Giallo (magazine)
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

In
Italian cinema The cinema of Italy (, ) comprises the films made within Italy or by Italian directors. Since its beginning, Italian cinema has influenced film movements worldwide. Italy is one of the birthplaces of art cinema and the stylistic aspect of film ha ...
, ''Giallo'' (; plural ''gialli'', from ''giallo'', Italian for yellow) is a genre of
mystery fiction Mystery is a genre fiction, fiction genre where the nature of an event, usually a murder or other crime, remains wiktionary:mysterious, mysterious until the end of the story. Often within a closed circle of suspects, each suspect is usually prov ...
and
thrillers Thriller is a genre of fiction, having numerous, often overlapping subgenres. Thrillers are characterized and defined by the moods they elicit, giving viewers heightened feelings of suspense, excitement, surprise, anticipation and anxiety. Suc ...
that often contains
slasher Slasher may refer to: * Slasher (basketball), a style of play in basketball * Slasher film, a subgenre of the horror film * Slasher (tool), a scrub-clearing implement * ''Slasher'' (2004 film), a 2004 documentary film * ''Slasher'' (2007 film) ...
,
crime fiction Crime fiction, detective story, murder mystery, mystery novel, and police novel are terms used to describe narratives that centre on criminal acts and especially on the investigation, either by an amateur or a professional detective, of a crime, ...
,
psychological thriller Psychological thriller is a genre combining the thriller and psychological fiction genres. It is commonly used to describe literature or films that deal with psychological narratives in a thriller or thrilling setting. In terms of context and co ...
,
psychological horror Psychological horror is a genre, subgenre of horror fiction, horror and psychological fiction with a particular focus on mental, emotional, and Mental state, psychological states to frighten, disturb, or unsettle its audience. The subgenre frequent ...
,
sexploitation A sexploitation film (or sex-exploitation film) is a class of independently produced, low-budget feature film that is generally associated with the 1960s and early 1970s, and that serves largely as a vehicle for the exhibition of non-explicit s ...
, and, less frequently,
supernatural horror Horror is a genre of fiction which is intended to frighten, scare, or disgust. Horror is often divided into the sub-genres of psychological horror and supernatural horror, which is in the realm of speculative fiction. Literary historian J. A ...
elements. This particular style of Italian-produced
murder mystery Crime fiction, detective story, murder mystery, mystery novel, and police novel are terms used to describe narratives that centre on criminal acts and especially on the investigation, either by an amateur or a professional detective, of a crime, ...
horror-
thriller film Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre ...
usually blends the atmosphere and suspense of
thriller fiction Thriller is a genre of fiction, having numerous, often overlapping subgenres. Thrillers are characterized and defined by the moods they elicit, giving viewers heightened feelings of suspense, excitement, surprise, anticipation and anxiety. S ...
with elements of
horror fiction Horror is a genre of fiction which is intended to frighten, scare, or disgust. Horror is often divided into the sub-genres of psychological horror and supernatural horror, which is in the realm of speculative fiction. Literary historian J ...
(such as slasher violence) and
eroticism Eroticism () is a quality that causes sexual feelings, as well as a philosophical contemplation concerning the aesthetics of sexual desire, sensuality, and romantic love. That quality may be found in any form of artwork, including painting, sculp ...
(similar to the French ''
fantastique ''Fantastique'' is a French term for a literary and cinematic genre that overlaps with science fiction, horror, and fantasy. The ''fantastique'' is a substantial genre within French literature. Arguably dating back further than English lan ...
'' genre), and often involves a mysterious killer whose identity is not revealed until the final act of the film. The genre developed in the mid-to-late 1960s, peaked in popularity during the 1970s, and subsequently declined in commercial mainstream filmmaking over the next few decades, though examples continue to be produced. It was a predecessor to, and had significant influence on, the later American
slasher film A slasher film is a genre of horror films involving a killer stalking and murdering a group of people, usually by use of bladed or sharp tools like knife, chainsaw, scalpel, etc. Although the term "slasher" may occasionally be used informally as a ...
genre.


Literature

In the Italian language, ''giallo'' is a genre of novel including any literary genre involving crime and mystery, with all its sub-genres such as crime fiction, detective story, murder mystery or thriller-horror. The term ''
giallo In Italian cinema, ''Giallo'' (; plural ''gialli'', from ''giallo'', Italian for yellow) is a genre of mystery fiction and thrillers that often contains slasher, crime fiction, psychological thriller, psychological horror, sexploitation, and, ...
'' ("yellow") derives from a series of crime-mystery
pulp novels Pulp magazines (also referred to as "the pulps") were inexpensive fiction magazines that were published from 1896 to the late 1950s. The term "pulp" derives from the cheap wood pulp paper on which the magazines were printed. In contrast, magazine ...
entitled ''
Il Giallo Mondadori ''Il Giallo Mondadori'' is an Italian series of mystery/crime novels published by Arnoldo Mondadori Editore since 1929. Their original title was ''I libri gialli'', where ''giallo'' in Italian means "yellow", a reference to the color of the co ...
'' (''Mondadori Yellow''), published by
Mondadori Arnoldo Mondadori Editore () is the biggest publishing company in Italy. History The company was founded in 1907 in Ostiglia by 18-year-old Arnoldo Mondadori who began his publishing career with the publication of the magazine ''Luce!''. In 1 ...
from 1929 and taking its name from the trademark yellow cover background. The series consisted almost exclusively of Italian translations of mystery novels by British and American writers. These included
Agatha Christie Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, (; 15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictiona ...
,
Ellery Queen Ellery Queen is a pseudonym created in 1929 by American crime fiction writers Frederic Dannay and Manfred Bennington Lee and the name of their main fictional character, a mystery writer in New York City who helps his police inspector father solve ...
,
Edgar Wallace Richard Horatio Edgar Wallace (1 April 1875 – 10 February 1932) was a British writer. Born into poverty as an illegitimate London child, Wallace left school at the age of 12. He joined the army at age 21 and was a war correspondent during th ...
,
Ed McBain Evan Hunter, born Salvatore Albert Lombino,(October 15, 1926 – July 6, 2005) was an American author and screenwriter best known for his 87th Precinct novels, written under his Ed McBain pen name, and the novel upon which the film ''Blackbo ...
,
Rex Stout Rex Todhunter Stout (; December 1, 1886 – October 27, 1975) was an American writer noted for his detective fiction. His best-known characters are the detective Nero Wolfe and his assistant Archie Goodwin, who were featured in 33 novels and ...
,
Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; Edgar Poe; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is wide ...
and
Raymond Chandler Raymond Thornton Chandler (July 23, 1888 – March 26, 1959) was an American-British novelist and screenwriter. In 1932, at the age of forty-four, Chandler became a detective fiction writer after losing his job as an oil company executive durin ...
. Published as cheap paperbacks, the success of the ''giallo'' novels soon began attracting the attention of other Italian publishing houses. They published their own versions and mimicked the yellow covers. The popularity of these series eventually established the word ''giallo'' as a
synonym A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are all ...
in Italian for a mystery novel. In colloquial and media usage in Italy, it also applied to a mysterious or unsolved affair.


Film

In the film context, for Italian audiences ''giallo'' refers to any kind of murder mystery or horror thriller, regardless of its national origin. Meanwhile, English-speaking audiences have used the term ''giallo'' to refer specifically to a genre of Italian-produced thriller-horror films known to Italian audiences as ''giallo all'italiana''. In the English-speaking world, Italian ''giallo'' films are also sometimes referred to as ''Spaghetti Thrillers'' or ''Spaghetti Slashers'', in a similar manner in which Italian Western films and ''
poliziotteschi Poliziotteschi (; singular ''poliziottesco'') constitute a subgenre of crime film, crime and action films that emerged in Italy in the late 1960s and reached the height of their popularity in the 1970s. They are also known as ''polizieschi all'i ...
'' films from the same period have been referred to as ''
Spaghetti Western The Spaghetti Western is a broad subgenre of Western films produced in Europe. It emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's film-making style and international box-office success. The term was used by foreign critics because most o ...
s'' and ''Spaghetti crime films'', respectively. The Italian film subgenre began as literal adaptations of the original ''giallo'' mystery novels (see ''
Giallo (1933 film) ''Giallo'' is a 1933 Italian comedy thriller film directed by Mario Camerini and starring Assia Noris, Sandro Ruffini and Elio Steiner. It is based on the 1928 play '' The Man Who Changed His Name'' by Edgar Wallace in which a young wife begins ...
''). Directors soon began taking advantage of modern cinematic techniques to create a unique genre that retained the
mystery Mystery, The Mystery, Mysteries or The Mysteries may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional characters *Mystery, a cat character in ''Emily the Strange'' Films * ''Mystery'' (2012 film), a 2012 Chinese drama film * ''Mystery'' ( ...
and
crime fiction Crime fiction, detective story, murder mystery, mystery novel, and police novel are terms used to describe narratives that centre on criminal acts and especially on the investigation, either by an amateur or a professional detective, of a crime, ...
elements of ''giallo'' novels but veered more closely into the
psychological thriller Psychological thriller is a genre combining the thriller and psychological fiction genres. It is commonly used to describe literature or films that deal with psychological narratives in a thriller or thrilling setting. In terms of context and co ...
or
psychological horror Psychological horror is a genre, subgenre of horror fiction, horror and psychological fiction with a particular focus on mental, emotional, and Mental state, psychological states to frighten, disturb, or unsettle its audience. The subgenre frequent ...
genres. Many of the typical characteristics of these films were incorporated into the later American
slasher Slasher may refer to: * Slasher (basketball), a style of play in basketball * Slasher film, a subgenre of the horror film * Slasher (tool), a scrub-clearing implement * ''Slasher'' (2004 film), a 2004 documentary film * ''Slasher'' (2007 film) ...
genre.


Characteristics

Most critics agree that the ''giallo'' represents a distinct category with unique features, but there is some disagreement on what exactly defines a ''giallo'' film. Gary Needham wrote:
By its very nature, the ''giallo'' challenges our assumptions about how non-Hollywood films should be classified, going beyond the sort of Anglo-American taxonomic imaginary that "fixes" genre both in film criticism and the film industry in order to designate something specific. ...however, despite the ''giallos resistance to clear definition, there are nevertheless identifiable thematic and stylistic tropes.
These distinct "thematic and stylistic tropes" constitute a loose definition of the genre which is broadly consistent, though various critics have proposed slightly differing characteristic details (which consequently creates some confusion over which films can be considered gialli). Author Michael Mackenzie has written that ''gialli'' can be divided into the male-focused ''m. gialli'', which usually sees a male outsider witness a murder and become the target of the killer when he attempts to solve the crime; and ''f. gialli'', which features a female protagonist who is embroiled in a more sexual and psychological story, typically focusing on her sexuality, psyche and fragile mental state. Although they often involve crime and detective work, gialli should not be confused with the other popular Italian crime genre of the 1970s, the ''
poliziotteschi Poliziotteschi (; singular ''poliziottesco'') constitute a subgenre of crime film, crime and action films that emerged in Italy in the late 1960s and reached the height of their popularity in the 1970s. They are also known as ''polizieschi all'i ...
'', which includes more
action Action may refer to: * Action (narrative), a literary mode * Action fiction, a type of genre fiction * Action game, a genre of video game Film * Action film, a genre of film * ''Action'' (1921 film), a film by John Ford * ''Action'' (1980 fil ...
-oriented films about violent
law enforcement officer A law enforcement officer (LEO), or peace officer in North American English, is a Public sector, public-sector employee whose duties primarily involve the Law enforcement, enforcement of laws. The phrase can include campaign disclosure specialist ...
s (largely influenced by gritty American films such as ''
Bullitt ''Bullitt'' is a 1968 American neo-noir action thriller film directed by Peter Yates and produced by Philip D'Antoni. The picture stars Steve McQueen, Robert Vaughn, and Jacqueline Bisset. The screenplay by Alan R. Trustman and Harry Kleiner ...
'', ''
Dirty Harry ''Dirty Harry'' is a 1971 American neo-noir Neo-noir is a revival of film noir, a genre that had originally flourished during the post-World War II era in the United Statesroughly from 1940 to 1960. The French term, ''film noir'', translates ...
'', ''
Death Wish Death Wish or Deathwish may refer to: Common meanings *Suicidal ideation, term for thoughts about killing oneself *Death drive, term in Freudian psychiatry Arts and entertainment Radio *"Death Wish", a 1957 episode of the radio series ''X Minus ...
'', ''
The Godfather ''The Godfather'' is a 1972 American crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, who co-wrote the screenplay with Mario Puzo, based on Puzo's best-selling 1969 novel of the same title. The film stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, ...
'', ''
Serpico ''Serpico'' is a 1973 American neo-noir biographical crime drama film directed by Sidney Lumet and starring Al Pacino in the title role. The screenplay was adapted by Waldo Salt and Norman Wexler from the book of the same name written by Peter ...
'', and '' The French Connection''). Directors and actors often moved between both genres and there is some overlap between them. While most poliziotteschi dealt with organized crime and police responses to it, some early examples of the genre focused instead on murder investigations, and especially on cases where a woman had been murdered in sexual circumstances. These films were more psychological than action-driven, and borrowed various themes and motifs from gialli. Examples include ''
Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion ''Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion'' ( it, Indagine su un cittadino al di sopra di ogni sospetto) is a 1970 Italian crime drama film directed by Elio Petri, starring Gian Maria Volonté and Florinda Bolkan. It is a psychological, blac ...
'' (1970) and ''
No, the Case Is Happily Resolved ''No, the Case Is Happily Resolved'' ( it, No il caso è felicemente risolto) is a 1973 Italian crime drama film written and directed by Vittorio Salerno and starring Enzo Cerusico, Riccardo Cucciolla and Martine Brochard. The finale of the film ...
'' (1973). Some films could even be considered under the banner of either genre, such as
Fernando Di Leo Fernando Di Leo (11 January 1932 – 2 December 2003) was an Italian film director and screenwriter, script writer. He made 17 films as a director and about 50 scripts from 1964 to 1985. Biography Fernando Di Leo was born on 11 January 1932 in ...
's '' Naked Violence'' (1969) and
Massimo Dallamano Massimo Dallamano (17 April 1917 – 4 November 1976), sometimes credited as Max Dillman, Max Dillmann or Jack Dalmas, was an Italian director and director of photography. Life and career Born in Milan, Dallamano began in the 1940s as camera ...
's 1974 film ''La polizia chiede aiuto'' (''
What Have They Done to Your Daughters? ''What Have They Done to Your Daughters?'' ( it, La polizia chiede aiuto , lit=The police ask for help) is a 1974 Italian ''giallo'' and ''poliziotteschi'' film directed by Massimo Dallamano. Plot Police officers investigated the death of 14-yea ...
'').


