Here’s a 2000 Italian thriller that’s never had much publicity anywhere.
original title: LUPO MANNARO
directed by: Antonio Tibaldi
cast: Gigio Alberti, Maya Sansa, Bruno Armando, Stefano Dionisi, Alessandra Acciai
screenplay: Laura Paolucci, Carlo Lucarelli
cinematography: Luca Bigazzi
editing: Carlotta Cristiani
set design: Davide Bassan
costume design: Francesca Vecchi, Roberta Vecchi
music: Pivio, Aldo De Scalzi
presented by: Mediatrade
producer: Domenico Procacci
production: Mediatrade, Fandango, supported by MiBAC
country: Italy
year: 2000
film run: 100′
Werewolf is a psychological thriller: it is the story of Romeo (Gigio Alberti) a police chief detective and his obsessive hunt for a serial killer, that he thinks may be Velasco (Bruno Armando), a professional engineer beyond suspicion. Nobody believes his theory, the man he suspects is too well known, too well to do, very powerful and the inquiry is not authorized. The chief detective is very obstinate and he continues in his inquiry with the help of a young, determined assistant Grazia Negro (Maya Sansa) and his trusted friend Rago (Stefano Dionisi), an inspector at the scientific police. The famous criminologist Del Gatto (Francesco Carnelutti) acts as consultant, from the little village on the hills near Bologna where he has been living secluded for some years, since his sensationally mistaken psychological profile of the Scandicci monster.
It’s got a good cast (Alberti was in both Quo Vadis Baby and La cura del gorilla, Stefano Dionisi has been around for ages), Carlo Lucarelli is one of the more respected contemporary thriller writers in Italy (he scripted Sleepless, Argento’s best film in the last decade). Director Antonio Tibaldi also made the Cristina Applegate vehicle Cluadine’s Return, which got mixed reviews, but the reaction to this from within Italy was broadly positive. So a relatively high profile production which you’d have though could have made a bit of an impact on the international circuit, but… this one doesn’t even seem to be available on DVD in Italy! Why not, for God’s sake?