fangs and flesh
the vampire and the ballerina (1960) is a blatant mix of sex and horror. it bathes in its own sweat. there's two suggestive interpretative dance numbers that play out like erotic séances. half-naked women writhing to a smoky jazz score. the camera lingers a little too long.
and then there's gino turini. perpetually shirtless. pretending that buttons exist. he's framed as if he were the film's accidental sex symbol. they call him straight. pair him with a ballerina. but let's be honest, his moves tell another story.
something about his smirk screams misdirection. a rouse, if you will. it's one long heat-soaked tease. classic 60s italy, pretending not to know exactly what it's doing.