We wanted to give thanks to you slasher fans out there for an amazingly slasherific year! For a limited time only, all Slasher Studios dvds are just $10 (regularly $15) and if you purchase all four dvds, you will save an additional $5 and receive two Slasher Studios posters absolutely free! This is a killer deal that won’t last long so support some indie horror and pick up yours today. International slasher fans..we ship worldwide and all dvds are region free!
For a limited time only, you can receive an exclusive Dismembering Christmas t-shirt and DVD combo pack for just $25. Bundle pack includes the size t-shirt of your choice, DVD, as well as an 11×17 poster that is suitable for framing. This bundle back is ONLY available until Christmas day so make sure to order yours today!
On Sunday night I watched “Don’t Breathe (2016)” in theaters with my sister for the first time. I’ve been anticipating the release of this movie ever since the first poster was unveiled. The trailer that followed shortly after made me even more excited. The thing that thrilled me most about this project was the second collaboration between director Fede Alvarez and actress Jane Levy – who first worked together on the highly successful reboot of “Evil Dead (2013)”. Sam Raimi once again served as a co-producer for Alvarez’ sophomore project.
I adore the four lead actors and I’ve seen each of them in at least one other movie before: Jane Levy (Evil Dead), Stephen Lang (Avatar), Dylan Minnette (Let Me In) and Daniel Zovatto (It Follows). The movie received overwhelmingly positive reviews upon its release and I was very happy to see that. This was definitely a movie that screamed to be watched on the big screen. As a result, I absolutely loved this movie! I would honestly go as far and say that Don’t Breathe is a slight improvement over Evil Dead in terms of creativity. I was delighted to see Fede and Jane step on original ground this time around. The acting performances are impressive and feel realistic considering the circumstances.
Jane Levy delivered another top notch performance and I hope to see her in more (horror) movies in the near future. Dylan Minnette was also genuinely amazing in this. Daniel Zovatto has a small role, but he’s an interesting actor with potential. Stephen Lang was downright terrifying in his role of The Blind Man. He nailed it! The tension throughout this movie is phenomenal. No cheap jump scares to be found here. The twist near the end was shocking. I wouldn’t say that it gave the movie more power, but it totally came out of nowhere. Fede Alvarez has truly outdone himself! It’s rare for me to feel sympathy for characters that are supposed to be unlikable, but Levy and Minnette’s characters did the trick. The ending gives the audience closure, but leaves room for a sequel. Don’t Breathe is a brutal, kick-ass, original and scary thrill ride. The best movie of the year. Go see it!
–Ferdi Akkulak
This top 10 favorite Lucio Fulci list comes from our horror friend Alex Aspin. Make sure to follow him on instagram for more horror reviews and pics.
Lucio Fulci is my favorite horror director of all time, and is honestly tied with the likes of Vittorio De Sica, Charlie Chaplin, Akira Kurosawa, and Fritz Lang. So I thought I would honor my
personal favorite horror director with a top ten. So without further ado, lets begin.
10) “Four of the Apocalypse” (1975)
A group of petty criminals consisting of 3 men, and a pregnant woman make their way through the countryside of Wild West Utah while being followed and constantly attacked by Mexican bandits.
Honestly one of my favorite spaghetti westerns. It has everything you would expect from a Fulci film, from mean-spirited sadistic men, wonderful shots, and great locations. This film is a little bit of a slow burner, but it’s never really boring. All of the characters are likable, while at the same time dislikable enough to keep you watching. In my opinion, the film reaches its peak in the second half which takes place in a small town during a snowstorm. There’s just something about snowstorms and westerns that I love. This one might not be for every Fulci fan, especially if you’re one whose only really ever seen his later-career splatter films, but it has enough gore and violence to keep anyone watching. Plus it has Fabio Testi. I mean, c’mon.
9) “The Black Cat” (1981)
A psychic man who has the ability to communicate with the dead, also is able to control a black cat that he uses to take vengeance on his enemies.
