Giallo Locandine

Giallo Locandine - The Annex

2012-01-07T12:26:00.004+01:00

Ok, that's it for the moment. I've posted all the giallo locandine that are in my collection at the moment. Hopefully I'll be able to post some updates here eventually when I find a few of the posters I'm still missing, but until then, here's a few updates to previous posts. I've updated Don't Torture a Duckling locandina with picture of my recent acquisition and I've also posted the third (!) versions of the posters for both Giallo Napoletano and Malocchio/Erocitofolia.

Even though I won't be posting here for a while, I've decided to start posting some of the locandine that don't fit into the Giallo category. Since I'd like to keep this site all about giallo, I'll post these at Giallo Locandine - The Annex. It will be mainly crime locandine, but a few horror and other cult posters as well. As with this blog, don't expect any in-depth reviews, it'll mainly be a chance to appreciate the artwork on these wonderful posters. So please bookmark Giallo Locandine - The Annex and hopefully I'll have the first post up sometime next week. Hopefully I'll see you there!

/Peter

Giorni d’amore sul filo di una lama (Love and Death on the Edge of a Razor)

2012-01-07T11:41:00.001+01:00

The poster for Giorni d’amore sul filo di una lama looks promising enough, but unfortunately Guiseppe Pellegrini's 1973 giallo fails to deliver any kind of thrills. You get amateurishly staged fights, uninspired gunplay and a bad guy who constantly refers to himself in third person. Sadly you don't care about any characters and there's no suspense to speak of, so there really is very little reason to sit through this film unless you're a giallo completist.

No info on who's responsible for the wonderful poster.

Nightmare Beach (Welcome to Spring Break)

2012-01-02T11:34:00.001+01:00

Spring Break, wet t-shirts contests and biker gangs is not something you'd normally associate with a giallo. Umberto Lenzi's Nightmare Beach really has far more in common with your average American 80's slasher than any giallo. But John Saxon is always worth watching though and you do have to admire the ingenuity of a killer builds an electric chair at the back of his bike. Poster art is by the always dependable Renato Casaro.

Senza Pudore (A Rather Complicated Girl)

2011-12-18T10:57:00.004+01:00

Better known as Una Ragazza piuttosto complicata, Damiano Damiani's 1968 thriller stars Cathrine Spaak, Jean Sorel and Florinda Bolkan. Unfortunately I haven't been able to find a subbed copy, but considering the cast and the fact that it's a Damiani film I'd really like to see it at some point.

No info on the poster artist . There's also a locandina with the Una Ragazza piuttosto complicata title available to have been able to find yet.

La Moglie giovane (Savage City)

2011-11-19T00:01:00.001+01:00

The Mya dvd of this Maria Mell starring thriller is finally out under the title Death Will Have Your Eyes. The dvd certainly isn't anything to write home about (it basically looks like a pretty poor VHS copy) and while the film is more like a jet-set/home invasion type thriller than your typical giallo, I'd say it's worth a look. No info on who's responsible poster art.

Pathos - segreta inquietudine (Obsession: A Taste for Fear)

2011-11-12T11:50:00.003+01:00

Piccio Raffanini's erotic thriller is something as odd as a futuristic giallo. Obviously the budget restraints stops it from going all Blade Runner on us, but it does feature a few "futuristic" cars and ray guns. It basically looks like an 80's rock video, complete with dancing dwarves, Kid Creole and more nudity more than you can shake a stick at.

It's not a good film by any stretch of the imagination, but I have to say that it's quite entertaining and I wouldn't mind a dvd at some point.

The poster, with artwork by Sciotti, took me quite some time to find but here it is, in all it's 80's glory.

Delitto d'autore (The Author's Crime)

2011-10-28T11:35:00.003+02:00

Although I've had the film for a while now, it wasn't until recently that I had the chance to check out Mario Sabatini's fairly rare giallo. Unfortunately (but perhaps not unsurprisingly) it wasn't the lost gem I had hoped for. Generic and instantly forgettable, the film featured to some locations that could (and probably would) have been used to better effect in the hands of a more competent director than Sabatini. Not even the presence of Sylva Koscina, Pier Paolo Capponi, Luigi Pistilli and Krista Nell can save this below average giallo.

No info on who's responsible for the poster art, but you got to love that amateurishly added underwear.

Delitto al Circolo del Tennis (The Rage Within)

2011-10-20T11:59:00.001+02:00

A quick look at Franco Rossetti's imdb page shows that he's got writing credits on films like Django, Texas Adios and Zabriskie Point, but his directing career seems fairly unremarkable and after seeing this it's easy to see why. Delitto al Circolo del Tennis doesn't really make me want to seek out any of his other films. The weak plot revolves around a blackmailing scheme and I found it quite plodding and lacking any suspense. The sole redeeming feature is the look of the film (which is unsurprising considering it's shot by Vittorio Storaro), but not even that is enough to save it. I'm quite fond of the poster art by Ciriello though.

Il Mostro (The Fiend)

2011-10-12T11:50:00.000+02:00

Luigi Zampa's 1977 giallo/drama doesn't have the most inspiring poster art, but I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised when I finally got a chance to see with fansubs last month. The story centers around a newspaper reporter who receives a letter from a killer and starts exploiting the fact to his own advantage. The traditional giallo elements aren't kept to a minimum, but the direction is competently handled and the ending is really quite powerful.

I Vizi morbosi di una governante (Crazy Desires of a Murderer)

2011-10-07T10:50:00.000+02:00

There’s little about this Filippo Walter Ratti directed giallo to make me recommend it. Since the film is set in a castle, there are a few scenes with a somewhat gothic touch to them that I liked, but it’s a slow moving story filled with uninteresting characters and a minimal amount of suspense. There’s an eyeball removal scene and a fair amount of nudity to liven the proceedings but that doesn’t compensate for the fact that is a rather lacklustre effort.

The poster has been quite difficult to find, but when I finally came across it, I ended up with two copies within a week. Artwork by Crovato

La Sindrome di Stendhal (The Stendhal Syndrome)

2011-10-01T10:57:00.007+02:00

I first saw La Sindrome di Stendhal at the Stockholm Film Festival in 1996. Dario Argento was in attendance and I remember feeling underwhelmed by it at the time. I had seen Trauma at the same festival a couple of years earlier and while I wasn't particullary impressed by Argento's 1994 film, this was even further away from classic Argento territory. This was of course long before the likes of The Third Mother and Giallo, so while I've grown to appreciate it since that first viewing, it's still fairly low on my list of my favourite Argento films.

It took my surprisingly long to find this locandina. You'd think the poster for a relatively recent film like this would be easy to find, but it seems quite rare and I've only seen it for sale a couple of times. I was lucky enough to get my hands on this Immagine & Strategia designed poster in september.

It's been a while...

2011-09-28T23:44:00.015+02:00

In fact, it's been nearly 18 months since I last posted anything. I haven't spent that much time looking for new posters, but in the last couple of months I've managed to get my hands on few that have eluded me in the past, so I thought I'd post them over the next few weeks.

The list of my "doubles" in the post below has been updated and the ones listed there are still available to buy or trade if anyone is interested.