Structure

Giallo films are generally characterized as gruesome murder-mystery thrillers that combine the suspense elements of
detective fiction Detective fiction is a subgenre of crime fiction and mystery fiction in which an investigator or a detective—whether professional, amateur or retired—investigates a crime, often murder. The detective genre began around the same time as s ...
with scenes of shocking
horror Horror may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Genres *Horror fiction, a genre of fiction ** Japanese horror, Japanese horror fiction **Korean horror, Korean horror fiction * Horror film, a film genre *Horror comics, comic books focusing o ...
, featuring excessive bloodletting, stylish camerawork and often jarring musical arrangements. The
archetypal The concept of an archetype (; ) appears in areas relating to behavior, historical psychology, and literary analysis. An archetype can be any of the following: # a statement, pattern of behavior, prototype, "first" form, or a main model that ...
''giallo'' plot involves a mysterious, black-gloved psychopathic killer who stalks and butchers a series of beautiful women. While most gialli involve a human killer, some also feature a
supernatural Supernatural refers to phenomena or entities that are beyond the laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin (above, beyond, or outside of) + (nature) Though the corollary term "nature", has had multiple meanings si ...
element. The typical ''giallo''
protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a st ...
is an outsider of some type, often a traveller,
tourist Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tours. The World Tourism Organization defines tourism mo ...
, outcast, or even an alienated or disgraced
private investigator A private investigator (often abbreviated to PI and informally called a private eye), a private detective, or inquiry agent is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. Private investigators of ...
, and frequently a young woman, often a young woman who is lonely or alone in a strange or foreign situation or environment (gialli rarely or less frequently feature
law enforcement officer A law enforcement officer (LEO), or peace officer in North American English, is a Public sector, public-sector employee whose duties primarily involve the Law enforcement, enforcement of laws. The phrase can include campaign disclosure specialist ...
s as chief protagonists, which would be more characteristic of the
poliziotteschi Poliziotteschi (; singular ''poliziottesco'') constitute a subgenre of crime film, crime and action films that emerged in Italy in the late 1960s and reached the height of their popularity in the 1970s. They are also known as ''polizieschi all'i ...
genre). The protagonists are generally or often unconnected to the murders before they begin and are drawn to help find the killer through their role as a
witness In law, a witness is someone who has knowledge about a matter, whether they have sensed it or are testifying on another witnesses' behalf. In law a witness is someone who, either voluntarily or under compulsion, provides testimonial evidence, e ...
to one of the murders. The mystery is the identity of the killer, who is often revealed in the
climax Climax may refer to: Language arts * Climax (narrative), the point of highest tension in a narrative work * Climax (rhetoric), a figure of speech that lists items in order of importance Biology * Climax community, a biological community th ...
to be another key character, who conceals his or her identity with a
disguise A disguise can be anything which conceals or changes a person's physical appearance, including a wig, glasses, makeup, fake moustache, costume or other items. Camouflage is a type of disguise for people, animals and objects. Hats, glasses, chan ...
(usually some combination of hat, mask, sunglasses, gloves, and trench coat). Thus, the literary
whodunit A ''whodunit'' or ''whodunnit'' (a colloquial elision of "Who asdone it?") is a complex plot-driven variety of detective fiction in which the puzzle regarding who committed the crime is the main focus. The reader or viewer is provided with the cl ...
element of the ''giallo'' novels is retained, while being filtered through horror genre elements and Italy's long-standing tradition of
opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...
and staged
grand guignol ''Le Théâtre du Grand-Guignol'' (: "The Theatre of the Great Puppet")—known as the Grand Guignol–was a theatre in the Quartier Pigalle, Pigalle district of Paris (7, cité Chaptal). From its opening in 1897 until its closing in 1962, it spe ...
drama. The structure of ''giallo'' films is also sometimes reminiscent of the so-called "
weird menace Weird menace is a subgenre of horror fiction and detective fiction that was popular in the pulp magazines of the 1930s and early 1940s. The weird menace pulps, also known as shudder pulps, generally featured stories in which the hero was pitted a ...
" pulp magazine horror mystery genre alongside
Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; Edgar Poe; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is wide ...
and
Agatha Christie Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, (; 15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictiona ...
. It is important to note that while most gialli feature elements of this basic
narrative structure Narrative structure is a literary element generally described as the structural framework that underlies the order and manner in which a narrative is presented to a reader, listener, or viewer. The narrative text structures are the plot and the ...
, not all do. Some films (for example
Mario Bava Mario Bava (31 July 1914 – 27 April 1980) was an Italian filmmaker who worked variously as a director, cinematographer, special effects artist and screenwriter, frequently referred to as the "Master of Italian Horror" and the "Master of the Ma ...
's 1970 ''
Hatchet for the Honeymoon ''Hatchet for the Honeymoon'' ( it, Il rosso segno della follia, lit=The Red Sign of Madness) is a 1970 giallo film directed by Mario Bava and starring Stephen Forsyth, Dagmar Lassander, Laura Betti, and Femi Benussi. The story follows John Harri ...
'', which features the killer as the protagonist) may radically alter the traditional structure or abandon it altogether and still be considered gialli due to stylistic or thematic tropes, rather than narrative ones. A consistent element of the genre is an unusual lack of focus on coherent or logical narrative storytelling. While most have a nominal mystery structure, they may feature bizarre or seemingly nonsensical plot elements and a general disregard for
realism Realism, Realistic, or Realists may refer to: In the arts *Realism (arts), the general attempt to depict subjects truthfully in different forms of the arts Arts movements related to realism include: *Classical Realism *Literary realism, a move ...
in
acting Acting is an activity in which a story is told by means of its enactment by an actor or actress who adopts a character—in theatre, television, film, radio, or any other medium that makes use of the mimetic mode. Acting involves a broad r ...
,
dialogue Dialogue (sometimes spelled dialog in American English) is a written or spoken conversational exchange between two or more people, and a literary and theatrical form that depicts such an exchange. As a philosophical or didactic device, it is c ...
and character motivation. As Jon Abrams wrote, "Individually, each 'giallo''is like an improv exercise in murder, with each filmmaker having access to a handful of shared props and themes. Black gloves, sexual ambiguity, and psychoanalytic trauma may be at the heart of each film, but the genre itself is without consistent narrative form."


Content

While a shadowy killer and mystery narrative are common to most gialli, the most consistent and notable shared trope in the ''giallo'' tradition is the focus on grisly death sequences. The murders are invariably violent and gory, featuring a variety of explicit and imaginative attacks. These scenes frequently evoke some degree of
voyeurism Voyeurism is the sexual interest in or practice of watching other people engaged in intimate behaviors, such as undressing, sexual activity, or other actions of a private nature. The term comes from the French ''voir'' which means "to see". A ...
, sometimes going so far as to present the murder from the
first-person perspective A first-person narrative is a mode of storytelling in which a storyteller recounts events from their own point of view using the first person It may be narrated by a first-person protagonist (or other focal character), first-person re-teller, ...
of the killer, with the black-gloved hand holding a knife viewed from the killer's
point of view Point of view or Points of View may refer to: Concept and technique * Point of view (philosophy), an attitude how one sees or thinks of something * Point of view (literature) or narrative mode, the perspective of the narrative voice; the pronou ...
. The murders often occur when the victim is most vulnerable (showering, taking a bath, or scantily clad); as such, ''giallo'' films often include liberal amounts of nudity and sex, almost all of it featuring beautiful young women. Actresses associated with the genre include
Edwige Fenech Edwige Fenech (, ; born 24 December 1948) is an Algerian-born Maltese-Sicilian actress and film producer. She is mostly known as the star of a series of ''commedia sexy all'italiana'' and ''giallo'' films released in the 1970s, which turned her ...
,
Barbara Bach Barbara Bach, Lady Starkey (born Barbara Goldbach in 1947) is an American actress and model. She played the Bond girl Anya Amasova in ''The Spy Who Loved Me''. She is married to former Beatles drummer Ringo Starr. Early life Bach is a nat ...
,
Daria Nicolodi Daria Nicolodi (19 June 1950 – 26 November 2020) was an Italian television and film actress and screenwriter. Early life and career Daria Nicolodi was born in Florence on 19 June 1950. Her father was a Florentine lawyer and her mother, Fu ...
,
Mimsy Farmer Merle "Mimsy" Farmer (born February 28, 1945) is an American actress, artist and sculptor. She began her career appearing in several Hollywood studio films, such as ''Spencer's Mountain'' (1963) and ''Bus Riley's Back in Town'' (1965), followed b ...
,
Barbara Bouchet Barbara Bouchet (born Bärbel Gutscher; 15 August 1943)
glamourgirlsofthesilverscreen.com; ...
,
Suzy Kendall Suzy Kendall (born Freda Harriet Harrison; 1 January 1937 ) is a British retired actress best known for her film roles in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Personal life Born in Belper, Derbyshire, Kendall attended Derby & District College of A ...
,
Ida Galli Ida Galli is an Italian film actress best known for her roles in Spaghetti Western and giallo films in the 1960s and 1970s. Galli has appeared under several pseudonyms, including Arianna, Evelyn Stewart and Isli Oberon. Extremely prolific, som ...
and
Anita Strindberg Anita Strindberg (born 19 June 1937) is a Swedish former actress who appeared in numerous Italian ''giallo'' films in the 1970s. Strindberg appeared as Anita Edberg in two Swedish films in the late 1950s. She started her career in gialli with Luc ...
. Due to the titillating emphasis on explicit sex and violence, gialli are sometimes categorized as
exploitation cinema An exploitation film is a film that tries to succeed financially by exploiting current trends, niche genres, or Exploitation fiction, lurid content. Exploitation films are generally low-quality "B movies", though some set trends, attract critical ...
. The association of female sexuality and brutal violence has led some commentators to accuse the genre of
misogyny Misogyny () is hatred of, contempt for, or prejudice against women. It is a form of sexism that is used to keep women at a lower social status than men, thus maintaining the societal roles of patriarchy. Misogyny has been widely practiced fo ...
.


Themes

Gialli are noted for psychological themes of madness, alienation, sexuality, and
paranoia Paranoia is an instinct or thought process that is believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety or fear, often to the point of delusion and irrationality. Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs, or beliefs of conspiracy concer ...
. The protagonist is usually a witness to a gruesome crime but frequently finds their
testimony In law and in religion, testimony is a solemn attestation as to the truth of a matter. Etymology The words "testimony" and "testify" both derive from the Latin word ''testis'', referring to the notion of a disinterested third-party witness. La ...
subject to
skepticism Skepticism, also spelled scepticism, is a questioning attitude or doubt toward knowledge claims that are seen as mere belief or dogma. For example, if a person is skeptical about claims made by their government about an ongoing war then the pe ...
from authority figures, leading to a questioning of their own
perception Perception () is the organization, identification, and interpretation of sensory information in order to represent and understand the presented information or environment. All perception involves signals that go through the nervous system ...
and authority. This ambiguity of memory and perception can escalate to
delusion A delusion is a false fixed belief that is not amenable to change in light of conflicting evidence. As a pathology, it is distinct from a belief based on false or incomplete information, confabulation, dogma, illusion, hallucination, or some o ...
,
hallucination A hallucination is a perception in the absence of an external stimulus that has the qualities of a real perception. Hallucinations are vivid, substantial, and are perceived to be located in external objective space. Hallucination is a combinatio ...
, or delirious paranoia. Since gialli protagonists are typically female, this can lead to what writer Gary Needham calls, "...the giallo's inherent pathologising of femininity and fascination with "sick" women." The killer is likely to be mentally-ill as well; ''giallo'' killers are almost always motivated by insanity caused by some past psychological trauma, often of a sexual nature (and sometimes depicted in flashbacks). The emphasis on madness and subjective perception has roots in the ''giallo'' novels (for example,
Sergio Martino Sergio Martino (born 19 July 1938) is an Italian film director and producer, notable for his contributions to the giallo genre. Martino is the brother of the late producer Luciano Martino (who died in 2013). They collaborated frequently in their ...
's ''
Your Vice Is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key ''Your Vice Is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key'' ( it, Il tuo vizio è una stanza chiusa e solo io ne ho la chiave) is a 1972 ''giallo'' film directed by Sergio Martino. The picture stars Edwige Fenech, Luigi Pistilli, and Anita Strindberg. ...
'' was based on
Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; Edgar Poe; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is wide ...
's short story " The Black Cat", which deals with a psychologically unstable narrator) but also finds expression in the tools of cinema. Writer Mikel J. Koven posits that gialli reflect an ambivalence over the social upheaval modernity brought to Italian culture in the 1960s.
"The changes within Italian culture... can be seen throughout the ''giallo'' film as something to be discussed and debated -- issues pertaining to identity, sexuality, increasing levels of violence, women's control over their own lives and bodies, history, the state -- all abstract ideas, which are all portrayed situationally as human stories in the ''giallo'' film.


Production

Gialli have been noted for their strong cinematic technique, with critics praising their
editing Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, photographic, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, orga ...
,
production design In film and television, the production designer is the individual responsible for the overall aesthetic of the story. The production design gives the viewers a sense of the time period, the plot location, and character actions and feelings. Wor ...
,
music Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspect ...
and visual style even in the marked absence of other facets usually associated with critical admiration (as gialli frequently lack
characterization Characterization or characterisation is the representation of persons (or other beings or creatures) in narrative and dramatic works. The term character development is sometimes used as a synonym. This representation may include direct methods ...
, believable dialogue, realistic performances and logical coherence in the narrative). Alexia Kannas wrote of 1968's ''
La morte ha fatto l'uovo ''Death Laid an Egg'' ( it, La morte ha fatto l'uovo) is a 1968 ''giallo'' film directed by Giulio Questi. Written by Questi and Franco Arcalli, the film stars Ewa Aulin, Gina Lollobrigida and Jean-Louis Trintignant. Plot Married couple Anna an ...
'' (''Death Laid an Egg'') that "While the film has garnered a reputation for its supreme narrative difficulty (just as many art films have), its aesthetic brilliance is irrefutable", while Leon Hunt wrote that frequent gialli director
Dario Argento Dario Argento (; born 7 September 1940) is an Italian film director, producer, screenwriter, actor and film critic, critic. His influential work in the horror film, horror genre during the 1970s and 1980s, particularly in the subgenre known as ...
's work "vacillate between strategies of art cinema and exploitation".


Visual style

Gialli are frequently associated with strong technical
cinematography Cinematography (from ancient Greek κίνημα, ''kìnema'' "movement" and γράφειν, ''gràphein'' "to write") is the art of motion picture (and more recently, electronic video camera) photography. Cinematographers use a lens to focu ...
and stylish visuals. Critic Maitland McDonagh describes the visuals of ''
Profondo rosso ''Deep Red'' ( it, Profondo rosso), also known as ''The Hatchet Murders'', is a 1975 Italian Thriller film, thriller- giallo film directed by Dario Argento and co-written by Argento and Bernardino Zapponi. It stars David Hemmings as a musician wh ...
'' (''Deep Red'') as, "vivid colors and bizarre camera angles, dizzying pans and flamboyant tracking shots, disorienting framing and composition, fetishistic close-ups of quivering eyes and weird objects (knives, dolls, marbles, braided scraps of wool)..." Critic Roberto Curti describes the visual style of gialli in relation to the counterculture era as, "a pop delirium filled with psychedelic paraphernalia". In addition to the iconic images of shadowy black-gloved killers and gruesome violence, gialli also frequently employ strongly stylized and even occasionally
surreal Surreal may refer to: *Anything related to or characteristic of Surrealism, a movement in philosophy and art * "Surreal" (song), a 2000 song by Ayumi Hamasaki * ''Surreal'' (album), an album by Man Raze *Surreal humour, a common aspect of humor ...
uses of color. Directors
Dario Argento Dario Argento (; born 7 September 1940) is an Italian film director, producer, screenwriter, actor and film critic, critic. His influential work in the horror film, horror genre during the 1970s and 1980s, particularly in the subgenre known as ...
and Mario Bava are particularly known for their impressionistic imagery and use of lurid colors, though other ''giallo'' directors (notably
Lucio Fulci Lucio Fulci (; 17 June 1927 – 13 March 1996) was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and actor. Although he worked in a wide array of genres through a career spanning nearly five decades, including comedies and Spaghetti Westerns, he garn ...
) employed more sedate, realistic styles as well. Due to their typical 1970s milieu, some commentators have also noted their potential for visual
camp Camp may refer to: Outdoor accommodation and recreation * Campsite or campground, a recreational outdoor sleeping and eating site * a temporary settlement for nomads * Camp, a term used in New England, Northern Ontario and New Brunswick to descri ...
, especially in terms of
fashion Fashion is a form of self-expression and autonomy at a particular period and place and in a specific context, of clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. The term implies a look defined by the fashion in ...
and
decor Interior design is the art and science of enhancing the interior of a building to achieve a healthier and more aesthetically pleasing environment for the people using the space. An interior designer is someone who plans, researches, coordina ...
.


