Blade of the Ripper, Sultry Damsel With a Blood Fetish

She's sultry...to say the least. After all, she is played by Edwige Fenech. She is the unfaithful wife of an American diplomat in Vienna. She likes her sex rough. Rough, in fact is an understatement. She likes it bloody. To really turn her on and get her juices flowing, beat her to a pulp, bloody her mouth and ravage her. Even better. Get a knife or some sharp object and cut her up so the flowing blood greases the skids during passion. Okay, who thinks of this stuff? Right! Easy question. Italians! Today we have an Italian horror film, 1971's "Blade of the Ripper" (directed by Segio Martino).

A psycho killer is killing beautiful Euro-babes with a razor. As the film begins he slices up a prostitute in Vienna. Enter Julie (Fenech) and her diplomat husband (Alberto de Mendoza). He arrives to take a job at the American Embassy. Right away, Julie seeks extra-marital sex. Her most recent sex partner, Jean (Ivan Rossimov) enjoyed...and so did she...beating her to a pulp and cutting her during sex...and he wants her back. Enter the handsome George (George Hilton), international rich-guy. He pursues and she gives in...lots of extra-marital sex will result. Oh yes, the maniacal killer continues to strike, killing a babe in the shower (Pouchi). This babe had just engaged in a gratuitous cat-fight at a party Julie attended in which her paper dress was ripped off by another Euro-babe, who's paper dress was also ripped off (don't ask, just enjoy).

Double Uh oh, Julie gets a mysterious phone call from someone who claims to have photos of her and George in the throes of sexual passion...and what photos they must be! Blackmail! No problem, Julie's nymphomaniac Euro-babe buddy Carol (Conchita Airoldi) offers to go meet the fiend. Bad news for this blonde beauty...the blackmailer is also the razor slasher and Carol will die horribly. The sex fiend razor killer is busy and continues his carnage. Julie, the skank that she is, leaves her diplomat husband and runs off with Euro-hunk George. As the killer then attacks a sultry stewardess (Marella Corbi) the plot takes a surprising twist that will leave Julie in much peril.

Do women really have fetishes of being beaten to a pulp and cut in order to have passionate intercourse while bleeding profusely? Or, is this phenomenon a fetish for men, to believe a woman wants that in order to excuse deep-hidden misogyny? Or...is this just a neat vehicle to exploit Edwige Fenech's nudity and talent? Back to the story....who is the killer and what does he want with Julie? Does Julie have a secret fantasy to be cut up by the fiend's razor? Could Julie, herself, be the killer...or maybe her husband?  "Blade of the Ripper" has plenty of gratuitous nudity and blood...usually in the same scene. Edwige Fenech is a natural for the role of the sexually twisted Julie. For some terrific horror/exploitation of the Italian fashion, see "Blade of the Ripper."