«Reality fades and becomes more absurd than a nightmare.»

"Hypnotic Madness of Massacre" is a strange small film with minimalist budget which tried to capitalize on the success of the Franco-Italian coproductions Fantomas, while quoting the contemporaneous studies of Herbert Krugman and Marshall McLuhan upon the "hypnotic impact" of the "vast wasteland" television and its "subliminal stimuli".

Alas on one side Bava's Diabolik talent has not yet come, and on the other side we stay far far away from Videodrome or even the French Kamikaze. There was however a group of actors which we could have appreciated in another context, but here they appear in a quite random and disparate mood along unlikely situations, linked through an approximate montage within a script which scatters in confusion and waste of time.

Nicole (Rada Rassimov, Il Gatto a nove code) and Henry (Robert Woods, L'Amante del demonio) are both psychoanalysts working in a medical office and able to develop a romance together. But one evening, as they watch a teleromanzo on TV, Nicole has a "sudden raptus of murderous madness" and begins to stab her friend, before fainting and remembering nothing. This incident takes place in a serial of mysterious murders in Rome on Thursdays evening when people are watching TV.

The police commissioner Casares (Piero Gerlini, Crimine a Due) and the inspector Griffi (Giovanni Cianfriglia aka Ken Wood, Danza Macabra) are seeking usual suspects for motiveless killings, but our couple of psys are determined on their side to lead an inquiry upon "phenomena that science could not explain". Nicole retrieves an old book about the power of distant hypnosis written by the professor Harold Kemnitz (Fernando Sancho, Nelle Pieghe della carne), and finds him retired in his "garden of stone simulacra".

But Kemnitz's invention has been diverted by a criminal organization led by a masked mad scientist who wants to induce an apocalypse through global TV hypnotism. As Nicole is abducted by the henchmen and taken to the high-tech lair of their masked chief, Henry and the police will have the perilous task to rescue her and to prevent the upcoming catastrophe. (Viewed in Italian 1h26 version.)

Italian cinema has deeply influenced world cinema through its socially conscious realism and modernist experimentation, but it also flourished in popular genres like peplum (sword & sandal), giallo thrillers, and broad comedies. Its narratives often weave together politics, contemporary social change, class consciousness, and family dynamics, balancing artistic ambition with entertainment that resonated widely.

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The sci-fi genre, short for science fiction, features imaginative and futuristic concepts that are often rooted in scientific principles, technology, and possibilities. These stories delve into "what if" questions and can serve as a platform to address contemporary social, political, and ethical issues by projecting them onto future or alternate settings.

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The thriller genre features suspense, tension, and excitement. These stories are known for keeping audiences on the edge of their seats and delivering intense emotional experiences by revolving around high-stakes situations, dangerous conflicts, and the constant anticipation of unexpected events.

A mad scientist provokes murders by hypnotizing his victims through the television. A couple of psychologists helping the police will try to prevent him.

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