I know that in all of my reviews I harp on about camerawork a lot. And I know I say this a lot, but this is honestly one of the most beautifully shot films (at least horror films) I’ve ever seen. Especially the opening scene. This film has lots of beautiful shots of the black cat walking on various rooftops, and walls, and it even has some great POV shots of the cat, which works great for establishing our cats size in comparison to everything else.
Obviously this film is based on the Edgar Allen Poe story. As someone who has always been a Poe fan, I think that probably helps me enjoy the film even more so. I’d highly recommend it to Poe fans and Fulci fans alike, but like the last film, this one is different from the usual Fulci splatter film, and I don’t think it’s for every Fulci fan. Nonetheless, I can still recommend it.
8) “Conquest” (1983)
A warrior (played by Andrea Occipinti) embarks on a journey armed with a magic bow and arrow (given to him by the ghostly god Cronos, to mark his passage into manhood) to rid the land of evil, and defeat the evil witch who wants the bow for evil.
I don’t even know where to begin. There are no words I can use to fully explain how awesome this film is. Extremely gory, and violent, and has some amazing set pieces. Some of the creatures in this film will blow your mind, from the Wookie looking things in league with the evil witch, to the weird mummy zombie things that I can’t put into words. If you haven’t seen this film before, buy it. Just buy it. Don’t even think about it or try to find it online or anything. Just buy it.
7) “A Lizard in a Woman’s Skin” (1971)
A woman has a dream of herself killing her neighbor, only to wake up and find that not only is her neighbor actually dead, but that she is a suspect.
Probably one of the most original giallo films to come out of the giallo golden age. Full of twists and turns, it requires multiple viewings, but still stands alone as an amazing film after is first. Full of incredible dream sequences, and amazing camera work. One I’m sure most Fulci fans, and giallo fans alike have seen.
6) “Don’t Torture a Duckling” (1972)
The townspeople of a rural Italian village work together to solve a series of child murders. This leads to everyone being a suspect, distrust of outsiders, and superstition.
Actually one of the first Fulci films I ever saw. Before I was completely and utterly desensitized, and left an empty husk of a person, this film was actually incredibly shocking to me. This film was actually banned in Italy, and was given an extremely limited theatrical run in Europe, due to its blatant dislike, and criticism towards the Catholic Church. Funny, because this film is full
of dead children’s bodies found face down in the water, or beaten to death, and also contains a buried skeleton of an infant, but what upset the Italian censors was its criticisms on the highly Catholic Italian society.
Lucio Fulci considered this film to be his favorite of his career, and I can definitely see why. If you haven’t seen this one yet, and want to see a genuinely shocking or disturbing giallo, definitely check it out.
5) “Cat in the Brain” (1990)
A horror director (played by Fulci himself) is haunted by nightmares of the many violent scenes in his films. So he decides to start seeing a therapist, who ends up being s psycho serial killer
determined to frame Dr. Fulci for the many crimes modeled after the murders in his films.
This film is nearly impossible to group into any genre, so I have dubbed it as a “Post Proto Slasher”, since it’s similar enough to the proto -slashers of the 70’s, but being made in the 90’s, it obviously can’t be a true proto slasher. Anyway, this film is absurdly gory, and violent, and it’s amazing. I don’t want to say too much about it, mostly because it’s hard to even put it into words. The film leaves you in sort of a meta-overload state of satisfaction from the obscene amounts of gore.
Also, not just because this is the obvious joke to make, but the psycho therapist honestly does look alarmingly like my grandpa.
4) “The New York Ripper” (1982)
A police detective and a psychoanalyst go on the hunt for the person responsible for a brutal series of murders in New York City, where young women are being killed in extremely grisly fashions.
