Italian Giallo Films I've Seen (1963 - 1993)
- Including only exclusively Italian gialli and co-productions made by Italian directors.
- Not including co-productions made by foreign directors like 'Death Knocks Twice' (1969), 'The Fox With A Velvet Tail' (1971) or 'Blue Eyes Of The Broken Doll' (1974).
- Also not including Italian giallo/horror hybrids with prevailing supernatural elements like 'Death Smiles On A Murderer' (1973), 'Suspiria' (1977) or 'Dial Help' (1988).
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- DirectorMario BavaStarsJohn SaxonLetícia RománValentina CorteseA mystery novel-loving American tourist witnesses a murder in Rome, and soon finds herself and her suitor caught up in a series of killings.AKA 'The Girl Who Knew Too Much', 'The Evil Eye' - (8/10) - The cornerstone of the giallo genre. The simple story feels like a pleasant cross between Agatha Christie and Nancy Drew and it plays out as a charming little detective adventure spiced up with two drops of comedy and a pinch of horror. In comparison to other Bava's films it has a slightly more old-fashioned feel to it and it can be slightly weird on the tonal level as it regularly switches between a crime thriller and a light-hearted melodrama, but most of its shortcomings are easily fought off by its many other assests. Letícia Román is an equally gorgeous and entertaining female protagonist, the supporting cast is also great and does well in both the serious and more humorous moments, Bava makes sure the camerawork stays fun with his distinctive visual flourishes and even though the film has a kinda tongue-in-cheek approach, it still delivers some very nicely handled chilling moments evenly spread throughout the run-time. The original Italian and the re-named, re-dubbed, re-scored, re-cut and re-ended American version 'Evil Eye' offer a very different overall experience, but both have their own merits (be it the European version's richer atmosphere, more appropriate soundtrack and an iconic bonus longshot of Letícia in bikini, or the US version's interesting first-hand narration through inner monologues of the protagonist and some extra comedy moments, including Bava's rare cameo as a voyeuristic portrait of a deceased relative). Featuring a girl booby-traping the whole ground floor of a borrowed house with an overwhelmingly long piece of string.
- DirectorMario BavaStarsCameron MitchellEva BartokThomas ReinerA masked, shadowy killer brutally murders the models of a scandalous fashion house in Rome.AKA 'Blood And Black Lace', 'Six Women For The Murderer' - (10/10) - The ultimate giallo experience and a definitive blueprint for many of the future entries. Awesome direction and camerawork being as stylish as possible with beautiful use of light and colours, entertaining cast of characters and diverse kills, all that backed by a classy soundtrack. Featuring one of the most arrogant detectives of the giallo realm.
- DirectorJean JosipoviciAmbrogio MolteniStarsJohn Drew BarrymoreGloria MillandLuisa RivelliA party of young people gather in a mansion for an occult experiment in which deaths are predicted by a psychic. Soon it turns into more than an experiment . . .AKA 'Death On The Fourposter' - (3/10) - A campy early giallo with many silly party activities and not so many thrills. The story initially promises an orgy of the century, but ends up being very restrained, even for its time. It has way too many shallow characters for anyone to make an impact, only one off-screen murder, a lot of wandering around and awfully boring second half. There are quite a few moments of nice cinematography and it includes some outdoor scenes shot in front of the same chateau later used in 'Libido' (1965), but the overall approach makes it feel outdated and rather boring. Featuring a medium being so scared by his own prophecy that he decides to disappear from the film.
- DirectorRomano FerraraStarsJohn Drew BarrymoreLuisa RivelliLisa GastoniDavid Lugani live in a house with his wife, his brother Charles, paralyzed, blind and dumb, and Secretary Paul. Brother seems to have a special ability, which would allow him to perceive and predict disasters.AKA 'A Game Of Crime' (3/10) - Not the most interesting or entertaining thriller. There's a lot of talking, limited underwhelming action and poorly executed ending with a swarm of rats giving better performance than their human colleagues. Majority of its scenes take place in one of the villas used in 'Blood And Black Lace' from the same year. Featuring a woman saying she likes to read everything but giallo novels.
- DirectorLuigi BazzoniFranco RosselliniStarsPeter BaldwinSalvo RandoneValentina CorteseWhile visiting his favorite resort town during the off-season, a novelist investigates the apparent suicide of a woman he was infatuated with.AKA 'The Possessed', 'The Lady Of The Lake' - (5/10) - A very stylish and visually striking, but otherwise dull pre-giallo. The whole film is superbly photographed and it offers a rich moody atmosphere of an off-season lakeside resort town and its surroundings. Even though the acting is okay (for what the script requires), sadly the story remains quite boring, because after a promisng start everything slows down and never picks up again. There's little to no action as the puzzled protagonist spends majority of the run-time just visiting random people, asking questions and getting no answers and then walking around in the snow until he eventually falls ill and goes through a series of vague dream sequences (also with no answers included). The film relies heavily on its dark undertones and the main mystery element, but maybe takes it a step too far, because the initial tension eventually wears off and it only comes with a lazy "well nevermind" ending that makes the whole thing kinda pointless. Featuring an ominously jovial hotel owner.
- DirectorRoberto MauriStarsAlberto LupoMarilù ToloLisa GastoniA masked man is hunting down and murdering women throughout the city. The police set out to capture him before he can kill again.AKA 'Night Of Violence', 'Call Girls 66' - (2/10) - A very underwhelming pre-giallo. The story can't fully decide of its main theme and so it puts together a lifeless mishmash of high-end prostitutes, a drug ring and a stalker in the park. Nothing is elaborated on much though as majority of the scenes follow the investigation lead by a surprisingly kind, caring and also very boring detective. Featuring a truly bizarre moment with the killer telling his radioactive sob story to an angry relative of one of his victims and (successfully!) fishing for sympathy.
- DirectorDino TavellaStarsMaureen BrownLuigi MartocciAlcide GazzottoA crazed killer is on the loose in the catacombs of Venice, Italy. He stalks beautiful women, drags them to his underground lair, kills them, then stuffs them and adds them to his "collection."AKA 'The Embalmer', 'The Monster Of Venice' - (1/10) - An unremarkable mess with dull story and zero production value. It manages to fail at basically everything at once and besides one or two okay moments with the masked killer in the sewers there are no redeeming qualities at all. It has shoddy direction and editing, bad acting and the feeble script calls for so much unglamorously photographed and utterly pointless touring around Venice (including a random trip to a glass workshop) that the film sometimes feels like a part of a rejected advertising campaign put together by the local tourist board. Featuring an Italian Elvis Presley impersonator coming out of a coffin to perform a song.
- DirectorSilvio AmadioStarsCyd CharisseHugh O'BrianMario FelicianiIn this crime-thriller, Rome proves to be an unhappy destination for an American couple when the husband is kidnapped and his wife begins a desperate search for him.AKA 'Assassination In Rome - (3/10) - A below average and rather boring murder-mystery. There are only minor early giallo influences (mostly lifted from Bava), a couple of unfunny comedic moments and a shoehorned romance on top. Although the static cinematography lacks any sort of style, at least it captures some nice locations around Rome and Venice. The film moves extremely slowly and feels way too long, it's very talky, sometimes it gets weirdly melodramatic and the acting ranges from bad to mediocre. Featuring an American protagonist shamelesly asking for vermouth instead of J&B whisky.
- DirectorErnesto GastaldiVittorio SalernoStarsDominique BoscheroMara MarylGiancarlo GianniniA young man visits his ancestral home accompanied by his guardian and their respective wives, where he is plagued by the memories and influence of his murderous, psychosexual father.(7/10) - A very solid pre-giallo with understandably toned down, but still quite provocative erotic undertones. It doesn't have the most original story, but the film is very nicely shot on the grounds of a beautiful seaside chateau with slight gothic horror undertones, the small cast of four acts well enough and the ending is also cool and eerie. Featuring a bedroom with walls covered by mirrors.
- DirectorMino GuerriniStarsFranco NeroGioia PascalErika BlancA young count living with his domineering mother spirals into madness after his mother and fiancée are killed by his jealous, lovesick servant.AKA 'The Third Eye' - (3/10) - A pretty weak thriller with good cast, but lousy script and execution. The story is sloppy, the action is lacking and the whole film feels way too long and often tedious, including a sequence with a wounded woman trying to asnswer her phone for almost 5 minutes straight. Featuring Franco Nero going into full Norman Bates mode as a taxidermy enthusiast, abusing a soon-to-be-stuffed parrot with a wooden stick.
- DirectorElio ScardamagliaLionello De FeliceStarsWilliam BergerFrançoise PrévostMary YoungPatients and staff of an isolated mental hospital are being killed off by a hooded maniac who stalks the halls.AKA 'The Murder Clinic' - (5/10) - Probably the most successfully executed mix of giallo and gothic horror, but otherwise a very luckluster affair. It uses great sets and even utilizes some nice outdoor locations and with its 19th century England setting, overall aesthetic combining occasionally stylish use of shadows and colors and several familar supporting actors in the cast it's balancing somewhere between Hammer and Mario Bava films, although it doesn't really manage to have the same impact as any of those. The main story is okay, but nothing special, and it's one of many taking bits of inspiration from Georges Franju's 'Eyes Without A Face' (1960) formula. Since the script doesn't give anyone much to work with, most of the characters are only vaguely skteched out and once they fulfill their role as obvious red herrings, exposition carriers or plot pushers, they either completely disappear or are reduced to a mere background. It's also definitely on of the less exploitative entries to the genre as the murder scenes (and all the violence in general) is extremely toned down and any sort of nudity is completely out of the picture. Featuring a man confessing his love to a fresh corpse while his next love interest is standing right behind him.
- DirectorAngelo DorigoStarsSergio CianiMary ArdenIvano DavoliAfter a rich mine worker dies in mine accident, his heirs gather in his house to hear the reading of the will.AKA 'A... For Assassin' - (3/10) - Yet another example of the overplayed "too many heirs" scenario. It's handled with enough grace to stay watchable, but it unfolds more like an old-school detective story, there's a lot of talking and it has almost zero re-watch value. Featuring a Poirot-like detective who can hardly wait for the characters to finally start bumping each other off and even dramatically says the name of the film into the camera at one point.
- DirectorTinto BrassStarsJean-Louis TrintignantEwa AulinRoberto BisaccoBernard meets Jane in a night club, in London, and he likes her. Her father was killed in a car accident, but she thinks he has been killed because he was blackmailed for a picture of his second wife, Jane's mother in-law. In the same night club Bernard finds the blackmailer corpse and Jane near him, but he believes she is innocent. So they run away followed by the police and a dwarf, the blackmailer's men, who believe Bernard killed their boss. They believe that Jerome, Jane's brother, can help them to solve the case. But she doesn't know where he is, or so she says. Corpse after corpse, Bernard will find out the truth. But will the truth help him?AKA 'Deadly Sweet', 'I Am What I Am' - (6/10) - A pop-art thriller with a quirky vibe of a comic strip. After a bit clumsy start it gets progressively better and it has a couple of really nicely crafted sequences, although the overstretched and utterly pointless final scenes taking place at a hippie rave kinda let it all down and make the ending very anticlimactic. The story is very basic, but Jean-Louis and Ewa make an entertaining leading duo, majority of the film has a very lively and creative camerawork (with some segments filmed in black and white) and a really cool editing style. Featuring a fistfight accompanied by quick inserts of hand-drawn "sound effects".