Can't leave you without new artwork, so here's an updated post of Alfredo Rizzo's La Sanguisaga conduce la danza il marchio di Satan where I've added the fantastic looking alternate poster.

Bye for now!

2010-03-27T13:47:00.009+01:00

Ok, that's it for now. I've posted all the giallo locandine in my collection. There are still quite a few posters I'm looking for, so hopefully I'll back to add some new posters once in a while. Big thanks to those of you who have checked the blog regularly and those of you who have posted comments!

I've still got a few doubles laying around, so if you're interested in any of the posters below just send me an email. I'll either sell them (prices from about 15€ and up) or possibly trade them for giallo locandine that I haven't got. Most of the posters below are the ones that have been posted on the blog, but I'm happy to send more info on the individual posters.

Spasmo

The Card Player

Mystere

The Iguana with a Tounge of Fire

Hatchet for the Honeymoon

Opera

The Weapon, the Hour & the Motive

Double Face

Deep Red

Deliria (Stagefright)

2010-03-23T11:09:00.000+01:00

I've never really considered Michele Soavi's debut a gialli, but since it's featured in Luther Smith's Blood and Black Lace I've decided to include here. Ostensibly a slasher since there's no mystery or any doubt as to who the killer is and basically the whole cast is just waiting to be picked off one by one. Of course, this doesn't stop Deliria from being one of the more entertaining genre entries from the 80's. Poster art by Sciotti

AAA Massaggiatrice bella presenza ofresi... (A.A.A. Masseus, Good-Looking, offers her services...)

2010-03-19T11:48:00.001+01:00

Demofilo Fidani's AAA Massaggiatrice bella presenza ofresi... is yet another one of those rare gialli that I never thought I'd get a chance to see, but late last year a fantastic looking print surfaced on one of the torrent trackers. The film isn't great. It's a bit too talkative and slow moving, but there are a few suspenseful sequences and it features a great soundtrack by Lallo Gori. Poster art by Pivano

Caramelle da uno sconosciuto (Sweets for a Stranger)

2010-03-15T11:58:00.008+01:00

Franco Ferrini's Caramelle da uno sconosciuto is yet another film I haven't had a chance to watch yet. I've got a subbed copy, but considering it's a late 80's giallo that even the most favorable reviews call mediocre, it's nowhere near the top of my "to watch" pile at the moment.

Istantanea per un delitto

2010-03-09T11:09:00.004+01:00

That Michelangelo Antonioni's Blow-Up influenced Argento's Profondo Rosso is fairly common knowledge, but it seems like it's not the only one of the maestro's films that influenced a giallo. After watching Mario Imperoli's Isantanea per un delitto it seems like the director looked towards Antonioni's L'Aventura for inspiration. Needless to say the result isn't anywhere as brilliant as Profondo Rosso. Istantanea is a pedestrian giallo. I'm glad I got a chance to see it with subs, but really unless you're on a mission to see every giallo ever made, you can easily give this one a miss. Poster art by P. Franco.

Crimine a due (Crime for Two)

2010-03-05T11:44:00.005+01:00

Romano Ferrara's Crimine a due is another rarity that I've only recently managed to get my hands on, so I can't say much about this 1964 thriller, but the poster art is by Piovano.

Fotogrammi mortali (Fatal Frames)

2010-02-28T09:25:00.000+01:00

I know there are lots of people that love Al Festa's Fatal Frames and consider it something a "cheese classic", but I find it mindnumbingly boring and really hard to sit through. Considering it's a quite recent film, I'm bit surprised how difficult it's been to track down the locandina. No info on the poster artist.

Diabolicamente sole con il delitto (A Treason Story: Carla and Nora)

2010-02-22T11:44:00.001+01:00

I watched José Antonio Nieves Conde's Diabolicamente sole con il delitto for the first time over Christmas and unlike many of the lesser known gialli I've been watching recently, it's fairly entertaining. Starring Marisa Mell, Stephen Boyd, Fernando Ray, Sylva Koscina and Simon Andreu, the film full of twists & turns and is reminiscent of the Lenzi's Baker/Sorel gialli made around the same time. No info on who's responsible for the poster art.

Doppio Delitto (Double Murder)

2010-02-17T11:38:00.001+01:00

I've only seen an unsubbed copy of Steno's Doppio Delitto and while it's never the best way to enjoy the film, I really liked Steno's 1977 giallo and would love to see it with subs one day. A lot of the enjoyment is of course due to a great performance by the always watchable Marcello Masteroianni. Soundtrack by Riz Ortolani (who would re-use at least one of the cues here in Cannibal Holocaust three years laster). No info on the poster artist.

Le Notti della Violenza (Call Girl 66)

2010-02-12T11:41:00.001+01:00

I've only got an unsubbed copy of Le Notti della Violenza, but I'm hoping subs might surface one of these days so I'm holding off watching it for now. Not sure how well you can see it in the photo, but the text in the tiny square in the poster says: "Ferma di tre mesi in censura per oscenità e pornografia "LE NOTTI DELLA VIOLENZA" ha finalmente ill permesso id proiettato in Italia ed all'estero". My Italian is limited, but I think it roughly translates as "Stopped for three months by the censors due to obscenity and violence, but finally allowed to be shown in Italy". No info on who's responsible for the pulpy looking poster art.

Femmine insaziabili (The Insatiables)

2010-02-08T23:40:00.001+01:00

This is one of the two poster available for Alberto De Martino's Femmine insaziabili. The one I've managed to find so far has the Gli insaziabili title (which imdb lists as a working title), but there's a Femmine Insaziabili one around as well.

The film itself is a quite decent thriller set i LA where Italian journalist Paolo Sartori (Robert Hoffman) tries to find his friend Giulio's murderer. I think I've expressed my dislike for Hoffman in earlier posts here, but he's actually ok in this. Joining him in the cast are Frank Wolff, Luciana Paluzzi and Romina Power and the film also features a fantastic swinging score by Bruno Nicolai.

La Morte scende leggera (Death Falls Lightly)

2010-02-03T11:41:00.000+01:00

More or less all of La Morte scende leggera is set an empty hotel where Giorgio Darica (Stelio Candelli) is hiding out with his girlfriend since finding his wife murdered and himself without an alibi. Soon the isolation starts to take its toll and Giorgio's mind slowly start to unravel. Or does it?

Even with almost all the action taking place in this one location and an obviously limited by a low budget, Leopoldo Savona manages to deliver a quite good thriller. Not a classic by any means, but I have to say I enjoyed a lot more than I thought I would. Poster art by Renato Casaro

La Lama nel corpo (The Murder Clinic)

2010-01-28T11:40:00.002+01:00

Set in England in the 1800's and featuring all the trappings of the period piece gialli (a doctor, a newcomer to the house and a horrible secret hidden in the attic). Elio Scardamaglia's La Lama nel corpo is utterly predictable and while it's safe to say I'm not a big fan of the gothic gialli, Murder Clinic remains one of the better entries of this small and not very appealing sub-genre. There are two different locandina avilable for this film but I've only managed to find one so far. Poster art by Enzo Nistri.