The 80’s was sort of the start of a new (short lived) life for the giallo genre, due to the popularity of the American and Canadian slasher films. And The New York Ripper is in my opinion the best of the gialli to come out of that era. Showing a considerable amount of influence from past gialli, and at the time recent slashers, The New York Ripper is sort of a hybrid between a Giallo, and a slasher; a “spaghetti slasher” if you will. Some of the most noticeable influences for this film are Argento’s “The Bird With The Crystal Plumage”, Brian De Palma’s “Dressed to Kill” (which is a giallo rip off itself) and William Lustig’s “Maniac”. This film contains so much sleaze, and brutal murders throughout its entire duration, it’s sure to make
you feel at least a little uncomfortable. From live sex shows, and women being toe raped, to a woman getting a broken bottle to the crotch and a woman getting her eye slashed with a razor (all on camera for those who haven’t seen it).
I was fairly young the first time I saw this film, so maybe that had something to do with it, but after seeing this film for the first time I genuinely felt anxious every night that my girlfriend got out of work, as she worked nights alone and often had to wait outside after work for her aunt to pick her up, as we were teenagers. If you are a fan of gialli, slashers, gore, sleaze, and just general extreme violence, definitely check this one out.
3) “City of the Living Dead” aka “The Gates of Hell” (1980)
A priest commits suicide by hanging himself in the church cemetery, causing the gates of hell to open, and allowing to dead to walk the earth, and plenty of other supernatural events to take place. In order to close the gates of hell before the dead can take over the earth, a reporter (played by Christopher George) and a psychic must rush to the city of Dunwich, and find a way to close the gates before All Saints Day.
There’s a little bit of a story about this one for me. This was actually the very first Fulci film I ever saw, and probably the first 2 or 3 times I watched it, I hated it. I tried watching it alone, and shut it off. Went to see it with a friend, and he just got up and walked out. And to tell the truth, I don’t know why I ever disliked it. It’s such an incredibly fun, nightmarish film, with some of the best gore I’ve ever seen. Yeah, a lot of the film doesn’t make much sense, and that’s probably what I didn’t like about it being new to Italian horror, as a young teen, but being older now, I realize it’s not supposed to make much sense. It’s a nightmare-logical film, and if you look at it that way, it’s pretty much perfect.
City of the Living Dead also has some of the coolest looking zombies I’ve ever seen too, although they don’t come in until the end of the film. I absolutely love this film, and even though I only watch it every once in a while, every time it ends, I immediately want to re watch it, because it’s really that good.
2) “Zombie Flesh Eaters” aka “Zombie” aka “Zombi 2” (1979)
A group of 4 goes on a search for a woman’s father on a tropical island, but unbeknownst to them, the island is plagued by the dead coming back to life, and they become mixed up in the business of the islands doctor who is trying to figure out what is happening.
This is, in my opinion the greatest zombie film ever made. Although on a greater scale of zombie films overall, this is actually tied with Day of the Dead as my favorite, I do think this is the better film. Everything about this film is just amazing. Set both in New York City, and the tropical island of Matul, every shot of this film is incredible, and every location used is beautiful. Along with all of the beauty of the film, there’s loads of beautiful, mind-blowing gore, and probably the best looking zombies ever put on film. I don’t want to spoil much about it for those who haven’t seen it, so I’m just going to meander on about how beautiful every aspect of this film is.
Look at that. If you’ve never seen this one, and are a fan of zombies, extreme gore, or sharks and zombies fighting under water, this film has it all. I’m going to include a few more screenshots of this one below.
1) “The Beyond” aka “Seven Doors of Death” (1981)
A woman inherits an old hotel in Louisiana, that was build on one of the seven gates of hell, and where a man named Schweik was executed after being accused of being a warlock 50 years earlier. Soon after moving in, and beginning restoring the old motel, a series of supernatural events begin, including a painter being startled by something, causing him to fall off his latter, a plumber getting his eye gouged out by a zombie in the basement, and hallucinations of a zombie Schweik.