- DirectorGiulio QuestiStarsGina LollobrigidaJean-Louis TrintignantEwa AulinThe depraved manager of a high-tech poultry factory - which is genetically engineering boneless chickens - is pulled into a love triangle with his domineering wife and her sexually-liberated cousin, leading to double-crosses and murder.AKA 'Death Laid An Egg', 'Plucked' - (6/10) - A well-made film with a lot of potential, but sadly slightly downgraded by its artsy fartsy approach. It comes with an entertaining cinematography, a quite interesting story with a nice twist and a good cast with the main three actors playing off of each other extremely well. It has a very peculiar style which gives a lot of distinctive charm, but unfortunately also serves as it's biggest weakness. The plot includes a lot of obscure randomness á la French nouvelle vague (sometimes funny, but mostly rather pretencious) and often it gets way too arty for its own good, while the irritating experimental "soundtrack" doesn't help either. Featuring a scientist creating a breed of headless chicken monsters.
- DirectorVittorio SindoniStarsTom DrakeFemi BenussiVirgilio GazzoloThe death of a surprisingly rich railroad worker leads to mysterious murders within his testamentary heirs.AKA 'Deadly Inheritance' - (5/10) - Yet another classic "too many heirs" murder-mystery with not too much new to offer in terms of story or style, but with a couple of early giallo-esque murders (including death by a golf club) and a very groovy soundtrack by Stefano Torossi. Featuring a detective hitting on two female suspects.
- DirectorBrunello RondiStarsGary MerrillElga AndersenGeorges RivièreA man and his wife are vacationing on the Tuscan coast in 1912. When the wife is murdered, the husband sets out to find a young woman who looks just like her, in order to keep her memory alive.AKA 'Run, Psycho, Run', 'Later, Claire, Later' - (1/10) - A truly botched drama passing off as a giallo. The overall presentation is rather archaic and with its mostly static black and white cinematography, choppy editing and slightly irritating old-timey soundtrack it often feels like something made in the 1940's. Although the cast includes a couple of familiar faces from future gialli, the script doesn't allow anyone to stand out, and the only entertaining character is a random lunatic running around with a knife whilst proclaiming she can be a goat, a star or a pirate (although her role is one of many that turn out to be absolutely pointless). The story is a vague variation on Du Maurier's novel 'Rebecca', plotted as a below-average murder-mystery which is so uninteresting that no one can be bothered to solve it. In the end the film comes across just as a lifeless affair plagued by long-winded talky scenes with huge clunky exposition dumps and dull melodrama galore. Featuring a close-up of a woman saying the Italian title out loud (accompanied by a sinister flute cue in the background).
- DirectorAntonio MargheritiStarsMark DamonEleonora BrownSally SmithAfter a mysterious trunk arrives at a prestigious girl's boarding school, its staff and students - including an orphaned heiress and an amateur sleuth - are targeted by a shadowy killer.AKA 'Naked... You Die', 'The Young, The Evil And The Savage' - (2/10) - An unispired, protracted and all around dull giallo. It has a decent cinematography with a couple of nice touches and it's set around the same cosy villa used earlier in 'Death On The Fourposter' (1964) and 'Libido' (1965), but besides the occasionally captivating visuals it doesn't offer any particular highlights. The potential of the simple story centered around a murderer picking up girls at the isolated boarding school is completely wasted, there is zero tension and only sporadic instances of very tepid action. The film is apparently trying for a more light-hearted tone, but fails, mainly because of the flat performances and the fact that many of the more absurd aspects of the plot are taken way too seriously (including a moment when the murderer puts on a full diving gear and haphazardly attempts to drown his next victim in a swimming pool). Although the script is laced with intended comedy, it absolutely never lands properly and only comes off as awkward filler, which also goes for the whole melodramatic subplot including a weird romantic Little Red Riding Hood & Richard The Lionheart role-play. The nudity suggested in the title is very limited and always heavily obscured or "conveniently" out of frame, while all the violence is severely toned down and presented in a very sloppy fashion. The bland cast doesn't include anyone with the capacity to make any sort of impression, all the characters are only vaguely sketched out, and things are not elevated by the weak soundtrack full of generic and slightly irritating tunes. Featuring a killer able to choke a girl to death by gently putting his gloved hands around her neck for 5 seconds.
- DirectorCesare CanevariStarsDimitri NabokovMaria Luisa GeisbergerBen SalvadorFour notorious bank robbers - Klaus from Germany, Albert from France, Juan from Spain and Carina from Tangiers meet up in an isolated Castle to divide a large number of diamonds hidden there by their formerAKA 'A Hyena In The Safe' - (5/10) - A small-scale crimi thriller with a hint of giallo. It has a very simple story with a bit of boring scheming and the kills are rather tame, although the death by drowning in a flooded garage is presented in a pretty stylish and unsettling way. The cinematography is a mixed bag with needlessly hyperactive fits during certain scenes of basic conversation and instances of very tacky editing, but also good amount of captivating shots and even some aerial footage of the secluded mansion area (which is very nice, indeed). The cast largely consists of one-time actors trying their best, with oddities such as Diana Rigg's German look-alike and Vladimir Nabokov's son. Featuring a guy throwing a cane with a hidden blade like an ancient Spartan warrior.
- DirectorRomolo GuerrieriStarsCarroll BakerJean SorelIda GalliA sexy newlywed couple visits the husband's hometown in Geneva, where they are subjected to threats stemming from the death of his former fiancée.AKA 'Sweet Body Of Deborah' - (5/10) - The main story is rather bland and not all that much happens throughout the film, but it's very nicely shot and directed with a lot of beautiful locations, all that backed by a pretty good soundtrack by Nora Orlandi. Featuring an outdoor game of Twister between Carroll Baker and Jean Sorel.
- DirectorMassimo DallamanoStarsJohn MillsLuciana PaluzziRobert HoffmannWhile trying to solve a series of murders, a possessive narcotics detective hires a hit-man to kill his unfaithful wife, but the hunter and the hunted soon begin an affair.AKA 'Black Veil For Lisa', 'Death Has No Sex' - (8/10) - A very cool giallo focused mainly on exploring its three main characters. The story has its flaws, but it's highly entertaining thanks to its steady pace and a lot of neat touches, coming up with almost noir-ish vibe. The film is also nicely photographed and Luciana Paluzzi looks absolutely stunning. Featuring one of the earliest examples of a very meticulously placed J&B bottle.
- DirectorGianfranco BaldanelloStarsLisa SeagramMaurizio BonugliaCaterina BarberoAKA 'Yellow: The Cousins' - (4/10) - A very mediocre, but occasionally entertaining murder-mystery with slight giallo undertones. It has a really cosy setting of an old rural estate and nearby countryside and besides some weird jump-cuts and choppy edits even a quite decent cinematography with a simple yet effective approach. Every once in a while it even comes up with some stylish or creative moments like a short sequence when a fly becomes the main character for a few seconds before it's mercilessly smashed out of the frame with a magazine. The story is serviceable at best, it severely lacks when it comes to action, not all that much happens throughout the runtime and especially the whole second half of the film kinda drags. There are some fun moments like a decadent house party with a lot of drinking, smoking, kissing and sitar playing going on trying to liven things up a bit, but there are no truly powerful moments and in the end it becomes a bit boring. Although the two pretty actresses provide the film with quite frequent nudity, the erotic sequences are not presented in an overly good manner (most of them feel very forced) and any sort of violence is basically absent all together (except for a couple of light smacks in the face and one very toned-down blow to the head). Featuring a detective nearly causing a heart-attack to an old lady by suddenly appearing behind a bed sheet while she's taking down dry laundry.
- DirectorUmberto LenziStarsCarroll BakerLou CastelColette DescombesA rich, alcoholic widow assuages her loneliness through a ménage à trois with two seductive step-siblings, whose true motives threaten her sanity and life.AKA 'Paranoia' - (6/10) - One of the two best gialli of the Lenzi-Baker tandem, but still far from being great. After a promising opening and first third of the film comes a quite repetitive midsection with the main female character gradually spiraling down the path of drugs and alcohol, while basically all the action is saved for the last 10 minutes and a somehow abrupt and underwhelming ending. Featuring a guy pretending to be dead for a while, for no real reason.
- DirectorUmberto LenziStarsCarroll BakerJean-Louis TrintignantErika BlancA bored, married Parisian socialite is pulled into a web of lust and deception after he seemingly rescues a woman from her abusive boyfriend.AKA 'So Sweet So Dead' - (4/10) - A bland thriller, despite its great cast. It's one of the more run-of-the-mill and ultimately unsatisfying Lenzi gialli, this time with kinda unoriginal story and certain aspects borrowed from 'Les Diaboliques' (1955). There are some twists, brief nudity and a bit of action here and there, but ultimately it doesn't excell in anything particular and the only truly interesting thing about it is to see Carroll Baker, Erika Blanc and good old Jean-Louis side by side. Featuring a very lazy police department strictly refusing to investigate anything for more than a minute.
- DirectorDamiano DamianiStarsCatherine SpaakJean SorelFlorinda BolkanA young girl named Claudia, flirts with two men, and at the same time, she is also having an affair with her step-mother who doles out her inheritance money from her dead father. Is she playing all three of them to get what she wants?AKA 'A Rather Complicated Girl' - (/10) -
- DirectorSilvio AmadioStarsCatherine DiamantEwa GreenNino SeguriniFollowing a row with her fiancé Maurizio, Manuela breaks off with him and decides to go to a Mediterranean island where her friend Eleonora now lives a solitary life. The friendship between the two girls gradually turns into sexual attraction and they become lovers. When Maurizio lands on the island with a view to reconquering Manuela, his fiancée long hesitates between Eleonora and him. When she eventually decides to follow Maurizio Eleonora reacts violently...AKA 'Twisted Girls', 'Isle Of The Swedes', 'No Man's Island' - (4/10) - A full-on melodrama gently kissed by giallo. It has a pretty cosy setting and the pleasant tiny cast of three lesser-known actors is giving a good performance (most of the time), which hugely helps fighting the fact that there's not much on the menu as far as the actual plot goes. The story is very thin and basic and the vast majority of the film is literally just about two women partaking in various relaxing activites in and around a villa on a remote island and occasionally visiting a nerby town to do some shopping, with a bit of sexual self-exploration on the side. There's some nudity and of course a good amount of lesbian moments, but the action is severely lacking and not even the ever so slightly more eventful final act is able to do much about it. The film also sabotages itself with extremely vague and pretentious attempts at some sort of social commentary through quite bizarre moments like a random radio news flash about last week's victim count in the ongoing Vietnam war or a close-up on a photo of starving children in a magazine article. Although the editing is kinda sloppy at times and the whole cinematography has a rather cheap DIY approach, it never gets static or boring as it's clear to see that there are steady efforts to liven things up, and every once in a while it actually delivers a really cool shot or a nicely crafted sequence. Featuring a weird unexplained outdoor game consisting of a group of people looking for a woman who's running away from them while taking of her clothes.