Camping del Terrore (Body Count)

2010-01-25T11:54:00.001+01:00

Ruggero Deodato's Camping del Terrore has very little in common with what most readers of this blog would consider a giallo. Set in the states and featuring an American teen cast being picked off one by one by what may or may not be an "old Indian Shaman", the film has far more in common with any American bodycount film of the 80's than with any golden age gialli. Although the film is a very average slasher, it's still quite nice to see Mimsy Farmer, David Hess, John Steiner and Ivan Rassimov in action. Poster art by Armando Testo.

Terza ipotesi su un caso di perfetta strategia criminale (Who Killed The Prosecutor and Why?)

2010-01-21T11:57:00.001+01:00

Terza ipotesi su un caso di perfetta strategia criminale is yet another giallo that's spent years in my "to-watch" pile and that I only recently got around to watching. Unfortunately it feels like a bit of a wasted opportunity. Mainly because the script is fairly decent and I would love to have seen what a director like for example Duccio Tessari would have been able to do with it. Giuseppe Varis direction is workmanlike, but the film lacks any visual flair and the films low-budget origins clearly shows. Worth checking out if you can get your hands on it, but not as good as I think it could have been. No info on the poster artist.

Le Tue mani sul mio corpo (Shocking)

2010-01-18T11:54:00.001+01:00

The English title of Brunello Rondi's Le Tue mani sul mio corpo is Shocking, but as a description of the film that title is pretty far off the mark. It sounds pretty good when you look at credits, it features a script by Luciano Martino & Mino Loy, a soundtrack by Giorgio Gaslini, it stars Lino Capolicchio and even Sergio Martino pops up a "Organizzatore generale". With a line-up like that you'd be forgiven for thinking you're in good hands, but unfortunately the giallo links are tenuous at best and the film really is more of a character study than a thriller. There are a few interesting visuals on display here and there but on the whole it's a far too slow moving to be of interest to most genre fans. No info on the poster art.

Perversione (Diary of an Erotic Murderess)

2010-01-14T11:33:00.001+01:00

Manuel Mur Oti's Perversione or La Encadenada from 1975 is a fairly uninspired affair. Marisa Mell plays Gina who is hired by Alexander (Richard Conte) to look after his mute and disturbed son Mark. Unsurprisingly both men fall for her. Add the Holy Grail (!) and Anthony Steffen as Gina's ex-husband to the mixand you just know it's gonna end in tears.
The English language version of the film that I've seen appears to be trimmed (mainly for nudity), but I doubt an uncut version of the film would alter my thoughts of it. You can easliy give it a miss if you're not a rabid Marisa Mell fan.
Poster art by Renato Casaro

Assassino senza volto (Killer Without a Face)

2010-01-11T11:50:00.001+01:00

The only copy of Assassino Senza volto I've managed to find is a low quality avi without subs, so I can't really tell you too much about the plot of the film. What I can tell you is that it's set in the Balsorano Castle (Check out this interesting post about the castle on the euro fever if you want to find out more). Considering the gothic castle setting and the fact that it's shot in black and white makes it feel slightly dated. Especially when you consider that a visual tour de force like Blood and Black Lace was shot a four years prior to this. The poster art by Studio Paradiso has got a pulpy kind of feel to it, but the film itself certainly feels more like a gothic horror than a 1968 giallo.

7, Hyden Park: la casa maledetta (Formula for a Murder)

2010-01-06T11:55:00.000+01:00

To me, Alberto De Martino 80's gialli (this and Blood Link) are far better than the ones he directed in the 70's (The Man with Icy Eyes & The Killer Is on the Phone). 7, Hyden Park: la casa maledetta suffers a bit from the very 80's look and one of the worst synth scores ever (composed by the normally reliable Francesco De Masi), but apart from that it's a decent thriller with some interesting plot twists. The airbrushed artwork by Symeoni is a dead give-away to its 80's origins.

Ciak, si muore

2010-01-01T13:52:00.001+01:00

I've had an unsubbed Italian language copy of Ciak, si muore laying around for years, but it wasn't until recently when I managed to get my hands on an subbed copy that I decided to watch Mario Moroni 1974 thriller. Can't say it was worth the wait. Filled with scenes that seem to go on forever, poorly shot murders and no suspense adds up to a fairly flawed thriller.
The locandina is a bit unusual. It's slightly oversized compared to your standard locandina which explains why I'm not keeping it in a "foglie" like all the other posters. Poster art by G. Calma.

Back again

2009-12-27T13:49:00.010+01:00

I know that it's been a loooong time since the last update, but I've finally got my act together. I've posted the majority of my collection over these last couple of years, but I've still got a few locandine left. I'll post a couple each week over the next couple of months. For those of you who feel a bit sceptical, not all that suprising considering I promised to be back in august in the last post, there's no need. I've sorted out all the photos and written the majority of the posts already.

Quick round-up of giallo related news since the last update:

Fin de Siecle has finally released their great looking DVD of Romolo Guerrieri's Il Dolce corpo di Deborah. Make sure you support them and buy it. You can order it here (and make sure you pick up the soundtrack for Omicidio per Vocazione while you're at it)

My favourite release of 2009 however is Shameless release of Footprints that was mentioned in the previous post. The DVD turned out just as great as I hoped and I'm very pleased to finally have this excellent film on DVD. Make sure you pick this one up as well.

One that has been releases before but that I've supplied scans for is Neo Publishing's Lo Strano vizio della Signora Wardh DVD. I've also supplied scans for a few other upcoming releases (but since I'm not sure if the scans will be used or not I'll hold off mentioning them for now)

Hopefully we'll see more great giallo relases in 2010! There are still quite a few great titles that haven't been released on DVD anywhere yet.

I'm getting rid of some of my doubles that I've got laying around, so if you're interested in any of the posters below just send me an email. I'll either sell them (prices from about 15€ and up) or possibly trade them for giallo locandine that I haven't got. Most of the posters below are the ones that have been posted on the blog, but I'm happy to send more on the individual posters.

The posters up for sale are:

Spasmo
Shadow of Death
The Card Player
Mystere
Knife of Ice
In the Eye of the Hurricane
The Iguana with a Tounge of Fire
Hatchet for the Honeymoon
Opera
Naked Girl Killed in the Park
The Weapon, the Hour & the Motive
Double Face

Deep Red
Updated 100130: Added Deep Red locandina

Ok, that's it for now. I'll have the next locandina up by New Years Day!

Have a great summer!

2009-07-01T20:31:00.004+02:00

Like last year I'm not going to post anything during summer, so this will be the last post for a while. I'll start posting sometime in august again. Thanks to everybody who's visited the blog during and even bigger thanks to those who have posted comments or linked the blog.

I'll leave you with the cover for the upcoming Shamless release of Le Orme/Footprints for which I've supplied the artwork. It looks like this will be the definitive version of this fantastic film. Both Italian and English audio, trailer and alternate opening titles. Make sure your copy from Amazon.

Have a great summer and hope to see you back here in August!

Chi l'ha vista morire (Who Saw Her Die?)

2009-06-26T11:47:00.000+02:00

Chi l'ha vista morire is one of my favourite gialli. Excellent performances by the cast (both George Lazenby and Anita Strindberg deliver career best perfomances here), great soundtrack by Morricone and the Venice locations are beautifully shot by Franco Di Giacomo (Four Flies on Grey Velvet). Poster art by Enzo Nistri.