This is not only my favorite Fulci film, but my favorite horror film of all time, and my second favorite film overall. This is also my “go to” horror film when showing friends horror films. It’s just so great. I really love the Louisiana setting, even though Louisiana is one of the last places I’d ever want to go. Not that you could expect any less from Fulci, but of course this film is full of amazing gore, from eyes being gouged out, and facing being burned with acid, to a child getting her head blown off. The zombies aren’t as cool looking in this one as they are in Zombie Flesh Eaters, and resemble the zombies from Let Sleeping Corpses Lie more than anything, they’re still great and way more convincing than anything you’ll see today.
If you somehow haven’t seen any of the films on this list, and are only ever going to check out one of them, make it this one. Just go buy it immediately. Just buy the Grindhouse blu ray immediately. Or if you live in the UK, and it’s cheaper, immediately buy the Arrow blu.
And there you have it. My top 10 favorite films by the Italian master of horror, and worlds most beautiful man, Dr. Lucio Fulci.
Before I go, I would like to give an honorable mention to a film that just barely missed the cut.
“Contraband” (1980)
Great Italian crime film, starring Fabio Testi about rival groups of smugglers in Naples fighting for their turf. This results in our main characters brother being kidnapped by the rival gang, and they have to team up with the Mafia, and the police in order to find his brother.
I hope everyone enjoyed my list. This was definitely the most fun list I’ve made so far. Let me know some of your favorite Fulci films in the comments.
Are you ready to start the slasher season with all of us at Slasher Studios? The leaves are beginning to change colors and we are ready for the snow to fall, especially if it’s painted blood red. As a reward, we want to give you all an early Christmas present. All month long, purchase DON’T GO TO THE REUNION or DISMEMBERING CHRISTMAS on DVD from Slasher Studios and you’ll receive a FREE 11×17 DISMEMBERING CHRISTMAS poster with your order. Remember, these are region free dvds with exclusive extras you won’t find anywhere else and you must purchase through the links below to receive your free poster.
Killer Extras:
* Audio Commentary with the filmmakers
* Trailer
* Blooper Reel
* “Class of 2004” Yearbook
* Slasher Studios short films (Teddy, Popularity Killer, Blood Brothers)
Killer Extras:
Audio commentary with Actor/Director Austin Bosley
Audio commentary with Writer/Producer Kevin Sommerfield
Bloopers
Fly on the Set: Making Of Dismembering Christmas
Theatrical Trailer
Teaser Trailer
We have a special treat for you slasher fans out there. As part of an exclusive giveaway, Order anything from the Slasher Studios site from now until September 15th and your name will be randomly entered to win this killer Friday the 13th Camp Crystal Lake shirt. Support indie horror and indie horror supports you!
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Killer Extras:
* Audio Commentary with the filmmakers
* Trailer
* Blooper Reel
* “Class of 2004” Yearbook
* Slasher Studios short films (Teddy, Popularity Killer, Blood Brothers)
Killer Extras:
Audio commentary with Actor/Director Austin Bosley
Audio commentary with Writer/Producer Kevin Sommerfield
Bloopers
Fly on the Set: Making Of Dismembering Christmas
Theatrical Trailer
Teaser Trailer
31 tells the story of a van-full of carnival workers who find themselves ambushed and eventually locked in a house of horrors on Halloween night. The group discovers that they are now part of an annual game called 31. The object of the game is to survive twelve hours against a group of maniacal killers.
I personally really love Rob Zombie as a horror director. He may not join the ranks of geniuses like Carpenter, Craven, or Hitchcock, but Zombie is brilliant in his own way. Ever since his debut film House of 1000 Corpses, Zombie releases to horror fans a world from someone’s nightmare. They are brutal, sadistic, grimly-filmed, and an inside look of various forms of hell. 31 is a brilliant addition to Zombie’s filmography. I wasn’t the biggest fan of his previous film Lords of Salem, it was fine and had very strong points, but it was missing something that I loved about his other films. With 31, I feel this is his best film yet. It’s a slasher film that is brought to a new level. Think of it as Rob Zombie’s vision of The Hunger Games. And it’s brutal, terrifying, and intense. We are given characters that are similar to other characters from Rob’s other films, but in this one, they are actually likable. They’re not cursing at each other throughout the whole film. They know they need to stand as a team if they want to get out alive, and it sticks with that for the whole film. They’re not perfect goody-two-shoes, but they’re strong characters you root for. And much like his villains in House of 1000 Corpses and Devil’s Rejects, his villains are extremely likable too. They have their own personalities that give them character instead of just random killers roaming around. I couldn’t pick any of the villains that were my favorite, because they are all fantastic and rank right up there with the Firefly family.
