Had the opportunity to sit down with the Anchor Bay disc of this with my girlfriend the other night (we found it in a nearby city at Zellers of all places for less than 5 bucks!) and what a different giallo experience this was.

My second Aldo Lado film (the only other in my collection currently being NIGHT TRAIN MURDERS), this was one of the more puzzling and off the beaten path gialli I've had the chance to enjoy - and enjoy it I did.

Very complex and alluring, breaking away from the more typical giallo mold via flashback and investigation over a ton of red herrings and buckets of bloodshed. Jean Sorel is great as the lead and through SHORT NIGHT OF GLASS DOLLS I developed a stronger respect and likability towards the actor, who I had only really previously seen in his later years popping up in films like Sergio Martino's CASABLANCA EXPRESS (1988) and Carlo Vanzina's tedious, MILLIARDI (1991). Also, was it just me or does Sorel bear an uncanny resemblance to Franco Nero when sporting a mustache? Barbara Bach I must say looked beautiful here but not enough screen time for this New York sweetheart! ONE ON TOP OF THE OTHER (1969) and LIZARD IN A WOMAN'S SKIN (1972) are now both now higher on my must see list than ever before though if Sorel's performance in those is at all reflected through his great one here in Lado's film.

I could see many influences throughout SHORT NIGHT OF GLASS DOLLS - both in possible past influences for director Lado (ROSEMARY'S BABY comes to mind) and in how it may have influenced future gialli, such as Francesco Barilli's PERFUME OF THE LADY IN BLACK (1974). Overall, a very unconventional and engrossing approach and incredibly good debut for Lado, who's popularity among fans has seemed to remain consistent over the years.

What are everyone's thoughts on this unique film?

aldo lado is one of the more intelligent film makers out there, if one overlooks THE HUMANOID, and his film WHO SAW HER DIE? is a good companion piece.

the cast is equally good. i always liked sorel as an actor too, dev, and i had great pleasure in meeting him at home in paris a few years ago. ingrid thulin i have always appreciated and admired as an actress as well.  from her work with bergman to her movies in italy such as this one and SALON KITTY.

also the prague locations really add something to the film. I really like the original script title MALASTRANA - which is a district in prague, but also the italian is a play on words meaning strange and evil

It took me a second viewing to fully appreciate this one. It's somewhat slow but is actually builds up very nicely and has a truly riveting climax that makes a lasting impression. Great Morricone score, locations, chilling little story and good cast. It is indeed a very good film!

Ingrid Thulin was a marvellous actress. I would certainly rate her among the top 20 best actresses of all time! Truly terrific in everything she does and able to play all sorts of different characters. My only regret about her performance in this film is that she was dubbed by someone else. Not that I mind English dubbing (quite the contrary) but I always prefer the actors' real voices and Ingrid did dub herself in all of the other Italian films I have seen her in. She had such a characteristic voice and it is missed in this film.

Oh, and just for the record: I *love* THE HUMANOID! Great little cheesy sci-fi flick!

This is my favorite if not top of the list...."some what of a giallo" film. It doesn't seem like a full blown giallo in nature, but the elements are there. I also agree with what Kit mention about Lado, one of the most underrated directors out there in this field.

Style fused with it's score bring a highly stylish adventure that keeps chaging and never really gives anything away to you. In other words is not a predicable as other gialli. All setting you up for a shocker of an ending too!

Jean Sorel is incredible in this role too..His ability to project the surrealism the character goes through. This is highly recommended for sure!

What other titles so far of Lado's work other than SHORT NIGHT OF GLASS DOLLS, WHO SAW HER DIE? and NIGHT TRAIN MURDERS have been given proper DVD treatment?

If I remember correctly, wasn't POWER AND LOVERS (1994) (LA CHANCE) and one of Lado's other later efforts part of some budget company release (perhaps a Brentwood pack)?

THE HUMANOID (1979) would seem prime fodder for a special edition disc with sweet extras and possible interviews with Lado and some of the cast members still with us (Richard Kiel, Corinne Clery, Leonard Mann, Barbara Bach) and I could see it being a profitable disc among B Euro junkies. Another of interest to me with potential for hopefully some sort of DVD availability in the future is the cannibalistic romance, LOVE RITUAL (1989) (RITO D'AMORE) starring Beatrice Ring, which has intrigued me ever since first reading a piece on it in Eaten Alive! Italian Cannibal and Zombie Films. Have either of these already made it to disc anywhere?

What Lado flicks would you all still like to see hit DVD or what thoughts do you guys have on the titles mentioned?

POWERS AND LOVERS was indeed released on dvd - by Madacy, I think. I haven't gotten around to pick it up yet.

But I do have CIRCLE OF FEAR, which was also released by Madacy in a quite nice-looking print. It's a pretty enjoyable latter-day giallo actually. Not at all in the same league as his 1970s work but still not too bad - it had a nice little mystery that kept me entertained and has a cool score too. The two lead actors are ok but hardly outstanding; as so often it is the supporting cast that do the most memorabel work. There is a very impressive performance by the great Annie Girardot as a highly intelligent but dangerous madwoman locked up in an asylum, and also very welcome supporting turns by familiar faces like Carla Cassola, Bobby Rhodes, Salvatore Billa and Sacha Maria Darwin. The disc is cheap and certainly worth to watch.

THE HUMANOID sadly isn't out on dvd anywhere in the world it would seem but it should be! A total rip-off of STAR WARS - only more enjoyable imo. Ivan Rassimov is great in a very Darth Vader-like costume but hardly the most threatening movie villain - when one of his men fails his mission, he does not kill him but instead suspends his priveliges for 100 days. Talk about bad ass! But Barbara Bach is totally delightful as Rassimov's companion and sports a jaw-dropping cleavage! Her character is pretty much a sci-fi version of Elizabeth Báthory - she needs a serum made from the blood of virgins to stay young and pretty. Cue some scenes of pretty, naked girls being put into and iron maiden fitted with syringes instead of spikes, to drain them of blood. Amazing stuff here! Then of course there's Richard Kiel, some silly robots, a crazy Morricone score, a white-clad Corinne Clery being thrown into a pool and the always enjoyable Arthur Kennedy as the evil scientist who supplies Bach with her serum. The only annoying part is a psychic Chinese kid who is among the worst child actors ever in an Italian film! I just kept rooting for him to die! Why are all boy actors in Italian films so horribly annoying? Aargh!