Georges Rigaud Movies

Richard (Michel Piccolo) is a medieval nobleman. After his first wife dies in an accident and is buried in the family vault, he remarries and has children by his second wife. A mad longing for his first wife Leonor (Liv Ullmann) comes over him, and he sells his soul to the devil for a chance to get her back. When she returns, she is a murderous vampire, but his ardor for her continues unabated. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

This is yet another giallo thriller from prolific Italian filmmaker Umberto Lenzi and starring Carroll Baker, whom Lenzi had already featured in Paranoia and Orgasmo. Baker, best-known in America for her starring role in the controversial Baby Doll, stars as Martha Cauldwell, who was struck mute when she saw her parents die in a railroad accident at the age of 12. She was taken in by a family in Martinique, and her cousin Jenny Ascot (Ida Galli appearing as "Evelyn Stewart") comes to visit her as the story begins. Jenny is murdered shortly thereafter, and the police tie her death to the sex killing of a teenaged girl a few hours earlier. The prime suspect is a local hippie whom the locals believe to be a drug-addled Satanist. This touch, similar to the persecution of suspected witch Florinda Bolkan in Lucio Fulci's Non Si Sevizia un Paperino -- released the same year -- is reinforced by a scene involving a Donald Duck toy which suggests that the similarities between the two films aren't entirely coincidental (that film's original Italian title translates as "Don't Torture Donald Duck," later changed to Don't Torture a Duckling to avoid copyright issues). At any rate, the hippie is arrested but exonerated after two more murders occur while he is in jail, and so the other suspects (including Franco Fantasia as an unctuous doctor, Eduardo Fajardo as a sinister chauffeur, and Jorge Rigaud as the occultist uncle) fall under suspicion. The usual internal rivalries and family secrets are punctuated by numerous close-ups of characters' eyes (another Fulci trademark) and various occult red herrings, only to end up in a fairly predictable -- if highly improbable -- secular conclusion. Sergio Ciani and Carla Mancini co-star in this offbeat effort, which, despite its inconsistencies, should prove fascinating to genre devotees. ~ Robert Firsching, Rovi

A beautiful young gold digger enters into a deadly game of deception when she marries a blind millionaire, and quickly discovers that she's not the only one after his money. As the unscrupulous new bride enters into a torrid affair with her husband's handsome valet, it's soon revealed that the household servants have their own murderous plan for striking it rich. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

A priest--a former revolutionary--finds himself the target of a manhunt in a small Mexican town. ~ Kristie Hassen, Rovi

Nicholas and Alexandra covers the rise and fall of the last of the Russian Romanovs. We first meet Czar Nicholas (Michael Jayston) and his German bride Alexandra (Janet Suzman) at their 1894 wedding. Though Nicholas is devoted to Alexandra, the Russian populace is less politely inclined to having a "foreigner" as their Czarina. Alexandra gains favor when she gives birth to the much-loved Prince Alexis (Roderick Noble). Alas, Alexis suffers from hemophilia, a disease which strikes every second generation of Alexandra's family. When all conventional medical ministrations fail, Alexandra puts the fate of her son in the hands of mystical holy man Rasputin (Tom Baker, later famous for his portrayal of Doctor Who). As Rasputin's influence and power grows, the Russian peasantry becomes more restless and disgruntled. They are now willing to listen to the speeches of such rabble-rousers as Lenin (Michael Bryant) and Trotsky (Brian Cox), who sow the seeds of revolution. Even after the murder of Rasputin, the Bolsheviks are unsatisfied: The revolution finally comes to pass in October of 1917. At first, the moderate Kerensky (John McEnery) pleads with his followers to allow the Romanovs safe passage out of Russia. But the radicals seize control, and on July 16, 1918, the royal family is summarily executed. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This epic Spanish biopic chronicles the life of Cervantes, Spain's great novelist, playwright and poet, during the 16th-century, when as a young man he goes to Italy to become a soldier for the Pope. Later he helps the Pope's emissary wage war against the Spanish Moors. His exploits win him great favor. He falls in love with a famous Italian courtesan and she with him. Unfortunately, the Pope splits them apart with his newest decree which demands that all prostitutes leave the city. Upset, Cervantes goes to fight in the famed sea battle of Lepanto and comes back a hero. Later he is captured by Barbary pirates and ransomed by Trinitarian friars. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

A group of international jewel thieves band together to pull off a huge heist in this suspenseful caper film that was shot in Europe, New York, and Brazil. The adventure begins in Rio where a burned out school teacher (Edward G. Robinson) decides to chuck his unfulfilling career and try to steal some of the diamonds he sees being delivered to the gem company across the street from his classroom. Realizing that the theft must be carefully planned and delicately executed, he heads for New York to gain the assistance of an old friend, a crime boss (Adolfo Celi) who then gathers an outlaw group comprised of an electronics expert, a safecracker, a gigolo, and an ex-mercenary. They make their plans and head back to Rio when the city is engulfed in Carnival celebrations. Unfortunately, they quickly learn that the diamond company has installed a nearly impenetrable new security system called Grand Slam 70. While altering their plans, the company secretary (Janet Leigh) gets suspicious and makes a few plans of her own. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Samuel Bronston Productions was pretty much obliterated in 1964 by the failure of The Fall of the Roman Empire. Three years later, Bronston tried to rebuild his old empire by teaming up with a pair of South American entrepreneurs; the result was Savage Pampas. Set in the Argentina of the 1890s, the film tells the story of a clever bandit leader (Ron Randell) who buys off the soldiers sent to capture him--then enlists the deserters in his own gang. But Army fort commander Robert Taylor can't be bribed, and takes it upon himself to defeat the bandit. Savage Pampas was a remake of a popular Argentinian historical epic of 1946, Pampa Barbara. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Santo is a masked man who is out to see that good prevails in this sometimes dark world. In this adventure he's after a crazed scientist who has devised a gruesome scheme whereby he kills beautiful gals with a germ that creates a serum from their bodies that can be used to create incredible forgeries of world-famous paintings. ~ Rovi

In this high-seas adventure, framed by the Napoleonic War, a pirate is sponsored by the government to save those living on the captured islands. In his spare time, he has a romantic fling, and tries to save his fiancee from villains. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

In this western, a former lawman forces a corrupt outlaw to relinquish his hold upon an innocent town. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

This Latin western comedy chronicles the epic saga of the MacGregors, a Scottish clan of ranchers living on the Mexican border, who are in conflict with the local crooked sheriff, the local horse salesman, and a gang of banditos. The trouble begins when the horse trader tries to bilk them on a deal. The brothers begin brawling and are tossed in jail. They are eventually released and discover that the outlaws have taken their horses and find out the sheriff is in league with the rogues and will not help. They then set off to catch the thieves themselves. Unfortunately, they end up captured and can only be saved by their bagpipe-playing daddy. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

In this political satire, a bearded Marxist takes over a Caribbean island, and the rest of the democratic world wants him ousted. To do this, they assign the owner of a razor company to lead a covert operation. He enlists the aide of a sexy stripper. Their mission is to shave the leader's beard so that he will no longer be identifiable as a Marxist. The woman dances her way into the leader's boudoir, but soon discovers that his beard is false and the new leader is really the old one in disguise. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi