I tracked down "The Corpse Packs his Bags" (and it's quite difficult to find, believe me) because of its cool title and fascinating plot synopsis. It sounds like a sort of crossover between an Italian Giallo and a German Krimi, with the great Horst Tappert (my mother was a giant "Derrick" fan and saw all seasons, hence my enthusiasm) and directed by the one and only inimitable Jess Franco. I honestly thought the "Krimi" would be a good genre for Franco, but alas, he managed to ruin another potentially great concept. How awesome does the plot sound? A vicious knife-murderer indicates that he/she is about kill again by packing a suitcase for the victim and putting it in the middle of a room. The first 15-20 minutes are also very good, because they deliver the promised plot. After that, however, there are so many sub-plots and newly introduced characters that I completely lost track and interest. I don't even know if Tappert's character was good or evil. The story supposedly takes place in London, but Franco hardly even tries to camouflage that he's filming in his home country Spain, the sleazy footage is dull, and the climax is very unsatisfying. I'm certainly not an authority in the field of "Krimi" films, but I know two things. 1: writer Bryan Edgar Wallace isn't nearly as good as his father Edgar Wallace. 2: The best Krimi films were release between 1960-1965, and directed by Germans. Not in the early 70s, and certainly not by Jess Franco.
Review of Der Todesrächer von Soho