- DirectorRossano BrazziStarsAdrienne LarussaRossano BrazziNino CastelnuovoShortly after her release from a mental hospital, a young woman begins a campaign of revenge against those who placed her there.AKA 'Psychout For Murder' - (8/10) - A very enjoyable psychological thriller with a healthy dose of giallo. It has a kinda rough around the edges start, all the introductory scenes look a bit cheap and use a chaotic editing style, but then everything progressively gets better and better through the rest of the film. The story moves at a very steady pace, it's based on a pretty tight script with simple yet engaging characters, there's a bit of multi-layered scheming, a bit of rich family drama and a whole lot of slightly twisted fun. The camerawork stays lively and even though there's not an abundance of really stylish shots and the crazy rapid edits make their return every once in a while (sometimes it works, sometimes not at all), it's definitely still a visually pleasing experience. Although there are no real "murder scenes" and only a couple of instances of toned-down violence, the film manages to stay captivating without the need to rely on too many bloody or otherwise exploitative gimmicks, although there are still some spicy moments with a bit of nudity here and there. The soundtrack is a mixed bag, but the main instrumental theme and the title song with appropriately off-the-wall lyrics both work well. The whole cast is full of entertaining actors giving great performances, but the main highlight is definitely the immensely beautiful Adrienne Larussa, who absolutely nails it in the main role of a manipulative psycho seductress hungry for revenge (and with a striking fashion sense on top, very reminiscent of the future style of young Camille Keaton). Featuring a man indirectly killing another man by opening a door to his bedroom.
- DirectorFerruccio CasapintaStarsErna SchurerRoland CareyAurora BattistaA couple travels to a castle for the reading of the will of the woman's recently deceased wealthy uncle. It turns out that he left her the castle and its grounds. She is persuaded by various characters to sell it, but is hesitant. Strange things begin to happen, most of them directed at the young woman.AKA 'The Doll Of Satan' - (1/10) - Amateurishly made film unsure if it wants to be a giallo or a gothic horror and in the end it fails at being anything. The boring plot is full of uninteresting characters and basically all the limited action happens in drug-induced dream sequences. Featuring an absolutely meaningless pre-title sequence centered around late food delivery.
- DirectorFernando Di LeoStarsPier Paolo CapponiNieves NavarroMarzio MargineSome youngsters kill their teacher; but they won't tell their motivation. The police detective on the case feels some sinister influence behind the young murderers.AKA 'Naked Violence', 'The Boys Who Slaughter' - (/10) -
- DirectorLucio FulciStarsJean SorelMarisa MellElsa MartinelliAn unscrupulous doctor is accused of killing his asthmatic wife as part of an insurance scam, despite discovering that she has a doppelgänger who works as a stripper and call girl.AKA 'One On Top Of The Other', 'Perversion Story' - (8/10) - A really solid thriller and one of Lucio Fulci's best efforts in general. It has a nice cinematography and the American setting offers many interesting locations like San Francisco, Las Vegas, New York and even San Quentin prison. The story bears certain similarities to 'Sweet Body Of Deborah' (1968), but it's a bit more fleshed out and it even plays by the rules of logic, and although the second half moves a bit slowly, the film never becomes boring. There's almost no violence, but a fair number of spicy scenes, most of them very well-made. The cast is full of familar faces of the giallo realm and Marisa Mell gets a chance to play an equally sexy and fun character. The jazzy soundtrack by Riz Ortolani is nothing special, but serves its purpose (except for one slightly irritating brassy tune). Featuring a stone-faced police sergeant promising to dispatch all the units in the city to look for an old lady's lost dog.
- DirectorOttavio AlessiStarsMaud BellerocheMaurizio BonugliaEdwige FenechHoping to sway her unbalanced son into losing his virginity, an oil baroness takes him and several of her decadent friends on a cruise, culminating in an orgy of lust and murder.AKA 'The Seducers' - (3/10) - A sexy summertime giallo with a lot of silliness and very little thrills involved. Seeing Edwige Fenech and Rosalba Neri side by side spending most of the runtime in bikini (and often even less) is probably the only truly sensational thing about the whole thing. The setting is pretty good, but the story is absolutely ridiculous, the way the mentally disturbed supporting character is treated is kinda in bad taste. Even though the film is very exploitative and regularly throws in some kind of erotic moment, they are rarely handled with much skill, and so besides the inclusion of the two main ladies there's not too much to enjoy. Featuring Edwige fooling around with the luckiest goat in the world.
- DirectorGiuliano BiagettiStarsHaydée PolitoffCorrado PaniBeba LoncarA photographer is sailing with his wife, her sister and his nympho-maniacal model. He leaves the three women alone to get a part for his boat. A mysterious man shows up, who might be an escaped criminal the police are searching for. This doesn't alarm the three women too much, and he rapidly seduces all three of them.(2/10) - Another giallo of the "boat full of horny hot women in bikini" variety. In many ways it's very similar to 'Top Sensation' from the same year and although it doesn't feature any genre queen, all the three main actresses look great. Sadly otherwise the film doesn't offer all that much - the story and dialogues are bland as hell, any action or thrills are basically absent and the final wannabe twists are really worth a big old interrabang ("‽"). Featuring a girl who's absolutely unmoved by her discovery of a dead policeman and proceeds to have a leasury swim nearby.
- DirectorRiccardo FredaStarsKlaus KinskiChristiane KrügerGünther StollAfter a businessman's unfaithful wife is seemingly killed in a car accident, he is led by several unscrupulous characters to believe that she is actually alive.AKA 'Double Face' - (4/10) - A slow-moving film fronted by an unusually calm Klaus Kinski. Although the initial setting looks promising enough, the film gets boring pretty fast as it doesn't have any truly powerful elements besides the protagonist's wife lesbian affair. The character of Christine with bunch of screen-time turns out to be totally meaningless, some plot points are poorly handled and there are multiple instances of very rough around the edges special effects and shoddy back projections. Featuring a psychedelic dance party with motorbikes.
- DirectorDario ArgentoStarsTony MusanteSuzy KendallEnrico Maria SalernoAn American expatriate in Rome attempts to unmask a serial killer he witnessed in the act of an attempted murder - and is now hunting him and his girlfriend.AKA 'The Bird With The Crystal Plumage' - (3/10) - A classic Argento film in the best and worst way possible. There are some skilfully directed moments and a couple of cool shots, but mainly a very silly story where only the most random things happen, unclear or purely non-existant motives behind every character's actions, dull dialogues, not a very good acting and a fair share of awkward attempts at misplaced comedy. Featuring a meeting of guys in yellow jackets.
- DirectorBrunello RondiStarsLino CapolicchioErna SchurerColette DescombesA young rich layabout becomes the object of lust of his father's trophy wife, while he is more interested in her best friend.AKA 'Your Hands On My Body' - (/10) -
- DirectorMario BavaStarsStephen ForsythDagmar LassanderLaura BettiA cleaver-wielding bridal designer murders various young brides-to-be in an attempt to unlock a repressed childhood trauma.AKA 'Hatchet For The Honeymoon', 'Blood Brides', 'The Red Sign Of Madness' - (8/10) - One part thriller, one part psychological horror. The story and the overall execution goes against many traditional giallo conventions (revealing the killer's identity at the very beginning, no nudity and almost no on-screen violence) and comes with a noticeably tamer, but enjoyable result with some unsettling aspects still lurking in the background. The film is spiced with a pinch of Bava's signature black humor, it has a lively camerawork, a pretty good soundtrack by Sante Maria Romitelli and even a couple of direct call-backs to Bava's earlier films, including a TV broadcast of the 'Wurdulak' segment from 'Black Sabbath' (1963) and Luciano Pigozzi revisiting his role of a dress designer similar to the one he had in 'Blood And Black Lace' (1964). Although the cast is pretty good, the acting performances are a mixed bag, but even the slightly wooden protagonist tries his best. Featuring general Franco's Spanish villa.
- DirectorSergio BergonzelliStarsEleonora Rossi DragoPier AngeliFernando SanchoThe guests of a villa are killed off one by one by their hosts. Incest, decapitations and a cyanide bath feature amongst the other bizarre delights.AKA 'In The Folds Of The Flesh' - (1/10) - One of the worst and most ridiculously plotted gialli of the 1970's. The whole film is haphazardly put together and its chaotic cinematography is full of scrappy flashbacks, random shots of passing trains and caged vultures. The muddled story lacks any coherence, things happen just because, the script makes the characters speak and act according to a logic of a fever dream and the awful final twists are straight out of a cheap soap opera. Featuring a bathroom turned into a deadly DIY gas chamber.
- DirectorAlfonso BresciaStarsGeorge ArdissonFrançoise PrévostOrchidea De SantisA man fantasizes about killing his wife. When he receives an anonymous letter with information that his wife is cheating on him, he decides to come up with a plan making his fantasies come true.AKA 'Your Sweet Body To Kill', 'A Suitcase For A Corpse' - (6/10) - A decent thriller with hints of dark comedy. Although the story revolving around toxic marriage and a rather radical method of dealing with it bares certain resemblances to Mario Bava's 'Hatchet For A Honeymoon' from the same year, it takes things to a slightly different direction and delivers a occasionally entertaining film with very solid performances by its small cast. It also benefits from a bit of unintrusive black humor and it's spiced up with visual depictions of various twisted fantasies of the protagonist, including murdering scenarios full of first-class over-the-top acting. Unfortunately most of that is cut short together with the initial conflict way too soon and the following 2 thirds of the film are not nearly as captivating. They mostly come down to a wild goose chase after a switched suitcase and because the film doesn't offer too much direct action and basically no exploitative moments, it gets a bit boring at times. The cinematiography is quite nice though (although it doesn't include too many visual gimmicks) and offers some not so typical locations in Morocco. Featuring the main character bonding with a female fashion model over their shared love for fish breeding.
- DirectorUmberto LenziStarsCarroll BakerJean SorelLuis DávilaA troubled race-car driver plots to kill her ex-husband at the behest of his new wife, but their scheme quickly goes awry.AKA 'A Quiet Place To Kill' - (7/10) - A rather tame but enjoyable thriller full of intrigue, and most likely the best of all Lenzi's giallo efforts. The entire film is really nicely photographed with a lot of creative shots, cool locations, a couple of skillfully captured car-driving scenes and also a pretty good role for Carroll Baker. And Lenzi apparently couldn't fight the urge to include at least part of the song he extensively used throughout his earlier giallo 'Orgasmo' (1969). Featuring a trained dove delivering an invitation for dinner.
- DirectorMichele LupoStarsAnna MoffoIda GalliGastone MoschinA family goes to a British estate to hear the reading of a will and while there they are murdered one by one.AKA 'The Weekend Murders' - (7/10) - A classic who-dunnit with some added quirkiness and above average visuals. The film makes the most out of it's British setting and all around feels about as Italian as fish and chips wrapped in The Daily Telegraph, but it's presented very much like a typical early 70's giallo and the cinematography doesn't miss a single chance to come up with multiple cool shots and/or unusual angles (or throw in a quick-zoom) in every single scene. The acting is often seemingly deliberately over-the-top and the script also includes various attempts at incorporating direct humor to the mix, and it takes a while to get used to its very different approach. It has a rather weak start by introducing a story that's basically just another example of the Agatha Christie inspired situation of a bitter rich old man leaving a last will that turns all his heirs against each other, but everything luckily (and surprisingly) gets noticeably better when the story eventually turns its focus to the police investigation. The shenanigans of the pompous police inspector and clumsy sergeant are sometimes actually funny, they definitely make the film stand out and it's even quite interesting watching them solve the case. All that together with a really creative and always active camerawork and a cast including some familiar faces makes sure that the characters are more than sufficiently entertaining to watch fumble their way through what could otherwise very easily end up just as a dull run-of-the-mill murder-mystery. Featuring a guy complaining that the killer isn't very imaginative after the discovery of a boringly strangled body.