Music

Music has been cited as a key to the genre's unique character; critic Maitland McDonagh describes ''
Profondo rosso ''Deep Red'' ( it, Profondo rosso), also known as ''The Hatchet Murders'', is a 1975 Italian Thriller film, thriller- giallo film directed by Dario Argento and co-written by Argento and Bernardino Zapponi. It stars David Hemmings as a musician wh ...
'' (''Deep Red'') as an "overwhelming visceral experience...equal parts visual...and aural." Writer
Anne Billson Anne Billson (born 1954) is a writer, photographer, and film critic who was born in Southport, England. Her fiction is characterized by the combination of horror with satire and includes the novels ''Suckers'' (1993), ''Stiff Lips'' (1997), ''The Ex ...
explains, "The Giallo Sound is typically an intoxicating mix of groovy lounge music, nerve-jangling discord, and the sort of soothing lyricism that belies the fact that it's actually accompanying, say, a slow motion decapitation", (she cites as an example
Ennio Morricone Ennio Morricone (; 10 November 19286 July 2020) was an Italian composer, orchestrator, conductor, and trumpeter who wrote music in a wide range of styles. With more than 400 scores for cinema and television, as well as more than 100 classica ...
's score for 1971's ''
Four Flies on Grey Velvet ''Four Flies on Grey Velvet'' ( it, 4 mosche di velluto grigio) is a 1971 '' giallo'' film written and directed by Dario Argento. The film concerns Roberto Tobias ( Michael Brandon), who accidentally kills a man and is then tormented by someone w ...
''). Many notable giallo soundtracks feature multi-instrumentalist,
Alessandro Alessandroni Alessandro Alessandroni (18 March 1925 – 26 March 2017) was an Italian musician and composer. He played multiple instruments, including the guitar, mandolin, mandolincello, sitar, accordion and piano, and composed more than 40 film scores and ...
, his vocal group, ''I Cantori Moderni'' and vocalist
Edda Dell'Orso Edda Dell'Orso (born Edda Sabatini; February 16, 1935) is an Italian singer known for her collaboration with composer Ennio Morricone, for whom she provided wordless vocals to a large number of his film scores. Dell'Orso also provided vocals to ...
, including Morricone's score for ''
Autopsy An autopsy (post-mortem examination, obduction, necropsy, or autopsia cadaverum) is a surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse by dissection to determine the cause, mode, and manner of death or to evaluate any di ...
'', and
Bruno Nicolai Bruno Nicolai (20 May 1926 – 16 August 1991) was an Italian film music composer, orchestra director and musical editor most active in the 1960s through the 1980s. While studying piano and composition at the Santa Cecilia Conservatory in Rome, ...
's score for ''
All the Colors of the Dark ''All the Colors of the Dark'' ( it, Tutti i colori del buio) is a 1972 ''giallo'' film directed by Sergio Martino and starring Edwige Fenech, George Hilton and George Rigaud. The film was also released under the alternate titles ''Day of the M ...
'', which has been described as, "a balance of psychotic free jazz, aggressive bass driven beats, schizoid Eastern motifs, and childlike lullabies".
Composers A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Classical music, Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. E ...
of note include Morricone, Nicolai, and the Italian band
Goblin A goblin is a small, grotesque, monstrous creature that appears in the folklore of multiple European cultures. First attested in stories from the Middle Ages, they are ascribed conflicting abilities, temperaments, and appearances depending on t ...
. Other important composers known for their work on ''giallo'' films include
Piero Umiliani Piero Umiliani (17 July 1926 – 14 February 2001) was an Italian composer of film scores. Biography Umiliani was born in Florence, Tuscany. Like many of his Italian colleagues at that time, he composed the scores for many exploitation fil ...
(composer for ''
Five Dolls for an August Moon ''Five Dolls for an August Moon'' (Italian: ''5 bambole per la luna d'agosto'') is a 1970 Italian giallo film directed by Mario Bava. It concerns a group of people who have gathered on a remote island for fun and relaxation. One of the guests is ...
)'',
Riz Ortolani Riziero Ortolani (; 25 March 192623 January 2014) was an Italian composer, conductor, and orchestrator, predominantly of film scores. He scored over 200 films and television programs between 1955 and 2014, with a career spanning over fifty year ...
(''
The Pyjama Girl Case ''La ragazza dal pigiama giallo'' (Italian for ''The Girl in the Yellow Pyjamas'') is a 1977 Italian giallo film directed by Flavio Mogherini, distributed internationally as ''The Pyjama Girl Case''. Film information The film is based on a real ...
''),
Nora Orlandi Nora Orlandi (born 28 June 1933; pseudonym: Joan Christian) is an Italian pianist, violinist, soprano vocalist, composer and occasional actress. As the first female composer, female film composer of Italian cinema, she composed scores for Spaghet ...
(''
The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh ''The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh'' (Italian: ''Lo strano vizio della Signora Wardh'') is a 1971 ''giallo'' mystery film directed by Sergio Martino, and starring Edwige Fenech, George Hilton, Ivan Rassimov, and Alberto de Mendoza. Its plot follo ...
''),
Stelvio Cipriani Stelvio Cipriani (20 August 1937 – 1 October 2018), also known as Viostel, was an Italian composer, mostly of motion picture soundtracks. Biography Though not raised with a strong musical upbringing, as a child Cipriani was fascinated by his ...
('' The Iguana with the Tongue of Fire'') and
Fabio Frizzi Fabio Frizzi (born 2 July 1951) is an Italian musician and composer. Born in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy, he is best known for his film scores and was a frequent collaborator with horror director Lucio Fulci. Frizzi is the older brother of the ...
(''
Sette note in nero ''Sette note in nero'' () is a 1977 Italian giallo film directed by Lucio Fulci and co-written by him with Roberto Gianviti and Dardano Sacchetti. ''Sette note in nero'' stars Jennifer O'Neill, Gianni Garko, Marc Porel, and Ida Galli. The film i ...
'' a.k.a.''The Psychic'').


Titles

Gialli often feature lurid or
baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
titles, frequently employing animal references or the use of numbers. Examples of the former trend include ''
Sette scialli di seta gialla ''Sette scialli di seta gialla''/ ''Seven Shawls of Yellow Silk''Luther-Smith,Adrian (1999). ''Blood and Black Lace: The Definitive Guide to Italian Sex and Horror Movies''. Stray Cat Publishing Ltd. p. 25 (International title: ''Crimes of the Bla ...
'' (''Crimes of the Black Cat''), '' Non si sevizia un paperino'' (''Don't Torture a Duckling''), ''
La morte negli occhi del gatto ''Seven Deaths in the Cat's Eye'' ( it, La morte negli occhi del gatto) is a 1973 Gothic horror film directed by Antonio Margheriti. Plot Set in Scotland, the film opens with a man being murdered by an unknown killer with a razor. The killer dra ...
'' (''Seven Deaths in the Cat's Eye'') and '' La tarantola dal ventre nero'' (''Black Belly of the Tarantula''); while instances of the latter include ''
Sette note in nero ''Sette note in nero'' () is a 1977 Italian giallo film directed by Lucio Fulci and co-written by him with Roberto Gianviti and Dardano Sacchetti. ''Sette note in nero'' stars Jennifer O'Neill, Gianni Garko, Marc Porel, and Ida Galli. The film i ...
'' (''Seven Notes in Black'') and ''
The Fifth Cord ''The Fifth Cord'' (Italian language, Italian: ''Giornata nera per l'ariete'', lit. "Black Day for Aries") is a 1971 Italian giallo film directed by Luigi Bazzoni. The film's Italian title reprises Dario Argento's practice of using animals in the ...
''.


History and development

The first ''giallo'' novel to be adapted for film was
James M. Cain James Mallahan Cain (July 1, 1892 – October 27, 1977) was an American novelist, journalist and screenwriter. He is widely regarded as a progenitor of the hardboiled school of American crime fiction. His novels ''The Postman Always Rings Twice ...
's '' The Postman Always Rings Twice'', adapted in 1943 by
Luchino Visconti Luchino Visconti di Modrone, Count of Lonate Pozzolo (; 2 November 1906 – 17 March 1976) was an Italian filmmaker, stage director, and screenwriter. A major figure of Italian art and culture in the mid-20th century, Visconti was one of the fat ...
as ''
Ossessione ''Ossessione'' (, English: ''Obsession'') is a 1943 Italian film based on the 1934 novel '' The Postman Always Rings Twice'' by James M. Cain. Luchino Visconti’s first feature film, it is considered by many to be the first Italian neorealist fi ...
''. Though the film was technically the first of Mondadori's ''giallo'' series to be adapted, its neo-realist style was markedly different from the stylized, violent character which subsequent adaptations would acquire. Condemned by the fascist government, ''Ossessione'' was eventually hailed as a landmark of neo-realist cinema, but it did not provoke any further ''giallo'' adaptations for almost 20 years. In addition to the literary ''giallo'' tradition, early gialli were also influenced by the German "
krimi Edgar Wallace (1875–1932) was a British novelist and playwright and screenwriter whose works have been adapted for the screen on many occasions. British adaptations His works were adapted for the silent screen as early as 1916, and continued ...
" films of the early 1960s. Produced by Danish/German studio
Rialto Film Rialto Film is a German motion-picture production company headquartered in Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make ...
, these black-and-white crime movies based on
Edgar Wallace Richard Horatio Edgar Wallace (1 April 1875 – 10 February 1932) was a British writer. Born into poverty as an illegitimate London child, Wallace left school at the age of 12. He joined the army at age 21 and was a war correspondent during th ...
stories typically featured whodunit mystery plots with a masked killer, anticipating several key components of the ''giallo'' movement by several years and despite their link to ''giallo'' author Wallace, though, they featured little of the excessive stylization and gore which would define Italian gialli. The Swedish director
Arne Mattsson Arne Mattsson (2 December 1919 – 28 June 1995) was a Swedish film director. Biography Born in Uppsala, the early films of Mattsson were mostly comedies. His biggest success was '' Hon dansade en sommar'' (1951, aka. ''One Summer of Happiness ...
has also been pointed to as a possible influence, in particular his 1958 film ''
Mannequin in Red ''Mannequin in Red'' ( sv, Mannekäng i rött) is a 1958 Swedish crime/ thriller film directed by Arne Mattson and written by Folke Mellvig. Starring film couple Karl-Arne Holmsten and Annalisa Ericson as the investigating detective couple John ...
''. Though the film shares stylistic and narrative similarities with later ''giallo'' films (particularly its use of color and its multiple murder plot), there is no direct evidence that subsequent Italian directors had seen it. The first "true" ''giallo'' film is usually considered to be Mario Bava's '' The Girl Who Knew Too Much'' (1963). Its title alludes to
Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...
's classic '' The Man Who Knew Too Much'' (1934, remade by Hitchcock in 1956), highlighting the early link between gialli and Anglo-American crime stories. Though shot in black and white and lacking the lurid violence and sexuality which would define later gialli, the film has been credited with establishing the essential structure of the genre: in it, a young American tourist in Rome witnesses a murder, finds her testimony dismissed by the authorities, and must attempt to uncover the killer's identity herself. Bava drew on the krimi tradition as well as the Hitchcockian style referenced in the title, and the film's structure served as a basic template for many of the gialli that would follow. Bava followed ''The Girl Who Knew Too Much'' the next year with the stylish and influential ''
Blood and Black Lace ''Blood and Black Lace'' ( it, 6 donne per l'assassino, lit=6 Women for the Murderer) is a 1964 ''giallo'' film directed by Mario Bava and starring Eva Bartok and Cameron Mitchell. The story concerns the brutal murders of a Roman fashion house ...
'' (1964). It introduced a number of elements that became emblematic of the genre: a masked stalker with a shiny weapon in his black-gloved hand who brutally murders a series of glamorous fashion models. Though the movie was not a financial success at the time, the tropes it introduced (particularly its black-gloved killer, provocative sexuality, and bold use of color) would become iconic of the genre."Lucas, Tim. ''Blood and Black Lace'' DVD,
Image Entertainment RLJ Entertainment (formerly Image Entertainment) is an American film production company and home video distributor, distributing film and television productions in North America, with approximately 3,200 exclusive DVD titles and approximately 340 ...
, 2005,
liner notes Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes) are the writings found on the sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for cassettes. Origin Liner notes are desce ...
. ASIN: B000BB1926
Several similarly-themed crime/thriller movies followed in the next few years, including early efforts from directors
Antonio Margheriti Antonio Margheriti (19 September 1930 – 4 November 2002), also known under the pseudonyms Anthony M. Dawson and Antony Daisies ("daisies" is "margherite" in Italian), was an Italians, Italian filmmaker. Margheriti worked in many different film ...
(''Nude... si muore'' 'Naked You Die''">Naked_You_Die.html" ;"title="'Naked You Die">'Naked You Die''in 1968), Romolo Girolami (''Il dolce corpo di Deborah'' [''The Sweet Body of Deborah''] in 1968),
Umberto Lenzi Umberto Lenzi (6 August 1931 – 19 October 2017) was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and novelist. A fan of film since young age, Lenzi studied at the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia and made his first film in 1958 which went unr ...
(''
Orgasmo ''Orgasmo'' is a 1969 giallo film directed by Umberto Lenzi and starring Carroll Baker, Lou Castel, and Colette Descombes. It follows a wealthy American socialite who finds herself preyed upon by two nefarious young siblings who indulge her in s ...
'' in 1969, ''Paranoia'' [''
A Quiet Place to Kill ''A Quiet Place to Kill'' ( it, Paranoia) is a 1970 ''giallo'' film directed by Umberto Lenzi. Plot Helen, a racecar driver whose personal and professional life is rapidly declining, is invited by her ex-husband Maurice's new wife Constance to ...
''] and ''Così dolce... così perversa'' ' So Sweet... So Perverse">'So Sweet... So Perverse''in 1969), So Sweet... So Perverse''">So Sweet... So Perverse">'So Sweet... So Perverse''in 1969), Riccardo Freda (''A doppia faccia">Riccardo Freda">So Sweet... So Perverse''">So Sweet... So Perverse">'So Sweet... So Perverse''in 1969), Riccardo Freda (''A doppia faccia'' [''Double Face''] in 1969) and
Lucio Fulci Lucio Fulci (; 17 June 1927 – 13 March 1996) was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and actor. Although he worked in a wide array of genres through a career spanning nearly five decades, including comedies and Spaghetti Westerns, he garn ...
(''
Una sull'altra ''One on Top of the Other'' (Italian language, Italian: ''Una sull'altra''), also known as ''Perversion Story'', is a 1969 Italian giallo film directed by Lucio Fulci. Written by Fulci and Roberto Gianviti, the film stars Jean Sorel, Marisa Mell, ...
'' 'One on Top of the Other''in 1969), all of whom would go on to become major creative forces in the burgeoning genre. But it was
Dario Argento Dario Argento (; born 7 September 1940) is an Italian film director, producer, screenwriter, actor and film critic, critic. His influential work in the horror film, horror genre during the 1970s and 1980s, particularly in the subgenre known as ...
's first feature, in 1970, that turned the ''giallo'' into a major cultural phenomenon. That film, ''
The Bird with the Crystal Plumage ''The Bird with the Crystal Plumage'' () is a 1970 giallo film directed by Dario Argento, in his directorial debut. The film has been credited with popularizing giallo, an Italian genre of thriller developed in the 1960s. It is the first in what ...
'', was greatly influenced by ''
Blood and Black Lace ''Blood and Black Lace'' ( it, 6 donne per l'assassino, lit=6 Women for the Murderer) is a 1964 ''giallo'' film directed by Mario Bava and starring Eva Bartok and Cameron Mitchell. The story concerns the brutal murders of a Roman fashion house ...
'', and introduced a new level of stylish violence and suspense that helped redefine the genre. The film was a box office smash and was widely imitated. Its success provoked a frenzy of Italian films with stylish, violent, and sexually provocative murder plots (Argento alone made three more in the next five years) essentially cementing the genre in the public consciousness. In 1996, director
Michele Soavi Michele Soavi, sometimes known as Michael Soavi (born 3 July 1957)Baldassarre, Angela (1999) "The Great Dictators: Interviews with Filmmakers of Italian Descent", Guernica Editions, is an Italian filmmaker, actor, and screenwriter best known fo ...
wrote, "there's no doubt that it was Mario Bava who started the 'spaghetti thrillers' utArgento gave them a great boost, a turning point, a new style...'new clothes'. Mario had grown old and Dario made it his own genre... this had repercussions on genre cinema, which, thanks to Dario, was given a new lease on life." The success of ''The Bird with the Crystal Plumage'' provoked a decade which saw multiple gialli produced every year. In English-language film circles, the term ''giallo'' gradually became synonymous with a heavy, theatrical and stylized visual element.