Giallo Napoletano (Atrocious Tales of Love and Death)

2009-06-24T11:57:00.003+02:00

The three posters for Sergio Corbucci's Giallo Napoletano. The top poster and the title are a bit misleading since the film is more a comedy with thriller elements rather than a giallo. The last and third one even includes a picture of Hitchcock to push the the thriller aspect of the film.

I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by it the first time I saw it though. Marcello Mastroianni is great as the hapless mandonlin player Raffaele drawn in to a murder mystery. No info on the poster artists.

Il Diavolo nel cervello (Devil in the Brain)

2009-06-22T11:25:00.001+02:00

Sergio Sollima is best known for his excellent westerns and poliziotteschi, but Il Diavolo nel cervello is a great murder mystery that unfolds in a series of flashbacks. It also features one of Morricone's most beaautiful scores. No info on the poster artist.

Malocchio (Evil Eye)

2009-06-17T11:54:00.005+02:00

Mario Siciliano's Malocchio (or Eroticfollia as it is also known) is a unusual mix of giallo and supernatural horror. I love a good hallucination/nightmare sequence and since this starts off with one I got my hopes up the first time I watched it. Unfortunately the mix of genres isn't entierly successful and the end result turns out to be a fairly average. Pretty cool score by Stelvio Ciprianni though.
No info on who did the top poster. The one blow is by Ferrari (Studio Paradiso)

The last and third certainly pushed the erotic angle the furthest. I don't really have a clue as to which order the came, but my guess would be the third one is a fairly desperate attempt to sell the erotic angle after the frist two failed to make a dent at the box office. Again, this is purely speculation.

Giochi erotici di una famiglia perbene (Thrilling Story)

2009-06-15T11:16:00.000+02:00

Giochi erotici di una famiglia perbene is yet another one I haven't seen but considering the story and screenplay is by Renato Polselli and it stars Erika Blanc, I'm sure it's must see.

La Donna del lago (The Lady of the Lake)

2009-06-12T11:53:00.000+02:00

I was fortunate enough to get my hands on a fansubbed copy of Luigi Bazzoni and Franco Rosselini's La Donna del lago a couple of years ago and like ...a tutte le auto della polizia, La Donna del lago is one of those hidden gems that you wish you'd seen sooner. It's not your typical giallo, but this black and white 1965 murder mystery is well worth seeking out if you're a fan of Bazzoni's other work.

La Sanguisaga conduce la danza il marchio di Satana (Bloodsucker Leads the Dance)

2009-06-10T11:12:00.002+02:00

You hardly expect a film set in a castle on Ireland in 1902 to be a giallo, but that's the setting for Alfredo Rizzo's La Sanguisaga conduce la danza il marchio di Satana. It's a very poor genre entry though. Rizzo tries to keep the audience intrest up by serving up plenty of nudity, but not even that can save the film. It'

s a very poor script, the direction is flat and the first half of the film is excruciatingly slow. Just about the only good thing about it is the poster art. I've got two alternate posters. Unfortunately I'm not able to make out the signature on the top one and on the bottom one there's no info on the poster artist.

Una Tomba aperta... una bara vuota (An Open Tomb...an Empty Coffin)

2009-06-08T11:41:00.001+02:00

It's only recently that I've managed to come across a fansubbed copy of Alfonso Balcázar's Una Tomba aperta... una bara vuota and I haven't had a chance to watch it yet, so I can't really comment on the film. Great posters by Renato Casaro though.

Mania

2009-06-05T11:38:00.000+02:00

Renato Polselli's Mania might be impossible to find, but as you can see the poster is around. For those who don't know, Renato Polselli 1973 giallo is like the Holy Grail of the Giallo genre. In the years that I've been trading I've never come across anybody that has claimed to have seen it. No info on the poster artist.

La Bambola di Satana (Satan’s Doll)

2009-06-03T11:43:00.001+02:00

Ferruccio Casapinta's La Bambola di Satana is another gialli that I haven't seen, but the poster art (no info on the artist) certainly looks good.

Solamente Nero (The Blood Stained Shadow)

2009-06-01T11:45:00.000+02:00

The two alternatie posters for Antonio Bido's Solamente Nero proved quite tricky to track down for me, but I finally managed to find both of them. I'm fond of the top poster (by L. Crovato) which I find quite striking and atmospheric. The bottom poster by Studio TEF on the other hand is more in line with their frankly rubbish posters for Bido's Il Gatto dagli occhi di giada.

2009-05-22T13:21:00.011+02:00

And yet another post where I start off by excusing the lack of updates recently! This time it's not due to any slacking on my part though. It solely due to the incompetence of UPS. They've done their best to keep an order of a folder, 25 foglie and posters away from me by sending sending the package back to Italy without givning me a chance to accept it. And on top of that, they refused to correct their mistake. It's taken a while to get that sorted, but package is finally here. The camera battery is charged and I'm getting ready to photograph about 20 posters or so. I'll have the first proper post up in a day or two. Anyway, moving on...

Some other giallo related news while I'm at it. I've provided scans that will be used for the upcoming releases of Arrow Video's Masters of Giallo series for the Sleepless and The House by the Cemetery releases. The DVDs will be released on June 29th and the artwork will be used for the reverse covers. You can check the covers out in this thread at Lovelockandload.

I'm also very happy to have been able to provide a scan of the Footprints locandina for the upcoming Shameless release. I think Footprints is a fantastic film and even though it's in a very, very small way, I'm immensely proud to have been able to contribute to this release. I urge everybody who hasn't seen this extraordinary and hauntingly beautiful film to pick it up when it's released in July. Kudos to Shameless for releasing this!

Code Red are releasing Weekend Murders on July 28th. Anamorphic widescreen (2.35:1) and surprisingly good extras as well. An audio commentary with star Peter Baldwin, Scott Spiegel and Lee Christian, an interview with Baldwin, a still gallery and the original trailer

And finally, another must have release is The Sweet Body of Deborah that Fin de Siècle have announced that they'll be releasing later on this year (along with Margheriti's Killers are challanged and Lenzi's Daughter of the Jungle)

So there's some good stuff coming our way later this year (along with the ones on the list posted at Mirek Lipinski's Mya blog).

So a lot of good releases on the way, but still a few essential ones missing. When are we going to see English friendly releases of the rest of Lenzi and Tessari's gialli? And La Controfigura, La Volpe dalla coda di velluto...?

I'll have the first new locandine up by monday. While waiting for it, make sure you check one of the great mixes avilable from the newly started Sonny & Girly blog.

Sette orchidee macchiate di rosso (Seven Blood-Stained Orchids)

2009-05-01T16:21:00.001+02:00

I took me a while to get my hands on it, but the locandina for Umberto Lenzi's Sette orchidee macchiate di rosso completes my collection of posters from the directors fantastic 60's & 70's gialli. Poster art by Renato Casaro.

