giallo

Opera (REVIEW)

Submitted by Brett on Friday, Dec 21st 2012

Dario Argento's "Opera" tells the story of a young budding opera starlet who is being stalked by a killer that likes to tie her up and force her to watch him kill people by taping needles under her eyelids. The movie starts out with Betty, the young opera singer, landing her first big role as a lead in "Hamlet." The killer immediately begins to stalk her and murders a stagehand during her first performance, causing the crew to lament that the play is cursed, as they believe productions of "Hamlet" often are.

Sophisticult Cinema Episode 4: "Amer"

Submitted by Jon on Wednesday, Nov 23rd 2011

John and Jon dive headfirst into the French giallo homage "Amer."

Purchase this Back Episode $0.99

Giallo (REVIEW)

Submitted by Tor on Monday, Sep 12th 2011

Dario Argento has taken a lot of flack from fans who are awaiting the filmmakers’ return to the form that made him a defining force in the evolution of the horror film during the latter half of the 20th century. But has the form really ever changed or is Argento just taking his style into new technical and aesthetic realms in an effort to keep himself interested in the craft? His early works are hardly uniform even if similarities exist.

Retro Poster: "Don't Torture a Duckling" (1972)

Submitted by Carly on Friday, Aug 26th 2011

Lucio Fulci's "Don't Torture a Duckling" was one of those movies that I saw once in it's entirety about 10 years ago and promptly pushed to the back of my mind. I had the chance to revisit it recently on Netflix and enjoyed myself thoroughly. Although not as violent and gory as Fulci's other movies, the film plays out more as a mystery with a few horror elements mixed in for good measure. Most notably, a gruesome scene in which a woman is beaten with chains by an angry mob is often the topic a conversation when discussing the movie.

Horror Headlines: Friday January 21st, 2011

Submitted by Joe on Friday, Jan 21st 2011

Wait a second, there's a third Olsen twin?! Yes I know that doesn't make any sense but work with me here. Elizabeth Olsen stars in the new remake of "The Silent House", a movie I did not know existed let alone was being remade, but none of that matters now that we have a third Olsen twin. Rejoice!

There's a new "Scream 4" trailer! Get pumped people. The best part? I'm 99% sure it features the exact same clips that were in that Canadian trailer that made it's way to the tubes a few days back. Isn't that awesome?! Things I've seen before are fun to watch again!

Adrien Brody has been fighting to keep his film "Giallo", which is suppose to be a giant pile of doodie, from finding its way to DVD. Don't worry though the legal fun had nothing to do with the quality of the movie, Brody just wanted to make sure he was paid in full for his "acting skills". I like to use sarcasm quotes. Anyway the suit is settled and the flick will now find its way to DVD. Happy days!

Sacha Gervasi, the guy who made the kick ass documentary "Anvil! The Story of Anvil" is currently working on a new biopic of one Mr. Alfred Hitchcock. No the film will not be a documentary but I like to think that Gervasi isn't just a one trick pony. I for instance am good at both drinking beer and downloading illegal porn. Some people are just gifted.

In Real People News:

Fever, weakness, loss of initiative, headache, disordered speech, irritability, forgetfulness, frightening dreams and swollen lips and throat. These are all things a man know as Mr. A suffered from after he had an orgasm as he is actually allergic to them. Good news those, the big doctors think they've cured him! Not going to lie, I get 5 of these 9 things also and I thought it was normal. Try to guess which ones!

I have a real problem when I read the town name Tucson and I always think it's Tuscany. So when I read a restaurant in Tuscon is selling tacos made with lion meat I thought, "wow, those Italians are a bunch of sickos". Boy is my face red now!

Horror Headlines: Tuesday October 19th, 2010

Submitted by Joe on Tuesday, Oct 19th 2010

Here's a new one! The gang promoting "Paranormal Activity 2" have set up a phone number that you can call and listen to some spooky fun. Which is awesome because normally I have to pay $2.99 a minute to have a women fake being frightened for her life. Don't judge.

