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Hotel Fear

Original title: Pensione paura
  • 1978
  • 1h 32m
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
808
YOUR RATING
Leonora Fani, Jole Fierro, and Luc Merenda in Hotel Fear (1978)
DramaHorrorMystery

A mother and her daughter run a hotel during the late stages of WWII. The mother suddenly dies, and the daughter finds herself alone with her sleazy guests.A mother and her daughter run a hotel during the late stages of WWII. The mother suddenly dies, and the daughter finds herself alone with her sleazy guests.A mother and her daughter run a hotel during the late stages of WWII. The mother suddenly dies, and the daughter finds herself alone with her sleazy guests.

  • Director
    • Francesco Barilli
  • Writers
    • Barbara Alberti
    • Amedeo Pagani
    • Francesco Barilli
  • Stars
    • Luc Merenda
    • Leonora Fani
    • Francisco Rabal
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    6.3/10
    808
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Francesco Barilli
    • Writers
      • Barbara Alberti
      • Amedeo Pagani
      • Francesco Barilli
    • Stars
      • Luc Merenda
      • Leonora Fani
      • Francisco Rabal
    • 16User reviews
    • 15Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 3:41
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    Photos56

    Hotel Fear (1978)
    Hotel Fear (1978)
    Hotel Fear (1978)
    Hotel Fear (1978)
    Hotel Fear (1978)
    Hotel Fear (1978)
    Hotel Fear (1978)
    Hotel Fear (1978)
    Hotel Fear (1978)
    Hotel Fear (1978)
    Hotel Fear (1978)
    Hotel Fear (1978)

    Top cast

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    Luc Merenda
    Luc Merenda
    • Rodolfo
    Leonora Fani
    Leonora Fani
    • Rosa
    Francisco Rabal
    Francisco Rabal
    • Marta's Lover
    Jole Fierro
    • Rodolfo's Lover
    José María Prada
    José María Prada
    • Hotel Guest
    • (as Josè Maria Prada)
    Lidia Biondi
    Lidia Biondi
    • Marta
    Máximo Valverde
    Máximo Valverde
    • Partisan
    • (as Massimo Valverde)
    Francesco Impeciati
    Francesco Impeciati
    • Guido
    Luigi De Santis
    Carlo Totti
    • Fascist
    Maria D'Alessandro
    • Prostitute
    Arnaldo Caivano
    • Alfredo
    Diala Caruso
    • Prostitute
    Wolfango Soldati
    • Fascist
    • Director
      • Francesco Barilli
    • Writers
      • Barbara Alberti
      • Amedeo Pagani
      • Francesco Barilli
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

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    Did you know

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    • Trivia
      Francesco Barilli recalls that when the movie came out in theaters it was forbidden to minors. "When it was acquired by television, all the most disturbing scenes were left out. For instance, the scene in which Luc Merenda's lover [Jole Fierro] lures Fani into her own room and then lets the man rape her, was cut to the bone. At a certain point, the elderly woman even stuck a finger in Luc's ass as he was fucking the girl, in order to somehow give him pleasure, too. I think I still have a "Playmen" magazine issue with the photo session taken on the set", he says.

    User reviews16

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    Definitely worth a look
    This an interesting giallo from the director of "Perfume of the Lady in Black". It has a period World War II setting and greatly resembles the Salvatore Samperi film "Scandalo". The story centers on a mother (Lidia Bondi) and daughter (Leanora Fani), who are trying to run a pensione (hotel) after their husband/father has disappeared while fighting in the war. The mother is hiding her army-deserter lover (Francisco Rabal) in the attic while Fascist soldiers are encamped nearby. Meanwhile, a perverted couple staying at the hotel, older woman (Jolene Fierro) and her studly younger lover (Luc Merenda), are conspiring to get their slimy hands on the teenage daughter. This latter subplot is especially reminiscent of "Scandalo", but where the mother was the main protagonist there, the daughter is here, and this eventually takes a decidedly gialloesque turn with a series of mysterious murders. The ending is also quite different (and actually kind of ridiculous).

    The historical setting makes this somewhat unique as a giallo, but it's quite possible this movie was merely aping "Scandalo" there. It's principal strengths though are definitely Luc Merenda and Leanora Fani, who also appeared together in "The Last Round". They have similar roles here as, respectively, a handsome but vicious brute and his young, seemingly vulnerable victim. Merenda usually rates below other handome, more famous Italian leading men like Franco Nero (who was in "Scandalo") and Fabio Testi, but he was actually better than either when it came to playing an out-and-out villain. Leanora Fani was similarly underrated as an actress. She was one of the many Italian "lolitas" of the era, but unlike a lot of the others (Gloria Guida, Eleanora Giorgi, etc.) she actually looked like a teenage girl (even though she wasn't), and she generally specialized in playing vulnerable victims as opposed to predatory vixens.

    Francisco Barilli does a good job of creating a dark, moody atmosphere. The off-the-wall ending topedoes any real pretensions this movie might have had to be a serious historical drama like "Scandalo", but it certainly succeeds as a giallo (where bizarre endings are common). I actually thought this was better than Barilli's somewhat overrated "Perfume of the Lady in Black". It's definitely worth a look.
    helpful•9
    2
    • lazarillo
    • Aug 8, 2010

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    Details

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    • Release date
      • February 16, 1978 (Italy)
    • Countries of origin
      • Italy
      • Spain
    • Language
      • Italian
    • Also known as
      • Korku Pansiyonu
    • Filming locations
      • Bracciano Lake, Rome, Lazio, Italy
    • Production companies
      • Aleph Cinematografica
      • Alexandra Films S.A.
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      1 hour 32 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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