Released in the UK, and on video, as Clockwork Terror, the original Spanish title is translated as: A Drop of Blood to Die Loving. This amazing 1973 film, directed by Eloy de la Iglesia, is set in a futuristic pop landscape where roving gangs of leather-clad delinquents invade homes and terrorize the owners with whips and rape (ironically the family is sitting down to watch Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange on TV).
There is also a serial killer targeting young males- the press assumes the killer is a “sadistic homosexual.”
But in fact, the murders are committed by a well-respected nurse- Ana (Sue Lyons), who lives in a family mansion and owns a series of wigs she wears to disguise herself while luring males to come home with her, listen to Strauss waltzes, and have sex. Unfortunately, Ana doesn’t light up a cigarette after coitus- she delights in stabbing her sex partners to death with a scalpel afterwards.
In one scene she wears an elderly woman’s wig to go to a salon that caters to male gigolos (she even is seen reading Vladimir Nobokov’s Lolita). Ana even dresses up like a lesbian to cruise a gay bar for a new victim.
Her platonic friend (handsome Jean Sorel) is a surgeon conducting secret government experiments utilizing shock treatments in her hospital- to turn violent criminals into productive members of society.
Into this weird scenario comes David (Chris Mitchum), part of the outlaw, leather-clad, gang, who witnesses Ana dumping one of her naked victims into the river. He stalks her, partially to blackmail her, but also because he has a strange fascination for her.
Controversial Basque director Eloy de la Iglesia’s films ranged from horror (Cannibal Man), political with a gay storyline (The Deputy) to a series of films depicting the troubled youth of Spain in the 70s and 80s.
These “Quinqui” (juvenile delinquent films) were wildly popular but became problematic for the director, who was like Pasolini in his Communist views and also gay, attracted to the tough street kids he examined in his movies. And while these films about delinquents touched on drug use, the director also became a heroin addict during the making of these movies which sidelined his career for many years.
Murder in a Blue World is one of his strangest, but rarely seen. This Cauldron 2k restoration Blu-ray restores the film to its uncut glory and the result is mesmerizing and quite bizarre. The film drips with irony and satirical political sarcasm, but it’s also violent and disturbing and utterly fascinating.
The extras include informative audio commentary by Kat Ellinger and a lengthy archival interview with actor Chris Mitchum, the son of Robert, who began his career in a series of John Wayne films. Just because he was associated with Wayne he was blackballed by studios. Chris traveled to Europe to find work and the film Summertime Killer (1972) made him a star overseas. He cranked out a series of violent action movies in Spain, Indonesia, Hong Kong and the Philippines. Mitchum tells revealing stories of working with Olivia Hussey, and hilarious anecdotes of instructing film crews in Asia how to fake fight and stunt scenes so people didn’t get killed. It’s a terrific, funny interview. He’s also great in this movie. David’s a difficult character to read. He participates in the home invasions and delights in smashing up the homes, but is kind to the terrified kid there. And his unwholesome attraction to the serial killer nurse is as perverse as it gets.
I love that these films by Eloy de la Iglesia are finally being seen here. You realize how defiantly iconoclastic and unique of a director he was. This subversive film only elevates his status immeasurably.