The Vampire and the Ballerina

Renato Polselli was born 1922 in Arce (Italy) on the 26th February. His first step as a director was „Ultimo Perdono" (the last forgiveness) made in 1951 a drama which polselli also wrote (in a few minutes as he claims!). it was a film extra he knew, Andrea Petricca who begged him to wite a subjcet for his friend a film producer, and so the first film has seen the light of the day through the directing hand of renato polselli. After this film he made „Delitto al luna park" a very early- giallo like film- and then followed by „l´amante del demonio" (the vampires lovers) inspired by Terence Fishers „dracula" who polselli enjoyed a lot.. this was polsellis first „fantastic" film and shot in about 3-4 weeks. Here allready polselli showed a personal style and wanted to diverse drom american standards/conventions with a sexy climate that was considered very risque at this time- then followed in 1961: „Ultimatum alla vita" (Ultimatum to Life". That tells the story of four women captured by the germans for different reasons. Locked in prison these women embrace the partican cause. The film distributed by the company Lux, polselli received awards for this film also in france. „aventura ll motel" (1963) is a light comedy about some couples going to the motel to make love, but who are always disturbed and cant do it- was a succesfull film.

In 1961 another „fantastic" film: „Il Mostro delll´Opera" (Monster of the Opera) that had big distribution problems and was released three years after it was completed. In 1965 followed the comedy „Le sette Vipere" (the seven vipers). A „misogynist movie" as Polselli calls it (no, it was not directed by Fulci!)-about marriage laws comparing Italy and Argentina. After this film followed in 1966 the western „LO sceriffo che non spara" (the sheriff doesnt like to shoot) a western that officialy is directed by Jose Luis Montero due the need of a fake-co director. In truth polselli directed it.

Victim of a strong usa globalisation, polselli as many other italian direcors had to use an american name .the director-name is not important it is the essence.. the film itself significant for a (european)cultural background but the distributors are superficial.. Polsellis first pseudonym Lionel A. Preston was created (an anagram of this real name)- and later ralph brown was born..in a starting period of freedom of artistic expression (well nearly) and later then the „legalisation" of pornography- with both polselli creates then united art.. : Renato Polselli´s cinematic world of (s)exploitation took shape in the early 70´s- with his own production company „G.R.P Cinematografica". no more tied to producers he was independent and could make the kind of films he wanted-and that was quite distant from the conventional film.: he chose the territory of the exploitation film that was in ist time far away from overused it was the perfect period for it. The result of the creativity is „La verita secondo satana"(The Truth according to satan)- the first film – a giallo from this company-starring Rita Calderoni, and Isarco Ravaioli in the leadroles.

Unfortunately the film-though- a masterpiece never received a big „hype" as the argento films for example and sunk into obscurity. It is known that actually just germany bought the film and prepared it for an domestic release (surprisingly with a good dubbing job which is the exception in italian exploitation films)-released under the ultra exploitative title for theater as „Das Lusthaus der teuflischen Begierden" (the lusthouse of devilish desires) and using alternative footage as polselli said that he shot „La verita secondo Satana" in a tripple version-including hardcore scenes(that were also everytime footage added). Then it was the time for „The reincarnation of Isabell" (Riti, magie nere e segre ogie nel trecento), using again his actors from the g.r.p cinematografica group: Rita Calderoni, Raoul (originally a singer), and Mickey Hargitay from „Delirio Caldo". The film as „la verita secondo satana" a doubtless triumph in obscurity of ideja/imagination.. Similar as in „La verita secondo satana" the film is actually serious but here and there are always some comedic elements that makes the film even stranger than he allready is (mostly on account of sergio amirata). After this polselli focused more in the sleazier- under the beltline- section in his further films but with a philosophy behind it! which is „Oscenita" – an artistic hardcore extravaganza with Dino Strano (alias Dean Stratford)in a leadrole (who was quite „at home" in the western genre)and again very familiar isarco ravaioli . Shot originally as „quando l´amore e oscenita" polselli had strong distribution and censhorship problems with this fillm-actually it was unreleasble. The censorship told Polselli that the film was to strong and Polselli reasoned himself that he only wanted to show the public how obscenity is born, in the name of the burn books and cut films! Even Polsellis independence and freeddom couldnt do that much against it-obviously and ironically this was more or less exactly the case what polselli said with the books.. polselli was so desperate that he wanted to burn the film. After some years polselli decided to re-edit and dub the film-with the claiming that the film is a „feminist" movie(!) the film should trying to prove the masculine guilt,in allmost all situations of the degeneration of the sexuial ivolving of the woman, showing that the woman is victim of historical sexual violence- and yes the last two words fit very well to the movie..(the film should- according to polselli´s viewpoint be a lesson in obscenity!- as polselli says that religion is the real obscenity) A logical continuation of „Oscenita" was then „Rivelazioni un psychiatra sul mondo perverso dell sesso" (Revelations of a psychiatrist in a world of perverse sex) – a nearly identical themed movie with again Isarco ravaioli (again as a psychiatrist) and sweet Mirella Rossi (here not with blonde but with redish hair). Then polselli made „Torino centrale del vizio" that is credited to Bruno Vani as director and „La Casa dell´amore..la polizia interviene". Before the g.rp. cinematografica (unfortunately) didnt make furhter films. Polselli wrote screenplays and was involved in several productions from the 80´s sometimes not even credited.

One of his more recent participations was the screenplay for a kickbox action movie called „Kicks of Fire" (direct to video). In the 70´s he wrote also the screenplay for the very obscure giallo „Giochi erotici per una famiglia perbene" starring Malisa Longo, Erika Blank —scope.free.fr