A good giallo film, before it can be considered great, must fulfill certain specific criteria: stunning locations unfamiliar to the viewer, beautiful charismatic girls of all types and backgrounds that revel in the celebration of their tarterie and showing off their bodies in alluring outfits, a brilliant eclectic soundtrack by a single composer, and an unknown sex maniac killer with stylish black leather gloves. Here are eight archetypal giallos.Torso (****)The red-headed beauty of Tina Aumont, plus the extraordinary proto-slasher chase scene in the woods (remorselessly imitated ever since) make this patchy yet tremendously fun and sexy giallo well worth seeing.Six Women For the Murderer (*****)Mario Bava's 1964 classic Sei Donne Per l'Assassino (Blood and Black Lace in the US) is a vibrant and sexy feast for your greedy eyes and was a huge influence on the giallo genre.A Lizard in a Woman's Skin (****)This is a weird but brilliant giallo by Lucio Fulci. Set in the swinging London of the 60s, it captures the sordidness of the hippie acid scene better than most films of the era.Rabid Dogs (*****)Once again, this is a triumph for Mario Brava's genius. Rabid Dogs is a charismatic, quasi-Brechtian abduction drama made on almost no budget. It puts the cartoonish gangster-worship of Scorsese and Tarantino, among others, to shame. A true classic.A Bay of Blood (****)Also known as Carnage, this is a fascinating artifact. It marks the genesis of the slasher genre – in particular, the Friday 13th franchise. The ever-inventive Mario Bava was, once more, way ahead of his time.Don't Torture a Duckling (*****)This is Fulci's masterpiece and is way better than all his later zombie shit. There are some extraordinary memorable, twisted scenes backed by a fine cast, including the incomparable Barabra Bouchet and a killer Ortolani soundtrack, all set in astounding locations in southern Italy.The Bird With the Crystal Plumage (**)After a promising outset, this film starts to drag badly. The actors lack charisma, Morricone's score is substandard and the cinematography is nothing compared to the best of the gialli. Dario Argento is, once again, way overrated.The Red Queen Kills 7 Times (****)This beautiful, stylish, and often overlooked giallo by Emilio Maglia is set in Wurzburg, Bavaria and backed by a classic Bruno Nicolai soundtrack.WILLIAM BENNETT(You should all check out William's blog, because it's great. BTW, he also did the soundtrack to The Vice Guide To Liberia, which, unless you've never been on this site before, you might have heard of. In addition to all that, he's the guy from this band and this band.)
Advertisement
Advertisement