Lo Squartatore di New York (The New York Ripper)

And we finish off the week with another classic, the great looking locandina for Fulci's Lo Squartatore di New York. I've still got a few 80's posters left, so there might another week of 80's locandine later on in the year.

Soto il vestito niente 2 (Too Beatiful to Die)

I remember seeing an ad for Soto il vestito niente 2 in Video World back in the 80's and being really intrigued by the image of the model with the exotic looking knife. With rock video editing and excessive use of slow motion, this sequel in name only feels a bit dated, but still remains one of the better 80's gialli. 

Assassinio al cimitero etrusco (Scorpion with Two Tails)

The two alternate posters for Sergio Martino's 1982 gialli Assassinio al cimitero etrusco.
Both by E. Sciotti. The top one is my favourite of the two. On the bottom one it looks like Sciotti decided to recycle some of his ideas from The House by the Cemetery poster he did the year before.

Sotto il vestito niente (Nothing Underneath)

Here's the the poster for Carlo Vanzina's Sotto il vestito niente. It's been a good few years since I last saw the film, but I remember it as one of the better gialli from the 80's. Fans of the film might be interested to know that it's due to be released on DVD by Swedish DVD company Njuta Films in early june.

Moriai a mezzanotte (You'll Die at Midnight)

A general problem I have with gialli from the 80’s is that the actors generally come off as really poor substitutes for Edwige Fenech, George Hilton, Ivan Rassimov and others from the golden age of gialli. Lamberto Bava's Moriai a mezzanotte is no different. Neither the performances nor the characters are interesting enough to generate any real concern for them. There are some quite good set pieces (the murder in the theatre for example) but compared to Bava's own vicious A Blade in the Dark the violence on display seems quite restrained. Poster by E. Sciotti

La Morte è di moda (Fashion Crimes)

If yesterday's Tenebre post was the good, this is both the bad and the ugly. Like Tenebre, this stars Anthony Franciosa but there's where the similarities end. La Morte è di moda is an uninspired and predictable giallo and the airbrushed poster is one of of the poorer ones in my collection.

Tenebre

Let's start the week off with the best giallo of the 80's, Tenebre. One of my most watched gialli, but it doesn't matter how many times I watch it, I never tire of it. Really looking forward to the upcoming Anchor Bay special edition (which hopefully will be the definitive DVD version of the film). The poster has one of the most iconic images of Argento's posters. Unfortunately I haven't been able to identify the artist.

80's week

Time to say goodbye to the era of Fenech, Hilton and great Morricone soundtracks for a little while. Instead it'll be big hair, shoulder pads and bad heavy metal soundtracks for the next seven days. Starting tomorrow, it's 80's week on Giallo locandine.

Il Gatto dagli occhi di giada (Watch Me When I Kill)

Even though Antonio Bido's Il Gatto dagli occhi di giada has never been one of my favourite gialli, it's nowhere as bad as the locandina above though. Probably the worst looking out of all my 1970's posters. You've got to wonder what went through the head of the designer on this one. The bottom one is not a particularly inspired effort, but far better than the top one. 

5 donne per l'assassino (Five Women for the Killer)

I've only seen Stelvio Massi's 5 donne per l'assassino once. It was quite a few years back and it was dubbed in German, so I can really tell you too much about the film. The poster by L. Crovato is quite cool though. One of the few gialli posters to pay homage to the genre's paperback origin.

Il Profumo della signora in nero (The Perfume of the Lady in Black)

Although Il Profumo della signora in nero is missing a lot of the elements one normally would associate with the giallo genre, most people seem to categoriza it as one. Francesco Barilli's film really feels more like a character study along the lines of Repulsion than a out-and-out giallo. I think it's an excellent film and it seemed like Mimsy Farmer was born to play roles like this.

Un Bianco vestito per Marialè (Spirits of Death)

I've had Romano Scavolini's 1972 giallo Un Bianco vestito per Marialè in my collection for a long time but since it's in Italian, I never got around to watching it. It wasn't until recently that I managed to get a hold of some fansubbed copy of the film. Turns out it's a beautifully shot film with a good cast (Pistilli, Rassimov and Evelyn Stewart) and great soundtrack, but after waiting for such a long time, this predictable film felt like a bit of a let down. Poster art by Avelli.

La Morte non ha sesso (A Black Veil for Lisa)

Here's the poster for Massimo Dallamano's least discussed giallo La Morte non ha sesso from 1968. No teenage schoolgirls, sleaze or prostitution rings this time, as the film centered around Interpol Inspector Bulov (John Mills) and his obsession with the idea that his young wife Lisa (Luciana Paluzzi) is having an affair.
More of a twist based thriller, so there's no gloved killer creeping in the shadows. Mills jealous inspector isn't particularly likable character, but acting-wise he's great, and the interplay between him and Robert Hoffman is very good. Paluzzi does a good job as the seductive Lisa. No info on the poster artist.

A Doppia faccia (Double Face, Liz & Helen)

While Riccardo Freda's influence on Italian horror is undeniable, his work in the giallo field was far less influential. A Doppio Faccia from 1969 is Freda's the first and most successful attempt in the genre. Starring Klaus Kinski and Maggaret Lee, the film is similar to Fulci's Una Sull' Altra, which was made in the same year. Although slightly hampered by some poor miniature work and backprojected screens, A Doppio Faccia still remains an interesting thriller that keeps the viewer guessing.
I recently bought the Alfa Digital composite DVD and even though it's an improvement on the previous versions I've seen, the film deserves a proper release.

