Review of Danger: Diabolik (1968) by Dalia D — 26 Sep 2007

Diabolik (Danger: Diabolik in the US) features John Phillip Law as Diabolik, a Eurometrosexual thief extraordinaire, who lives in an underground lair far superior to the Batcave with his kittenish lover Eva (Marisa Mell) and his 25 white Jaguars. When theiving, which is most of the time, Diabolik wears head-to-toe leather (hot!), including a mask that prevents everyoneâ??including Diabolik-obsessed cop Inspector Ginkoâ??from seeing his face and guessing his true identity.

The best scene mimics the political prankster phenomenon all the rage in '68: Diabolik and his girl, dressed to the mod max and sporting shades any Brooklyn hipster would kill for, stand at the back of a press conference while the Minister addresses the press, promising that Diabolik will be caught. They then start snapping picturesâ??and their cameras have been rigged to disperse "exhilaration gas" (to which they've already popped antidote capsules), and every non-mod characterâ??the establishment, as it were, with their brown coats and stodgy hairâ??explodes into goony laughter. The second best scene comments on the times just as well, showing the police breaking up a party at a nightclub where hippies galore with painted faces and dreadful outfits are passing around a single marijuana joint. The staging is classic camp. At the end, you think that with the aid of some nasty gangsters, the police have finally trapped Diabolik, but sexy men in leather always win, and we can be certain that he will strike again.