Il Tuo dolce corpo da uccidere

2009-04-29T11:53:00.002+02:00

The fact that my DVD-R of Alfonso Brescia's Il Tuo Dolce Corpo da Uccidere is in Italian without any English langauge option is one of the reasons why I haven't watched it yet (the fact that it stars George Ardison is another).
There might be some hope for an English language friendly DVD release though. According to a recent post at the Mya DVD blog, the film is among the many upcoming titles from the company. There are some great gialli on that list and I sure hope at least a few of those releases will see the light of day.
Poster art by P. Franco.

Indagine su un delitto perfetto (Perfect Crime)

2009-04-27T11:48:00.003+02:00

Giuseppe Rosati's Indagine su un delitto perfetto is described as an "Agatha Christie-style whodunnit" in Adrian Luther Smith's Blood & Black Lace and that's a pretty apt description. You would have to be a novice to the genre not be able who the killer is early on, but the film features a star-studded cast (Gloria Guida, Adolfo Celi, Janet gren Joseph Cotton, Leonard Mann and Alida Valli) and I found it more enjoyable than expected.
Poster art by Piovani.

Suor Omicidi (Killer Nun)

2009-04-17T11:45:00.003+02:00

I doubt Anita Ekberg ever thought she'd would ever have to play a role that required her to roll around naked on a bed with a fellow nun after her breakthrough in Fellini's La Dolce Vita in 1960. And if she thought she was slumming it when she starred in La Morte bussa due volte 10 years earlier, I wonder what she made of her role as sister Gertrude in Giulio Berruti's Sour Omicidi?

No info on the poster art.

Gli Assassini sono nostri ospiti (The Killer Are Our Guests)

2009-04-15T11:42:00.001+02:00

Vincenzo Rigo's Gli Assassini sono nostri ospiti is somewhat similar to Castellari's Gli Occhi freddi della paura. The fact that it's not your typical giallo is reflected in the great looking artwork by Piovani which leans more towards poliziesco territory.

Interrabang

2009-04-13T11:36:00.002+02:00

Unfortunately I haven't had the chance to see Giuliano Biagetti's Interrabang yet, so I can't write much about the film. What I do know though is that it features a great lounge score by Berto Pisano. Poster art by Ferrini

L'Assassino è costretto ad uccidere ancora (The Dark Is Death's Friend)

2009-04-10T10:03:00.000+02:00

Luigi Cozzi's L'Assassino è costretto ad uccidere ancora is not your typical giallo. There's no amateur sleuth trying to solve the case, instead you know the killer from the very beginning. George Hilton is not given very much to do, instead most of the running time is dedicated to Laura (the very cute Christina Galbó from What Have They Done To Solange?) and Luca (Alessio Orano) being followed and stalked by the menacing Michel Antoine. Worth watching but I found this an average genre entry. The script feels like it’s stretched to its limits to make to 90 minute mark. The scenes with Michel Antoine works well though.
No info on the poster art.

Bestia uccide a sangue freddo (Slaughter Hotel)

2009-04-08T08:37:00.000+02:00

I'm a big fan of Di Leo's crime flicks, but I've never really been a fan of his only giallo La Bestia uccide a sangue freddo. I know it's got its fair share of fans (usually die-hard Rosalba Neri fans), but I find it crude and uninspired in a way that his superior poliziesco never were.
Poster art by P. Franco.

Omicidio per vocazione (Deadly Inheritance)

2009-04-06T11:48:00.004+02:00

The poster for Vittorio Sindoni's Omicidio per vocazione. It also known as L'Assassino ha le mani pulite and there's a alternate locandina with that title available (haven't been able to get my hands on it yet). The film itself is a fairly poor giallo that not even Femi Benussi can save from mediocrity. Poster art by Symeoni.

Gli Occhi freddi della paura (Cold Eyes of Fear)

2009-04-03T11:51:00.003+02:00

As far as I know Gli Occhi freddi della paura was Enzo G. Castellari's only foray in the giallo genre. I say giallo, but the film really seems to have been more inspired by films like William Wyler's The Desperate Hours than any of the other Italian thrillers on release at the time.

The locandina by Renato Casaro was quite tricky to find, but I finally managed to get my hands on it.

Il Giustiziere sfida la polizia (A Dragonfly for each corpse)

2009-04-01T11:47:00.001+02:00

I’ve always thought that A Dragonfly for each Corpse is a fantastic title, but the film is a very average genre entry. Like a lot of Naschy’s work, this leaves me fairly cold. I tend to find him quite wooden but he’s ok here and at least Erika Blanc is on hand to provide some well-needed glamour (and nudity) to the proceedings. The murder scenes are quite good, especially the first murder, but there’s an unintentionally hilarious scene where a suspect is trying to escape the police on a roller coaster. Giallo completist will want to seek this out but those with a fleeting interest in the genre are advised to pass on this one. Poster art by Aller.

Quel ficcanaso dell'Ispettore Lawrence (The Killer with a Thousand Eyes)

2009-03-30T11:50:00.001+02:00

As you can probably tell from the poster art, Juan Bosch's Quel ficcanaso dell'Ispettore Lawrence is a poliziesco/giallo hybrid. Unfortunately it's not a particularly successful one. Anthony Steffen (who also co-wrote the script) stars as a special agent sent to Lisabon to solve the murder of one of his collegues. There are a handful of murder scenes that could appeal the giallo fans, but overall the film focuses far more on police procedure and the poorly staged fight scenes. Like the poster art though, but unfortunately I've got no info on the artist.

2009-03-29T14:00:00.004+02:00

I'm back from my well deserved vacation and it's time to start posting some locandine again. Most of the posters I mentioned in my last post has arrived, but due to the incompetence of a certain international courier I'm still waiting for a few of them. Not to worry though, I've got enough unpublished ones to keep us going until they show up.

Before I get started posting else, I want to send a big thanks to Mirko from the excellent Marisa Mell Blog. Mirko has been kind enough to award Giallo Locandine with a Premio Dardo Award. I feel honored that somebody enjoy the blog enough to even consider it for the award. For those who aren't familiar with with the Premio Dardos, it's an award given by bloggers to blogs you appreciate. When you recieve the award, you pass it along to other bloggers that you appreciate. I hope to do this in the near future.
Make sure you check out Mirko's blog where you'll find all the info you ever need on Marisa. It's a must for those who enjoy her work and let's face it, is there anybody reading this that doesn't?

I'll leave you with the alternate poster for Harald Philipp's La Morte bussa due volte which has just been added to the original post.

2009-03-15T11:16:00.003+01:00

Sorry about the lack of updates lately! It's been more than a month since I last posted anything and I even managed to miss Giallo Locandines first anniversary during that time, so I thought I'd better post something to let you know that the blog isn't dead. I haven't been completely idle during this hiatus though. Over the last few weeks I've been fortunate to find quite a few posters that have been high up on my want list. In a couple of weeks or so the new posters should all have arrived and with any luck I've had time to photograph them, write some comments and start posting again. Hope to see you back here then.

To make sure there's at least something new to look at while you wait for the upcoming posters, I've posted the alternate poster for Ferdinando Baldi's Nove ospiti per un delitto/Un Urlo nella notte.