Rob Zombie was quoted saying that this was his most brutal film to date. I’m assuming this must have been before all of the cuts he had to make to receive and R rating. The version I saw had a enjoyable amount of blood and carnage, but this was nowhere near as graphic or brutal as some of his previous films. A lot of the violence are done during shaky-cam or quick cuts. It’s enough for you to get your fix, but you can tell that they were edited. Hopefully we get his original cut on dvd/blu-ray. The film itself moves at a great pace and provides a great adrenaline rush during the killer attacks. Zombie uses his usual lighting and filming style to provide a grim and nightmarish vision into the world of these characters, beginning with a face-to-face opening with our lead psycho Doom-Head. It’s a Tarantino-esque moment that leaves the viewer completely uncomfortable, thanks to the amazing performance by Richard Brake.
It is unfortunate though that for all the adrenaline built up through the film and all the way to its final act, we are left with a very anti-climactic ending. You expect a big showdown, but you don’t get that. The movie comes to a screeching halt with no real resolution. The final scene is effective, but it left me as a viewer wanting more. Not in a sequel sense, but in the sense that the movie didn’t feel finished yet. Zombie keeps up the tradition of putting his wife Sheri Moon Zombie in his films, and I’ve always found Sheri a great actress in the horror genre, she even can show great emotion as indicated in Halloween. But here, Sheri displays her most fun and kick ass performance after Baby Firefly. She shares the screen with another strong female character played by Meg Foster. Both women display a great amount of strength in their characters, neither female comes off as weak or annoying or dumb like in most slashers. However, I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t anyone who gave a bad performance. Each actor hard-core delivered with their roles and really brought a personality to their characters.
If you are a fan of Rob Zombie’s past films, you will love 31. It is a disappointment that the film wasn’t as brutal as it could have been (screw you MPAA), and that the ending wasn’t as packed as the rest of the film, but it’s still a brutal, fun, and bloody slasher film that I definitely recommend.
–Cody Landman
A trio of young burglars decide to break into the home of a blind war veteran after hearing he fell into a load of money. They think that this will be an easy task, and use it as an opportunity to escape their lives and move on. However, they soon find out that they may have broken into the wrong house.
Fede Alvarez, the director of the very well-praised remake of Evil Dead, returns to bring in more terror. I will be straightforward and say this movie genuinely scared the hell out of me and made me feel like I was on the verge of a heart attack. There were moments when I was putting my hands over my mouth, to my head, covering eyes/ears, etc. By the end of the movie I was shaking. This is the same sensation I felt when I viewed the aforementioned Evil Dead in the theater. Now, I won’t say this is scary to the point where I’ll have nightmares or never see a horror movie again, but in terms of experience. This is one film that NEEDS to be seen in the right environment. Especially in the theater if possible. The movie features so much intensity and doesn’t use cheap jump scares (well maybe once before the events even start), and not super loud music to scare you. It is the definition of suspense, it keeps you on edge, not knowing what is going to happen. You genuinely feel like you’re in the same position as the characters in certain scenarios, and you find yourself wanting to yell “NO! Don’t do that!†etc. A lot of the suspense is brought on by the fantastic direction by Fede Alvarez. He had such an amazing vision for the film, the camera shots, the lighting, and just the entire focus on the setting and the characters. The story itself is a wild ride. There are times where you think you know what’s going to happen and something happens completely out of left field, or just when you think all is over, you get pulled back in. In a sense, when things get going in the story, you can hardly ever catch your breath. On top of the strong script, we have some likable enough characters, considering their crimes. They work almost as different characters of our psyche. The id, the ego, and super-ego. We have the impulsive and deranged one who thinks he’s indestructible, the one who tries to find reason for their doings, and the one who tires to convince the other two to do the most sensible responses. Maybe I’m overthinking this last part, but it fits perfectly.