Lo Strano vizio della Signora Wardh (The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh)

Since I've been slacking a bit this week, I thought I'd make up for it by posting the two great looking alternate posters for Sergio Martino's Lo Strano vizio della Signora Wardh.
The first of the four (!) gialli Martino directed between 1971 and 1972. They were all produced by his brother Luciano Martino and featured screenplays by Ernesto Gastaldi. This excellent thriller starred the lovely Edwige Fenech, George Hilton, Ivan Rassomiv and Alberto de Mendoza. All of which would appear in different constellations in several of Martino's later films.

The top poster is made by G.Nistri and features a kaleidoscope view of Hilton that brings back memories of one of the films effective nightmare sequences. The beautiful poster below is from a re-release of the film in 1978. Unfortunately I haven't been able to find any info on who did the art-work.

La Dama rossa uccide sette volte (The Lady in Red Kills Seven Times)

I remember not being overly impressed by La Dama rossa uccide sette volte the first time I saw it, but like most people, I only had access to the atrocious looking greek copy of Emilio Miraglia's 1972 giallo . When the stunning looking No Shame DVD showed up, I revisited the film and the improved presentation made me reevaluate the film and I now find it a very enjoyable genre entry. Fabulous soundtrack by Bruno Nicolai and great-looking poster art by Manfredo.

Paranoia (A Quiet Place to Kill)

Time for some more Lenzi. These are the two alternate locandine for Paranoia from 1970. Since Lenzi's 1969 giallo debut Orgasmo had already been re-titled Paranoia by the American distributors, this had to be named A Quiet Place to Kill in English speaking territories. A great thriller with both Carroll Baker and Jean Sorel on top form and it remains one of my favourites of the Lenzi/Baker collaborations.
I haven't been able to find out who did the artwork for the top locandina (my favourite out of the two), but the bottom one is by Calma.

L'Assassino...è al telefono (The Killer is on the Phone)

De Martino was never one of the more exciting Italian directors and L'Assassino...è al telefono is another rather poor and lacklustre effort by him. The premise of the film isn’t fantastic, but might have worked in the hands of a better director. Anne Haywood is no Edwige Fenech and makes for a rather uninteresting damsel in distress. Savalas walks through all of his scenes and none of the menace that he managed to convey in Lisa & the Devil is present here.

Il Diavolo a sette facce (The Devil Has Seven Faces)

Considering Osvaldo Civirani's Il Diavolo a sette facce is starring two great genre actors (George Hilton and Carroll Baker), I had fairly high hopes the first time I watched it. Unfortunately the film is a fairly uninspired effort. The set-pieces are far and few between and you can see the ending coming from miles away. Not a total write-off, but certainly not the lost masterpiece by any means.
The top locandina is a bit unusual, since it's thinner than usual. The first time I saw it, I thought it'd been cropped by the seller, but I've seen it for sale several times since and it's always had the borders cropped. The bottom one is from the films rerelease in 1977. No info on the poster artist.

E Tanta paura (Plot of Fear)

Since Hoffman's children's story Der Struwwelpeter (or Shock Headed Peter) is central the the plot in Paolo Cavara's E Tanta paura, it's hardly surprising to find a few visual references to the book in the locandina. The artwork is by renowned comics artist Guido Crepax.
I assume the poster below is from a re-release. They've chosen to lose the Crepax art and push the giallo angle instead. 

Enigma rosso (Red Rings of Fear)

Since Enigma Rosso was recently released on dvd by NEW, I thought it'd be a good time to post the final installment in the "Schoolgirls in peril" trilogy. As previously mentioned, this was directed by Alberto Negrin since Dallamano unfortunately died in car accident in 1976. The film shares quite a few similarities to Solange; the private school setting, the affairs with a teacher and the girls gets spied on in the showers this time as well. Fabio Testi returns (although as an Inspector rather than a teacher this time) and the film also stars Nicoletta Elmi look-alike Fausta Avelli. Although not as good as Solange and Daughters, it still remains a very entertaining and above average giallo that won’t disappoint fans of the previous films. No info on the poster design.

La Coda dello scorpione (Case of the Scorpion's Tail)

Sergio Martino's La Coda dello scorpione has more or less everything you want from a good giallo. Clever twists and turns, the always dependable George Hilton, gorgeous women (Swedish stunner Anita Strindberg and the beautiful Evelyn Stewart), a killer with black gloves, a good Nicolai score and liberal J&B product placement. A favourite of mine ever since I first saw it.
Generally the posters design for Martino's gialli are quite striking, but it's hard to get too excited about this locandina.

La Notte che Evelyn uscì dalla tomba (The Night Evelyn Came of the Grave)

Even though I currently own three dvds of La Notte che Evelyn uscì dalla tomba, it's has never really been a favourite one of mine. The poster art by Symeoni is beautiful though.

Passi di danza su una lama di rasoio (Death Carries a Cane)

Passi di danza su una lama di rasoio is a minor, but still very enjoyable 1973 giallo by Maurizio Pradeaux. Susan Scott is no Edwige, but she’s always fun to watch. I was really excited when I managed to get my hands on this poster. I love the poster art by Piovano and it really feels like a quintessential giallo locandina.