- DirectorDuccio TessariStarsRaf ValloneFrank WolffGabriele TintiA compassionate police captain searches for a mentally challenged 25 year old daughter of a widower, who's been kidnapped and forced into prostitution.AKA 'Death Occured Last Night' - (10/10) - An excellent slow-burn crime drama. It's not the most action-packed and definitely not the exploitative entry (the violence and nudity aspects are both kept to a minimum), but it has a skilfully put together story, smooth pacing and it even operates with surprising amount of logic. Unlike majority of the gialli that choose to focus on the police investigation, this one hugely benefits from a script which makes sure to effectively develop its main character, show his home life and establish his relationship with his wife and work partner, much in the same way as with the detective in 'Black Belly Of The Tarantula' (1971). Frank Wolff successfully manages to make the protagonist believable and sympathetic, and rest of the whole cast is a very lively bunch of actors, all giving great performances. The usual lush and glamorous locations are replaced with noticeably more real-life looking places, the cinematography is very solid and it nicely captures both the indoors and outdoors with its various apartments, busy streets, noisy construction sites, empty parking lots and historical cathedrals, and it definitely has one of the most down-to-the-ground settings of the whole genre. The film does an awesome job with balancing the overall mood and provides an equal amount of some slightly tongue-in-cheek moments and one-liners, and truly impactful and darkly serious sequences + a superb hard-hitting and quite emotional finale. There's also a truly amazing and rich soundtrack by Gianni Ferrio, which manages to sound very classy and fresh at the same time. The music has a strong presence throughout the film (there is even one music montage that wouldn't feel out of place in a comedy) and mostly to its advantage. Featuring a policeman handing in his resignation for 10 seconds so he could punch the guy he's currently interrogating.
- DirectorMario BavaStarsWilliam BergerIra von FürstenbergEdwige FenechAn industrialist invites his colleagues to his private island so they can exploit a resin formula invented by one of the guests, but a killer within the group disrupts the proceedings.AKA 'Five Dolls For An August Moon', 'Island Of Terror' - (7/10) - A flawed, but still very fun giallo and one of the genre's tastiest eye candies. It has a weak semi-improvised script based on the classic Agatha Christie's story with a ton of holes and inconsistencies. Luckily Bava's creativity is absolutely off the chain here and he saves the day with his usual visual magic cranked up to eleven (+ a lot of quick zooms). The film also benefits from awesome cast full of beautiful ladies and a killer soundtrack by Piero Umiliani. Featuring a freezer full of bodies.
- DirectorLuciano ErcoliStarsDagmar LassanderPier Paolo CapponiSimón AndreuThe wife of a struggling businessman is blackmailed by a mysterious man into having a sadistic affair with him, or he will leak evidence implicating her husband of murder.AKA 'The Forbidden Photos Of A Lady Above Suspicion' - (5/10) - Ercoli's first and in some ways best try at giallo, although still a very lackluster effort. It has a good cinematography with a couple of stylish moments, a fitting lounge soundtrack by Ennio Morricone and the two main ladies (Dagmar & Nieves) go through so many clothes and hairstyles that they almost turn each scene into a chic fashion show, which serves as a good camouflage for the fact that the acting performances are really not very good. The script has a lot of potentially good ideas up its sleeve (the protagonist's inner monologues, the blackmailing affair), but unfortunately none of them are explored in much detail, the logic behind the main villainous plot is very shaky and the whole story and its characters remain severely underdeveloped. The major downpoint is that there is almost zero action and although the film never becomes actually boring, it definitely feels kinda bland and uneventful with a bit too much silly melodrama going on. Featuring a sneaky pet tortoise.
- DirectorDario ArgentoStarsJames FranciscusKarl MaldenCatherine SpaakTwo journalists try to solve a series of murders connected to a pharmaceutical company's secret experiments, becoming targets of the killer themselves.AKA 'The Cat O' Nine Tails' - (2/10) - A big old mess of a giallo, way too long for its own good. On top of a weak story there is a lot of pointless filler and one seemingly never-ending scene in a graveyard crypt. Even Argento's usual visual tricks and skilfully constructed shots are few and far between and the best thing about the whole film is a strangely wholesome duo of an orphaned little girl and an elderly blind man taking care of each other. Featuring a guy with the fastest reflexes in the world shooting his camera from the hip like a true Wild West gunslinger.
- DirectorLucio FulciStarsFlorinda BolkanStanley BakerJean SorelThe potentially unhinged daughter of a British politician is accused of killing her hedonistic neighbor after she witnesses the murder in a dream.AKA 'A Lizard In A Woman's Skin' - (3/10) - A lackluster England-based hippie giallo. Although the cinematography has a certain charm and some of the genre mainstays in the cast give the film a much needed spark of energy, everything else falls apart. There is a clumsy protagonist, unlikeable supporting characters and not a lot in terms of quality thrills, suspense and, surprisingly for Fulci, not even that much gore (except for the notorious scene with a few dissected dogs). There's quite a lot of nudity, some of it pleasant, some of it not so much. The story is basic and it's being stretched out by a series of bizarre and/or downright stupid scenes like when Florinda Bolkan battles a hord of angry artificial bats. Featuring Stanley Baker as a detective with a very annoying whistling habit.
- DirectorLuigi BazzoniStarsFranco NeroSilvia MontiWolfgang PreissA maverick, heavy-drinking journalist pursues a killer who is targeting acquaintances of his, prompting the police to brand him a suspect in their investigation.AKA 'The Fifth Cord' - (9/10) - A very solid giallo. It does a great job at establishing the protagonist through his relationship with other characters and makes him one of the most realistic leads of the whole genre. Besides Franco Nero there's a good number of good supporting actors and the film stands out as one of the best acted entries of the whole genre. It has absolutely gorgeous cinematography making the most out of the outdoor locations, city architecture and cosy indoor settings. The camera stays lively throughout and it offers a lot of POV shots. Featuring a man dying right before being killed.
- DirectorEmilio MiragliaStarsAnthony SteffenMarina MalfattiEnzo TarascioA rich, mentally-unstable man - with a penchant for playing deadly S&M games with women who resemble his dead wife - sparks off a chain of bizarre events after getting remarried.AKA 'The Night Evelyn Came Out Of The Grave' - (2/10) - A lifeless attempt at giallo in a gothic horror setting. It has a great soundtrack by Bruno Nicolai, a possibly interesting (but totally wasted) castle location and some nicely shot moments including a way too short strip-tease by Erika Blanc, easily one of the best parts of the whole film. The weak story stands on very unstable foundations, Anthony Steffen in the leading role is wooden as always and not even some of the more welcome additions in the cast are able to lift this wreck from the depths of boredom. But especially the ridiculous multi-ending turns it into a bad joke by piling one weak twist on top of the other as a last-resort excuse for all the lazy screenwriting with elaborately pretended madness and a presumably dead character suddenly coming back to life just to die a minute later after delivering a piece of pointless exposition. Featuring a woman pretending to be a ghost whilst actually breaking the laws of space and time.
- DirectorAlberto De MartinoStarsAntonio SabatoBarbara BouchetFaith DomergueA state senator is murdered outside his home, and the police arrest a strange man described as having "icy eyes" for the crime. An Italian reporter finds a stripper who claims to have been an eyewitness to the assassination and saw the man with the icy eyes commit it. At his trial she testifies against him, and he's sentenced to death. However, the reporter soon begins to find holes in the stripper's story, and other circumstances arise which makes him believe that the wrong man may have been convicted.AKA 'The Man With Icy Eyes' - (3/10) - An uneventful film set in America with only a few down-played giallo elements and an overall approach of a TV movie. The story drags with lots of dialogue, the cinematography is very bland and there's not much to look at except for the scenes with the lovely Barbara Bouchet. Featuring a very persistent insurance agent as a bizarre and completely pointless comic relief.
- DirectorMario BavaStarsClaudine AugerLuigi PistilliClaudio CamasoThe murder of a wealthy countess triggers a chain reaction of brutal killings in the surrounding bay area, as several unscrupulous characters try to seize her large estate.AKA 'A Bay Of Blood', 'Twitch Of The Death Nerve', 'Ecology Of Crime', 'Chain Reaction', 'Blood Bath', 'The Last House On The Left, Part II' - (9/10) - The ultimate proto-slasher and Bava's bloodiest giallo adventure. It has a great cinematography with a lot of visual flourishes, captivating shots and funny match cuts, and the whole lakeside setting makes for a very nice location. It includes a fitting soundtrack by Stelvio Cipriani and most notably a wide range of inventive and well-executed kills (two of them later shamelessly stolen by 'Friday The 13th - Part II' (1981)). The simple script presents a compact (and surprisingly even quite logical!) story full of neat little twists, scheming and back-stabbing and it hugely benefits from the omnipresent black humor and entertaining cast playing a bunch of quirky characters. Featuring a fly commiting a suicide by drowning.
- DirectorTonino RicciStarsPhilippe LeroyElga AndersenIvan RassimovA speed-boat racer suffers amnesia after an boating accident and goes to his isolated villa to recuperate. The relationship with his wife is troubled so he starts an affair (sort of) with another woman which results in one of the three of them being shot.AKA 'Cross Current' - (1/10) - An exceptionally boring giallo with unimpressive cinematography, shallow characters, dull soundtrack and not a trace of any style or substance. It tries to rely more on its story than its unremarkable visuals or non-existant atmosphere, but unfortunately the story at hand is just a confusing mess. Featuring a real surplus of the typical "spying eye" shots.
- DirectorJuan LogarStarsJuan Luis GaliardoCurd JürgensRosalba NeriWhen a young woman enters an extramarital affair, her older husband - the father of her university friend - exacts revenge by committing suicide and trapping her and her lover in his mansion with no means of escape.AKA 'Two Males For Alexa' - (/10) -
- DirectorPaolo CavaraStarsGiancarlo GianniniClaudine AugerBarbara BouchetA series of victims are paralyzed while having their bellies ripped open, much in the same way tarantulas are killed by the black wasp. The victims all seem to have a connection with a spa.AKA 'Black Belly Of The Tarantula' - (9/10) - Both interesting and entertaining giallo with great cast, quite gruesome killer's modus operandi and many unique touches (the police investigator's private life, killing off one of the biggest stars in the first sequence) giving it a nice fresh flavour. Featuring a package of 3 Bond girls (Claudine, Barbara... and unofficial Barbara).
- DirectorBitto AlbertiniStarsGeorge ArdissonErika BlancAlberto de MendozaA gangster seeks those who killed his brother. A series of murders follow.AKA 'Human Cobras' - (2/10) - A weak crime film with a very sporadic giallo elements. It presents a couple of exotic locations including New York and even Kenya (a safari elephant hunt included), but unfortunately it doesn't have much else in store. The protagonist is rather dull, the main story is severely lacking and Stelvio Cipriani is brought on board mostly just to directly recycle music from his soundtracks for 'Femina Ridens' (1969) and 'Sex Of The Witch' (1971). Featuring an out of place slasher-like villain who rings people up just to breath heavily into their phone.
- DirectorRomolo GuerrieriStarsEwa AulinJean SorelLucia BosèA man is shot in an underground car-park by a mysterious bearded man. As he dies he recollects the events that led him to this situation, including adulterous liaisons and jealous envy.AKA 'The Double' - (/10) -
- DirectorDuccio TessariStarsHelmut BergerGiancarlo SbragiaIda GalliA popular television presenter is accused of killing a teenage girl in a park, who happens to be his daughter's best friend.AKA 'The Bloodstained Butterfly' - 3/10 - A slow-moving and kinda uneventful giallo. The set-up is quite good, but apart from the main murder scene at the very beginning it unfortunately doesn't offer much in terms of style of substance. The story is very heavy on the police investigation side of things (including explanations of various procedures and even full-on court trial scenes) and although it definitely breaks away from the standard formula of the subgenre, it's mostly to the film's disadvantage. It takes itself way too seriously at times, but then it also comes with stupid comic relief moments centered around a broken coffee machine. The visuals are grim, but more in the lifeless than atmospheric kind of way, and the cinematography doesn't surprise with anything too interesting besides some quite well-handled outdoor rainy scenes. Featuring a guy firing more bullets than he has chambers in his revolver without a reload.