Finally we have our small cast in Jane Levy as Rocky (the “ego†and our leading lady) who delivers another terrific performance after her breakout role in Evil Dead. Levy shows just as much range as she did in Evil Dead, she shows fear brilliantly and provides genuine heart and care in the right moments. Fresh from the live-action Goosebumps film is Dylan Minnette as Alex (the “super ego†main guy) who is clearly in love with Rocky and is easily the major heart and logical one of the film. Minnette showed great potential in Goosebumps, and shows it even more than ever that he can definitely be an excellent leading male. He starts out as the shy character, but he does gradually rise into a strong character, but not in the sense of complete unrealistic change. Both sides he shows realistically and never makes it over-the-top. Daniel Zovatto (the “idâ€) plays the bad boy well to the point where you don’t know whether you like him or not. Finally we have Stephen Lang as the Blind Man. If you thought he was a great villain in Avatar, he is incredible in this. Much of his performance is just from a physical performance, with little dialogue until the final act. It’s a rare feat when someone can be terrifying by only being physical and no dialogue (without wearing a mask or disguise of some sort).
Don’t Breathe is evidence that Fede Alvarez is one hell of a horror director. He knows how to psychologically mess with your mind. While Evil Dead was more in your face, Don’t Breathe works the senses to its maximum potential. With his brilliant direction, as well as his strong well-structured script with Rodo Sayagues, and solid performances from its cast, Don’t Breathe is one horror film you don’t want to hold your breath on…at least until while viewing it.
This top 10 favorite lesser know Giallo film list comes from our horror friend Alex Aspin. Make sure to follow him on instagram for more horror reviews and pics.
Disclaimer: I just want to clarify this right off the bat. This is a list of my personal favorite “lesser known” Giallo films. Meaning, you won’t find any Argento, Fulci, or Bava on this list. If this was an overall top 10 giallo film list, I would’ve included Argento, Bava, and Fulci.
1) “What Have You Done to Solange?” (1971) directed by Massimo Dellemano.
A teacher (played by Fabio Testi) is having an affair with one of his students. While they’re on a “date” on a boat, she witnesses a brutal murder on shore. He then ends up becoming the main suspect because he refuses to tell the police why he was actually there. What follows are more brutal kills (teen girls being stabbed in the vagina), botched abortions, annoying teens, and plenty of murder scenes made all the more alarming by the incredibly haunting score.
“Solange” is, and has been for a while my favorite Giallo film over all. Everything about this film flows so well, from start to finish. This movie is often called misogynistic, due to the nature of the murders, but It all ends up making sense, in a heartwarming, yet disturbing way.
Highly recommended to anybody. Also check out Dallamano’s other giallo “What Have They Done to Your Daughters”.
2) “Death Walks on High Heels” (1971) directed by Luciano Ercoli.
After her famous jewel thief father is stabbed to death on a train, a nightclub performer named Nicole (played by Nieves Navarro) starts being harassed by the police, and a masked man with “piercing blue eyes” about the location of her fathers diamonds. Next, people around her start being murdered.
This film is a perfect example of why I love gialli. This has to be one of the most beautifully shot films I’ve ever seen, honestly up there on par with the work of Akira Kurosawa, Ingmar Bergman, and Federico Fellini. The plot itself is entertaining enough to keep you watching, and I’ve found with people who didn’t care for the story, have at least been kept watching by the beautiful camerawork.
Another one I highly recommend, but this one might not be one for the unseasoned giallo fan. But then again, if you don’t know anything about gialli as it is, you probably aren’t looking at a list of more obscure examples of the genre.
I’d also recommend checking out Ercoli’s other gialli “Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion” and “Death Walks at Midnight”
3) “The Bloodstained Butterfly” (1971) directed by Duccio Tessari.