Sette note in nero (The Psychic/Murder to the Tune of the Seven Black Notes)

2009-02-13T11:58:00.001+01:00

1977's Sette note in nero was Fulci's first giallo after a 5 year hiatus from the genre. Quite different from his earlier classics A Lizard in a Woman's Skin and Don't Torture a Duckling, The Psychic is still an excellent thriller and it still keeps growing on me on subsequent viewings. No info on the poster art.

La Morte bussa due volte (Death Knocks Twice)

2009-02-11T11:48:00.002+01:00

The two locandine for Harald Philipp's 1969 thriller La Morte bussa due volte. Roger Moore lookalike Dean Reed plays a private detective who's hired by a wealthy businessman to find out who killed his young wife and among the suspects you'll find Adolfo Celi, Anita Ekberg and Fabio Testi. The film features a great Piero Umiliani score, but apart from that there's not much that makes the film stand out.

Le Foto di Gioia (Delirium)

2009-02-09T11:57:00.002+01:00

Le Foto di Gioia from 1987 really isn't one of Bava Jr's best. There are a few effective sequences in the film (the department store one springs to mind) but the gimmicky way are shown through the killers demented eyes isn't as great a Lamberto had hoped it would be and comes off a bit silly. Whoever designed the poster for Lamberto Bava's Le Foto di Gioia obviously made sure to prominently display as much as possible of Serena Grandi's ample talents.

Opera (Terror at the Opera)

2009-02-06T17:35:00.002+01:00

I love Renato Casaro's beautiful poster art for Dario Argento's Opera. I've been fascinated by the striking image of the the pins underneath the eyes ever since I saw it in an issue of Fangoria back in the 80's. Many consider the film Argento's last truly great giallo and unfortunately it was the last time time he'd opt for painted artwork for the poster.

On an Argento related side note I picked up Njuta Films Profondo Rosso DVD recently and found time to listen to Thomas Rostock's interesting and informative track commentary track last weekend. The commentary track alone makes the DVD worth package up, but add the fact that you get the international cut and restored opening and end titles and you got a must buy package.

Casa D'Appuntamento (French Sex Murders)

2009-02-04T11:43:00.001+01:00

Considering it features a fair amount of location footage in Paris and stars Barbara Bouchet, Rosalba Neri, Howard Vernon and Anita Ekberg, you'd be forgiven for thinking that Ferdinando Merighi's Casa D'Appuntamento would be a lavish production with no expenses spared. Sadly enough, that's not the case. Unfortunately it's one of the cheapest looking, most poorly shot and directed gialli around.

L'occhio dietro la parete (Eyes behind the wall)

2009-02-02T11:30:00.004+01:00

Giuliano Petrelli's L'occhio dietro la parete is something of euro cult version of the Rear Window theme. Fernando Ray is a wheelchair bound writer who spies on his tenant to find inspiration for his books. I don't want to spoil things for those who haven't seen it, but unsurprisingly Petrelli's film is a bit more sleazy and perverse than Hitchcock's film. Giuseppe Caruso's soundtrack sounds a bit like the De Angelis' A Blade in the Dark soundtrack. No info on the poster art.

Il Vuoto Intorno (Shadow of Death)

2009-01-30T11:47:00.001+01:00

Any seasoned giallo fan will have seen their fair share of convoluted plots, but the one in Il Vuoto Intorno where Denise (Teresa Gimpera) is planning to drive her husband John (Larry Ward) crazy by making him think that he's commited a murder with the help of his twin brother and her lover Peter must be one of the more improbable ones. That doesn't stop it from being a fairly entertaining film though. Don't know much about the release history of the film, but I'd guess the film didn't do too brilliantly at the boxoffice the first time around and that it was re-released under the L'Assassino fantasma title as seen below. Artwork by Renato Casaro.

Prostituzione (Red Light Girls)

2009-01-28T11:52:00.002+01:00

A bit of an oddity this one. Rino di Silvestro's Prostituzione is ostensibly a giallo following the investigation of the murder of Giselle, a young prostitute. But Di Silvestro seems to loose interest in the murder investigation and all of a sudden there's an unrelated motorcycle chase (seemingly straight out of a Stelvio Massi film) before he serves up a camp transvestite dance scene (that wouldn't been out of place in a Franco e Cicco film). All this and a bit of drama in roughly 70 minutes. Prostituzione is certainly not a great (or even good) giallo, but as a minor exploitation film, it's more entertaining film than I ever expected.

Ragazza tutta nuda assassinata nel parco (Naked Girl Killed in the Park)

2009-01-26T11:39:00.001+01:00

The naked girl in the title isn't found until past the midway point in the film, but I suppose it's a catchier title than the "Fully dressed old bloke killed in the Tunnel of Horrors" whose murder really is the film's central mystery. Alfonso Brescia's thriller stars the always wooden Robert Hoffman with support by Philippe Leroy, Adolfo Celi and Howard Ross.

Extrasensorial (Blood Link)

2009-01-23T11:28:00.001+01:00

I love Symeoni's beautiful artwork for Alberto De Martino's Extrasensorial. It will no doubt be be very familiar to the owners of Adrian Luther Smith's Blood & Black Lace (and I reckon that'll be quite a few of this blogs readers). While one doesn't necessarily expect too much from 1982 genre entry from Alberto De Martino, Blood Link is actually a very good film with an excellent performance by Michael Moriarty as the psychically linked twins Keith and Craig.

NonHoSonno (Sleepless)

2009-01-21T11:20:00.002+01:00

The poster art for NonHoSonno might be uninspired and poor, but the film was a return to form for Argento following the disappointing Phantom of the Opera. I know opinions on the film are somewhat divided, but I like it. Hopefully the upcoming Giallo starring Adrian Broady will be more along the lines of this, rather than the very, very disappointing Third Mother.

Il Sorriso della iena (Smile Before Death)

2009-01-19T11:47:00.001+01:00

I'm sure that Barbara Bouchet and Rosalba Neri's naked frolicking has ensured that Amuck will forever remain Silvio Amadio's most well known giallo. But to me, Il Sorriso della iena is the better film of the two. It's an underrated early giallo, full of twists and turns and featuring a great cast (Silvano Tranquilli, Rosalba Neri, Hiram Keller and last but certainly not least, Jenny Tamburi). It remains high up on my list of films I hope will surface on DVD one day. Great artwork by Renato Casaro.

La Morte negli occhi del gatto (Seven Deaths in the Cat's Eye)

2009-01-16T11:46:00.004+01:00

Antonio Margheriti's second giallo following 1968's Nude...si muore. A Scottish castle with secret passages and a gorilla called James aren't things one necessarily associates with a giallo and La Morte negli occhi del gatto really is a slightly curious mix between Margheriti's beloved gothic horror films and a traditional giallo. At least there's a razor wielding maniac around to liven up the proceedings. Poster art by Piero Iaia

La Polizia brancola nel buio

2009-01-14T11:53:00.001+01:00

I had given up on ever seeing La Polizia brancola nel buio, but thanks to the good folks at Cinemageddon I recently got the chance to see Helia Colombo's very, very rare giallo. It's a low budget affair, but considering how many times I've been let down by rare films that I never thought I was going to get to see, I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by this. Unfortunately I haven't been able to find out who's responsible for the poster artwork.

