Pieces (Mil gritos tiene la noche) (1982) - 1984 Vestron Video Unrated VHS

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Juan Piquer Simón's Pieces is a odd little slasher being one of the first European riffs on the American-born subgenre itself riffed from Italy's gialli. It's best likened to a collision of slasher cliché submerged in the sweaty subversiveness of Romano Scavolini's Nightmare (1980) with gialli adornments like obviously dubbed actors from a kaleidoscope of nationalities and a black-gloved murderer piecing together a bloody puzzle of a nude woman--both figuratively and literally. The bigger names on the cover are slumming, especially Christopher George as generic detective guy, who has none of the approachable charisma seen in Fulci's The Gates of Hell (Paura nella città dei morti viventi) (1980). The surprisingly gory killings are logistically laughable; apparently horrific shrieking of both girl and gasoline-powered saw attract little attention only after the slaughter and quiet getaway.

Although one shouldn't hold Pieces' stupid logic against it. There's countless other slash n' hacks that are neither funny or gory in any sense when compared to Simón's early '80s freakout. Vestron was a reliable company at delivering uncut presentations and this VHS (and Beta release) is no different. Otherwise, snag Grindhouse Releasing's uncut special edition DVD, this tape is pretty poor looking with tons of damage, bad zooming, and soupy darkness. More irritating than nostalgic in this case...