The daughter of a lawyer, Ripa di Meana opened a fashion boutique in Piazza di Spagna, Rome soon after she finished college. The shop was a place where influential women of high society shopped as a result, Ripa di Meana became involved with the leading figures of the day, whether they be political, artistic, diplomatic or in the media. Famous for her political beliefs about animal cruelty and environmentalism, she was a frequent guest on TV panel shows and even acted in one movie, the sixth chapter in the Nico Giraldi film series that starred Tomas Milan, Sergio Corbucci's 1979 film Assassinio sul Tevere. She never did again, as she hated being commanded, or so she said.
Beyond being a gossip columnist, she also wrote 14 books including four autobiographical books, I miei primi quarant'anni (My First Forty Years), La più bella del reame (The Most Beautiful in the Realm), Invecchierò Ma Con Calma (I Will Grow Old But Calmly) and Colazione al Grand Hotel (Breakfast at the Grand Hotel). The first two of those books were made into movies starring Carol Alt. The first was written and directed by Carlo Vanzina, who also made Nothing Underneath and the second was directed and written by Cesare Ferrario, who made The Monster of Florence.
When she directed and wrote this movie, it was pretty controversial, as she received public funds from the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities, allegedly through personal friendships. That's one of the reasons why it tops Italian lists of the worst movies ever. Wired Italy listed it along with Robot Monster, Santa Claus Conquers the Martians, Frankenstein Island, Disaster Movie, Cross of the 7 Jewels, Box Office 3D, Alex l'ariete, Plan 9 from Outer Space and Troll 2.
Writer Gabriel Nigla said, "Ripa Di Meana 's debut (and only film) as a director is a rambling product, the result of those who not only don't understand how narration works, but have also seen few films in their own lives. History of women, violence and feminism makes all possible mistakes. A sampling of bad examples."
Eva Grimaldi (Obsession: A Taste for Fear) is a recently divorced woman named Alma who falls for a male exotic dancer named Brian (Brando Giorgi) whom her friends have hired for her twenty-fifth birthday. She also has to deal with her ex-mother-in-law Milli (Anita Ekberg) who thinks that she has ruined her son's life and now she wants revenge. Alma and Brian decide to jump on his motorcycle and get out of town, but they're soon followed by his jealous ex-lover Marilyn (Florence Guérin, Profumo, Too Beautiful to Die). They try to hide out with Brian's sister Esmerelda (Apollonia Kotero) but now so many people are following them. That it starts to feel like Benny Hill does giallo because Brian is soon killed and the hunt is on for a new man for Alma.
What blows my mind is that the cast for this movie is filled with talent. Were they worried that Ripa di Meana had some dirt on them? Why is Burt Young in this? How about Debbie Lee Carrington, Thumbelina from Total Recall? Most importantly, at least to my state of mind, is how did Kid Creole end up in so many movies, particularly two incredibly strange Italian films of this era? He was also in Obsession: A Taste for Fear around this same time. Stranger still, Kid Creole did a song "Not Yet" with Grimaldi five years after this movie.
This movie makes no sense and you should only watch it if you're obsessed with Italian genre films and movies that somehow unite the weirdest casts.
Beyond being a gossip columnist, she also wrote 14 books including four autobiographical books, I miei primi quarant'anni (My First Forty Years), La più bella del reame (The Most Beautiful in the Realm), Invecchierò Ma Con Calma (I Will Grow Old But Calmly) and Colazione al Grand Hotel (Breakfast at the Grand Hotel). The first two of those books were made into movies starring Carol Alt. The first was written and directed by Carlo Vanzina, who also made Nothing Underneath and the second was directed and written by Cesare Ferrario, who made The Monster of Florence.
When she directed and wrote this movie, it was pretty controversial, as she received public funds from the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities, allegedly through personal friendships. That's one of the reasons why it tops Italian lists of the worst movies ever. Wired Italy listed it along with Robot Monster, Santa Claus Conquers the Martians, Frankenstein Island, Disaster Movie, Cross of the 7 Jewels, Box Office 3D, Alex l'ariete, Plan 9 from Outer Space and Troll 2.
Writer Gabriel Nigla said, "Ripa Di Meana 's debut (and only film) as a director is a rambling product, the result of those who not only don't understand how narration works, but have also seen few films in their own lives. History of women, violence and feminism makes all possible mistakes. A sampling of bad examples."
Eva Grimaldi (Obsession: A Taste for Fear) is a recently divorced woman named Alma who falls for a male exotic dancer named Brian (Brando Giorgi) whom her friends have hired for her twenty-fifth birthday. She also has to deal with her ex-mother-in-law Milli (Anita Ekberg) who thinks that she has ruined her son's life and now she wants revenge. Alma and Brian decide to jump on his motorcycle and get out of town, but they're soon followed by his jealous ex-lover Marilyn (Florence Guérin, Profumo, Too Beautiful to Die). They try to hide out with Brian's sister Esmerelda (Apollonia Kotero) but now so many people are following them. That it starts to feel like Benny Hill does giallo because Brian is soon killed and the hunt is on for a new man for Alma.
What blows my mind is that the cast for this movie is filled with talent. Were they worried that Ripa di Meana had some dirt on them? Why is Burt Young in this? How about Debbie Lee Carrington, Thumbelina from Total Recall? Most importantly, at least to my state of mind, is how did Kid Creole end up in so many movies, particularly two incredibly strange Italian films of this era? He was also in Obsession: A Taste for Fear around this same time. Stranger still, Kid Creole did a song "Not Yet" with Grimaldi five years after this movie.
This movie makes no sense and you should only watch it if you're obsessed with Italian genre films and movies that somehow unite the weirdest casts.