After the body of a girl is found in a park, a man is arrested and is on trial for the murder, while everyone is convinced he is guilty. However, shortly after, the murders continue. Half courtroom drama, half giallo.
This is a new one for me. The first time I ever saw it was actually just last night, (August 19th 2016) when I received this blu ray in the mail (6 days before the release date!!!) and I immediately fell in love with it. While most Giallo films substitute extreme levels of style, to make up for the logical inconsistencies, and plot holes, this film doesn’t have to. While it is just as wonderfully shot as you’d expect from a giallo film, it doesn’t have any of the plot holes, and is a much more “logic based” crime investigation type giallo. Also recommend checking out Tessari’s earlier giallo film “Death Occurred Last Night”.
4) “The Red Queen Kills Seven Times” (1972) directed by Emilio Miraglia.
After two sisters inherit a castle front believe their grandfather, a murder spree committed by a dark haired women in a red cloak, and mask begins.
This is a very entertaining gothic themed giallo film, shot very beautifully, and accompanied by a beautiful score.
I think this is one the unseasoned giallo fan will still enjoy, so I highly recommend it. I also recommend Emilio Miraglia’s other giallo “The Night Evelyn Came Out of The Grave”.
5) “Short Night of Glass Dolls” (1971) directed by Aldo Lado.
This is a hard one to explain without spoiling, so I won’t say much. But a mans body is found in a park, and is taken to the morgue. We then realize he is actually conscious, just unable to move, talk, or anything. So a lot of the film is from his point of view, while we listen to him trying to remember what happened.
It’s a little bit of a strange watch, especially for a giallo, but it’s definitely well worth checking out. Also check out Aldo Lado’s other giallo “Who Saw Her Die”.
6) “Your Vice is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key (1972) directed by Sergio Martino.
Based on Edgar Allen Poe’s story “The Black Cat” this gothic style giallo is about an alcoholic author (played by Luigi Pistilli) who lives in his mansion with his wife, and maids who he sleeps with. Eventually he is visited by his niece (played by Edwige Fenech), and a series of murders begins.
I absolutely love everything about this film. I honestly had to immediately watch it a second time after my first viewing. And even though I’m aware of how Poe’s “The Black Cat” ends, I was still surprised by the end of this film, and was honestly kind of anxious up until the credits started to roll. Also highly recommend Sergio Martino’s other gialli “Torso”, ” Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh”, and “The Case of The Scorpions Tail”.
7) “The Black Belly of The Tarantula” (1971) directed by Paolo Cavara.
An inspector investigates a series of crimes where the victims are paralyzed, and then gutted. Much in the same way as a tarantula kills its prey.
I don’t really have much to say about this one. I don’t want to accidentally spoil anything. Just check it out, because it’s awesome. Also check out Cavara’s other giallo “Plot of Fear”.
8) “Strip Nude For Your Killer” (1975) directed by Andre Bianchi.
After a fashion model dies during an abortion, a series of murders begins, involving the rest of the models at the modeling agency she worked for.
Another one I don’t really want to say much about. Generally considered an incredibly sleazy, and trashy film. Maybe I’m just super desensitized or something, but I don’t think it’s as sleazy as everyone seems to thing. While there is an absurd amount of nudity, none of it is really in an outright sleazy fashion. I can think of plenty of giallo films with just as much nudity, done way more trashy, like “The Sister of Ursula”, or “The Beast Kills in Cold Blood”. I really appreciate this film, and feel like it’s honestly one of the more classy examples of the sleazier gialli.
9) “Blue Eyes of The Broken Dolls” (1974) directed by Carlos Aured.
After an ex-convict (played by Paul Naschy) who is haunted by nightmares of himself strangling women is hired as the caretaker of an estate owned by 3 women, a series of murders begins.
