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FEATURE
DVD
&
BD
DVD
&
BD
hit in its native Italy,
Argento’s film opened
the floodgates for a
wave of
giallo
thrillers
and imitators. An
American writer (Tony
Musante) in Rome
witnesses a murder in an art gallery and is
subsequently targeted by the killer – a vital clue
to the mystery lies with the avian of the title.
Argento followed
Bird
with two more
giallo
films in 1971,
The Cat o’ Nine
Tails
and
Four Flies on Grey
Velvet
, both of which are
worth a look. But you should
proceed directly
to his later,
masterful
Deep Red
(1975) – the
quintessential
giallo
. Argento
takes the genre
to the next level, adding graphic
violence, a jangling Goblin score,
a plot that almost makes sense,
and a brilliant stroke of audience
misdirection – the killer’s face
is subtly
revealed
following the opening
murder.
Further Viewing
After experiencing
the very best from Bava
and Argento, you’ll have
a good idea whether
giallo
thrillers are
for you, and if they
are, you’ll want to
proceed deeper into
this twisted and stylish
Euro labyrinth.
Explore the work
of Sergio Martino, in particular
Torso
(1973),
which features a nail-biting game of cat and
mouse between the killer and an American
student in a rural villa; and the
brilliantly titled
Your Vice is
a Locked Room and Only
I Have the Key
(1972), a
bizarre adaptation of Edgar
Allan Poe’s
The
Black Cat
.
Revisit Mario
Bava with
Hatchet for the
Honeymoon
(1970), which
features a bridal store owner
whose repressed childhood
trauma triggers murderous
impulses – the point of difference
being it’s told from the killer’s
perspective.
Then there’s Lucio Fulci,
who is beloved for cult horror films like
Zombie Flesh-Eaters
and
The Beyond
, but has
also made a couple of terrific, albeit atypical,
gialli
– the psychedelic
Lizard in aWoman’s
Skin
(1971) and the dark and disturbing
Don’t
Torture a Duckling
(1972). He also directed
the gruesome and sleazy
The NewYork
Ripper
(1982), if you’re feeling particularly
adventurous and have a strong stomach.
KEY FILMMAKERS
Dario Argento
Dubbed “the Italian
Hitchcock”, Argento can also
be considered the ‘Godfather of
giallo
’. He helped to define the
genre with the influential
The Bird
with the Crystal Plumage
and
Deep Red,
and
continued to dabble in it in later years with
films like
Tenebrae
and
Opera
.
Mario Bava
This maestro of the macabre
aped Hitchcock with proto-
giallo
The Girl Who Knew
Too Much
(1963), then set the
standard for things to come with the
groundbreaking
Blood and Black Lace
, which
also pre-empted the slasher film.
Sergio Martino
The prolific, versatile and
talented Martino put his own
stamp on
gialli
with a winning
trifecta of titles –
The Strange
Vice of Mrs. Wardh
,
Your Vice is a
Locked Room and Only I Have the Key,
and
Torso.
GIALLO SCREAM QUEENS
Edwige Fenech
This vivacious model turned actress was
a familiar face in
giallo
films, including
Five
Dolls for an August Moon
(1970),
The Strange
Vice of Mrs. Wardh
,
Your Vice is a Locked
Room and Only I Have the Key
, and
Strip
Nude for Your Killer
(1975).
Anita Strindberg
Swedish actress and
giallo
regular, whose chiseled
features brought a severe
beauty to her roles in
Lizard
in a Woman’s Skin
,
Case of the
Scorpion’s Tail
(1972), and
Your Vice
is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key.
Suzy Kendall
British actress who appeared
in
Thunderball
and
To Sir with
Love
but also did a lot of work
in Europe, including
giallo
classics
The Bird with the
Crystal Plumage
and
Torso
.
Your Vice is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key
The Bird with the Crystal Plumage