- DirectorUmberto LenziStarsIrene PapasRay LovelockOrnella MutiTwo hippies find themselves on the run from the law and soon end up going undercover in a villa owned by a mysterious woman.AKA 'Oasis Of Fear', 'An Ideal Place To Kill' - (6/10) - An okay thriller with a couple of nice touches and overall one of the better Lenzi's additions to the subgenre. Of course it includes some of his trademark essentials like a generic rock theme song with English lyrics, at least one awkward dance scene and some well-shot driving segments, but this time also a pretty good script. The seemingly simple story gets progressively more interesting with little twists and turns along the way, so even though the pacing is a bit lazy at times, it never gets actually boring. All the action is rather tepid and the occasional violence stays toned down, but there is a steady supply of quite sleazy erotic elements, which corresponds well with the two young protagonists being pornography makers and distributors. The cinematography isn't all that amazing, but every once in a while it gets quite lively or comes up with a cool shot and the whole film has a quite nice visual presentation. In addition the introductory and closing scenes offer some cool outdoor locations (including the tower of Pisa and seaside mountains), but vast majority of the film operates with a more confined atmosphere of a remote villa (the same one used previously in 'Sweet Body Of Deborah' (1968), a film with certain noticeable similarities, including a body being burried in the garden at almost exactly the same spot at one point). Featuring a gentleman American army officer giving a shot of unspecified hard liquor from his flask to a girl right after she tells him that she's pregnant.
- DirectorSergio MartinoStarsGeorge HiltonAnita StrindbergAlberto de MendozaAn insurance investigator tries to determine any irregularities in the policy of a heiress' dead husband, but soon finds himself suspected of her murder.AKA 'The Case Of The Scorpion's Tail' - (8/10) - A very nicely put together giallo with a pretty good story successfully subverting some usual expectations. It has smooth cinematography, a strong cast of multiple genre veterans, a lot of diverse locations across Europe and even a couple of well-executed kills.
- DirectorEnzo G. CastellariStarsGiovanna RalliFrank WolffFernando ReyRespectable lawyer Peter picks up Anna, an Italian woman of dubious virtue, from the club and takes her back to his Uncle's place. They soon discover they are not alone. A gunman Quill (Julian Mateos), is waiting for them.AKA 'Cold Eyes Of Fear' - (3/10) - A half-baked home invasion thriller with a hint of giallo. The film has a decent cinematography and the opening scenes capture an interesting portrayal of the early 70's London night life (with many baffled people on the streets looking straight into the camera). Sadly the story is awfully dull, the limited action sequences have a weird over-the-top style of editing and Morricone's jazzy soundtrack is a huge disappointment. There are some moments of stylish use of lightning, but the final act takes it a step too far by being shot in almost complete darkness because apparently not even the pistol-wielding baddie with all the advantage on his side dares to ruin the dramatic effect by hitting a nearby switch. Majority of the scenes take place in a couple of confined rooms and the involved characters and their dialogues are not nearly enough entertaining to save the film from becoming boring very early on. Featuring a guy using a J&B whisky bottle as the ultimate giallo murder weapon.
- DirectorRiccardo FredaStarsLuigi PistilliDagmar LassanderAnton DiffringA corpse is found in the trunk of a car that belongs to the Swiss ambassador to the UK. Speculations run wild, as more people around the ambassador keep falling victim to the vicious killer. A former detective is hired to investigate.AKA 'The Iguana With The Tongue Of Fire' - (3/10) - A very humdrum attempt at a giallo set in Ireland. There are some scenes taking a full advantage of the unusual setting and mostly solid cast fronted by good old Luigi Pistilli. The story unfortunately doesn't have too much to offer in terms of plot or suspense, it has one truly botched and unintentionally hilarious fake slow-motion scene (repeated several times during the film), and the unreasonably brutal ending depicting violence against the two most innocent characters is thrown in just for a cheap shock value. Featuring an armchair detective grandma.
- DirectorOsvaldo CiviraniStarsCarroll BakerGeorge HiltonStephen BoydThe theft of jewels and mistaken identity complicate the life of Mary causing her to become the target of a vicious gang of criminals in this giallo crime thriller.AKA 'The Devil With Seven Faces' - (1/10) - A sloppily made and all around awful crime film with only minor giallo elements. It has basically no redeeming points and bad performances even by otherwise okay actors. The nonsensical convoluted script makes the characters talk and act like robots, at one point George Hilton inexplicably fully resurrects himself only to remember a minute later that he's supposed be dead, and the way the main story unravels is an exercise in tedium. Featuring Carroll Baker falling victim to a fake scare by an Asian guy in a gorilla mask wielding a kukri knife.
- DirectorAldo LadoStarsIngrid ThulinJean SorelMario AdorfAn American journalist temporarily stationed in Central Europe searches for his new girlfriend, who has suddenly disappeared.AKA 'Short Night Of Glass Dolls' - (3/10) - A cold war thriller with light giallo undertones. It is a nicely shot film with a pretty unique approach to storytelling, but the novelty eventually wears off and the gloomy atmosphere isn't nearly strong enough to cover the uneventful and boring script. Majority of the film is clearly set in Prague but the characters avoid its name like a plague despite mentioning real streets and the constant blending of Czechoslovakia and Hungary can get slightly distracting. Featuring a janitor who can recognize a Westerner by a single look at their shoes.
- DirectorSergio MartinoStarsGeorge HiltonEdwige FenechConchita AiroldiAn ambassador's wife discovers that one of the men in her life - either her husband, an ex-lover or her current lover - may be a vicious serial killer.AKA 'The Strange Vice Of Mrs. Wardh' - (9/10) - A very stylish film and pure giallo fun with amazing cast and brilliant haunting soundtrack by Nora Orlandi. The script is a bit bumpy at times, but the cinematography and the overall presentation fully make up for it. Featuring Edwige and Ivan Rassimov making out in the mud.
- DirectorMaurizio LucidiStarsTomas MilianPierre ClémentiKatia ChristineSeeking an escape from his unhappy marriage, a disillusioned advertising executive is lured by a sociopathic Count into a bizarre plot to kill each other's relatives.AKA 'The Designated Victim' - (4/10) - A giallo remake of the classic Hitchcockian "I kill her and you kill him" scenario with a very little action or suspense involved. The off-season Venice looks beautiful, but the story doesn't bring anything fresh to the table and the two main characters don't make for the most entertaining duo. Featuring a group of hippies selling their home-made trinkets.
- DirectorFernando Di LeoStarsKlaus KinskiMargaret LeeRosalba NeriA rehabilitation hospital in the Italian countryside which offers treatment for women suffering from various psychological disorders is stalked by a mysterious cloaked killer.AKA 'Slaughter Hotel' - (1/10) - Poorly written, badly filmed and weirdly edited erotic giallo. Vast majority of its runtime is padded with a lot of wandering around, obnoxious dream sequences repeating insignificant footage and awkwardly staged intimate scenes between various bland characters.
- DirectorDario ArgentoStarsMichael BrandonMimsy FarmerJean-Pierre MarielleA musician is stalked by an unknown homicidal maniac, who blackmails him for the accidental killing of another stalker.AKA 'Four Flies On Grey Velvet' - (2/10) - Tedious film with a boring story, irritating protagonist, lots of ridiculous situations, stupid ending and a rather poor Morricone soundtrack, and of course some trademark Argento misplaced and poorly executed "humor". At least there's a couple of skilfully executed short sequences with a cool camerawork. Featuring a complex hunt for a fly in the middle of a recording session with the insect being eventually squished by a closed drum hi-hat.
- DirectorLuciano ErcoliStarsFrank WolffNieves NavarroSimón AndreuAfter a French stripper is harassed by a man who wants a cache of diamonds stolen by her late father, she flees to England in the company of a doctor, but danger follows.AKA 'Death Walks On High Heels' - (2/10) - A bland and mostly uneventful wannabe giallo. The story starts quite promisingly, but soon it loses its footing and begins to drag with bunch of absolutely pointless filler and plenty of awkward stupid comedy bits including a drunk vomiting from a beach house window on an oblivious bobby below. There's only one (quite well-handled) on-screen killing serving as basically the only real source of action and although the cinematography comes up with a couple of stylish moments, it's not nearly enough captivating to make up for the boring script and sluggish pacing. Featuring a police inspector who can't figure out how to open a garden gate (twice... the same one).
- DirectorSilvio AmadioStarsFarley GrangerBarbara BouchetRosalba NeriThe secretary of a writer and his wife investigates the disappearance of her lover - their previous secretary - and finds herself the target of the couple's erotic desires and a murder plot.AKA 'Amuck', 'In Pursuit Of Pleasure', 'Hot Bed Of Sex' - (5/10) - A mediocre spicy giallo that could and should be better than it actually is. It has two beautiful genre queens (Barbara & Rosalba), nice secluded villa setting with a couple of great outdoor locations, a good amount of nudity and some well executed lesbian scenes, but the story starts to limp very soon, the action also staggers, the characters sometimes act very weirdly and the ending is one huge letdown. Featuring a party including a screening of an adult version of Little Red Riding Hood.
- DirectorGiuseppe VariStarsLou CastelBeba LoncarAdolfo CeliNino is a glamour photographer who witnesses a murder of a prosecutor being constructed to look like an automobile accident.AKA 'Who Killed The Prosecutor And Why?', 'Third Hypothesis On A Case Of Perfect Criminal Strategy' - (7/10) - A quite enjoyable and decently put together crime thriller. With its story revolving around mafia dealings, blackmail and police investigation it has an overall strucutre more in line with standard poliziotteschi, but it gradually ventures deeper into proper giallo territory once the masked gloved figure in a trenchcoat comes into play. The violence is approached in a more old-school 60's kind of way and although there's a bit of nudity and some spicy elements present (including an elderly photographer directing a photo session with ancient Rome themed orgy), the overall exploitation quota is being kept relatively low. The cinematography isn't the most original, but does a good job at maintaining a steady flow of the plot and every once in a while even throws in nice shot or a POV. The film probably holds a record in the highest count of J&B bottles of all gialli as there is at least one in almost every indoor scene and it's featured in many different situations - guy ordering it at local bar, several people drinking it at home and a woman making sure to pack two large bottles into her rucksack before she goes into hiding. The cast is pretty solid, but as the film doesn't even really have one definitive protagonist, most of the chatacters are unfortunately only vaguely sketched out and so certain moments (including the killer reveal) don't turn up as impactful as they potentially could. One of the main highlights is a truly rare instance of Adolfo Celi getting a chance to play a character who is not a villain and as the stamp-collecting and contraband-cigarettes-smoking police detective he actually even serves as the main good guy. Featuring a magical J&B bottle turning by itself inbetween two subsequent shots from two opposite angles to conveniently face the camera.