One of the few non-Italian films I’ll acknowledge as being a “true giallo”, and probably being the best of the far more rare Spanish gialli, this film has everything you need out of a giallo. It’s a little slower than some people may like, but the characters are interesting enough to keep you watching. The first time I watch it, I was running on probably 3 hours of sleep after being awake for 36+ hours, and I was able to stay awake through the entire film. If you consider yourself to be a more seasoned giallo fan, whose seen all of the more common ones, this is definitely one worth seeking out.
If you want another example of a Spanish giallo film, Mondo Macabro is releasing “The Fox with a Velvet Tail” on blu ray sometime in the near future.
10) “Eyeball” (1975) directed by Umberto Lenzi.
A killer dressed in a red raincoat is killing American tourists by cutting out their eyes.
Definitely one of the harder to find Giallo films out there. If you want to own this, you’ll have to import either the Italian, or German DVDs, or buy a bootleg, because no official blu ray (or even DVD) seem to be in the near future. If you are willing to track it down, (it is on YouTube, but looks really bad) it’s definitely one of the essential Giallo films.
Umberto Lenzi has lots of other giallo films worth checking out, including “Seven Blood-Stained Orchids” (which just barely missed the cut), “Knife of Ice”, “Spasmo”, and “Oasis of Fear”.
Now, I’d like to list some honorable mentions:
“The House with Laughing Windows” (1976) directed by Pupi Avati.
Truly haunting film. Honestly the only giallo, and one of the only films in general to unnerve me in my adult life. If you’ve seen this film, and remember the recordings on the tape player, you know exactly what I mean.
“Eye In the Labyrinth” (1972) directed by Mario Caiano.
“The Beast Kills in Cold Blood” aka “Slaughter Hotel” (1971) directed by Fernando de Leo.
“Watch Me When I Kill” (1977) directed by Antonio Bido
Abortion. It’s a hot-button issue, but hopefully one that wouldn’t determine whose side you take while watching Chris Moore’s familiar-but-startlingly-fresh indie chiller “Blessed are the Children.”
The madness begins when Traci (Kaley Ball), in a mess of a relationship and dealing with frequent harassment from her ex-fiancé, finds herself pregnant. Upon dealing with the shaming of her somewhat shrewish, but also somewhat sympathetic mother, Stephanie (Cheryl Abernathy), Traci starts to consider an abortion. Whether or not she has it, her being spotted at the clinic by some silent-but-spooky protesters sets off a chain reaction of strange occurrences for everyone around her, including her roommates: the quirky, virginal Erin (Arian Thigpen) and the zany, no-filter Mandy (Keni Bounds).
To say anymore about the story would be an insult to the clever plotting and intriguing set-up laid out by Moore, whose disturbing low-fi no-budgeter “Perversion” was equal parts enticing and disturbing. That uncomfortable feeling follows him here. His flair for awkward comedy, seen in his web series “The American Dream” is also very much present as Traci, Erin, and Mandy go about their dysfunctional lives, completely unaware of the bizarre consequences of Traci’s actions. Ball is intriguing as Traci. She has a bit of a mouth on her, and her life choices are baffling and slap-worthy, but Ball brings a good balance of sympathy and snark to the character. As the lovable, mildly-raunchy Mandy, Bounds is a hilarious ray of sunshine. Nearly every word she utters is a knee-slapper, and the girl plays it well. And Thigpen is adorably awkward as the outgoing and protective Erin. She’s fun and quirky, yet has an intriguing pathos about her. All three girls have their own very strong qualities that dominate the film.
While his work has always been intriguing and well-done (yet incredibly discomforting), Moore’s directorial skills have only gotten better here. He uses the film’s 2.35:1 frame fairly nicely (one of many aesthetic elements of films such as Halloween and Dressed to Kill that populate the film), and there were a few moments that I found legitimately terrifying. Although the elements the film is comprised of are all familiar and even clichéd at times, the assembly itself is very fresh and spooky. See this one, guys. For all its indie-film constraints, “Blessed are the Children” manages to create a large, mysterious and chilling experience that Platinum Dunes and The Asylum couldn’t even dream of.
–Joshua Dean