'Ratman' (1988) - Giuliano Carnimeo.

One of Italian horror's deliciously dingy 80s chunkblowers features an indelibly f'd up, diabolically diminutive, lavatory lurking, wholly distasteful deathdealer! No doubt for good reason, it's never made quite clear what's to be gained by creating such an uncommonly foul looking, relentlessly maniacal monkey/rat hybrid? Scientific shits & giggles, possibly? Ignoring the questionable science, I still greatly enjoy the rabidly carnivorous inclinations of this murderous little Monkrat! The grotty mise-en-scene of Ratman heightens the splendidly sordid pleasures herein, like Anthropophagus, the nihilistic/downer aesthetic forms a large part of its splattery allure. The entertainingly lurid plot has Giallocentric tendencies, with handsome amateur sleuths Janet Agren and David Warbeck trying desperately to unravel the macabre mystery of these increasingly bizarre crimes. While no one considers the fact that a retainer and a manicure would have effectively neutralized this poisonous dwarf, there's something ineffably horrid about its disturbing predilection for suddenly darting out of the glooms and chewing your phooken face off! Stefano Mainetti Casio-tastic score is a triumph, voluptuous screamer, Eva Grimaldi is hotter than a Mexican breakfast, and I sincerely feel that this hateful, handbag hiding hybrid should have spawned a number of increasingly wretched sequels! I am aware that Ratman's appeal is far from universal, but this uniquely miniaturized maniac is worth a hundred lumbering Voorhees clones.