Horror Crush: Lorraine De Selle

It's time for our first inductee of 2025 to the Horror Crush section of this site. And, we are going with one of the most gorgeous women of Italian horror (which is saying A LOT!): Lorraine De Selle!! So, let's get right to it cuz we have a lot to cover this time around!

Lorraine De Selle was born in Milan, Italy on August 13, 1951. She began acting in 1976. 

The first one we are gonna discuss is her second flick, Joe D'Amato's Emanuelle in America (1977). This entry in the series, has Emanuelle (the gorgeous Laura Gemser, of course) investigating a rich pervert who has his own harem of women. It doesn't take her long to discover how far reaching and vile what is happening is, hint: there is a snuff film involved!

It's a bit slow moving and has no real plot. You see the movie is really just an excuse to move from one sex scene to the next, of both the softcore and hardcore variety (the former can be sexy, the later never fucking is in this movie!). There is one truly repugnant scene involving a horse (why?!!), which marks the second time a D'Amato shocker I've seen have one (the other being Caligula: The Untold Story). 

Still, the women are gorgeous and frequently nude. These include, of course, Gemser and De Selle. And, bonus, they have a lesbian tryst, on top of being fully nude! This is definitely one of De Selle's sexiest roles. 

In 1977, she appeared in the Naziploitation flick, Women's Camp 119 from infamous shlock master Bruno Mattei. I've honestly never heard of, much less seen, this one before doing the research for this writeup. I did however see the Naziploitation flick Mattei made the same year and released earlier, SS Girls. And, while I liked that one, it doesn't star Le Selle, so has nothing to do with this. Anyways, any of you guys seen Women's Camp 119? If so what are your thoughts and how was De Selle in it?

A year later, she appeared in Nero Veneziano (Damned in Venice). Another one, I haven't, though this one still has my curiosity peaked, especially since it has starring another Horror Crush inductee in Olga Karlatos! 

Her next foray into horror came in 1980 with Madness. Another movie I am hearing about for the first time that I am definitely adding it to my must watch list. Based solely on the pics below, it looks to be De Selle's sexiest role. Anyone seen and can confirm if that is indeed the case? Let me know in the comments section below.

That all being said, her most famous, or should I say infamous, movioes were soon to follow. For also in 1980 came Ruggero Deodato's rape revenge flick House on the Edge of the Park. This infamous Video Nasty tells the unsavory tale of two scumbags (Last House on the Left's David Hess and Giovanni Radice) who crash a posh party. After they feel humiliated by said rich folk, they proceed to humiliate rape, and kill them. Our party participants soon must take revenge on our two low life party crashers.

Mean-spirited yet excellently acted, this one is intense and savage. So, there is no surprise that it ended up on Britain's Video Nasty list. There is some great acting on display here. But, I mean you have Hess, Radice, and De Selle, so of course, that'll be the case. It's definitely one of Deodato's very best work. 

This was probably one of the first times that I really noticed De Selle's beauty. She looks breathtaking and classy with the way that she is made up.  And, like I said, she gives a great performance. 

It's kind of fascinating that after working with Deodato, she worked with the other master of cannibal movies, Umberto Lenzi, in what is probably his most famous movie and one of the most infamous films ever made (cannibal or otherwise): Cannibal Ferox (released in the US under the superior title Make Them Die Slowly). Also, crazy to think, but not surprsing consider the content in both flicks, that both were in Britain's Video Nasty list. Anyways, De Selle plays one of three friends who go to the Amazon to disprove the existence of cannibal tribes. They run into two scumbag drug dealers (one of them again played by Raddice) who have acquired through their scumbaggery (is that a word? Well it is now if it wasn't before), the wrath of said cannibals. 

It's a bit on the slow side and lacks any of the depth and complexity of Deodato's masterpiece Cannibal Holocaust. And, like that movie and most others in the Italian cannibal subgenre has utterly repellent real violence against animals. Sadly, unlike that DVD and Blu-Ray there is no option to watch it without it, other than fast forwarding (which is what I do whenever I pop in my Blu-Ray of it). But, it is still an enjoyable gorefest with a solid third act. The human splatter is extreme and of the most excellent order including castration, tit hanging, cannibalism (duh!), and more.

This was probably the first time I ever saw De Selle in a movie. And, she looks gorgeous, even in this decidedly non-glamorous role. She also, once again, gives a good performance.

1982, marked the first of two WIP (women in prison) movies that she made for Bruno Mattei under the Black Emaunelle (Laura Gemser) umbrella. In this one, Emanuelle goes undercover in a women's prison to uncover the corruption going on. 

