Blu-ray Review: What Have They Done to Your Daughters? (1974)

After a naked pregnant woman is found hung from the rafters in an attic (and not unlike an overcrowded submarine, she is packed to the gills with semen), Inspector Silvestri (Claudio Cassinelli) and Assistant District Attorney Vittoria Stori (Giovanna Ralli) spring into action. As the duo dig deeper they discover the victim was part of an under-age teenage prostitution ring whose “clients” (read: abusers) are some of your garden variety high society perverts. As the search widens, the bodies begin piling up…thanks to a motorcycle helmet wearing, cleaver wielding psycho. Will our heroes be able to keep their body parts intact until the crime is solved?
What Have They Done to Your Daughters? is a damn solid giallo picture, and being such their are a few things you can expect to see…namely excellent practical gore and bloodshed, some detective work through a twist filled plot, and a black gloved, masked killer dispatching folks six ways to Sunday. Along with that we are treated to some rather spectacular stunt work (especially during a high speed chase involving a police car and a motorcycle), a rather high level of sleaziness in regards to the nature of the crimes at hand, and some solid, somber, acting from Cassinelli and Ralli in the lead roles…all handled with expert care by director Massimo Dallamano .
This being an Arrow Films Blu-ray release, there are some excellent bonus features to back up the frightful feature. First up we get an info packed and highly listenable audio commentary from giallo expert Troy Howarth and an excellent video essay from Kat Ellinger, the editor-in-chief of Diabolique magazine that explores the themes present in the film’s of Dallamano. Following those are interviews with composer Stelvio Cipriani, editor Antonio Siciliano, a silent selection of unused hardcore footage intended for the film but never used (blowies and bananas abound…but there is a scene with a mask that is so absurd it steals the show), alternate english titles, the film’s theatrical trailer, and an image gallery.
What Have They Done to Your Daughters? is a great entry in the giallo entry, and shouldn’t be missed by fans of the genre (especially with the extras present here), but I dare say if you have been curious about gialli but haven’t taken the plunge, this would make a good choice to get your feet wet!