Popularity and legacy

The ''giallo'' genre had its heyday from 1968 through 1978. The most prolific period, however, was the five-year timespan between 1971 and 1975, during which time over 100 different gialli were produced (see filmography below). Directors like Bava, Argento, Fulci, Lenzi, Freda and Margheriti continued to produce gialli throughout the 70s and beyond, and were soon joined by other notable directors including
Sergio Martino Sergio Martino (born 19 July 1938) is an Italian film director and producer, notable for his contributions to the giallo genre. Martino is the brother of the late producer Luciano Martino (who died in 2013). They collaborated frequently in their ...
,
Paolo Cavara Paolo Cavara (4 July 1926 – 7 August 1982) was an Italian screenwriter and film director. He is best known for collaborating with Gualtiero Jacopetti and Franco E. Prosperi on the 1962 mondo film ''Mondo Cane'', and for directing the ficti ...
,
Armando Crispino Armando Crispino (18 October 1924 – 6 October 2003) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. He was born in Biella, Piedmont. He directed nine films between 1966 and 1975. He also wrote for nine films between 1965 and 1975. He also d ...
,
Ruggero Deodato Ruggero Deodato (born 7 May 1939) is an Italian film director, screenwriter, and sometime actor. His career has spanned a wide-range of genres including peplum, comedy, drama, poliziottesco and science fiction, yet he is perhaps best known fo ...
and Bava's son
Lamberto Bava Lamberto Bava (born 3 April 1944) is an Italian film director. Born in Rome, Bava began working as an assistant director for his director father Mario Bava. Lamberto co-directed the 1979 television film ''La Venere d'Ille'' with his father and in ...
. The genre also spread to Spain by the early 70s, resulting in films like ''
La residencia ''The House That Screamed'' ( es, La residencia), also released as ''The Boarding School'', is a 1969 Spanish horror film written and directed by Narciso Ibáñez Serrador. The film stars Lilli Palmer as Señora Fourneau, the headmistress of a ni ...
'' (''The House That Screamed'') (1969) and ''
Los Ojos Azules de la Muñeca Rota LOS, or Los, or LoS may refer to: Science and technology * Length of stay, the duration of a single episode of hospitalisation * Level of service, a measure used by traffic engineers * Level of significance, a measure of statistical significance ...
'' (''Blue Eyes Of The Broken Doll'') (1973) which had unmistakable ''giallo'' characteristics but feature Spanish casts and production talent. Though they preceded the first ''giallo'' by a few years, German krimi films continued to be made contemporaneously with early gialli, and were also influenced by their success. As the popularity of krimis declined in Germany,
Rialto Film Rialto Film is a German motion-picture production company headquartered in Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make ...
began increasingly pairing with Italian production companies and filmmakers (such as composer
Ennio Morricone Ennio Morricone (; 10 November 19286 July 2020) was an Italian composer, orchestrator, conductor, and trumpeter who wrote music in a wide range of styles. With more than 400 scores for cinema and television, as well as more than 100 classica ...
and director, cinematographer
Joe D'Amato Aristide Massaccesi (15 December 1936 – 23 January 1999), known professionally as Joe D'Amato, was an Italian film director, producer, cinematographer, and screenwriter who worked in many genres (westerns, decamerotici, peplum, war films, ...
, who worked on later krimi films following their successes in Italy). The overlap between the two movements is extensive enough that one of Rialto's final krimi films, '' Cosa avete fatto a Solange?'' (''What Have You Done to Solange?''), features an Italian director and crew and has been called a ''giallo'' in its own right. Gialli continued to be produced throughout the 1970s and 1980s, but gradually their popularity diminished and film budgets and production values began shrinking. Director
Pupi Avati Giuseppe Avati, better known as Pupi Avati (born 3 November 1938), is an Italian film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is known to horror film fans for his two giallo masterpieces, ''The House with Laughing Windows'' (1976) and '' Zeder ...
satirized the genre in 1977 with a slapstick ''giallo'' titled ''Tutti defunti... tranne i morti''. Though the ''giallo'' cycle waned in the 1990s and saw few entries in the 2000s, they continue to be produced, notably by Argento (who in 2009 released a film actually titled ''
Giallo In Italian cinema, ''Giallo'' (; plural ''gialli'', from ''giallo'', Italian for yellow) is a genre of mystery fiction and thrillers that often contains slasher, crime fiction, psychological thriller, psychological horror, sexploitation, and, ...
'', somewhat in homage to his long career in the genre) and co-directors
Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani are husband-and-wife filmmakers based in Brussels, Belgium. They have worked as a writing and directing team for their entire professional film careers. Their most acclaimed works include ''Amer (film), Amer'' (20 ...
, whose ''
Amer Amer may refer to: Places * Amer (river), a river in the Dutch province of North Brabant * Amer, Girona, a municipality in the province of Girona in Catalonia, Spain * Amber, India (also known as Amer, India), former city of Rajasthan state ** Am ...
'' (which uses music from older giallis, including tracks by Morricone and
Bruno Nicolai Bruno Nicolai (20 May 1926 – 16 August 1991) was an Italian film music composer, orchestra director and musical editor most active in the 1960s through the 1980s. While studying piano and composition at the Santa Cecilia Conservatory in Rome, ...
) received a positive critical reception upon its release in 2009. To a large degree, the genre's influence lives on in the
slasher Slasher may refer to: * Slasher (basketball), a style of play in basketball * Slasher film, a subgenre of the horror film * Slasher (tool), a scrub-clearing implement * ''Slasher'' (2004 film), a 2004 documentary film * ''Slasher'' (2007 film) ...
films which became enormously popular during the 1980s and drew heavily on tropes developed by earlier gialli.


Influence

The ''giallo'' cycle has had a lasting effect on horror films and murder mysteries made outside Italy since the late 1960s as this cinematic style and unflinching content is also at the root of the gory
slasher Slasher may refer to: * Slasher (basketball), a style of play in basketball * Slasher film, a subgenre of the horror film * Slasher (tool), a scrub-clearing implement * ''Slasher'' (2004 film), a 2004 documentary film * ''Slasher'' (2007 film) ...
and
splatter film A splatter film is a subgenre of horror films that deliberately focuses on graphic portrayals of gore and graphic violence. These films, usually through the use of special effects, display a fascination with the vulnerability of the human body a ...
s that became widely popular in the early 1980s. In particular, two violent shockers from Mario Bava, ''
Hatchet for the Honeymoon ''Hatchet for the Honeymoon'' ( it, Il rosso segno della follia, lit=The Red Sign of Madness) is a 1970 giallo film directed by Mario Bava and starring Stephen Forsyth, Dagmar Lassander, Laura Betti, and Femi Benussi. The story follows John Harri ...
'' (1970) and ''
Twitch of the Death Nerve ''A Bay of Blood'' ( Italian: ''Ecologia del delitto'', lit. "Ecology of Crime", later retitled ''Reazione a catena'' it. "Chain Reaction" (also known as ''Carnage'', ''Twitch of the Death Nerve'' and ''Blood Bath'') is a 1971 Italian giallo sl ...
'' (1971) were especially influential. Early examples of the ''giallo'' effect can be seen in the British film ''
Berserk! ''Berserk!'' is a 1967 British horror-thriller film starring Joan Crawford, Ty Hardin, Diana Dors and Judy Geeson in a macabre mother-daughter tale about a circus plagued with murders. The screenplay was written by Herman Cohen and Aben Kandel ...
'' (1967) and such American mystery-thrillers as '' No Way to Treat a Lady'' (1968), the Oscar-winning ''
Klute ''Klute'' is a 1971 American neo-noir crime thriller film directed and produced by Alan J. Pakula, written by Andy and Dave Lewis, and starring Jane Fonda, Donald Sutherland, Charles Cioffi, and Roy Scheider. The film follows a high-priced ca ...
'' (1971), ''
Pretty Maids All in a Row ''Pretty Maids All in a Row'' is a 1971 American sexploitation film that is part black comedy, part sex comedy, and part murder mystery. Starring Rock Hudson, Angie Dickinson, and Telly Savalas, it was released on April 28, 1971. Roger Vadim dire ...
'' (1971, based on an Italian novel),
Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...
's ''
Frenzy ''Frenzy'' is a 1972 British thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock. It is the penultimate feature film of his extensive career. The screenplay by Anthony Shaffer was based on the 1966 novel ''Goodbye Piccadilly, Farewell Leicester Squar ...
'' (1972), Vincent Price's '' Madhouse'' (1974), ''
Eyes of Laura Mars ''Eyes of Laura Mars'' is a 1978 American neo noir mystery-thriller film starring Faye Dunaway and Tommy Lee Jones and directed by Irvin Kershner. The screenplay was adapted (in collaboration with David Zelag Goodman) from a spec script titled '' ...
'' (1978) and
Brian De Palma Brian Russell De Palma (born September 11, 1940) is an American film director and screenwriter. With a career spanning over 50 years, he is best known for his work in the suspense, crime and psychological thriller genres. De Palma was a leading ...
's '' Dressed to Kill'' (1980). ''
Berberian Sound Studio ''Berberian Sound Studio'' is a 2012 British psychological horror film. It is the second feature film by British director and screenwriter Peter Strickland. The film, which stars Toby Jones, is set in a 1970s Italian horror film studio. Plot B ...
'' (2012) offers an affectionate tribute to the genre. Director
Eli Roth Eli Raphael Roth (born April 18, 1972) is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, and actor. As a director and producer, he is most closely associated with the horror genre, having directed the films '' Cabin Fever'' (2003) and ''Hoste ...
has called the ''giallo'' "one of my favorite, favorite subgenres of film," and specifically cited Sergio Martino's ''
Torso The torso or trunk is an anatomical term for the central part, or the core, of the body of many animals (including humans), from which the head, neck, limbs, tail and other appendages extend. The tetrapod torso — including that of a human ...
'' (''I corpi presentano tracce di violenza carnale'') (along with the Spanish horror film '' Who Can Kill a Child?'') as influential on his 2005 film ''
Hostel A hostel is a form of low-cost, short-term shared sociable lodging where guests can rent a bed, usually a bunk bed in a dormitory, with shared use of a lounge and sometimes a kitchen. Rooms can be mixed or single-sex and have private or shared b ...
'', writing, "...these seventies Italian giallos start off with a group of students that are in Rome, lots of scenes in piazzas with telephoto lenses, and you get the feeling they're being watched. There's this real ominous creepy feeling. The girls are always going on some trip somewhere and they're all very smart. They all make decisions the audience would make."