This one is definitely the weaker of the two flicks. It's generic and fairly typical of the subgenre, and the slower moments fail to hold my interest or attention. Still it has a good amount of sleaze with rampant nudity (including, of course, Gemser) and lesbian sex. And, while it is kind of tame in the gore department, the scene where Gemser's Emanuelle is attacked by rats (with glowing red eyes!) is horrifically memorable. As such, fellow sleaze lovers should give it a look.

De Selle plays the prison warden and looks positively delicious. Be that with her uniform, hair up in a bun, and in glasses(!) or with her hair down in lingerie. So, that while there is no nudity from her, she still steals any scene that she is in, particularly when she in her more intimate apparel. 

1983 bought us that second collab with her and Mattei and Gemser as Emanuelle doing the WIP thing. And, yeah this one, Women's Prison Massacre, is definitely the better one. This time around Emanuelle is framed for drug possession by a dirty politician. She ends up in a women's prison (duh). were cruelty abounds. But the shit gets much worse, when four psychos (led by Gemser's hubby the late, great Gabrielle Tinti) heading to their executions, escape and hold the female prison's inhabitants hostage. And, yes, folks this does indeed lead to a women's prison massacre (truth in a title!).

This might just be Mattei's best movie. It's fast paced, nasty, and rousingly exciting. The graphic violence includes bloody squibs, throat slashing, and the nastiest use ever of a razor blade. But, the best gore moment is reserved for a truly gruesome game of Russian roulette. On top of this we also get torture and multiple rape just to stir that pot further. We also, of course, have lots of gorgeous women, nudity, and a sexy scene of teasing of the lesbian variety. A warning to my fellow Gemser fans, she does not partake in the nudity, but by no means should that be held against the movie.

Playing a different warden De Selle still, of course, looks hot as fucking hell. This might be the film that consolidated my crush on her the most. Seriously, I need to go to whatever prison she is warden at! She is one of my favorites, along with Gemser and her two friends that partake in the earlier mentioned Sapphic action, in this flick.

Her final horror movie came in 1984 with Italian, killer animal movie Wild Beasts. PCP gets accidently released into the water that is used by a zoo. The animals escape and driven mad and violent by the drug, begin to attack and kill humans.

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Man, does ever live up to the adjective of its title! The movie truly is wild, and its use of real animals gives the movie a big budget feel. This is on top of a movie that is already really good looking. The scenes were animals cause mayhem  onpeople are awesome. There is some real good gore, too, including a spectacular scene were an elephant crushes a woman's head! The score is also awesome and the climax/ ending rule! Unfortunately there is one repugnant moment were in real, living rats are set on fire. Its a bummer of a moment and hurts the flick, but rest of it is fucking awesome!

De Selle plays one of the protagonists and, of course, looks gorgeous! She has great legs, and her casting earns this one extra points!  

 
From there De Selle worked did some TV work and soon retired from acting after 1989. She would return to the film biz as a producer in 1999 and did that till 2011, Afterwards, she completely left the film world. But, with her extensive work in Italian horror and exploitation, including two notorious classics, and her impossible and exquisite beauty, her name would forever be connected to Euro genre work. And, so it is with much honor and love that we induct this sometimes underrated but amazing and iconic beauty into Horror Crushes!

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Horror Crush: Almanta Suska

It's been quite a while since we've inducted someone from Euro-horror into this site's Horror Crush section. But, we're about to correct as we do just that with the gorgeous Almanta Suska!

There is very little to no info on Suska online, other than Google also has under the name Almanta Keller. And, according to her IMDb, she has a total of nine acting credits. But, only one of them is a horror movie. Ahh, but what a movie it is! As it's Lucio Fulci's The New York Ripper!

The New York Ripper deals with police Lieutenant Fred Williamson (Jack Hedley) who is after a sadistic killer who likes to slice up beautiful women with various sharp instruments. Oh and he quacks like a duck. 

Having a gritty and sleazy feel and adding the very graphic violence inflicted upon women, earned it much controversy. In someways, it might be the most infamous of Fulci's movies. It was even labeled as being misogynistic by some. 

And, yes it is a nasty and brutal mix of sex, slasher, and giallo. But, is also a damn good movie. The odd choice of the quacking killer brings it down a notch or two. So while it ain't S or A tier Fulci, it's damn fucking good and probably in his top five or six best works.

Suska plays Fay, a woman who survives an attack from the razor blade wielding killer. She's a witness now, so the killer definitely wants her dead. Suska is good in her role making for a likable girl. She's also incredibly beautiful, with one of the prettiest faces you're likely to see anywhere. Kind of a shame she didn't do more horror, and honestly more acting in general, cause the camera really likes her. And, she does a good job with what she's given. Honestly, I could totally have seen her do way more Euro-horror flicks and have done great in them.