If you love "Glee", and who doesn't, then there's a solid chance you love "The Rocky Horror Picture Show". Well I have good news for you, kid who is overweight but still wears shirts two sizes to small! Ryan Murphy, the creator of "Glee" has just wrapped an entire episode devoted to the camp classic and is in talks to possibly do a remake. Good, I haven't been assaulted by a tranny coming out of a late night movie in years.

Adrien Brody has taken legal action to try an stop the release of the Dario Argento film "Giallo". Apparently Brody had never watched any of Argento's other films and when he picked up the script said out loud, "No way could this be a pile of crap, people love this guy. Sign me up!". You made your bed big nose, now lie in it with the weird Italian model who can barley speak English but for some reason plays the staring role.

In Real People News:

A Mexico City borough recently created a 230-foot-long enchilada to warm it's way into my heart and the Guinness book of world records. I think this officially puts Mexico on the map as a world super power. I'm not sure what the criteria is to get into that group but it has to have something to do with making giant food.

On this day in history:

1987 - The stock market crashed as the Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged 508 points, or 22.6 percent in value - its second biggest percentage drop.

The Girl Who Knew Too Much (REVIEW)

Submitted by John Shelton on Thursday, Aug 5th 2010

Mario Bava’s 1964 film “The Girl Who Knew Too Much” is widely credited with being the movie that launched the Giallo craze of the 1960s and 70s. Bava even gives a nod to the yellow-covered Italian crime novels that gave the genre its name by having titular girl Letecia Roman be an obsessive fan of the books in the film. Roman plays an American girl who travels to Rome to care for an ailing aunt. Her first night in Rome plays like a propaganda film intended to dissuade Americans from travelling to Europe. After a run-in with a drug smuggler on the plane, she arrives at her aunt’s house just in time for the old lady to die. As she walks to a nearby hospital to alert the authorities, she is mugged and knocked unconscious. She comes to long enough to witness what appears to be a murder on the Spanish Steps. When she reports the crime the next morning, the police believe she was hallucinating due to the fact that there is no body to be found and no evidence of a murder. The fact that a shady figure came along and revived her with a shot of whiskey just before the police arrived also doesn’t do much for her credibility.

Deep Red (REVIEW)

Submitted by Tor on Friday, Oct 16th 2009

Ethics and movie reviewing can be uneasy bedfellows. I think this is mostly because we all start developing tastes well before we start in depth critical thinking about the construction and overall effectiveness of the films we watch. And though all of us may try to fall back on some techniques of objective critique, it can be difficult to apply what you know about film theory to a film like John Mikl Thor's “Rock ‘n’ Roll Nightmare”. That said we all have some thumbnail idea about what makes a film worthy and rules that help us to determine that.

Don't Torture a Duckling (REVIEW)

Submitted by Tor on Friday, Sep 11th 2009

“Don’t Torture a Duckling” is the story of Accendura, a remote village in Central Italy that is beset by a rash of child murders. The police race against the growing rage of the community to find a killer in a town of myriad secrets. Accendura’s residents are closed off and superstitious, augmenting Catholicism with provincial spirits and the charms of a local shaman. The influences of early seventies Italy on the closed world of Accendura comes mostly in the form of hookers, outcasts, and in the middle of this crisis, a band of soulless reporters.

What Have You Done to Solange? (REVIEW)

Submitted by Tor on Friday, Aug 28th 2009

In 1972, director Massimo Dallamano teamed up with cinematographer Aristide Massacessi (aka Joe D’amato) to make “What Have You Done to Solange?” Dallamano was an accomplished cameraman in his own right, having shot Leone’s “A Fistful of Dollars” and “For a Few Dollars More”. Directorially he had a made a name for himself 3 years earlier with the infamous “Devil in the Flesh (aka Venus in Furs)”. Ultimately though, Solange’ would prove to be his best known and most highly regarded work.