Filmography


1960s

* '' The Girl Who Knew Too Much'' (
Mario Bava Mario Bava (31 July 1914 – 27 April 1980) was an Italian filmmaker who worked variously as a director, cinematographer, special effects artist and screenwriter, frequently referred to as the "Master of Italian Horror" and the "Master of the Ma ...
, 1963; Italian: ''La ragazza che sapeva troppo'') a.k.a. ''Evil Eye'' * ''
Blood and Black Lace ''Blood and Black Lace'' ( it, 6 donne per l'assassino, lit=6 Women for the Murderer) is a 1964 ''giallo'' film directed by Mario Bava and starring Eva Bartok and Cameron Mitchell. The story concerns the brutal murders of a Roman fashion house ...
'' (Mario Bava, 1964; Italian: ''Sei donne per l'assassino'' / ''Six Women for the Murderer'') a.k.a. ''Fashion House of Death'' * ''
The Monster of London City ''The Monster of London City'' (german: Das Ungeheuer von London-City) is a 1964 West German ''krimi'' crime film directed by Edwin Zbonek and starring Hansjörg Felmy, Marianne Koch, and Dietmar Schönherr.Reimer & Zachau p.160 The film's se ...
'' (
Edwin Zbonek Edwin Zbonek (28 March 1928 – 29 May 2006) was an Austrian film director and screenwriter. He directed 14 films between 1960 and 1982. His film ''Man and Beast (1963 film), Man and Beast'' was entered into the 13th Berlin International Fil ...
, 1964) German krimi film that predated the Italian ''giallo'' format * '' ''The Embalmer'''' (Dino Tavella, 1965; Italian: ''Il mostro di Venezia'' / ''The Monster of Venice'') * ''
Libido Libido (; colloquial: sex drive) is a person's overall sexual drive or desire for sexual activity. Libido is influenced by biological, psychological, and social factors. Biologically, the sex hormones and associated neurotransmitters that act up ...
'' (
Ernesto Gastaldi Ernesto Gastaldi (born 10 September 1934) is an Italian screenwriter. Film historian and critic Tim Lucas described Gastaldi as the first Italian screenwriter to specialize in horror and thriller films. Gastaldi worked within several popular gen ...
, 1965) * '' The Possessed'' (
Luigi Bazzoni Luigi Bazzoni (25 June 1929 - 1 March 2012) was an Italian director and screenwriter. Born in Salsomaggiore Terme, Italy, Bazzoni was the elder brother of the film director and cinematographer Camillo Bazzoni and a cousin of the Academy Award w ...
and Franco Rossellini, 1965; Italian: ''La donna del lago'' / ''The Lady of the Lake'') a.k.a. ''Love, Hate and Dishonor'' * ''
Night of Violence ''Night of Violence'' ( it, Le notti della violenza) is a 1965 Italian film directed by Roberto Mauri and starring Helene Chanel and Marilu Tolo. It was initially banned in Italy on the time of its release, and released in France first as ''Call ...
'' (
Roberto Mauri Roberto Mauri (born 1924) is an Italian actor, director and screenwriter. Life and career Born Giuseppe Tagliavia in Castelvetrano, Trapani, Mauri began his career as a film actor in low-budget films, occasionally even playing main roles. He d ...
, 1965; Italian: ''Le notti della violenza'' / ''Nights of Violence'') a.k.a. ''Call Girls 66'' * '' The Third Eye'' (
Mino Guerrini Mino Guerrini (16 December 1927 – 10 January 1990) was an Italian director, screenwriter, journalist, actor and painter. Biography Born in Rome as Giacomo Guerrini, Guerrini entered the cinema industry in 1954 as screenwriter in Marcello Pagli ...
, 1966; Italian: ''Il terzo occhio'') * '' A... For Assassin'' (Angelo Dorigo, 1966; Italian: ''A... come Assassino'') * ''
The Murder Clinic ''The Murder Clinic'' ( it, La lama nel corpo, lit=The Knife in the Body) is a 1966 horror giallo film directed by Lionello De Felice and Elio Scardamaglia. It was produced by Elio Scardamaglia, Francesco Scardamaglia and Luciano Martino;. The scr ...
'' (Elio Scardamaglia, 1966; Italian: ''La lama nel corpo'' / ''The Knife in the Body'') a.k.a. ''Nights of Terror'', a.k.a. ''Revenge of the Living Dead'' * ''Date for a Murder'' (Mino Guerrini, 1966; Italian: ''
Omicidio per appuntamento ''Omicidio per appuntamento'' is a 1966 giallo film directed by Mino Guerrini. The film stars George Ardisson, Günther Stoll and Ella Karin. Adapted from a novel by Franco Enna, the film has been described as "stylish" and "flamboyant", and has ...
''/ ''Murder by Appointment'') * ''
The Murderer with the Silk Scarf ''The Murderer with the Silk Scarf'' (german: Der Mörder mit dem Seidenschal) is a 1966 German-Italian crime film produced and directed by Adrian Hoven (who also appeared in the film), and starring Carl Möhner, Folco Lulli, Helga Liné and Haral ...
'' (Adrian Hoven, 1966; German: ''Der Mörder mit dem Seidenschal'') starring Helga Line * ''Killer Without a Face'' (Angelo Dorigo, 1967; Italian: ''Assassino senza volto'') starring Janine Reynaud * ''
Deadly Sweet ''Col cuore in gola'' () is a 1967 ''giallo'' film directed by Tinto Brass. It is loosely based on the novel ''Il sepolcro di carta'' ( The Paper Tomb) written by Sergio Donati. The film used storyboards from cartoonist Guido Crepax. It has bee ...
'' (
Tinto Brass Giovanni "Tinto" Brass (born 26 March 1933) is an Italian film director and screenwriter. In the 1960s and 1970s, he directed many critically acclaimed avant-garde films of various genres. Today, he is mainly known for his later work in the er ...
, 1967; Italian: ''Col cuore in gola''/ ''With Heart in Mouth'') a.k.a. ''I Am What I Am'' * ''
The Sweet Body of Deborah ''The Sweet Body of Deborah'' ( it, Il dolce corpo di Deborah) is a 1968 ''giallo'' film directed by Romolo Girolami and starring Carroll Baker and Jean Sorel. It was written by Ernesto Gastaldi based on a story by Gastaldi and producer Luciano ...
'' (
Romolo Guerrieri Romolo Guerrieri, aka ''Romolo Girolami'' (born 5 December 1931) is an Italian film director and screenwriter. He directed 17 films between 1961 and 1992. Selected filmography ;Director * '' Ten Thousand Dollars for a Massacre'' (1966) * '' ...
, 1968; Italian: ''Il dolce corpo di Deborah'') * ''
Death Laid an Egg ''Death Laid an Egg'' ( it, La morte ha fatto l'uovo) is a 1968 ''giallo'' film directed by Giulio Questi. Written by Questi and Franco Arcalli, the film stars Ewa Aulin, Gina Lollobrigida and Jean-Louis Trintignant. Plot Married couple Anna an ...
'' (
Giulio Questi Giulio Questi (18 March 1924 – 3 December 2014) was an Italian film director and screenwriter.Marco Giusti, Dizionario dei film italiani stracult, Roma, Frassinelli, 2004. Questi was born in Bergamo. He wrote short stories and filmed se ...
, 1968; Italian: ''La morte ha fatto l'uovo'') a.k.a. ''Plucked'', a.k.a. ''A Curious Way to Love'' * ''
A Quiet Place in the Country ''A Quiet Place in the Country'' ( it, Un tranquillo posto di campagna, french: Un coin tranquille à la campagne) is a 1968 giallo thriller film directed by Elio Petri, and starring Franco Nero and Vanessa Redgrave. Based on the short story "Th ...
'' (
Elio Petri Eraclio Petri (29 January 1929 – 10 November 1982), commonly known as Elio Petri, was an Italian film director, screenwriter, theatre director, and critic associated with the political cinema in the 1960s and '70s. His film ''Investigation ...
, 1968; Italian: ''Un tranquillo posto di campagna'') * ''
The Young, the Evil and the Savage ''The Young, the Evil and the Savage'' ( it, Nude... si muore, lit=Naked... you die) is a 1968 Italian ''giallo'' film directed by Antonio Margheriti. Plot A woman is drowned in a bathtub and then placed in a trunk that lands in a pickup truck ...
'' (
Antonio Margheriti Antonio Margheriti (19 September 1930 – 4 November 2002), also known under the pseudonyms Anthony M. Dawson and Antony Daisies ("daisies" is "margherite" in Italian), was an Italians, Italian filmmaker. Margheriti worked in many different film ...
, 1968; Italian: ''Nude... si muore''/ '' Naked... You Die!'') a.k.a. ''The Schoolgirl Killer'' * ''
Deadly Inheritance ''Deadly Inheritance'' ( it, Omicidio per vocazione), is a 1969 Italian ''giallo'' film directed by Vittorio Sindoni. Plot An old man named Oscar is "accidentally" run over by a train in France. According to his will, his heirs must wait until t ...
'' (
Vittorio Sindoni Vittorio Sindoni (born 21 April 1939) is an Italian director and screenwriter. Life and career Born in Capo d'Orlando, Sicily, Sindoni started his career on stage directing the theater group "Il Collettivo" ("The Collective") in Rome, and work ...
, 1968; Italian: ''L'assassino ha le mani pulite'' / ''The Killer has Clean Hands'') * ''
Run, Psycho, Run ''Run, Psycho, Run'' ( it, Più tardi, Claire… più tardi/ translation: ''Later, Claire....Later'') is a 1968 film directed by Brunello Rondi. The film stars Gary Merrill, Elga Andersen and Georges Rivière. Although filmed in the mid 1960s, ''R ...
'' (Brunello Rondi, 1968; Italian: ''Più tardi Claire, più tardi...'') starring Janine Renaud * ''
A Black Veil for Lisa ''A Black Veil for Lisa'' ( it, La morte non ha sesso, lit. "Death has no sex") is a 1968 thriller film directed by Massimo Dallamano. Plot When a narcotics detective finds out that his beautiful wife (who is an ex-criminal) is cheating on him ...
'' (
Massimo Dallamano Massimo Dallamano (17 April 1917 – 4 November 1976), sometimes credited as Max Dillman, Max Dillmann or Jack Dalmas, was an Italian director and director of photography. Life and career Born in Milan, Dallamano began in the 1940s as camera ...
, 1968; Italian: ''La morte non ha sesso'' / ''Death Has No Sex'') * '' Interrabang'' (
Giuliano Biagetti Giuliano Biagetti (12 April 1925 – 29 March 1998) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. Life and career Born in La Spezia into a family of Pisan origins, Biagetti studied medicine at the university of Pisa, and during this time he f ...
, 1969) * ''
A Complicated Girl ''Una ragazza piuttosto complicata'' (internationally released as ''A Complicated Girl'') is a List of Italian films of 1968, 1968 Cinema of Italy, Italian giallo film directed by Damiano Damiani. For her performance in this film and in ''Metti una ...
'' (Damiano Damiani, 1969; Italian: ''Una ragazza piuttosto complicata''/ ''A Rather Complicated Girl'') starring Florinda Bolkan * '' So Sweet...So Perverse'' (Umberto Lenzi, 1969; Italian: ''Così dolce...così perversa'') * '' The Doll of Satan'' (Ferruccio Casapinta, 1969; Italian: ''La bambola di Satana'') * ''
One on Top of the Other ''One on Top of the Other'' (Italian: ''Una sull'altra''), also known as ''Perversion Story'', is a 1969 Italian giallo film directed by Lucio Fulci. Written by Fulci and Roberto Gianviti, the film stars Jean Sorel, Marisa Mell, Elsa Martinelli ...
'' (
Lucio Fulci Lucio Fulci (; 17 June 1927 – 13 March 1996) was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and actor. Although he worked in a wide array of genres through a career spanning nearly five decades, including comedies and Spaghetti Westerns, he garn ...
, 1969; Italian: ''Una sull'altra'') a.k.a.''Perversion Story'' * ''Murder by Music'' (Julio Buchs, 1969; Spanish: ''Las trompetas del apocalipsis''/ ''Trumpets of the Apocalypse''); starring Brett Halsey, Marilu Tolo * '' The House That Screamed'' (
Narciso Ibáñez Serrador Narciso Ibáñez Serrador (also known as Chicho Ibáñez Serrador or Luis Peñafiel; 4 July 1935 – 7 June 2019) was a Spanish film, television and theater director, actor and screenwriter. Biography Serrador was born in 1935 in Montevideo a ...
, Spanish, 1969) a.k.a. ''La residencia'', a.k.a. ''The Boarding School'' * ''
Death Knocks Twice ''Death Knocks Twice'' ( it, La morte bussa due volte), german: Blonde Köder für den Mörder), is a 1969 Italian-German detective film directed by Harald Philipp and starring Dean Reed, Fabio Testi and Adolfo Celi. It also starred Anita Ekberg ...
'' (
Harald Philipp Harald Philipp (1921–1999) was a German film director, screenwriter and actor. Selected filmography * ''The Old Forester House'' (1956) * ''The Csardas King'' (1958) * ''A Thousand Stars Aglitter'' (1959) * ' (1960) * ''Brandenburg Division'' ...
, 1969; Italian: ''La morte bussa due volte'') a.k.a. ''Blonde Bait for the Murderer'', a.k.a. ''Hard Women'', a.k.a. ''The Blonde Connection'' * ''
Double Face ''Double Face'' ( it, A doppia faccia, german: Das Gesicht im Dunkeln/ translation: ''The Face in the Dark'') is a 1969 thriller film directed by Riccardo Freda and starring Klaus Kinski, Christiane Krüger and Annabella Incontrera. It is part ...
'' (
Riccardo Freda Riccardo Freda (24 February 1909 – 20 December 1999) was an Italian film director. He worked in a variety of genres, including sword-and-sandal, horror film, horror, ''giallo'' and spy films. Freda began directing ''I Vampiri'' in 1956. The f ...
, 1969; Italian: ''A doppia faccia'') a.k.a.''Liz et Helen'' * ''Macabre'' (
Javier Setó Javier Setó (1926–1969) was a Spanish screenwriter and film director. Selected filmography * ''Forbidden Trade'' (1952) * '' Bronze and Moon'' (1953) * ''Bread, Love and Andalusia'' (1958) * ''Pelusa'' (1960) * ''The Castilian'' (1963) * '' The ...
, 1969; Spanish: ''Viaje al vacío'' / ''Journey to Emptiness'') a.k.a. ''The Invisible Assassin'', a.k.a. ''Shadow of Death'' * ''
Orgasmo ''Orgasmo'' is a 1969 giallo film directed by Umberto Lenzi and starring Carroll Baker, Lou Castel, and Colette Descombes. It follows a wealthy American socialite who finds herself preyed upon by two nefarious young siblings who indulge her in s ...
'' (
Umberto Lenzi Umberto Lenzi (6 August 1931 – 19 October 2017) was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and novelist. A fan of film since young age, Lenzi studied at the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia and made his first film in 1958 which went unr ...
, 1969) released in USA as ''Paranoia''