And, that's it as far as the genre goes. Suska left the movie industry by the 90s. But, her beauty (those gorgeous eyes and long, blonde hair!) and likable performance in one of the master's most infamous movies, more than qualify her for induction into Horror Crushes!t v

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Dark Glasses (Review)

Director: Dario Argento
Writers: Dario Argento, Franco Ferrini
Cast: Ilenia Pastorelli, Asia Argento, Andrea Zhang, Andrea Gherpelli, Mario Pirrello
Year: 2022
Min: 86

A vicious serial killer has been killing call girls and prostitutes, including a brutal slaying early in the film. Diana (llenia Pastorelli) is a call girl, who manages to escape said killer. But, in doing so is involved in a car crash with an Asian family of three. From them, the father ends up dead, the mom in critical condition and a coma, and the little boy, Chin (Xinyu Zhang) gets sent to a orphanage. Diana goes to visit him and gives the kid what looks like a Nintendo Switch. He, then, runs away from the orphanage and asks Diana to let him stay with her. She accepts, but the killer has turned his attention to her. He wants to finish what he started and kill her.

Dark Glasses (Occhiali Neri) is Dario Argento (here directing and co-writing along with Franco Ferrini) first movie since his wretched Dracula 3D. Admit ably Argento's film output has been hit or miss post-Opera, with the vast majority being huge misses. Which is a shame because Argento is one of the genre's true masters, and, at the end of day, my favorite director. While, it never reaches the greatness of say Suspiria (1977) or Opera (1987), it is his finest flick since The Stendhal Syndrome (1996). In short, I am happy to proclaim that Dark Glasses is, for the most part, a return to form for the master. 

The film's opening kill is a spectacular way to setup the movie's killer, and is the most Argento feeling scene he has made in years. It's a brutal garroting that is gorily realistic. Frequent Argento collaborator Sergio (Demons 1&2, The Church, Opera) Stivaletti provides the excellent gore effects, which also include throat ripping and stabbings. On top of the bloodletting there is also a bit of topless nudity from our lovely lead star.

Argento manages to add some legitimate suspense to the film, keeping it very involving. His direction, coupled with the excellent editing and driving score, makes the car chase scene exciting and leads to a violent crash. Even the cheesy snake attack in the water comes off as fun, rather than being groan inducing like say the giant praying mantis in the aforementioned Dracula 3D. In fact, this scene actually feels like the type of wild fun one wants in an Italian horror flick. The movie leads into a tense and great climax that had me cheering. 

Argento also keeps the flick looking good throughout. Now, I must say that there isn't as much stylistic flourishes as his older work. But, we still get some really beautiful wide shots and bird's eye views. The flashbacks and dream sequences use the color red, actually recalling his work on Suspiria. One aspect that has long been missing from Argento's recent work is a great score. Thankfully, this movie corrects that. The soundtrack handled by Arnaud Rebotini and is driving as well as being really catchy.

But, what is most surprising is the amount of heart that this movie has. I really love the relationship between Diana and Chin. Of course, it helps that both of them are great in their roles. Chin is that rare kid in genre movies that is very likable, as little Andrea Zhang does some great work here in his role. Ilenia Pastorelli is especially good in the lead role of Diana. She is obviously sexy and gorgeous but is also a strong, independent character with a good soul. Coupled with Pastorelli's acting talent, it really gives us one of my favorite female lead roles of 2022. Meanwhile, the always welcomed and stunning Asia Argento has a very likable role as Rita, an instructor for the blind.

Some might not appreciate the more syrupy feel, but I think it makes the suspense payoff better. Plus, we get a great doggy heroine in Nerea, Diana's brave and beautiful seeing-eye dog. She ranks right alongside of Sarii from the awesome Predator prequel Prey, making this year a great year for horror hero puppers. Honestly, if I had seen this earlier, she would easily have made my recent list of The 10 Greatest Good Doggies in Horror Movies. And, who doesn't love a great movie dog? I wouldn't wanna meet the person who doesn't anyway.

Dark Glasses is an involving and entertaining return for Argento. Thanks in large part to the acting of Pastorelli and Zhang as Diana and Chin, respectively. Their sweet relationship of surrogate mother and child adds a loving feeling and soul, that helps to make the film more riveting. Rebotini's awesome and driving score is another pleasing factor, especially as an Argento fan. The good looking flick has a couple of good, stylistic moments, as well being very suspenseful and having a climax that me cheer from my seat. This solidly made film actually makes me once again care for a new Argento project. You can experience this joy when the movie premieres in New York City and Los Angeles on October 7, 2022, then starts streaming exclusively on Shudder on the 13th of this same month. 

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