- DirectorRenzo RussoStarsFarley GrangerErika BlancKrista NellGonzales, a Spaniard living in Istanbul, reports the disappearance of La Rossa, a beautiful woman living with a mad painter, John Ward. Convinced that Ward has killed her, Gonzales sets out to trap him.AKA 'The Red Headed Corpse' - (3/10) - A strange little thiller with not that many direct giallo elements. The main storyline is built on kinda bizarre foundations and doesn't rule out or fully confirm possible involvement of the supernatural. It's apparently trying for some sort of dream-like atmosphere, but unfortunately there's not enough to back it up, so in the end things often only get quite confusing, weird or boring. The script does come up with occasional interesting aspects, Erika Blanc looks awesome as ever and there's a couple of spicy moments, but the whole film has a rather bland visuals and it's further let down by its cheap overall production value. Featuring a sworm of forest hippies.
- DirectorGiampaolo LomiEdoardo MulargiaStarsAnthony SteffenAnita StrindbergGabriele TintiWhile vacationing in Haiti, a married couple meet an old doctor friend who resides there. Dr. Williams has invented a new drug formula, and there are a few unscrupulous parties interested in acquiring it by any means necessary.AKA 'The Tropic Of Cancer', 'Death In Haiti' - (2/10) - A very lackluster crime drama with some negligible giallo elements sprinkled in. There are things that definitely make it stand out, but rarely in a good way. The Haiti setting is a slightly strange choice (even more so when not all that much is done with it), it doesn't offer many interesting locations and since the camerawork stays quite static (apart from a couple of hand-held POV shots during the murder scenes), there's really not much to enjoy from the visual standpoint. It has a truly dreadful script that feels like a collection of completely random scenes presenting a slow-moving incoherent mess of a story which seems to be going absolutely nowhere for the vast majority of the runtime and is ultimately crowned by a rushed haphazard resolution. All the violence is handled rather tamely (except for one quite brutal killing in a dilapidated factory), but the whole film has a strong exploitative streak with many "mondo" aspects. There's a lot of nudity, a bizarre and pretty ridiculous drug-induced dream sequence, and also scenes of actual cockfighting, animal sacrificing and ritual dancing with some footage from a local slaughterhouse thrown in for a good measure. The characters are a shallow and highly unlikeable bunch and matters are not made better by the extremely bland and boring cast (headed by the plank of wood that is Anthony Steffen), and not even Anita Strindberg gives much of an impression in this one. Featuring a baby-faced fat guy who enjoys the company of young black men and peacocks.
- DirectorLuciano ErcoliStarsNieves NavarroSimón AndreuPeter MartellDuring a drug-fuelled photoshoot, a model witnesses a brutal murder in the apartment opposite hers, and is forced to become an amateur sleuth to unravel the mystery.AKA 'Death Walks At Midnight' - (5/10) - Definitely a more enjoyable giallo then its sister project 'Death Walks On High Heels' (1971), but still not free of flaws. This film also leans to open comedy at times, but luckily a lot more gracefully (in most cases). It has a quite entertaining feisty and hot-tempered female protagonist, a fun duo of cartoony villains who sadly turn up much too late and some nice visual flourishes. Unfortunately the story is very wonky and some of its aspects are really silly and/or forced, but they kinda correspond with the overall tone of the film.
- DirectorFrancesco MazzeiStarsRenzo MontagnaniBedy MorattiEva CzemerysA sexually-promiscuous priest is stabbed to death inside a church.AKA 'The Weapon, The Hour, The Motive' - (/10) -
- DirectorAldo LadoStarsGeorge LazenbyAnita StrindbergAdolfo CeliBetween a four-year gap in the murder of a young girl, the daughter of a well-known sculptor is discovered dead, and her parents conduct an investigation, only to discover they are much out of their depth.AKA 'Who Saw Her Die?' - (2/10) - A boring and largely uneventful thriller. Except for some nice shots of Venice and certain efforts to come up with a bit darker atmosphere it only offers a whole bunch of pointless scenes focusing on characters walking around and a couple of underwhelming murder sequences. Featuring a killer with his own highly annoying musical cue.
- DirectorFerdinando MerighiStarsAnita EkbergRosalba NeriEvelyne KraftA man is accused of killing his favorite prostitute in a French brothel. He's tried and sentenced to death. He tries to escape but dies during pursuit. Soon, people connected to the case are killed one by one.AKA 'The French Sex Murders' - (3/10) - A cheap and rushed giallo with not much to offer. Despite the presence of several familiar faces, the weak script doesn't give anyone much to work with, which especially applies to Barbara Bouchet, who only gets about three minutes of screentime (the best part of the whole film) before the production runs out of money for her paycheck. The wooden Humphrey Bogart doppelgänger as a trenchcoat-wearing, lower-lip-biting, cigarette-smoking inspector gives the impression that there were tendencies to go with some film-noir vibe, but in the end he just feels out of place, meanwhile most of the other actors are either hamming it up to eleven or not caring at all. All the action is tepid, the bloody special effects mediocre at best and the two or three erotic scenes are just kinda awkwardly shoehorned in. The cinematography severely lacks and its further degraded by the tacky editing that sometimes makes the same group of characters suddenly jump forward in time without anything inbetween. All the attempts at wannabe stylish tricks are limited to truly terrible decisions like repeating the final shot of each on-screen murder five times in a row (with various aggressive color filters on top) or a bizarre short segment shown in negative, which only gives an impression that someone forgot to develop that piece of film properly. One of the few mildly interesting aspects is the inclusion of some footage shot on location in the streets of Paris and nearby countryside. Featuring a guy telling his opponent at chess he's giving him a check with an absolutely useless rook move by which he's definitely not giving him a check.
- DirectorTonino ValeriiStarsGeorge HiltonSalvo RandoneWilliam BergerA mysterious decapitation leads Inspector Peretti into a case of blackmail, deceit, and the unsolved kidnapping of a young girl.AKA 'My Dear Killer' - (2/10) - A tedious and all around weak giallo. Some aspects of the ongoing investigation are okay, but the pacing is all over the place, the action is mediocre at best, the characters often act very strangely and the awkward killer reveal scene done in a wannabe Poirot style really takes the cake. Featuring a policeman who doesn't look very deep into the fact that there is a naked little girl in a pervy old man's home.
- DirectorArmando CrispinoStarsAlex CordSamantha EggarJohn MarleyA photographer on an archaeological expedition digging up Etruscan ruins in Italy begins to suspect that not all the Etruscans buried there are actually dead.AKA 'The Etruscan Kills Again', 'The Dead Are Alive!' - (3/10) - A convoluted and lifeless wannabe giallo. In accord with it's misleading title and ancient tombs excavation setting it toys with some supernatural possibilities at first, yet they are quickly swept under the rug in favor of unimpressive mystery drama. It has a decent cinematography, but it gets progressively less and less polished and it isn't able to establish any sort of deeper atmosphere or distract from the extremely weak script. The whole film suffers from a really bad and sluggish pacing, all the characters (including the hot-tempered alcoholic protagonist) make an exceptionally unlikeable bunch, and given the fact that a huge portion of the story is dedicated to their melodramatic relationship problems, there's a cloud of boredom looming over the whole thing. The thriller elements easily get lost along the way and everything only leads to a truly disappointing finale with an unimpactful killer reveal and the whole motivation behind the killings is extremely generic and dull. The murders themselves are quite bloody, but their general execution is definitely on the weaker side and unfortunately they are basically the only source of action (besides one actually quite well-shot and dangerously looking car chase scene through claustrophobic old streets of Spoleto in two vehicles that look like they barely hold together). Riz Ortolani delivers one of his better soundtracks and it serves as one of the few higlights of the film, although the main theme is being slightly overused. The cast is nothing special and the only truly notable member is Samantha Eggar, who sadly also gets to play just another poorly developed unsympathetic character, but at least gives the scenes she's in a certain amount of class. Featuring a security guard burning a spider alive in his web and later setting a grasshopper on fire in an ashtray filled with gasoline.
- DirectorEmilio MiragliaStarsBarbara BouchetUgo PagliaiMarina MalfattiTwo sisters inherit their family castle, which is said to be haunted by their ancestor, a dark-haired, red-robed woman who is said to take seven lives every hundred years.AKA 'The Red Queen Kills Seven Times' - (8/10) - A little silly but hugely entertaining giallo with nice cinematography, fun cast fronted by the gorgeous Barbara Bouchet, great locations and awesome soundtrack by Bruno Nicolai. Featuring both exterior and interior of Casa Papanice in Rome.
- DirectorSergio PastoreStarsAnthony SteffenSylva KoscinaGiovanna LenziA blind pianist tries to figure out who is responsible for a string of murders using a black cat with its claws dipped in curare.AKA 'The Crimes Of The Black Cat' - (3/10) - A bland giallo with a wooden protagonist, adopting random aspects from bunch of other genre entries (mainly early Argento). The cinematography is okay for the most part, although there are some instances of weird style of editing, especially during the "action" moments. Although majority of the murders use a very uncoventional method, the sequences are presented with a disappointing matter-of-fact approach, except for one more classic and unexpectedly brutal razor killing in the shower towards the end. The story is a lackluster affair and as it unfolds it comes up with more stupid plot points, including a jarring moment in a glass factory when the baddie suddenly turns into a Bond villain determined to dispose of the main character in a needlessly complicated and ultimately unsuccessfull way. Although the cast features a couple of familar faces, the leading role goes to the ever so boring Anthony Steffen and the final nail in the coffin is the super rushed haphazard ending resolving the killer's identity in a truly unsatisfying manner. Featuring a film composer from parallel universe taking Ennio Morricone's place as the author of the soundtrack for Fulci's 'A Lizard In A Woman's Skin' (1971).
- DirectorSergio MartinoStarsGeorge HiltonEdwige FenechIvan RassimovA woman recovering from a car accident in which she lost her unborn child finds herself pursued by a coven of devil worshipers.AKA 'All The Colors Of The Dark', 'They're Coming To Get You!' - (3/10) - A hugely disappointing giallo entry by the otherwise great Sergio Martino. Although the film has a truly impressive cast full of genre mainstays in bigger and smaller roles and some nicely filmed sequences, the story is pretty bad, the cultists are definitely not the most entertaining villains, some scenes are very poorly executed and Edwige's character might be just a bit too helpless in this one. Featuring Ivan Rassimov in piercing blue eye contacts.
- DirectorAlfonso BresciaStarsRobert HoffmannIrina DemickPilar VelázquezAn investigator is assigned to investigate a man's family after he is found dead only hours after taking out a million dollar insurance policy.AKA 'Naked Girl Murdered In The Park' - (/10) -
- DirectorNello RossatiStarsEva CzemerysSilvano TranquilliAnthony FontaneA man returns home to his wife from a business trip only to find a dead body in their yard.AKA 'The Cat In Heat' - (4/10) - An okay small-scale thriller with slight giallo undertones. The cinematography comes with some nice touches here and there, the story (told in non-linear way) is sufficient enough with a great setup, although it eventually turns into a melodrama about an affair of a nymphomaniac and a junkie and everything leads to a really anticlimactic "no hard feelings" ending. Featuring a chain smoking elderly security guard breaking into a stranger's garden and fumbling with his sports car.