1970s

* ''
The Bird with the Crystal Plumage ''The Bird with the Crystal Plumage'' () is a 1970 giallo film directed by Dario Argento, in his directorial debut. The film has been credited with popularizing giallo, an Italian genre of thriller developed in the 1960s. It is the first in what ...
'' (
Dario Argento Dario Argento (; born 7 September 1940) is an Italian film director, producer, screenwriter, actor and film critic, critic. His influential work in the horror film, horror genre during the 1970s and 1980s, particularly in the subgenre known as ...
, 1970; Italian: ''L'uccello dalle piume di cristallo'') a.k.a. ''Phantom of Terror'', a.k.a. ''The Gallery Murders'' * ''
Hatchet for the Honeymoon ''Hatchet for the Honeymoon'' ( it, Il rosso segno della follia, lit=The Red Sign of Madness) is a 1970 giallo film directed by Mario Bava and starring Stephen Forsyth, Dagmar Lassander, Laura Betti, and Femi Benussi. The story follows John Harri ...
'' (Mario Bava, 1970; Italian: ''Il rosso segno della follia'' / ''The Red Mark of Madness'') a.k.a. ''Blood Brides'' * ''
Paranoia Paranoia is an instinct or thought process that is believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety or fear, often to the point of delusion and irrationality. Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs, or beliefs of conspiracy concer ...
'' (Umberto Lenzi, 1970) released in USA as ''
A Quiet Place to Kill ''A Quiet Place to Kill'' ( it, Paranoia) is a 1970 ''giallo'' film directed by Umberto Lenzi. Plot Helen, a racecar driver whose personal and professional life is rapidly declining, is invited by her ex-husband Maurice's new wife Constance to ...
'' * ''
Five Dolls for an August Moon ''Five Dolls for an August Moon'' (Italian: ''5 bambole per la luna d'agosto'') is a 1970 Italian giallo film directed by Mario Bava. It concerns a group of people who have gathered on a remote island for fun and relaxation. One of the guests is ...
'' (Mario Bava, 1970; Italian: ''5 bambole per la luna d'agosto'') a.k.a. ''Island of Terror'' * ''
Death Occurred Last Night ''La morte risale a ieri sera'' (translation: ''Death occurred last night'') is a 1970 crime film directed by Duccio Tessari. The film was written by Tessari and Biagio Proietti and based on the novel '' I milanesi ammazzano al sabato'' (translati ...
'' (
Duccio Tessari Duccio Tessari (11 October 1926 – 6 September 1994) was an Italian director, screenwriter and actor, considered one of the fathers of Spaghetti Westerns. Born in Genoa Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian re ...
, 1970; Italian: ''La morte risale a ieri sera'' * ''
A Suitcase for a Corpse ''A Suitcase for a Corpse'' ( es, Una maleta para un cadáver) is a 1970 Italian-Spanish giallo film directed by Alfonso Brescia. The film's Italian title, ''Il tuo dolce corpo da uccidere'', translates as ''Your Sweet Body to Kill''. Plot Aft ...
'' (Alfonso Brescia, 1970; Italian: ''Il tuo dolce corpo da uccidere'' / ''Your Sweet Body to Murder'') * ''Your Hands on My Body'' (Brunello Rondi, 1970; Italian: ''Le tue mani sul mio corpo'') a.k.a. ''Schocking'' * ''Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion'' (Luciano Ercoli, 1970; Italian: ''Le foto proibite di una signora per bene'') * ''Kill the Fatted Calf and Roast It'' (Salvatore Samperi, 1970; Italian: ''Uccidete il vitello grasso e arrostitelo'') * ''In the Folds of the Flesh'' (Sergio Bergonzelli, 1970; Italian: ''Nelle pieghe della carne'') * ''The Weekend Murders'' (Michele Lupo, 1970; Italian: ''Concerto per pistola solista'') a.k.a. ''The Story of a Crime'' * ''The Man with Icy Eyes'' (Alberto De Martino, 1971; Italian: ''L'uomo dagli occhi di ghiaccio'') * ''A Lizard in a Woman's Skin'' (Lucio Fulci, 1971; Italian: ''Una lucertola con la pelle di donna'') a.k.a. ''Schizoid'' * ''
The Fifth Cord ''The Fifth Cord'' (Italian language, Italian: ''Giornata nera per l'ariete'', lit. "Black Day for Aries") is a 1971 Italian giallo film directed by Luigi Bazzoni. The film's Italian title reprises Dario Argento's practice of using animals in the ...
'' (
Luigi Bazzoni Luigi Bazzoni (25 June 1929 - 1 March 2012) was an Italian director and screenwriter. Born in Salsomaggiore Terme, Italy, Bazzoni was the elder brother of the film director and cinematographer Camillo Bazzoni and a cousin of the Academy Award w ...
, 1971; Italian: ''Giornata nera per l'ariete'' / ''Black Day for the Ram'') a.k.a. ''Evil Fingers'' * ''Oasis of Fear'' (
Umberto Lenzi Umberto Lenzi (6 August 1931 – 19 October 2017) was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and novelist. A fan of film since young age, Lenzi studied at the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia and made his first film in 1958 which went unr ...
, 1971; Italian: ''Un posto ideale per uccidere'' / ''An Ideal Place to Kill'') a.k.a. ''Dirty Pictures'' * ''
The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh ''The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh'' (Italian: ''Lo strano vizio della Signora Wardh'') is a 1971 ''giallo'' mystery film directed by Sergio Martino, and starring Edwige Fenech, George Hilton, Ivan Rassimov, and Alberto de Mendoza. Its plot follo ...
'' (
Sergio Martino Sergio Martino (born 19 July 1938) is an Italian film director and producer, notable for his contributions to the giallo genre. Martino is the brother of the late producer Luciano Martino (who died in 2013). They collaborated frequently in their ...
, 1971; Italian: ''Lo strano vizio della Signora Wardh'') a.k.a. ''Blade of the Ripper'', a.k.a. ''Next!'', a.k.a. ''The Next Victim''Notebook Soundtrack Mix #10: The Black Belly of Giallo on Notebook, MUBI
/ref> * ''The Case of the Scorpion's Tail'' (Sergio Martino, 1971; Italian: ''La coda dello scorpione'' / ''Tail of the Scorpion'') * ''Black Belly of the Tarantula'' (
Paolo Cavara Paolo Cavara (4 July 1926 – 7 August 1982) was an Italian screenwriter and film director. He is best known for collaborating with Gualtiero Jacopetti and Franco E. Prosperi on the 1962 mondo film ''Mondo Cane'', and for directing the ficti ...
, 1971; Italian: ''La tarantola dal ventre nero'') * ''The Cat o' Nine Tails'' (Dario Argento, 1971; Italian: ''Il gatto a nove code'') * ''The Bloodstained Butterfly'' (Duccio Tessari, 1971; Italian: ''Una farfalla con le ali insanguinate'') a.k.a. ''Secret of the Black Rose'' * ''
Four Flies on Grey Velvet ''Four Flies on Grey Velvet'' ( it, 4 mosche di velluto grigio) is a 1971 '' giallo'' film written and directed by Dario Argento. The film concerns Roberto Tobias ( Michael Brandon), who accidentally kills a man and is then tormented by someone w ...
'' (Dario Argento, 1971; Italian: ''4 mosche di velluto grigio'') * ''Marta (film), Marta'' (José Antonio Nieves Conde, 1971; Italian: ''...dopo di che, uccide il maschio e lo divora'' / ''Afterwards, It Kills and Devours the Male'') * ''The Double (1971 film), The Double'' (Romolo Guerrieri, 1971; Italian: ''La Controfigura'') a.k.a. ''Love Inferno'' * ''Cross Current'' (Tonino Ricci, 1971; Italian: ''Un Omicidio perfetto a termine di legge'' / ''A Perfect Murder According to Law'') * '' The Iguana with the Tongue of Fire'' (
Riccardo Freda Riccardo Freda (24 February 1909 – 20 December 1999) was an Italian film director. He worked in a variety of genres, including sword-and-sandal, horror film, horror, ''giallo'' and spy films. Freda began directing ''I Vampiri'' in 1956. The f ...
, 1971; Italian: ''L'iguana dalla lingua di fuoco'') * ''A Bay of Blood'' (Mario Bava, 1971; Italian: ''Reazione a catena'' / ''Chain Reaction'') a.k.a. ''Twitch of the Death Nerve'', a.k.a. ''Ecologia del delitto'' / ''Ecology of Crime'', a.k.a. ''Last House on the Left Part 2'' * ''They Have Changed Their Face'' (Corrado Farina, 1971; Italian: ''Hanno cambiato faccia'') * ''The Designated Victim'' (Maurizio Lucidi, 1971; Italian: ''La vittima designata'') a.k.a. ''Murder by Design'' * ''Slaughter Hotel'' (
Fernando Di Leo Fernando Di Leo (11 January 1932 – 2 December 2003) was an Italian film director and screenwriter, script writer. He made 17 films as a director and about 50 scripts from 1964 to 1985. Biography Fernando Di Leo was born on 11 January 1932 in ...
, 1971; Italian: ''La bestia uccide a sangue freddo'' / ''The Beast Kills in Cold Blood'') a.k.a. ''Asylum Erotica'', a.k.a. ''The Cold-Blooded Beast'' * ''The Fourth Victim'' (Eugenio Martín, 1971; Italian: ''In fondo alla piscina'' / ''At the Front of the Pool'') a.k.a.''Death at the Deep End of the Pool'', a.k.a.''La ultima senora Anderson'' / ''The Last Mrs. Anderson'', starring Carroll Baker * ''The Devil Has Seven Faces'' (Osvaldo Civirani, 1971; Italian: ''Il diavolo ha sette facce'') a.k.a. ''The Devil with Seven Faces'' * ''Seven Murders for Scotland Yard'' (José Luis Madrid, 1971; Spanish: ''Jack el destripador de Londres''/ ''Jack the Ripper of London'') a.k.a. ''Seven Corpses for Scotland Yard'' * ''Death Walks on High Heels'' (Luciano Ercoli, 1971; Italian: ''La morte cammina con i tacchi alti'') * ''Short Night of Glass Dolls, The Short Night of the Glass Dolls'' (Aldo Lado, 1971; Italian: ''La corta notte delle bambole di vetro'') a.k.a. ''Paralyzed'' * ''Cold Eyes of Fear'' (Enzo G. Castellari, 1971; Italian: ''Gli occhi freddi della paura'') a.k.a. ''Desperate Moments'' *''Human Cobras'' (Bitto Albertini, written by
Ernesto Gastaldi Ernesto Gastaldi (born 10 September 1934) is an Italian screenwriter. Film historian and critic Tim Lucas described Gastaldi as the first Italian screenwriter to specialize in horror and thriller films. Gastaldi worked within several popular gen ...
, 1971; Italian: ''L'uomo più velenoso del cobra'') * ''In the Eye of the Hurricane'' (José María Forqué, 1971; Italian: ''La volpe dalla coda di velluto'' / ''The Fox with a Velvet Tail'') * ''The Glass Ceiling (film), The Glass Ceiling'' (Eloy de la Iglesia, 1971; Spanish: ''El techo de cristal'') stars Patty Shepard and Emma Cohen * ''Two Males for Alexa'' / ''Due maschi per Alexa'' (Juan Logar, 1971; Spanish: ''Fieras sin jaula''/ ''Cageless Beasts'') stars Rosalba Neri and Emma Cohen * ''The Night Evelyn Came Out of the Grave'' (Emilio Miraglia, 1971; Italian: ''La notte che Evelyn uscì dalla tomba'') * ''The Great Swindle (1971 film), The Great Swindle'' (José Antonio Nieves Conde, 1971; Spanish: ''Historia de una traición'') * ''Amuck!'' (Silvio Amadio, 1971; Italian: ''Alla ricerca del piacere'' / ''In Pursuit of Pleasure'') a.k.a. ''Maniac Mansion'', a.k.a. ''Leather and Whips'', a.k.a. ''Hot Bed of Sex'' * ''The Red Headed Corpse'' (Renzo Russo, 1972; Italian: ''La rossa dalla pelle che scotta'') a.k.a. ''The Sensuous Doll'' * ''The Case of the Bloody Iris'' (Giuliano Carnimeo, 1972; Italian: ''Perché quelle strane gocce di sangue sul corpo di Jennifer?'' / ''What Are Those Strange Drops of Blood on Jennifer's Body?'') * ''Don't Torture a Duckling'' (Lucio Fulci, 1972; Italian: ''Non si sevizia un paperino'') a.k.a. ''The Long Night of Exorcism'' * ''Who Killed the Prosecutor and Why?'' (Giuseppe Vari, 1972; Italian: ''Terza ipotesi su un caso di perfetta strategia criminale'' / ''Third hypothesis about a perfect criminal strategy case'') * ''Death Walks at Midnight'' (Luciano Ercoli, 1972: Italian: ''La morte accarezza a mezzanotte''/ ''Death Caresses at Midnight'') a.k.a. ''Cry Out in Terror'' * ''Alta Tension'' / ''High Tension'' (Julio Buchs, 1972; Spanish: ''Doppia coppia con Regina'') starring Helga Line, Marisa Mell * ''An Open Tomb...An Empty Coffin'' (Alfonso Balcázar, 1972; Spanish: ''La casa de las muertas vivientes'' / ''House of the Living Dead Women'') a.k.a. ''The Nights of the Scorpion'' * ''Who Saw Her Die?'' (Aldo Lado, 1972; Italian: ''Chi l'ha vista morire?'') * ''My Dear Killer'' (Tonino Valerii, 1972; Italian: ''Mio caro assassino'') * ''Spirits of Death'' (Romano Scavolini, 1972; Italian: ''Un bianco vestito per Marialé''/ ''A White Dress for Mariale'') a.k.a. ''Exorcisme Tragique'' * ''
Your Vice Is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key ''Your Vice Is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key'' ( it, Il tuo vizio è una stanza chiusa e solo io ne ho la chiave) is a 1972 ''giallo'' film directed by Sergio Martino. The picture stars Edwige Fenech, Luigi Pistilli, and Anita Strindberg. ...
'' (
Sergio Martino Sergio Martino (born 19 July 1938) is an Italian film director and producer, notable for his contributions to the giallo genre. Martino is the brother of the late producer Luciano Martino (who died in 2013). They collaborated frequently in their ...
, 1972; Italian: ''Il tuo vizio è una stanza chiusa e solo io ne ho la chiave'') a.k.a. ''Gently Before She Dies'', a.k.a. ''Eye of the Black Cat'', a.k.a. ''Excite Me!'' * ''The French Sex Murders'' (Ferdinando Merighi, 1972; Italian: ''Casa d'appuntamento''/ ''The House of Rendezvous'') a.k.a. ''The Bogey Man and the French Murders'' * ''Death Falls Lightly'' (Leopoldo Savona, 1972; Italian: ''La morte scende leggera'') * ''Smile Before Death'' (Silvio Amadio, 1972; Italian: ''Il sorriso della iena''/ ''Smile of the Hyena'') * ''What Have You Done to Solange?'' (Massimo Dallamano, 1972; Italian: ''Cosa avete fatto a Solange?'') a.k.a. ''Secret of the Green Pins'', a.k.a. ''Who's Next?'', a.k.a. ''Terror in the Woods'' * ''Knife of Ice'' (Umberto Lenzi, 1972; Italian: ''Il coltello di ghiaccio'') * ''Eye in the Labyrinth'' (Mario Caiano, 1972; Italian: ''L'occhio nel labirinto'') a.k.a. ''Blood'', starring Alida Valli * ''Murder Mansion'' (Francisco Lara Polop, 1972; Italian: ''Quando Marta urlò dalla tomba'' / ''When Marta Screamed from the Grave'') a.k.a. ''The House in the Fog'' * ''
All the Colors of the Dark ''All the Colors of the Dark'' ( it, Tutti i colori del buio) is a 1972 ''giallo'' film directed by Sergio Martino and starring Edwige Fenech, George Hilton and George Rigaud. The film was also released under the alternate titles ''Day of the M ...
'' (Sergio Martino, 1972; Italian: ''Tutti i colori del buio'') a.k.a. ''Day of the Maniac'', a.k.a. ''They're Coming to Get You!'' * ''The Killer is on the Phone'' (Alberto De Martino, 1972; Italian: ''L'assassino e' al telefono'') a.k.a. ''Scenes From a Murder'', starring Telly Savalas * ''Tropic of Cancer'' (Edoardo Mulargia, 1972; Italian: ''Al Tropico del Cancro'') a.k.a. ''Death in Haiti'' * ''Love and Death in the Garden of the Gods'' (:it:Sauro Scavolini, Sauro Scavolini, 1972; Italian: '':it:Amore e morte nel giardino degli dei, Amore e morte nel giardino degli dei'') * ''The Dead Are Alive'' (
Armando Crispino Armando Crispino (18 October 1924 – 6 October 2003) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. He was born in Biella, Piedmont. He directed nine films between 1966 and 1975. He also wrote for nine films between 1965 and 1975. He also d ...
, 1972; Italian: ''L'etrusco uccide ancora'' / ''The Etruscan Kills Again'') * ''So Sweet, So Dead'' (Roberto Montero, 1972; Italian: ''Rivelazione di un maniaco sessuale''/ ''Revelations of a Sex Maniac'') a.k.a. ''The Slasher is the Sex Maniac'', a.k.a. ''Penetration'' * ''Delirium'' (Renato Polselli, 1972; Italian: ''Delirio caldo'') * ''Seven Blood-Stained Orchids'' (Umberto Lenzi, 1972; Italian: ''Sette orchidee macchiate di rosso'') * ''The Crimes of the Black Cat'' (Sergio Pastore, 1972; Italian: ''Sette scialli di seta gialla'' / ''Seven Shawls of Yellow Silk'') * ''Naked Girl Killed in the Park'' (Alfonso Brescia, 1972; Italian: ''Ragazza tutta nuda assassinata nel parco'') a.k.a. ''Naked Girl Found in the Park'' * ''The Two Faces of Fear'' (Tulio Demicheli, 1972; Italian: ''I due volti della paura'') a.k.a. ''Two Faces of Terror'', starring Anita Strindberg, George Hilton * ''The Weapon, the Hour, the Motive'' (Francesco Mazzei, 1972; Italian: ''L'arma, l'ora, il movente'') * ''The Red Queen Kills Seven Times'' (Emilio Miraglia, 1972; Italian: ''La dama rossa uccide sette volte'') a.k.a. ''Blood Feast'', a.k.a. ''Feast of Flesh'' * ''The Cat in Heat'' (Nello Rossati, 1972; Italian: ''La gatta en calore'') * ''A.A.A. Masseuse, Good-Looking, Offers Her Services'' (Demofilo Fidani, 1972; Italian: ''A.A.A. Massaggiatrice bella presenza offresi...'') * ''Death Carries a Cane'' (Maurizio Pradeaux, 1973) Italian: ''Passi di danza su una lama di rasoio'' / ''Dance Steps on a Razor's Edge''; a.k.a. ''Maniac at Large'', a.k.a. ''Tormentor'' * ''
Torso The torso or trunk is an anatomical term for the central part, or the core, of the body of many animals (including humans), from which the head, neck, limbs, tail and other appendages extend. The tetrapod torso — including that of a human ...
'' (Sergio Martino, 1973; Italian: ''I corpi presentano tracce di violenza carnale'' / ''The Bodies Show Traces of Carnal Violence'') * ''The Flower with the Petals of Steel'' (Gianfranco Piccioli, 1973; Italian: ''Il fiore dai petali d'acciaio'' / ''The Flower with the Deadly Sting'') starring Carroll Baker * ''Seven Deaths in the Cat's Eye'' (Antonio Margheriti, 1973; Italian: ''La morte negli occhi del gatto'' / ''Death in the Eyes of the Cat'') *''The Bloodstained Lawn'' (Riccardo Ghione, 1973; Italian: ''Il prato macchiato di rosso'') * ''Sex of the Witch, The Sex of the Witch'' (Angelo Pannaccio, 1973; Italian: ''Il sesso della strega'') starring Camille Keaton * ''Love and Death on the Edge of a Razor'' (Giusseppe Pellegrini, 1973; Italian: ''Giorni d'amore sul filo di una lama'') a.k.a.''Muerte au Rasoir'' * ''The Crimes of Petiot'' (José Luis Madrid, 1973; Spanish: ''Los crímenes de Petiot'') * ''Death Smiles on a Murderer'' (Joe D'Amato, 1973; Italian: ''La morte ha sorriso all'assassino'') * ''No One Heard the Scream'' (Eloy de la Iglesia, 1973; Spanish: ''Nadie oyó gritar'') * ''Don't Look Now'' (Nicolas Roeg, 1973; Italian: ''A Venezia... un Dicembre rosso shocking'' / ''In Venice... a Shocking Red December'') * ''The Perfume of the Lady in Black'' (Francesco Barilli, 1974; Italian: ''Il profumo della signora in nero'') * ''Delitto d'autore'' (Mario Sabatini, 1974; translation: ''Copyright Crime'') starring Sylva Koscina, Luigi Pistilli * ''Blue Eyes of the Broken Doll'' (Carlos Aured, 1974; Spanish: ''Los ojos azules de la muñeca rota'') a.k.a. ''House of Psychotic Women'' * ''Five Women for the Killer'' (Stelvio Massi, 1974; Italian: ''Cinque donne per l'assassino'') * ''Spasmo'' (Umberto Lenzi, 1974) * ''Puzzle (1974 film), Puzzle'' (Duccio Tessari, 1974; Italian: ''L'uomo senza memoria'' / ''The Man Without a Memory'') * ''The Girl in Room 2A'' (William Rose, 1974, Italian: ''La casa della paura'' / ''The House of Fear'') a.k.a. ''The Perversions of Mrs. Grant'' * ''The Killer Reserved Nine Seats'' (Giuseppe Bennati, 1974; Italian: ''L'assassino ha riservato nove poltrone'') * ''
What Have They Done to Your Daughters? ''What Have They Done to Your Daughters?'' ( it, La polizia chiede aiuto , lit=The police ask for help) is a 1974 Italian ''giallo'' and ''poliziotteschi'' film directed by Massimo Dallamano. Plot Police officers investigated the death of 14-yea ...
'' (Massimo Dallamano, 1974; Italian: ''La polizia chiede aiuto'' / ''The Police Need Help'') a.k.a. ''The Co-ed Murders'' * ''Ciak...si muore'' (Mario Moroni, 1974; rough translation: ''Clack...You Die'' (as in the sound a clapboard makes)) * ''The Killer Is One of the Thirteen'' (Javier Aguirre (film director), Javier Aguirre, 1974; Spanish: ''El asesino está entre los trece'') * ''The Killer Wore Gloves'' (Juan Bosch (film director), Juan Bosch, 1974; Spanish: ''La Muerte llama a las diez'' / ''Death Calls at Ten'') a.k.a. ''Le calde labbra del carnefice'' / ''The Hot Lips of the Killer'' * ''The Killer With a Thousand Eyes'' (Juan Bosch, 1974; Spanish: ''Los mil ojos del asesino'') a.k.a. ''On The Edge'' * ''The Fish With the Gold Eyes'' (Pedro Luis Ramírez, 1974, Spanish: ''El pez del los ojos de oro'') starring Monserrat Prous * ''Death Will Have Your Eyes'' (:de:Giovanni D'Eramo, Giovanni D'Eramo, 1974; Italian: ''La moglie giovane''/ ''The Young Wife'') a.k.a. ''Triangle'', a.k.a. ''Infamia'' * ''Eyeball (film), Eyeball'' (Umberto Lenzi, 1975; Italian: ''Gatti rossi in un labirinto di vetro'' / ''Red Cats in a Glass Maze'') a.k.a. ''Wide-Eyed in the Dark'' * ''
Autopsy An autopsy (post-mortem examination, obduction, necropsy, or autopsia cadaverum) is a surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse by dissection to determine the cause, mode, and manner of death or to evaluate any di ...
'' (
Armando Crispino Armando Crispino (18 October 1924 – 6 October 2003) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. He was born in Biella, Piedmont. He directed nine films between 1966 and 1975. He also wrote for nine films between 1965 and 1975. He also d ...
, 1975; Italian: ''Macchie solari'' / ''Sunspots'') * ''The Killer Must Kill Again'' (Luigi Cozzi, 1975; Italian: ''L'assassino è costretto ad uccidere ancora'') a.k.a. ''Il Ragno'' (''The Spider''), a.k.a. ''The Dark is Death's Friend'' * ''Giochi erotici di una famiglia per bene''/ ''Erotic Games of a Good Family'' (Francesco Degli Espinosa, 1975) starring Erica Blanc * ''All the Screams of Silence'' (Ramón Barco, 1975, Spanish: ''Todo los gritos del silencio'') * ''A Dragonfly for Each Corpse'' (León Klimovsky, 1975; Spanish: ''Una libélula para cada muerto'') * ''La pelle sotto gli artigli''/ ''The Skin Under the Claws'' (Alessandro Santini, 1975) starring Gordon Mitchell * ''Footprints on the Moon (1975 film), Footprints on the Moon'' (Luigi Bazzoni, 1975; Italian: ''Le orme''/ ''Footsteps'') * ''Deep Red'' (Dario Argento, 1975; Italian: ''Profondo rosso'') a.k.a.''The Hatchet Murders'' * ''Strip Nude for Your Killer'' (Andrea Bianchi, 1975) a.k.a. ''Nude per l'assassino'' * ''The Killer is Not Alone'' (Jesus Garcia de Duenas, 1975; Spanish: ''El asesino no está solo'') starring Maria Rohm * ''Reflections in Black'' (Tano Cimarosa, 1975; Italian: ''Il vizio ha le calze nere'' / ''Vice Wears Black Hose'') * ''The Suspicious Death of a Minor'' (Sergio Martino, 1975; Italian: ''Morte sospetta di una minorenne'') a.k.a. ''Too Young to Die'' * ''The Bloodsucker Leads the Dance'' (Alfredo Rizzo, 1975; Italian: ''La sanguisuga conduce la danza'') a.k.a. ''The Passion of Evelyn'' * ''...a tutte le auto della polizia'' (Mario Caiano, 1975; English: ''Calling All Police Cars'') a.k.a. ''The Maniac Responsible'' * ''Snapshot of a Crime'' (Mario Imperoli, 1975; Italian: ''Istantanea per un delitto'') * ''The Police Are Blundering in the Dark'' (Helia Colombo, 1975; Italian: ''La polizia brancola nel buio'') * ''The House with Laughing Windows'' (
Pupi Avati Giuseppe Avati, better known as Pupi Avati (born 3 November 1938), is an Italian film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is known to horror film fans for his two giallo masterpieces, ''The House with Laughing Windows'' (1976) and '' Zeder ...
, 1976; Italian: ''La casa dalle finestre che ridono'') * ''Plot of Fear'' (Paolo Cavara, 1976; Italian: ''E tanta paura''/ ''Too Much Fear'') a.k.a. ''Bloody Peanuts'' * ''Death Haunts Monica'' (Ramón Fernández, 1976; Spanish: ''La Muerte Ronda a Monica'') starring Jean Sorel * ''Death Steps in the Dark'' (Maurizio Pradeaux, 1977; Italian: ''Passi di morte perduti nel buio'') * ''Crazy Desires of a Murderer'' (Filippo Walter Ratti, 1977; Italian: ''I vizi morbosi di una governante''/ ''The Morbid Vices of a Housekeeper'') * ''The Psychic'' (Lucio Fulci, 1977) a.k.a. ''
Sette note in nero ''Sette note in nero'' () is a 1977 Italian giallo film directed by Lucio Fulci and co-written by him with Roberto Gianviti and Dardano Sacchetti. ''Sette note in nero'' stars Jennifer O'Neill, Gianni Garko, Marc Porel, and Ida Galli. The film i ...
'') a.k.a. ''Murder to the Tune of Seven Black Notes'' * ''
The Pyjama Girl Case ''La ragazza dal pigiama giallo'' (Italian for ''The Girl in the Yellow Pyjamas'') is a 1977 Italian giallo film directed by Flavio Mogherini, distributed internationally as ''The Pyjama Girl Case''. Film information The film is based on a real ...
'' (Flavio Mogherini, 1977; Italian: ''La ragazza dal pigiama giallo'' / ''The Girl in the Yellow Pyjamas'') * ''Watch Me When I Kill'' (Antonio Bido, 1977; Italian: ''Il gatto dagli occhi di giada'' / ''The Cat with the Jade Eyes'') a.k.a. ''The Cat's Victims'' * ''The Eyes Behind the Wall'' (Giuliano Petrelli, 1977; Italian: ''L'occhio dietro la parete'') starring John Phillip Law * ''Nine Guests for a Crime'' (Ferdinando Baldi, 1977; Italian: ''9 ospiti per un delitto'') a.k.a. ''A Cry in the Night'' * ''Suspiria'' (Dario Argento, 1977) * ''Hotel Fear'' (Francesco Barilli, 1978; Italian: ''Pensione Paura'') * ''The Sister of Ursula'' (Enzo Milioni, 1978; Italian: ''La sorella di Ursula'') a.k.a. ''La muerte tiene ojos'' / ''Death Has Eyes'', a.k.a. ''Ursula's Sister'' * ''Red Rings of Fear'' (Alberto Negrin, 1978; Italian: ''Enigma rosso''/ ''Red Enigma'') a.k.a. ''Virgin Terror'', a.k.a. ''Trauma'', a.k.a. ''Rings of Fear'' * ''The Bloodstained Shadow'' (Antonio Bido, 1978; Italian: ''Solamente nero'' / ''Only Blackness'') * ''L'immoralità'' (Massimo Pirri, 1978) a.k.a. ''Cock Crows at Eleven'' * ''The Perfect Crime (1978 film), The Perfect Crime'' (Giuseppe Rosati, 1978; Italian: ''Indagine su un delitto perfetto''/ ''Investigation of a Perfect Crime'') starring Joseph Cotten, Paul Muller * ''Trauma'' (Leon Klimovsky, 1978; Spanish: ''Violacion Fatal'') starring Antoio Mayans * ''Neapolitan Mystery, Atrocious Tales of Love and Death'' (Sergio Corbucci, 1979; Italian: ''Giallo napoletano'') a.k.a. ''Melodie meurtriere'', a.k.a. ''Atrocious Tales of Love and Revenge'' * ''Killer Nun'' (Giulio Berutti, 1979; Italian: ''Suir omicidi'') a.k.a. ''Deadly Habit'' * ''The Sky is Falling'' (Silvio Narizzano, 1979; Spanish: ''Las Flores del Vicio'') a.k.a. ''Bloodbath'', starring Carroll Baker * ''Giallo a Venezia'' (Mario Landi, 1979) a.k.a. ''Giallo in Venice'', a.k.a. ''Giallo, Venetian Style'' * ''Play Motel'' (Mario Gariazzo, 1979)


