If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

Blistering performances.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

The best part about this film is that it's shot in Greece. The city looks very nice and it's fun to see a giallo shot in Athens. Gialli are known for their exotic locations but I don't think I've ever seen one set in Greece. Unfortunately, the rest of the film is a bit of a letdown. Incoherent, confusing story-line with more than a few rabbit holes, a bad balance of comedy and horror, even after expecting the usual bad dialogue I still came away amazed at the sheer awfulness in this one. I'll chalk that up to translation but that doesn't fix anything. One thing that I did enjoy is the inclusion of a traditional black-gloved killer with a shaving razor. I've seen quite a few of these films and this trope really isn't as common as those who stereotype the sub-genre would lead you to believe. It's always cool to see. The camera work is more than adequate but the score is unmemorable. I found myself thoroughly bored. One note though, that gold bust actually is hilarious. I wish I could have that as a decoration in my house.

Quite ludicrous but bright and breezy enough to be likable this is, wait for it - a comic giallo. I know, obviously, we are on dangerous territory straight away because, what with all the twists and turns and often daft denouements, gialli, are sometimes laughable enough. Yet here we have a particularly complicated one, albeit with simple enough start, Agatha Christie style with six people in a railway carriage, light goes out, one dies, who dunnit? But this is complicated by the fact that one gets involved in blackmail and then maybe another and there are characters chasing characters, we are struggling to keep up only for the characters to start making jokes (sometimes amusing, sometimes not). On the positive side, it looks tremendous, great costumes and furnishings with the girls not afraid to slip off their clothes, the killings are fairly gory and the score keeps things bobbing along as the cast seem to be genuinely enjoying themselves. Just wish I had as much fun watching.

This is another little-known but well-above-average giallo, in its case a latter-day entry; again, we have here an American actor – Robert Webber as an Inspector having to contend not just with a series of murders but a constantly upset stomach! – sparring with the protagonist, Leonard Mann (Italian despite the English-sounding name). Atypically, the film intercuts the genre's trademark intensity with a good deal of humor (including the hero fleeing detection in drag!); while it may feel uneasy at the start, the mix soon becomes acceptable and, in fact, proves considerably entertaining. In this respect, Mann's dumb girlfriend proves a bit much – having said that, there is one other kooky female character, a young safecracker who aids them in unmasking the villain of the piece! As usual, the film concludes with a rushed, muddled and rather banal explanation of the killer's motives (incidentally, the original murder cleverly occurs in a train compartment just as the vehicle enters a tunnel!) – which, however, is atoned for by one last delightful joke involving the inexperienced petty criminal. Like I said, its light mood notwithstanding, DEATH STEPS IN THE DARK (nicely shot in Greece, by the way) certainly does not hold back on blood-letting – since this had become pretty much the norm following Dario Argento's vicious face-lifting of the genre with DEEP RED (1975); still, there is one additional incongruous (and, in hindsight, unnecessary) element in the few – albeit surprisingly explicit – sex scenes (notably a lesbian coupling seen in extreme close-up!)...

Maurizio Pradeauxs second Giallo has not only got a similar title (the first one is "Passi di Danza su una Lama di Rasoio"), but it also recycles many elements of his first one. As in his other genre outing, the killer murders his/her victims with a razor. The killings are quite nasty, but the special effects are unable to convince completely. The most interesting aspect of this film is its setting: The story takes place in the Greek capital Athens.Sadly, Pradeaux makes a big mistake: While his first Giallo focuses on suspense, this one boosts stupid gags and one-liners to "relax" tension and suspense. Even worse, the gags are often shamelessly sexist, leading to the impression that all female characters are at least slightly dumb. And it's mainly this fact that makes the whole movie a letdown.So, if one has to watch one of Pradeauxs two Gialli, "Passi di Danza su una Lama di Rasoio" is a better choice than "Passi di Morte Perduti nel Buio".