- DirectorSauro ScavoliniStarsErika BlancPeter Lee LawrenceEzio MaranoAn old professor rents a mysterious old villa, and finds a tape recorded by a previous occupant, detailing her debauched lifestyle and the events leading to her murder.AKA 'Love And Death In The Garden Of The Gods' - (7/10) - An interesting take on a mystery thriller mixed up with some giallo themes. It comes up with a sombre melancholic vibe and successfully delivers a rich atmosphere making the most out of its beautiful locations, be it the main secluded villa and its nature surroundings or the lonely streets of a small partially derelict town and nearby countryside. The cinematography is entertaining and stays very lively, it utilizes a huge amount of hand-held camerawork and a lot of various POV shots (including running through the corridors and down the hill together with the actors or a first-person experience of getting slapped in the face or bumped into at the crosswalk). The film has a fitting classic piano oriented soundtrack, it's well-acted, the cast is really solid, and of course Erika Blanc looks absolutely stunning. The story isn't the most action-packed adventure, it's more of an artsy slow-burn drama with quite a lot of talking and walking around, but mainly thanks to its fun and engaging visual presentation it manages to have a steady flow. Most of the exploitation elements are saved for nudity, but even the sporadic violent and bloody moments are handled quite well, although they are definitely not the main aspect of the film. Featuring a drunk Italian guy recklessly running off into the field to mingle with bulls and cows whilst screeming it's like in Texas.
- DirectorMassimo DallamanoStarsFabio TestiKarin BaalCristina GalbóA teacher who is having an affair with one of his students is reluctant to present an alibi when his lover witnesses the first in a series of murders connected to their school.AKA 'What Have You Done To Solange?' - (6/10) - A good giallo which could have been a great one. The story is dealing with a quite disturbing topic and luckily it doesn't feel the need to "lighten" the mood with any misplaced comedic relief, but it often struggles in terms of pacing. The whole film tries to create a dark atmosphere and although it succeeds to a certain degree, it kinda stumbles over its own potential and there are times when it inevitably becomes pretty boring and over-stretched. The story is a very slow-burn kind of deal and the overall level of violence is rather limited (although all the murder scenes are very impactful and appropriately unsettling and there's even enough nudity to safely meet the exploitation quota). Other than that the film kinda lacks in terms of action, the script gets a bit wonky and convoluted at times, some of its aspects feel a bit strange, and there is a lot of talking involved (mainly the scenes revolving around the ongoing police investigation). The characters are not the most entertaining bunch imaginable (be in the very anti-hero type of protagonist or the lifeless police inspector) and the fact that Solange herself doesn't show up until the rushed finale doesn't help either. The whole mystery is interesting, but it's most hard-hitting aspects are just hastly brushed off in the end with the help of a couple of weak twists and although all the ingredients are there, the tragic fate of Solange isn't given enough time to fully hit as much as it could. There is also a number of clear highlights though - the cast is more than decent (including the horror starlet Cristina Galbó and young Camille Keaton in her very first role), the cinematography is very solid and also offers many neat touches (including POV sequence of a murder and subsequent escape from the house from the killer's perspective involving running down a flight of stairs) and even Morricone's soundtrack has some good moments (but some rather generic and uninspired as well). Featuring a guy able to find anyone's telephone number in the yellow pages in three seconds and spot a incriminating piece of evidence after barding into anyone's apartment in less then one second.
- DirectorUmberto LenziStarsCarroll BakerAlan ScottIda GalliA mute woman finds herself at the center of a series of murders in the mountains of Spain, which police suspect are being committed by a drug-addled Satanist.AKA 'Knife Of Ice' - (3/10) - A through-and-through lukewarm thriller with a couple of severely toned-down giallo elements. Although the cinematography is okay, it doesn't offer any truly stylish moments and fails on delivering some sort of atmosphere. The story overflows with absurd red herrings, the whole script feels kinda weak and unoriginal, and the final twist is nothing special (or logical) either. With its secluded villa setting and mute female protagonist there are several instances when the film comes off as a far less impactful version of 'The Spiral Staircase' (1946), with some added melodrama and a slightly bizarre and completely pointless plot point centered around local devil worshipping. There's basically zero on-screen violence, the tension is tepid, most of the limited action happens off-screen and the overall presentation almost makes it look like some of the tamest gialli of the 60's (with its most exploitative aspect being a completely random flashback with no relation to the plot, going just for a cheap shock value with a rather tasteless sequence of a real bullfight including the final killing stab to the animal). Carroll Baker gets a very different type of leading role than usual, but not exactly a good or too well-acted one, while the other familar faces are either disposed of very early on or moved into the background in favor of unimpressive wooden performances by the lesser-known actors. Featuring a police squad with very shady methods, digging up a little girl from her grave in the middle of the night to perform an autopsy.
- DirectorUmberto LenziStarsAntonio SabatoUschi GlasPier Paolo CapponiA woman, a survivor of a failed murder attempt by the so-called "Half-Moon Killer", and her husband try to find a connection between herself, six other women, and the killer.AKA 'Seven Blood-Stained Orchids' - (3/10) - Lenzi's most stereotypically giallo-esque giallo, but also one of his worst additions to the genre. Although it has its fair share of murders and some brief nudity, it's mostly quite tame, very slow and talky. Featuring a killer leaving a cheap half-moon trinket with each of his victims as a calling card.
- DirectorMario CaianoStarsRosemary DexterAdolfo CeliHorst FrankA woman searches for her missing lover, a psychiatrist who has suddenly vanished for no apparent reason. She ends up at a villa populated by a group of eccentric individuals. A string of murders commences immediately.AKA 'Eye In The Labyrinth' - (2/10) - A very bizzare and all around botched giallo. The script doesn't feel like a collaborative effort, but actually like a work of three different writers mashed together (1st wanting a mystery thriller, 2nd aiming for a psychological melodrama, and 3rd who doesn't have a clue what he wants). Every sequence seems to have a life of its own with just the thinnest narrative thread between the individual scenes, the whole story unfolds like a bad dream and the final twists and turns don't resolve the plot in a very satysfying manner and are unable to cover up the many shortcomings gained along the way. All the characters are constantly acting like a bunch of disguised aliens unsuccessfully trying to fit in and the clumsy female protagonist with extremely strange mental processes takes the 1st prize in the naivity and irrational behaviour contest. There's no real action, only some badly staged scuffles and largely underwhelming moments of toned down violence, a couple of forced shots of brief nudity and a series of completely random events with a lot of walking and driving inbetween, all that accompanied by a horrible and truly irritating jazz soundtrack. The remote island villa setting is okay (although it's kinda unutilized) and the cinematography has some captivating moments, but it's downgraded by some jarring cuts and not all the more ambitious shots turn out as good as planned. At least the cast is enriched by the inclusion of Adolfo Celi (who seems to be having fun) and Rosemary Dexter (who looks amazing and would have made a cool leading actress in some more enjoyable giallo). Featuring a girl accidentally burning a man alive while she's trying to light up a cigarette.
- DirectorSergio MartinoStarsEdwige FenechAnita StrindbergLuigi PistilliA series of murders are committed near the estate of a degenerate author and his mistreated wife.AKA 'Your Vice Is A Locked Room And Only I Have The Key' - (5/10) - A simple giallo story mixed up with the popular Edgar Allan Poe's 'The Black Cat' story and directly influenced by 'Les Diaboliques' (1955). Although it dabbles in some risqué topics, it doesn't go in too deep and so it stays as one of the most mediocre giallo entries. Featuring Luigi Pistilli and Anita Strindberg going at it in an outdoor cage for doves.
- DirectorSergio SollimaStarsStefania SandrelliKeir DulleaMicheline PresleA child suspected of killing his father is imprisoned in a mental hospital. A doctor finds him mentally healthy and begins to suspect another explanation.AKA 'Devil In The Brain' - (3/10) - A very different and occasionally interesting, but not very entertaining (or giallo-esque) mystery drama. It's one of the more serious entries to the genre and tries to freshen things up with a couple of non-linear storytelling devices and quite bold decision to stay away from any exploitative elements, but the final result is a bit of an uneven mess. There's a couple of good shots here and there, but overall the cinematography isn't anything special (often actually quite static) and in combination with the rather sluggish way the film unfolds it isn't able to deliver any kind of atmosphere either. Although it's not necessarily an actual slow-burn and a lot of plot points are very straightforward, the main weakness of the film is the fact that it almost never shows anything happening an in the end it all just becomes a variation on a tragic melodrama with a dead body and a bit of amateur detective work on the side. Many scenes are extremely talky and when it comes down to the tepid action and limited violence, except for some shenanigans towards the end the camera always either cuts away or jumps forward in time straight to characters recapitulating the off-screen events through some clumsy expositionary dialogues. The actors themselves are okay, but for a story that is so heavily character-driven the involved people make a pretty weak bunch, including the protagonist who's right off the bat established as a littering stalker who nearly runs over people at the crosswalk with his douchy red sports car. Featuring a little boy who kills first and asks questions later.
- DirectorGiuliano CarnimeoStarsEdwige FenechGeorge HiltonPaola QuattriniHaving recently escaped the clutches of a hippie sex cult, a beautiful model is pursued by a serial killer whose previous victims include former occupants of her new apartment.AKA 'The Case Of The Bloody Iris', 'What Are Those Strange Drops Of Blood On Jennifer's Body?' - (4/10) - A visually pleasing, but otherwise a quite disappointing giallo entry. The cinematography certainly has a great amount of charm, Edwige Fenech looks absolutely stunning (and goes through a whole variety of stylish outfits) and Bruno Nicolai delivers yet another superb soundtrack. The story is really weak though and it's full of ridiculous plot points (a woman refusing to move out of an appartment where another woman was killed and she herself was attacked) and poorly-handled sequences (a potentially powerful moment with a woman stabbed in a crowd in broad daylight losing all its impact by some weird editing and acting choices). Although the murders themselves are not presented in an overly impressive fashion, there's a hefty load of other exploitative elements keeping things lively (including the female protagonist's girl roommate who hates clothes, a lesbian neighbor always ready for action and some spicy scenes to boot), but even at times when the film gets good it usually still just feels like a watered-down goulash of far better gialli made year or two prior to this one. Featuring an old lady buying a surplus of cheap horror novels and comic-strips at her local news stand.
- DirectorRenato PolselliStarsMickey HargitayRita CalderoniRaul LovecchioA respected psychologist who regularly works with the police becomes a suspect in a series of gruesome murders of young women.AKA 'Delirium' - (/10) -
- DirectorRomano ScavoliniStarsIda GalliLuigi PistilliIvan RassimovA woman, who witnessed her father kill himself as a child, invites several friends to her husband's secluded castle. Unbeknownst to them, she has a sinister motive for the invitation.AKA 'Spirits Of Death', 'A White Dress For Marialé' - (2/10) - A really boring film with underused gothic horror setting, weak atmosphere and almost zero giallo elements involved. Despite having some genre mainstays in the cast, all the characters are shallow as they can be and the terrible story is full of bizarre unamusing sequences including an overlong and totally pointless masquerade party. It takes forever for anything to happen, the limited action is poorly handled and the cinematography doesn't surprise with anything too interesting. Featuring Luigi Pistilli shooting a toy snake from a girl's leg.
- DirectorLeopoldo SavonaStarsStelio CandelliPatrizia ViottiVeronika KorosecA man finds his wife brutally murdered. He has no alibi so is instructed by his lawyer to go into hiding in an abandoned hotel. Strange occurrences start happening immediately.AKA 'Death Falls Lightly' - (/10) -
- DirectorLucio FulciStarsFlorinda BolkanBarbara BouchetTomas MilianWhen a southern Italian town is rocked by a string of child murders, the police and two urban outcasts search for the culprit amid scapegoating within the superstitious community.AKA 'Don't Torture A Duckling' - (3/10) - A rural giallo involving the church and going for a lot darker and more serious atmosphere than usual. The cinematography is one of Fulci's better and more compact efforts and the film certainly has great moments (most notably a very impactful lynching scene at the cemetery), but for the most part it's handled rather poorly. The script is a bit dull and some of its aspects (including strong superstition and rock-hard belief in supposed witchcraft) would make a lot more sense if the story was set in the middle ages, or at least at some actually remote place, not a fairly civilized-looking town close to a massive highway and with Donald Duck toys on sale in a shop down the street. Also the ending is quite ridiculous and botched on so many levels, be it the editing, make-up effects or overall direction. The cast is not all that rich and Florinda Bolkan goes a bit too over the top in her role, but luckily there's Barbara Bouchet who completely steals the show with each scene she's in, including one of the more notable moments of her lying in the nude and playfully seducing a little boy.