1980s

* ''Trhauma'' (Gianni Martucci, 1980; Italian: ''Il mistero della casa maledetta'' / ''Mystery of the Cursed House'') a.k.a. ''Thrauma'' * ''Murder Obsession'' (Riccardo Freda, 1981; Italian: ''Follia omicida'' / ''Murder Madness'') a.k.a. ''Fear'', a.k.a.'' The Wailing'', a.k.a. ''The Murder Syndrome'' * ''The Secret of Seagull Island'' (Nestore Ungaro, 1981; Italian: ''L'isola del gabbiano'') this was the feature version edited from a 1981 TV miniseries called ''Seagull Island''; a British/Italian co-production * ''Inferno (1980 film), Inferno'' (Dario Argento, 1980) * ''Madhouse (1981 film), Madhouse'' (Ovidio Assonitis, 1981) a.k.a. ''There Was a Little Girl'', a.k.a. ''And When She Was Bad'' * ''Nightmare (1981 film), Nightmare'' (Romano Scavolini, 1981) a.k.a. ''Nightmares in a Damaged Brain'' * ''Tenebrae (film), Tenebrae'' (Dario Argento, 1982) a.k.a. ''Unsane'' * ''The Scorpion with Two Tails'' (Sergio Martino, 1982; Italian: ''Assassinio al cimitero etrusco'' / ''Murder in the Etruscan Cemetery'') * ''The New York Ripper'' (Lucio Fulci, 1982; Italian: ''Lo squartatore di New York'') * ''Delitto Carnale'' (Cesare Canaveri, 1982; English: ''Carnal Crime'') a.k.a. ''Killing of the Flesh'', a.k.a. ''Sensual Murder''; also released as a hardcore adult version * ''A Blade in the Dark'' (Lamberto Bava, 1983; Italian: ''La casa con la scala nel buio'' / ''The House with the Dark Staircase'') * ''Blood Link'' (Alberto De Martino, 1983) a.k.a. ''Extrasensorial'' * ''The House of the Yellow Carpet'' (Carlo Lizzani, 1983; Italian: ''La casa del tappeto giallo'') * ''Murder Rock'' (Lucio Fulci, 1984; Italian: ''Murderock – uccide a passo di danza'') a.k.a. ''The Demon Is Loose!'', a.k.a. ''Murder Rock – Dancing Death'' * ''Nothing Underneath'' (Carlo Vanzina, 1985; Italian: ''Sotto il vestito niente'' / ''Nothing Underneath the Dress'') a.k.a. ''The Last Shot'' * ''Formula for a Murder'' (Alberto De Martino, 1985) a.k.a. ''7 Hyden Park – La casa maledetta'' / ''7 Hyde Park - The Cursed House'' * ''Phenomena (film), Phenomena'' (Dario Argento, 1985) a.k.a. ''Creepers'' * ''Black Octopus'' (Marta Reguera, 1985; Spanish: ''Pulpo Negro'') made for Argentinian TV * ''The House of the Blue Shadows'' (Beppe Cino, 1986; Italian: ''La casa del buon ritorno'') a.k.a. ''The House with the Blue Shutters'' * ''The Killer is Still Among Us'' (Camillo Teti, 1986; Italian: ''L'assassino è ancora tra noi'') * ''You'll Die at Midnight'' (Lamberto Bava, 1986; Italian: ''Morirai a mezzanotte'') a.k.a. ''The Midnight Killer'', a.k.a. ''Midnight Horror'' * ''The Monster of Florence'' (Cesare Ferrario, 1986; Italian: ''Il mostro di firenze'') a.k.a. ''Night Ripper'' * Body Count (1986 film), ''Body Count'' (1986 film) (Ruggero Deodato, 1986; Italian: ''Camping Del Terrore'') * ''Delitti'' (Giovanna Lenzi, 1987; English: ''Crimes'') * ''Sweets from a Stranger (film), Sweets from a Stranger'' (Franco Ferrini, 1987; Italian: ''Caramelle da uno sconosciuto'') * ''Stage Fright (1987 film), Stage Fright'' (
Michele Soavi Michele Soavi, sometimes known as Michael Soavi (born 3 July 1957)Baldassarre, Angela (1999) "The Great Dictators: Interviews with Filmmakers of Italian Descent", Guernica Editions, is an Italian filmmaker, actor, and screenwriter best known fo ...
, 1987; Italian: ''Deliria'') a.k.a. ''Aquarius'', a.k.a. ''Bloody Bird'' * ''Delirium (1987 film), Delirium'' (Lamberto Bava, 1987; Italian: ''Le foto di Gioia'' / ''Photos of Gioia'') * ''Opera (1987 film), Opera'' (Dario Argento, 1987) a.k.a. ''Terror at the Opera'' * ''Phantom of Death'' (
Ruggero Deodato Ruggero Deodato (born 7 May 1939) is an Italian film director, screenwriter, and sometime actor. His career has spanned a wide-range of genres including peplum, comedy, drama, poliziottesco and science fiction, yet he is perhaps best known fo ...
, 1988; Italian: ''Un delitto poco comune'' / ''An Uncommon Crime'') a.k.a. ''Off Balance'' * ''Too Beautiful to Die'' (Dario Piana, 1988; Italian: ''Sotto il vestito niente 2'' / ''Nothing Underneath 2'') * ''Dial: Help'' (Ruggero Deodato, 1988; Italian: ''Minaccia d'amore'' / ''Love Threat'') * ''Delitti e profumi'' (Vittorio De Sisti, 1988; English: ''Crimes and Perfume'') * ''Obsession: A Taste for Fear'' (Piccio Raffanini, 1988; Italian: ''Pathos: Un sapore di paura'') * ''The Murder Secret'' (Mario Bianchi, Lucio Fulci, 1988; Italian: ''Non aver paura della zia Marta'' / ''Don't Be Afraid of Aunt Martha'') a.k.a.''Aunt Martha Does Dreadful Things'' * ''Massacre'' (Andrea Bianchi, 1989) * ''Nightmare Beach'' (
Umberto Lenzi Umberto Lenzi (6 August 1931 – 19 October 2017) was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and novelist. A fan of film since young age, Lenzi studied at the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia and made his first film in 1958 which went unr ...
, 1989) a.k.a. ''Welcome To Spring Break'' (slasher film) * ''Dangerous Women'' (Luigi Russo, 1989; Italian: ''Le Diaboliche'') a.k.a. ''Una donna senza nome'' / ''Woman Without a Name'' * ''Dark Bar'' (Stelio Fiorenza, 1989) starring Barbara Cupisti * ''Arabella, the Black Angel'' (Stelvio Massi, 1989) a.k.a. ''Black Angel'' * ''American Rickshaw'' (Sergio Martino, 1989) starring Donald Pleasence * ''Fashion Crimes'' (Bruno Gaburro, 1989; Italian: ''La morte è di moda'')