Un gatto nel cervello (Nightmare Concert, A Cat in the Brain)

2009-01-12T11:50:00.001+01:00

A guess hell finally froze over. It feels like we've been waiting for about a decade for the notoriously slow-moving Grindhouse to release the definitive version of Un Gatto nel cervello, but if nothing happens unexpected happens along the way Fulci's 1990 thriller should hit stores at the end of March. Considering Grindhouse seem to have picked up the pace lately, we might even get to see their release of Lenzi's The Though Ones before the end of the decade? Poster art by E. Sciotti

And we're back again...

2009-01-11T12:38:00.005+01:00

It seems a bit late, but Happy New Year to you all!
Sorry about the lack of updates during November and December. I've had a lot on at work during the last couple of months, but things are easing up a bit and I've finally had some time to photograph some posters and write a few comments. I'll try to post at least 2-3 posters per week during the next couple of months. I'll have the first new locandina post up by lunchtime tomorrow!

Managed to pick up a few new posters during the break. One of them was one of my most wanted posters, the alternate locandina for Mario Bava's 5 bambole per la luna d'agosto. Had to spend a few euros to get it, but it was certainly worth it.

Shameless ended up using the scan I submitted as the reverse sleeve on the Oasis of Fear DVD. Even managed to get a credit on the sleeve. Not sure if the scan for Strip Nude for Your Killer was used or not since I haven't got the DVD yet. If you've got the DVD, please let me know.

Pensione Paura

2008-11-21T11:59:00.004+01:00

Francesco Barilli's Pensione Paura was on my want list for the better part of a decade. When I finally got my hands on it, it was a 16x9 DVD with english subs. Yet another fantastic custom job by Oli at Profondo Blogger. The film itself wasn't quite as fantastic as I had hoped, but they rarely are when you built up your expectations for such a long time. Like Barilli's The Perfume of the lady in Black, I can see why some people would hesitate to call this a giallo, but it's an atmospheric thriller that's well worth seeking out.
Poster art by Piero Iaia.

Il Dolce corpo di Deborah (The Sweet Body of Deborah)

2008-11-19T11:45:00.003+01:00

You'd be forgiven for thinking that Romolo Guerrieri's Il Dolce corpo di Deborah (which stars Carroll Baker and Jean Sorel) was inspired by Umberto Lenzi's early thrillers, but it is in fact made in 1968, before both Così dolce... così perversa and Orgasmo.
Luigi Pistilli, George Hilton and Evelyn Stewart rounds out the cast and with a soundtrack by Nora Orlandi and story by Ernesto Gastaldi and Luciano Martino, you know that you're unlikely to be disappointed. It's not my favourite of Guerrieri though. That honor goes to La Controfigura. Poster art by Renato Casaro.

La Vittima designata (The Designated Victim)

2008-11-17T11:47:00.006+01:00

Maurizio Lucidi's La Vittima Designata has long deserved a wider audience. This excellent Strangers on a Train inspired giallo stars Tomas Milian and Pierre Clémenti who both deliver wonderful performances. Fortunately 2008 has given us not only one, but two DVD releases of this highly recommended title. Germany's New Entertainment released it earlier this year and only a couple of few weeks ago, Shameless Entertainment released it in the UK. Make sure you pick it up. It's avilable at a very low price (under £6 at the time of writing) from Amazon.co.uk.
Poster art by Rodolfo Gasparri.

Mystère (Daggers Eyes)

2008-11-14T11:44:00.001+01:00

Made a couple of years after Carole Bouquet's role as Melina Havelock in the Bond film For Your Eyes Only. In Mystère she stars a call girl that becomes the target of a professional hit man when she gets her hand on some negatives that show a politician's assassination. The film itself is more of a political thriller then giallo and it's not as good as Vanzina's more well known giallo, Nothing Underneath (just released on DVD by Njuta films)

Nove ospiti per un delitto/ Un Urlo nella notte (Nine Guests for a Crime)

2008-11-12T11:49:00.002+01:00

Ferdinando Baldi is primarily known for his westerns and as far as I know Nove ospiti per un delitto/Un Urlo nella notte is the only giallo he directed. Unfortunately I don't know anything about the films release history and the reasons for the alternate titles. The poster art above is by Morini and the one below by Piovano (Studio Paradiso).

Vita privata di un pubblico accusatore (Violent Blood Bath)

2008-11-10T11:34:00.001+01:00

Judge Oscar Bataille's (Fernando Rey) vacation with his young wife Patricia (Marisa Mell) is interrupted when someone starts copying murders where the killer was sentenced to death by Judge Bataille.
Since Vita privata di un pubblico accusatore is directed by Jorge (Let Sleeping Corpses Lie) Grau, I had fairly high hopes the first time I saw the film but unfortunately it's fairly uninspired and predictable. Not even the presence of the normally reliable Rey and Mell makes it rise above the average Spanish thriller. Poster art by L. Crovato.

L'Assassino ha riservato nove poltrone (The Killer Reserved Nine Seats)

2008-11-07T11:56:00.001+01:00

Set in an empty theater where the trapped guests are being picked off one by one, Giuseppe Bennati's L'Assassino ha riservato nove poltrone preceeded Michele Soavi's Stagefright by 13 years. Surprisingly enough the film has yet to receive a DVD release anywhere in the world. I assume it must be an issue with the rights, because I can imagine there are quite a few DVD companies that would be up for releasing this enjoyable supernatural giallo.

Gatti rossi in un labirionto di vetro (Eyeball)

2008-11-05T11:58:00.001+01:00

Umberto Lenzi directed some truly great gialli in the early 70's. In terms of style, 1974's Spasmo was quite a departure from his earlier films and Gatti rossi in un labirionto di vetro deviates even further from the earlier "jet-set" formula. And not in a good way, one might add. To me, this is Lenzi's least successful 1970's giallo and it's difficult to imagine that the man behind the great Paranoia and Il Coltello di ghiaccio is responsible for this mediocre thriller.
At least the dependable Renato Casaro comes through with a good looking poster.

La Casa Della Paura (The Girl in Room 2A)

2008-11-03T11:42:00.001+01:00

The beautiful Daniela Giordano (Bava's Four Times That Night) stars alongside Raf Vallone, Karin Schubert and Rosalba Neri (playing a social worker) in William L. Rose's La Casa Della Paura from 1973. It's a low budget affair with a poor script, dodgy special effects and a painfully inappropriate score, but I still find it a quite charming affair and it doesn't outstay its welcome at 82 minutes. The two alternate posters for the film are both by Aller.

Morte sospetta di una minorenne (Suspected Death of a Minor)

2008-10-10T11:59:00.002+02:00

Morte sospetta di una minorenne, Sergio Martino's last 1970's giallo, is a fairly interesting police procedural/giallo hybrid, but it contains some comic elements that I don't think sit very well with the rest of the film. It took me a few years before I managed to get my hands on a copy with English subs, but it's now available on a great looking DVD from Sazuma. Great poster art by Ciriello.

