A few Giallo films to SHAG thru! My treat for you this Halloween. No tricks needed 🧡
If you are not familiar with Italian Giallo or Spaghetti Slasher films you are in for a real treat. If you are a fellow film connoisseur, please feel free to recommend your favorites.
Giallo is a genre of murder mystery horror-thriller films, influenced by Alfred Hitchcock and rooted in Italian pulp fiction novels. Giallo first found their way in Italian cinema and peaked in the mid-century between 1968 - 1978.
Rich with erotism and, true to the period, a tinge of sexploitation, Giallo films mix psychological horror with “who done it” thrillers. They are noted for their stylish cinematography, titillating music scores, sharp editing and suspense.
Psychological themes of madness, sexuality and paranoia are wrapped around highly sexualized, stunning female protagonists, each helpless in the face of danger and destined for a gruesome murder.
What I love about Giallo films is the snapshot into the stylized, 1960-70’s modern European vibe. The scores are an intoxicating mix of groovy lounge music coupled with nerve jarring sounds and silences often accompanied by the stabbing or decapitation of a beautiful, half naked woman with eyes so mesmerizing they stick with you.
If you are ready for a taste of Giallo, you can find some great picks streaming on The Criterion Collection.
If starting with a Director you cannot beat Sergio Martino. All Colors of the Dark (1972) and Torso (1973) will both leave you breathless. His leading ladies command the screen making it very hard to loook away.
I like titillating sex and captivating people with my campy, gruesome murders. Few did it better than French-Italian actress, producer and sex symbol, Erich Fenrech. She set a high bar that many actors would follow bringing sexual power, prowess, and, of course, those seductive, damsel in distress eyes. While never diverting from the male gaze, Giallo films lean into eroticism without shaming female sensuality.
If you want to start in the 60’s I suggest The Eye Of Evil (1963) and Blood and Black Lace (1964).
I prefer listening in Italian with subtitles, but if you prefer English-Dubbed, the 1970, The Bird With The Crystal Plumage is a good start. In Italian, Director, Dario Argento's Deep Red (1975) and Tenebrea (1982) remind us never to underestimate your leading lady.
If you are digging the genre and want to go further, now streaming on Criterion, you can also binge Death Walks At Midnight (1972) and Strip Nude for Your Killer (1975).
If hooked, there is lots more fun to be had in the 80’s including Giallo influenced films like Brian De Palma’s Dressed to Kill (1980) and Blow Out (1981). Even if you don’t make it through an Italian Giallo flick you will love Brian De Palma’s work.
Fellow film enthusiast, share your favorites. Keep ‘um sexy, these should be films to play through!
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