Comfort Film Halloween Series Presents:

THE ART OF MURDER :

Smile Before Death (1972)

Plot:
After getting rid of his rich wife, Marco retires with his lover to enjoy the woman's fortune. His teenage daughter, however, begins to suspect that her stepfather is involved in her mother's death.

Directed by Silvio Amadio
Starring Jenny Tamburi
Silvano Tranquilli
Rosalba Neri

Media: Digital Projection
Runtime: Running time 88 minutes
NR Some nudity.

THE ART OF PHOTOGRAPHY

Say cheese! A sprawling mansion, major mindgames, and naughty photographs all come together in this textbook example of an Italian Giallo. After a family tragedy, Nancy, a young woman, arrives at her father's sprawling estate, only to sense there's something sneaky afoot -- and her lurid discoveries are all captured on camera! As the character's nefarious motives are explored and the murder mystery is revealed, Nancy tries on different looks and acts out different personalities during glamorous photoshoots. Later, while reviewing the pictures, Nancy declares that none of them capture the "real her"...and, well, apparently the "real" Nancy is naked all the time. But are her sexy, sensual images that we see in the photos actually who -- and what -- Nancy is? Smiling -- in this case, before death -- is always an approved look for THE ART OF MURDER!

THE ART OF MURDER series

An exploration of the intoxicating intersection of art and murder, this four-film series explores international horror from the 60s/70s in which art and artists are a major element of the plot.

Refracted through the lens of the creative process, and, often, the art of filmmaking itself, this collection of films explore Italy and Japan's post-war sexual and social anxieties through illustration, sculpture, photography, and composition.

Whether preserved in a picture, captured on a canvas, or acted out through illustration, "The Art of Murder" violently celebrates the ineffable beauty of inevitable death.

THE ART OF MURDER is curated by local programmer, event producer, and Eurohorror enthusiast Stephanie "La Gialloholique" Sack, who will be introducing the first two films of the series.

Programmed for Comfort Station by Raul Benitez, Emily Perez, Mat Tapey and Luna Lux.

Free