- DirectorDemofilo FidaniStarsPaola SenatoreJerry ColmanRaffaele CuriYoung Cristina runs away from home to satisfy her desire for independence and money, much to her father's disappointment. She becomes a call girl, but soon after meeting a pimp called Oskar, some of her new clients meet an untimely demise.AKA 'A.A.A. Masseuse, Good-Looking, Offers Her Services' - (6/10) - A good enough giallo with some pleasant touches. After a slightly bizarre opening credits constructed in a movie trailer style introducing the actors through random snippets from the upcoming scenes and pieces of out-of-context dialogue it gets progressively better. The script might actually hold a genre record in the total count of red herrings, the initial plot point of a well-situated girl spontaneously leaving home to become a prositute is rather strange and the killer reveal not very impactful, but the story is pretty well-paced. What starts as a classic family/social drama mixed with hints of some sexy comedy elements and smooth jazzy soundtrack gradually turns into a decent mystery thriller backed by wild drums, ominous strings, haunting organ and distorted guitar musical cues after the dead bodies start piling up. Although there is some good suspense here and there, the murders are extremely tame and disappointing, but as far as the exploitative elements go, what the films lacks in violence it fully makes up for with the fact that the young girl-for-hire protagonist spends majority of her time on screen naked or in various stages of being undressed as she goes through various erotic escapades. The film doesn't have the most original cinematography, but the overall direction and visual presentation are quite nice and handle everything in sufficiently entertaining fashion with enough lively shots (including some hand-held action and POVs) and unusual angles to keep the cameraman busy. The cast is also great, it includes a couple of familiar faces and the beautiful green-eyed redhead Paola Senatore is a lot of fun in the leading role, even though her character's relationship and materialistic moral values are a bit shady. Featuring a guy with a table lamp made out of a J&B whisky bottle.
- DirectorSilvio AmadioStarsJenny TamburiSilvano TranquilliRosalba NeriAfter the death of her mother, which was ruled as suicide, a teenage girl comes back home to find her mother's husband, and a female photographer, occupying the house. But nothing is as it seems.AKA 'Smile Before Death' - (2/10) - A self-destructing uneventful giallo mess. Although the story and cinematography are both pretty weak, the film could very easily be at least mediocre, but unfortunately it's totally ruined by one of the most obnoxious soundtracks ever. It tries to redeem itself at least by showing off Rosalba Neri and Jenny Tamburi in the nude as much as possible, but there are better films that do just the same and then some more. Featuring a glimpse of uncredited dancing Barbara Bouchet at a house party as a fleeting spark of light in this dark void.
- DirectorRoberto Bianchi MonteroStarsFarley GrangerSylva KoscinaSilvano TranquilliA serial killer is on the loose. His victims are unfaithful wives and he always leaves compromising photographs at the crime scene.AKA 'So Sweet, So Dead', 'Revelation Of A Sexual Maniac To The Chief Of Flying Squad', 'The Slasher Is The Sex Maniac' - (3/10) - A giallo playing the moralistic card with a killer targeting unfaithful wives. The film is very exploitative in its approach with a good amount of nudity and bloodshed, but it suffers from a severe lack of originality, even dressing its killer in exactly the same getup as the one in Mario Bava's 'Blood And Black Lace' (1964) and the musical cue (courtesy of none other than Girogio Gaslini) accompanying some of the murders is pretty annoying. Featuring an absolutely random death of an insignificant minor character who trips on the stairs and dies, just because he can.
- DirectorAlberto De MartinoStarsTelly SavalasAnne HeywoodOsvaldo RuggieriWhen a beautiful actress returns from a short trip to London, a mysterious man begins to stalk her. As she slowly turns the corner, she sees him and faints. Hours later she awakens, unable to recognize her own husband and friends.AKA 'The Killer... Is On The Telephone' - (3/10) - A rather dull mystery drama with only minor giallo undertones. While the main story has a certain potential at its core, the script unfortunately isn't able to approach it in an entertaining manner and never truly picks up. The amnesia of the female protagonist serving as the main plot device is presented in a very haphazard way, brings the inevitable expositionary dialogue dumps and aimless wandering around, and in the end it feels that it could have been discarded altogether in favor of some less convoluting and more enjoyable option. It's especially the first half that suffers from a very slow-pacing, but there's a lot of boring talking and a steady supply of over-stretched and sometimes really awkward melodramatic sequences all throughout the film. All the characters are extremely shallow and uninteresting and the cast is kinda bland too, with the only true exception being the fabulous Telly Savalas who unfortunately doesn't have all that much time on screen, and without him around everything immediately starts to drag. There are no real thrills involved, the action takes the backseat for the most part (except for some tepid shenanigans in the final act) and there are only few sporadic hints of direct bloodless violence and even less nudity, making this one of the tamest 70's additions to the genre. Although the cinematography is decent, it's quite uninspired and the overall direction lacks energy, but at least it tries to make the most out of its setting by presenting many beautiful outdoor locations in a historical Belgian town and nearby countryside. Featuring a woman scaring away a street jester with her confused looks.
- DirectorSergio MartinoStarsSuzy KendallTina AumontLuc MerendaA string of appalling lust murders shocks the University of Perugia as a sadistic serial killer strangles to death beautiful college girls with a red and black scarf.AKA 'Torso' - (5/10) - One of the most slasher-like gialli and an extremely mixed bag of the good, the bad and even the ugly. It has a solid set-up promising a fun action-packed ride and indeed, the first third is awesome and it includes one of the most impactful murder scenes of the whole genre taking place in a hazy swampy forest. Unfortunately, soon after the initial town setting changes to an isolated villa, the film stops dead in its tracks. The story starts to drag with heaps of filler (including pointless idling around and dull placeholder dialogues) and the action is limited mostly to results of off-screen killings. At one point the murderer basically turns into a professional cleaning lady for the rest of the runtime and very soon it becomes painfully evident that the script chose the wrong character (and actress) to serve as the film's dull and kinda annoying "final girl" leading the whole affair to a weird rushed happy-go-lucky ending. The cast is also very uneven, on one side is the beautiful Tina Aumont and sufficiently entertaining Luc Merenda, on the other stays quite lifeless Suzy Kendall and the ever so wooden John Richardson. At least the overall cinematographic approach stays quite lovely throughout in true Sergio Martino fashion with many nice touches included. Featuring a very awkward lesbian love scene between two obviously 100% straight girls.
- DirectorMaurizio PradeauxStarsRobert HoffmannNieves NavarroJorge MartínA photographer witnesses a murder through a telescope but can't identify the killer. She reports it to police, but other witnesses are found murdered. She may be the next target.AKA 'Death Carries A Cane', 'Dance Steps On A Razor's Edge' - (2/10) - A weak and extremely chaotic giallo with zero style of its own. It takes a lot of inspiration from early Dario Argento's thrillers, and although it succeeds in this regard as far as the overall disdain for the logic of its plot goes, it massively fails at its visuals presentation. The whole cinematography is lacking, many shots are either unstable or out-of-focus (or both at once) and things are not made better by some weird edits and instances of the camera haphazardly spinning around in a feeble attempt at doing something quirky. The story is an awfully scripted convoluted mess infested by absurd red herrings, boring dialogues and absolutely stupid pointless (and apparently "comedic") moments like when a woman needs to audibly excuse herself from the shot for a couple of seconds to go take a leak (twice in a row in a matter of 2 subsequent scenes, with absolutely nothing happening to her or the other characters while she's gone). The little violence there is comes off as a huge letdown, but there is decent amount of nudity (although its often presented through not terribly well-executed erotic sequences and one awkawardly stiff lesbian moment). Beside the inclusion of Nieves Navarro there's a couple of other genre mainstays in the supporting cast and although absolutely no one is on top of their game, they're capable of keeping this wreck afloat and at least slightly watchable. All the characters are exceptionally shallow and often indistinguishable from one another, which especially goes for the dual role of twin sisters (because not even the fact that one of them wears glasses stays consistant). The final nail in the coffin is the absurd reveal that the killer is apparently faking a (for a killer very impractical) physical disability even when alone with each of the soon-to-be-murdered individuals. Featuring a poor life-size rag doll that first gets repeatedly stabbed with a switchblade by one of the suspects and later slapped in the face by a police inspector.
- DirectorMario ImperoliStarsSilvano TranquilliAntonella MurgiaPeter Lee LawrenceThe story of a nymphomaniac model with a somewhat older businessman husband. Although he is aware of his wife's many, many infidelities, it is unclear for a LONG time whether he is actually jealous of them or turned onAKA 'My Wife, A Body To Love' - (2/10) - A bland and boring melodrama with barely noticeable giallo elements. The overall production value is very cheap and the budget limitations and lack of needed skill are apparent in every regard. The extremely weak script combined with a mediocre at best (and often very static) cinematography makes everything feel twice as long than it is as majority of the scenes are just people sitting or standing in one place and reciting clunky long-winded dialogues about their relationship problems to one of many unremarkable Giorgio Gaslini soundtracks playing in the background. Although the plot revolves around a supposed nymphomaniac, appart from some brief nudity here and there and a couple of "erotic" sequences (seemingly shot by a completely drunk cameraman) the film feels very tame, and because there isn't .... violence or any action is absent..... While the small cast of actors is good enough for what is asked of them, the characters are uninteresting empty shells and their interactions sometimes feel very stiff and ... Featuring ....
- DirectorAngelo PannacciòStarsSusanna LeviJessica DublinSergio FerreroIn a secluded mansion, the Hilton patriarch dies, leaving several nieces and nephews. Soon, one of the heirs is murdered by a strange killer, under the instructions of a mysterious woman who seeks the demise of the Hilton family line.AKA 'Sex Of The Witch' - (1/10) - An extremely dull half-giallo. What starts as another overplayed "too many heirs in one household" scenario quickly transforms into a nonsensical and immensely boring mess with some sudden and utterly stupid supernatural shenanigans towards the end. The whole presentation is wonky, the direction is uninspired and most of the footage is shot with a shaky hand-held camera with many bad jump-cuts and overall choppy editing on top. The pacing is all over the place, there are heaps of pointless shots of people just waiting, sitting around or walking from point A to point B and one overstretched irrelevant scene (with a sepia visual effect) depicting a very tame orgy accompanied by a generic psychedelic rock song. The characters blend into each other, the acting is quite bad and the only redeeming quality is the inclusion of several pretty ladies (including young Camille Keaton). The violence is mostly disregarded in favor of nudity and several awkwardly staged and badly filmed erotic scenes, so the whole murder-mystery comes off just as a weird sub-plot centered around a clueless detective who's haphazard investigation is pushed forward only by lazy screenwriting (like when a vital clue is discovered only after a convenient suggestion of someone who "saw it in a dream last night"). Featuring a woman disturbing a goldfish by sticking fingers in an aquarium while having sex.