeff, aka Moondoggie (James Darren). Chaperoning the pair is Aunt Albertina (Jessie Royce Landis), but that doesn't stop Gidge and Jeff from experiencing brief extracurricular flirtations in Rome. The question: how do the producers get Cindy Carol into a bikini without diverting from the plotline? The answer: a slapstick setpiece during a fashion show. The last of the theatrical Gidget features, Gidget Goes to Rome was followed by a handful of TV-movie sequels and two separate weekly sitcoms. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cindy Carol, James Darren, (more)
Joseph Losey's turbulent melodrama concerns a phony writer, Tyvian Jones (Stanley Baker), who has recently sold the film rights to his autobiography as a Welsh coal miner (actually penned by his deceased brother). Tyvian is engaged to Francesca (Virna Lisi), an alluring screenwriter, but then Eva (Jeanne Moreau) walks into his life. Eva and her lover had sought shelter from a thunderstorm in his apartment and Tyvian is immediately attracted to her. He follows her to Rome, where Eva demands an elaborate hotel suite, tons of gambling money, and a bonus for sexual favors. When Tyvian assents in gratifying her wishes, Eva just laughs at him. Tyvian then has to rush back to Francesca, since they are going to be married. But Tyvian forsakes her on their honeymoon and takes up with Eva again. Finding Tyvian and Eva together, Francesca is heartbroken and she commits suicide. After the funeral, Tyvian sets his sights on killing Eva, but, when he sees her, he finds that he is still obsessed with her. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jeanne Moreau, Stanley Baker, (more)
- 1962
Nicole Molino (Catherine Spaak) and Nicola Molino (Gianni Garko) are not related to one another. In fact, they don't even know each other until both are inadvertently assigned the same hotel room on the island of Ischia. Nicole isn't interested in any hanky-panky, so Nicola promises to keep his hands to himself. Though this is an Italian picture, the storyline adheres strictly to tried-and-true Hollywood formula, and Nicole and Nicola fall in love. 18 in the Sun was released in the US under the infantile title Beach Party Italian Style; its original Italian title was Diciottenni al Sole. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1962
A couple of beefy barbarian brothers battle each other over a luscious babe while going up against a malevolent ruler. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- 1961
Placed in command of France's Chateau de la Marre district in 1944, sadistic Nazi general Guenther Hautmann (Andrew Morell) prepares to ship all of the locals to work camps. First, however, he perversely throws the unfortunates a lavish party in a luxurious chateau, the site of a similar celebration held in 1723 by a despotic landowner. Hautmann even goes to great lengths to recreate the original party, down to the tiniest detail. But the guests who show up for the festivities are definitely not on the General's invitation list. This is one of several One Step Beyond episodes filmed in England. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
