Not even bad in a good way

Let's be realistic.

A different way of telling a story

True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

"The Phantom of Soho" ("Das Phantom von Soho" or "Murder By Proxy") is a very, very cheap German film. The music is cheap, the sets are cheap and the film looks like it was made on an Ed Wood budget. The DVD print is REALLY cheap--and looks like it was copied from a scratchy old videotape. The only positive is that English dubbing (which I always dislike compared to good old subtitles) is pretty good.Oddly, the film is set in the UK and features an investigation by Scotland Yard--probably because that's where Edgar Wallace set it, but I am still surprised the German production didn't just say it was in Hamburg, for example, and the investigators were the local police. Patrons of a Soho sex club are getting stabbed right and left but it turns out they have more in common than just a love of debauchery--they all shared the same life boat after a ship wreck. As to who is unknown killer is and why, I won't tell, as it would spoil the suspense.So is the film any good? Well, it's not terrible--but it is incredibly talky and slow. Add this to the terrible print and it's a wonder if many people (other than a few nuts like me) would bother with this movie. Looking back at it, despite the cool title and neat DVD cover, I wouldn't have bothered had I known.

The Phantom of Soho is another Krimi film based on a novel by the son of the great Edgar Wallace, Bryan Edgar Wallace. I can't say it's one of the best of the genre, but it features a decent plot that flows fairly well and kept my interest for most of the duration. As the title suggests; the film once again takes place in London and this allows director Franz Josef Gottlieb to build a dark and foreboding atmosphere to compliment his plot which chiefly involves murder. The plot focuses on a murder named 'The Phantom' who is going round London bumping various people off. The victims are all important men and seem to have something to do with Sansibar; a seedy nightclub owned by a crippled woman. Naturally it's not long before Scotland Yard is called in to investigate and they receive help from a mystery writer who is fascinated by the crimes. As they dig deeper into the murders, they find out that many of the victims have more in common than was first thought.Naturally the film is not particularly graphic; but the murder scenes are rather memorable thanks to the way they are shown - usually we see the victim looking surprised while a pair of gloved hands (one holding a knife) is shown on either side of the screen. This is amusing the first time it's seen and while it does at least make the film somewhat memorable; I have to say that it does lack variety. The plot is more than a little bit sketchy and the film only really features memorable scenes, rather than a memorable narrative. The nightclub setting is good as it allows the director to show plenty of half naked women along with a sordid atmosphere. The film gets less interesting as it goes along and by the end I didn't really care too much about the mystery behind the murders, and that's a bit of a shame as there's a decent enough plot here to spawn a good thriller. The ending is something of a surprise, however, so anyone that makes it that far at least shouldn't be too disappointed. Overall, this is a Krimi worth seeing for genre fans; but it won't hold much interest for anyone else.

A very good mystery directed by Franz Josef Gottlieb and written by Bryan Egar Wallace. Dark and a little creepy. Not exactly predictable. Interest builds like a fever. Scotland Yard Chief Inspector Patton(Dieter Borsche)investigates the murders of several high-profile citizens of London. An attractive mystery writer Clarinda Smith(Barbara Rutting)asks to assist in the investigation to get material for her new book. She promises Patton that the mystery will be solved and the murderer revealed on the final page of her book. All victims just happen to frequent a Soho nightclub and lured to a neighboring hotel by a pretty photographer. The men are murdered by a gloved and masked killer with a magician's knife. Also in the cast: Hans Sohnker, Peter Vogel, Elisabeth Flickenschildt and Wemer Peters.

In the 1960's two German studios were grinding out thrillers based on the works of Edgar Wallace and his son Bryan.This particular studio finally gave the field over to Rialto in 1964 after Monster Of London City.This is a better than average film in the series as many at this point had become unwatchable.A hooded killer is disposing of clients of a seedy strip club.Government officials are heavily involved.A white slavery ring and revenge tie into the plot as well.The usual red herrings abound and the killer seemingly comes out of left field.Still worth a look.