Il Rosso segno della follia (Hatchet for the Honeymoon)

2008-10-08T11:54:00.002+02:00

I'm currently making my way through Tim Lucas' fantastic Mario Bava All the Colors of the Dark

and while I'm reading the chapters I rewatch the corresponding film. Last weekend I got to Il Rosso segno della follia. I know the film has got it's fair share of detractors, but I really like it. I think the role of John Harrington suits Stephen Forsyth well and Dagmar Lassander looks a lovely as ever (even though she's not given that much to do). Make sure you pick up the R2 Koch DVD if you haven't already done so. It looks way better than the R1 Image DVD.

Poster art by Ercole Brini.

Sette cadaveri per Scotland Yard (Seven Murders for Scotland Yard)

2008-10-06T11:46:00.001+02:00

I think I've mentioned that I've got a soft spot for gialli set in London before, but Sette cadaveri per Scotland Yard isn't really one of them. José Luis Madrid's 1971 thriller is a less than stellar effort. The film is poorly paced, very predictable and the less said about Paul Naschy's limping trapeze artist protagonist, the better. Great poster art by Renato Casaro though.

Col cuore in gola (I Am What I Am)

2008-09-26T11:22:00.000+02:00

Cul cuore in gola was Tinto Brass first and only giallo. Unfortunately I haven't had the chance to see this, but considering it stars both Jean-Louis Trintignant and Ewa Aulin I'd certainly like to. At the moment there's an Italian DVD without any English options available, but according to rumors this will be released by Cult Epics during 2009. Let's hope so!

Omicidio per appuntamento (Date of a Murder)

2008-09-25T11:45:00.000+02:00

Mino Guerrini's Omicidio per appuntamento was co-scripted Fernando Di Leo. The film is something of a spy/giallo hybrid and has a very 60's feel to it. Even though George Ardission isn't one the more memorable giallo protagonists ever, I still find the film quite entertaining. The chemistry between the two male leads is good and there's a a great sequence on roof that features some dangerous looking stunt work.

Copkiller

2008-09-23T11:40:00.002+02:00

Like yesterday's poster, Copkiller is another film that I don't really consider a giallo. The first few minutes makes you think that it might be, but then there's a change of pace and the rest of the film is almost like a stage-play, set in a New York apartment overlooking Central Park. I'm not generally that keen on Italian films set in the States, but this is pretty good stuff with good performances by both Harvey Keitel and John "Johnyy Rotten" Lydon.

Autostop Rosso sangue (Hitch Hike)

2008-09-22T11:45:00.001+02:00

There are quite a few definitions of what constitutes a Giallo and every now and then you come across heated discussions on boards and forums if particular films should be counted as gialli or not. When I started this blog earlier this year, I decided that if the film is included in Adrian Luther Smith's Blood and Black Lace, it's ok to post the locandina here. There are a few films that I wouldn't classify as gialli that are included though. This and tomorrow's poster are two of them. Autostop Rosso sangue is a very good film, but to me it has far more in common with the "terror" genre (The House on the Edge of the Park, Night Train Nurders, Lonely Violent Beach) than the giallo genre. Great poster though, so I'm glad I get the chance to post it here.

Il Tuo vizio è una stanza chiusa e solo io ne ho la chiave (Your Vice is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key)

2008-09-12T10:47:00.001+02:00

I'll end the week with one of my favourite posters, the locandina for Sergio Martino's Il Tuo vizio è una stanza chiusa e solo io ne ho la chiave. A great film and a fantastic title. Unfortunately I haven't been able to find out who id the artwork, but it looks like he might possibly have found some inspiration in Edvard Munch's The Scream.

Misteria (Body Puzzle)

2008-09-11T11:59:00.000+02:00

Recently re-watched Misteria for the first time in a couple of years and this is one my favorites out of Lamberto's gialli. There are some excellent set-pieces to be found in a few of his other films, but on the whole this is a much more satisfying film for me. I know not everybody appreciates Joanna Pacula and Tomas Arana, but I think they work quite well together here.

Amore e Morte nel giardino degli dei

2008-09-09T11:47:00.001+02:00

The only reason I've got the locandina for Amore e Morte nel giardino degli dei is dumb luck. I'd won a lot of four locandine that included Lenzi's Un posto ideale per uccidere for 9 euro and was pretty pleased about winning that one. I was unfamiliar with this particular title and the imdb lists this as a drama/fantasy, so it wasn't until I was looking through Blood and Black Lace one day that I realized this was a giallo. Haven't seen the film so I can't really say anything other that Sauro Scavolini is the brother of Romano Scavolini of Nightmare fame.

Il Coltello di ghiaccio (Knife of Ice)

2008-09-08T11:39:00.002+02:00

Time for some posters from the golden era of the gialli after the 80's posters last week. Lenzi's Il Coltello di ghiaccio is one the best gialli of his career, but unfortunately it turned out to be the last of his collaborations with Carroll Baker. Although the Japanese DVD from Trash Mountain Video is quite decent, I'd love to see this get the full special edition treatment at some point. Great looking locandina from Studio Casaro.

Phenomena

2008-09-05T12:01:00.001+02:00

I watched Phenomena twice last month. I managed to catch it on the big screen (I was really excited about this, but slightly let down when it turned out it was a DVD, rather than film that was projected) and also picked the R2 Medusa DVD up. This edition contains the Integral version of the film (with English subs). Never watched the film in Italian before and it was a slightly strange experience to see the film without hearing Jennifer Connelly's and Donald Pleasance's voices. Unfortunately the misplaced heavy metal was still there though.
Great poster art by E. Sciotti

Arabella l'angelo nero (Angela, the Black Angel)

2008-09-04T11:04:00.001+02:00

Stelvio Massi might have been responsible for some great poliziesci (including the enjoyable Mark trilogy), but Arabella l'angelo nero really is a very poor giallo. Without a decent script and unable to create any kind of suspense, Massi goes all with the sleaze instead and any female character sheds her clothes within seconds of appearing on screen. Well, everybody apart from Evelyn Stewart. I always feel a bit sorry for her when I watch this. She'd been in films by Fellini and Visconti and she starred in handful of classic gialli titles, but by 1989 she was reduced to starring in this kind of shabby fare. No wonder this was one of her last films.

L'Assassino è ancora tra noi (The Killer is Still Among Us)

2008-09-03T10:57:00.001+02:00

L'Assassino è ancora tra noi is loosely based on the still unsolved murders by the Mostro di Firenze in the early 80's and is mostly known for the very brutal killings that bookends the film. With no English language version available, a lack of any greater set-pieces or suspense through the greater part of the film and shot in a dull looking tv-style, it's easy to understand why this hasn't received any praise by giallo fans. I'd only seen the Italian language print until recently when I had the chance to see the excellent fan dvd made by Oli at Profondo Blogger. It's still not a great giallo by any means, but the subtitles certainly increased my appreciation of the film.

Follia omicida (Murder Obsession)

2008-09-02T11:55:00.002+02:00

And people complain about The Iguana with the Tounge of Fire??!! I recently revisited Riccardo Freda's final giallo Follia Omicidia from 1981 and it's a very, very poor effort, even by 80's giallo standard. Overlong, convoluted and short of suspense, this film is a mess. Add a godawful synth soundtrack and some of the worst special effects you're likely to see and you're got yourself a film you're unlikely to want to revisit on a regular basis.