1990s

* ''Homicide in Blue Light'' (Alfonso Brescia, 1991; Italian: ''Omicidio a luci blu'') starring David Hess * ''Body Puzzle, Misteria'' (Lamberto Bava, 1992) a.k.a. ''Body Puzzle''; starring Joanna Pacula and Erika Blanc * ''Circle of Fear'' (Aldo Lado, 1992) a.k.a.''The Perfect Alibi''; starring Burt Young * ''Trauma (1993 film), Trauma'' (Dario Argento, 1993) a.k.a.''Dario Argento's Trauma'' * ''The Washing Machine'' (Ruggero Deodato, 1993; Italian: ''Vortice Mortale'') filmed in Hungary * ''Dangerous Attraction'' (Bruno Mattei, 1993) starring David Warbeck * ''Gli occhi dentro'' (Bruno Mattei, 1993) a.k.a. ''Madness'', a.k.a. ''Occhi Senza Volto'' / ''Eyes Without a Face'' * ''Omicidio al Telefono'' (Bruno Mattei, 1994; Italian: ''Murder by Telephone'') a.k.a. ''L'assassino e al telefono'' / ''The Killer is on the Phone'' * ''The Strange Story of Olga O'' (Antonio Bonifacio, 1995) written by Ernesto Gastaldi, starring Florinda Bolkan * ''The Killer's the One with the Yellow Shoes'' / ''L'assassino e' guello con le scarpe gialle'' (Filippo Otoni, 1995) * ''The Stendhal Syndrome'' (Dario Argento, 1996; Italian: ''La sindrome di Stendhal'') * ''The House Where Corinne Lived'' (Maurizio Lucidi, 1996; Italian: ''La casa dove abitava Corinne'') made for TV movie * ''Fatal Frames'' (Al Festa, 1996) starring David Warbeck, Donald Pleasence and Linnea Quigley * ''Wax Mask'' (Sergio Stivaletti, 1997; Italian: ''M.D.C. – Maschera di cera'') * ''Milonga (film), Milonga'' (Emidio Greco, 1999)


2000s

* ''Sleepless (2001 film), Sleepless'' (Dario Argento, 2001; Italian: ''Non ho sonno'') * ''Red Riding Hood'' (Giacomo Cimini, 2003) * ''Bad Inclination'' (Pierfrancesco Campanella, 2003: Italian: ''Cattive inclinazioni'') * ''The Card Player'' (Dario Argento, 2004; Italian: ''Il cartaio'') * ''Eyes of Crystal'' (Eros Puglielli, 2004; Italian: ''Occhi di cristallo'') * ''The Vanity Serum'' (Alex Infascelli, 2004; Italian: ''Il siero della vanità'') * ''Do You Like Hitchcock?'' (Dario Argento, 2005; Italian: ''Ti piace Hitchcock?'') * ''
Giallo In Italian cinema, ''Giallo'' (; plural ''gialli'', from ''giallo'', Italian for yellow) is a genre of mystery fiction and thrillers that often contains slasher, crime fiction, psychological thriller, psychological horror, sexploitation, and, ...
'' (Dario Argento, 2009)


2010s

* ''Symphony in Blood Red'' (Luigi Pastore, 2010) * ''The Last Fashion Show'' (Carlo Vanzina, 2011; Italian: ''Sotto il vestito niente – L'ultima sfilata'' / ''Nothing Underneath: The Last Fashion Show'') * ''Sonno Profondo'' (Luciano Onetti, 2013) * ''Francesca'' (Luciano Onetti, 2015) * ''Abrakadabra'' (Luciano Onetti, 2018)


2020s

* ''Dark Glasses'' (Dario Argento, 2022; Italian: ''Occhiali Neri'')


Notable personalities


Directors

* Silvio Amadio *
Dario Argento Dario Argento (; born 7 September 1940) is an Italian film director, producer, screenwriter, actor and film critic, critic. His influential work in the horror film, horror genre during the 1970s and 1980s, particularly in the subgenre known as ...
* Francesco Barilli *
Lamberto Bava Lamberto Bava (born 3 April 1944) is an Italian film director. Born in Rome, Bava began working as an assistant director for his director father Mario Bava. Lamberto co-directed the 1979 television film ''La Venere d'Ille'' with his father and in ...
*
Mario Bava Mario Bava (31 July 1914 – 27 April 1980) was an Italian filmmaker who worked variously as a director, cinematographer, special effects artist and screenwriter, frequently referred to as the "Master of Italian Horror" and the "Master of the Ma ...
*
Luigi Bazzoni Luigi Bazzoni (25 June 1929 - 1 March 2012) was an Italian director and screenwriter. Born in Salsomaggiore Terme, Italy, Bazzoni was the elder brother of the film director and cinematographer Camillo Bazzoni and a cousin of the Academy Award w ...
* Sergio Bergonzelli * Giuliano Carnimeo *
Paolo Cavara Paolo Cavara (4 July 1926 – 7 August 1982) was an Italian screenwriter and film director. He is best known for collaborating with Gualtiero Jacopetti and Franco E. Prosperi on the 1962 mondo film ''Mondo Cane'', and for directing the ficti ...
*
Armando Crispino Armando Crispino (18 October 1924 – 6 October 2003) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. He was born in Biella, Piedmont. He directed nine films between 1966 and 1975. He also wrote for nine films between 1965 and 1975. He also d ...
*
Massimo Dallamano Massimo Dallamano (17 April 1917 – 4 November 1976), sometimes credited as Max Dillman, Max Dillmann or Jack Dalmas, was an Italian director and director of photography. Life and career Born in Milan, Dallamano began in the 1940s as camera ...
* Alberto De Martino *
Ruggero Deodato Ruggero Deodato (born 7 May 1939) is an Italian film director, screenwriter, and sometime actor. His career has spanned a wide-range of genres including peplum, comedy, drama, poliziottesco and science fiction, yet he is perhaps best known fo ...
* Luciano Ercoli *
Riccardo Freda Riccardo Freda (24 February 1909 – 20 December 1999) was an Italian film director. He worked in a variety of genres, including sword-and-sandal, horror film, horror, ''giallo'' and spy films. Freda began directing ''I Vampiri'' in 1956. The f ...
*
Lucio Fulci Lucio Fulci (; 17 June 1927 – 13 March 1996) was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and actor. Although he worked in a wide array of genres through a career spanning nearly five decades, including comedies and Spaghetti Westerns, he garn ...
*
Romolo Guerrieri Romolo Guerrieri, aka ''Romolo Girolami'' (born 5 December 1931) is an Italian film director and screenwriter. He directed 17 films between 1961 and 1992. Selected filmography ;Director * '' Ten Thousand Dollars for a Massacre'' (1966) * '' ...
* Aldo Lado *
Umberto Lenzi Umberto Lenzi (6 August 1931 – 19 October 2017) was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and novelist. A fan of film since young age, Lenzi studied at the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia and made his first film in 1958 which went unr ...
* Michele Lupo *
Antonio Margheriti Antonio Margheriti (19 September 1930 – 4 November 2002), also known under the pseudonyms Anthony M. Dawson and Antony Daisies ("daisies" is "margherite" in Italian), was an Italians, Italian filmmaker. Margheriti worked in many different film ...
*
Sergio Martino Sergio Martino (born 19 July 1938) is an Italian film director and producer, notable for his contributions to the giallo genre. Martino is the brother of the late producer Luciano Martino (who died in 2013). They collaborated frequently in their ...
* Emilio Miraglia * Brunello Rondi * Salvatore Samperi *
Duccio Tessari Duccio Tessari (11 October 1926 – 6 September 1994) was an Italian director, screenwriter and actor, considered one of the fathers of Spaghetti Westerns. Born in Genoa Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian re ...


Writers

* Ennio de Concini * Sandro Continenza * Sergio Corbucci * Ennio de Concini * Sergio Donati *
Ernesto Gastaldi Ernesto Gastaldi (born 10 September 1934) is an Italian screenwriter. Film historian and critic Tim Lucas described Gastaldi as the first Italian screenwriter to specialize in horror and thriller films. Gastaldi worked within several popular gen ...
*
Mino Guerrini Mino Guerrini (16 December 1927 – 10 January 1990) was an Italian director, screenwriter, journalist, actor and painter. Biography Born in Rome as Giacomo Guerrini, Guerrini entered the cinema industry in 1954 as screenwriter in Marcello Pagli ...


Actors and actresses

* Simón Andreu * Claudine Auger * Ewa Aulin *
Barbara Bach Barbara Bach, Lady Starkey (born Barbara Goldbach in 1947) is an American actress and model. She played the Bond girl Anya Amasova in ''The Spy Who Loved Me''. She is married to former Beatles drummer Ringo Starr. Early life Bach is a nat ...
* Carroll Baker * Eva Bartók * Agostina Belli * Femi Benussi * Helmut Berger * Erika Blanc * Florinda Bolkan *
Barbara Bouchet Barbara Bouchet (born Bärbel Gutscher; 15 August 1943)
glamourgirlsofthesilverscreen.com; ...
* Pier Paolo Capponi * Adolfo Celi * Orchidea De Santis * Anita Ekberg * Eduardo Fajardo * Rossella Falk *
Mimsy Farmer Merle "Mimsy" Farmer (born February 28, 1945) is an American actress, artist and sculptor. She began her career appearing in several Hollywood studio films, such as ''Spencer's Mountain'' (1963) and ''Bus Riley's Back in Town'' (1965), followed b ...
*
Edwige Fenech Edwige Fenech (, ; born 24 December 1948) is an Algerian-born Maltese-Sicilian actress and film producer. She is mostly known as the star of a series of ''commedia sexy all'italiana'' and ''giallo'' films released in the 1970s, which turned her ...
* James Franciscus * Cristina Galbó *
Ida Galli Ida Galli is an Italian film actress best known for her roles in Spaghetti Western and giallo films in the 1960s and 1970s. Galli has appeared under several pseudonyms, including Arianna, Evelyn Stewart and Isli Oberon. Extremely prolific, som ...
* Giancarlo Giannini * Farley Granger * Brett Halsey * David Hemmings * George Hilton (actor), George Hilton * Robert Hoffmann * Annabella Incontrera *
Suzy Kendall Suzy Kendall (born Freda Harriet Harrison; 1 January 1937 ) is a British retired actress best known for her film roles in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Personal life Born in Belper, Derbyshire, Kendall attended Derby & District College of A ...
* Sylva Koscina * Dagmar Lassander * Philippe Leroy (actor), Philippe Leroy * Helga Liné * Beba Lončar * Ray Lovelock (actor), Ray Lovelock * Marina Malfatti * Leonard Mann (actor), Leonard Mann * Marisa Mell * Luc Merenda * Macha Méril * Tomas Milian * Cameron Mitchell (actor), Cameron Mitchell * Silvia Monti * Tony Musante * Paul Naschy * Nieves Navarro * Rosalba Neri * Franco Nero *
Daria Nicolodi Daria Nicolodi (19 June 1950 – 26 November 2020) was an Italian television and film actress and screenwriter. Early life and career Daria Nicolodi was born in Florence on 19 June 1950. Her father was a Florentine lawyer and her mother, Fu ...
* Luciana Paluzzi * Irene Papas * Luigi Pistilli * Ivan Rassimov * Fernando Rey * John Richardson (actor), John Richardson * George Rigaud * Letícia Román * Howard Ross (actor), Howard Ross * John Saxon * Erna Schürer * Jean Sorel * Anthony Steffen * John Steiner *
Anita Strindberg Anita Strindberg (born 19 June 1937) is a Swedish former actress who appeared in numerous Italian ''giallo'' films in the 1970s. Strindberg appeared as Anita Edberg in two Swedish films in the late 1950s. She started her career in gialli with Luc ...
* Fabio Testi * Gabriele Tinti (actor), Gabriele Tinti * Marilu Tolo * Silvano Tranquilli


Composers

*
Stelvio Cipriani Stelvio Cipriani (20 August 1937 – 1 October 2018), also known as Viostel, was an Italian composer, mostly of motion picture soundtracks. Biography Though not raised with a strong musical upbringing, as a child Cipriani was fascinated by his ...
* Pino Donaggio * Gianni Ferrio * Giorgio Gaslini *
Goblin A goblin is a small, grotesque, monstrous creature that appears in the folklore of multiple European cultures. First attested in stories from the Middle Ages, they are ascribed conflicting abilities, temperaments, and appearances depending on t ...
*
Ennio Morricone Ennio Morricone (; 10 November 19286 July 2020) was an Italian composer, orchestrator, conductor, and trumpeter who wrote music in a wide range of styles. With more than 400 scores for cinema and television, as well as more than 100 classica ...
*
Bruno Nicolai Bruno Nicolai (20 May 1926 – 16 August 1991) was an Italian film music composer, orchestra director and musical editor most active in the 1960s through the 1980s. While studying piano and composition at the Santa Cecilia Conservatory in Rome, ...
*
Nora Orlandi Nora Orlandi (born 28 June 1933; pseudonym: Joan Christian) is an Italian pianist, violinist, soprano vocalist, composer and occasional actress. As the first female composer, female film composer of Italian cinema, she composed scores for Spaghet ...
*
Riz Ortolani Riziero Ortolani (; 25 March 192623 January 2014) was an Italian composer, conductor, and orchestrator, predominantly of film scores. He scored over 200 films and television programs between 1955 and 2014, with a career spanning over fifty year ...
* Piero Piccioni * Berto Pisano * Carlo Savina * Claudio Simonetti * Armando Trovajoli *
Piero Umiliani Piero Umiliani (17 July 1926 – 14 February 2001) was an Italian composer of film scores. Biography Umiliani was born in Florence, Tuscany. Like many of his Italian colleagues at that time, he composed the scores for many exploitation fil ...
Sources:


Films influenced by ''giallo''

* ''
Klute ''Klute'' is a 1971 American neo-noir crime thriller film directed and produced by Alan J. Pakula, written by Andy and Dave Lewis, and starring Jane Fonda, Donald Sutherland, Charles Cioffi, and Roy Scheider. The film follows a high-priced ca ...
'' (Alan J. Pakula; 1971) * ''
Frenzy ''Frenzy'' is a 1972 British thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock. It is the penultimate feature film of his extensive career. The screenplay by Anthony Shaffer was based on the 1966 novel ''Goodbye Piccadilly, Farewell Leicester Squar ...
'' (
Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...
; 1972) * ''Sisters (1973 film), Sisters'' (
Brian De Palma Brian Russell De Palma (born September 11, 1940) is an American film director and screenwriter. With a career spanning over 50 years, he is best known for his work in the suspense, crime and psychological thriller genres. De Palma was a leading ...
; 1973) * ''Alice, Sweet Alice'' (Alfred Sole, 1976) * ''
Eyes of Laura Mars ''Eyes of Laura Mars'' is a 1978 American neo noir mystery-thriller film starring Faye Dunaway and Tommy Lee Jones and directed by Irvin Kershner. The screenplay was adapted (in collaboration with David Zelag Goodman) from a spec script titled '' ...
'' ( Irvin Kershner; 1978) * ''Halloween (1978 film), Halloween'' (John Carpenter; 1978) * ''Cruising (film), Cruising'' (William Friedkin; 1980) * ''Friday the 13th (1980 film), Friday the 13th'' (Sean S. Cunningham; 1980) * '' Dressed to Kill'' (Brian De Palma; 1980)These 4 American-Made Films Captured the Essence of the Giallo - Dread Central
/ref> * ''Happy Birthday to Me (film), Happy Birthday to Me'' ( J. Lee Thompson; 1981) * ''Blow Out'' (Brian De Palma; 1981)What are giallo movies? Horror's moodiest genre, explained - Polygon
/ref> * ''Next of Kin (1982 film), Next of Kin'' (Tony Williams; 1982) * ''Pieces (film), Pieces'' (Juan Piquer Simón; 1982) * ''Body Double'' (Brian De Palma; 1984) * ''Basic Instinct'' (Paul Verhoeven 1992) * Seven (1995 film), ''Seven'' (David Fincher; 1995) * ''Last Night in Soho'' (Edgar Wright; 2021) * ''Malignant (2021 film), Malignant'' (James Wan, 2021)


See also

* Arthouse action film * Detective fiction * Erotic thriller * Exploitation fiction * Exploitation film * Extreme cinema * Fantastique * Grand Guignol * Maximalist film * Minimalist film * Murder mystery * Mystery fiction * Mystery film * New Hollywood * Poliziotteschi * Psychedelic film * Psychological horror * Psychological thriller * Pulp magazine * Slasher film * Splatter film * Vulgar auteurism * Weird menace * Whodunit


References


External links


Giallo
at AllMovie
Trailer for the 2019 documentary ''All the Colors of Giallo'' on Severin Films official YouTube channel
{{Authority control Giallo films, Giallo film directors Film genres Horror genres Italian films by genre Italian literature Italian words and phrases Italian horror thriller films Women and death Thrillers 1960s in film 1970s in film 1980s in Italian cinema 1990s in Italian cinema 2000s in Italian cinema 2010s in Italian cinema