MOVIE RATING SCALE:

***** (Spectacular) 10

****1/2 (Excellent) 9

**** (Very Good) 8

***1/2 (Good) 7

*** (Above Average) 6

**1/2 (Average) 5

** (Below Average) 4

*1/2 (Mediocre) 3

* (Awful) 2

1/2 (Abysmal) 1

0 (Worthless) 0


Sunday, September 29, 2013

GIALLI SAMPLER, PART FIVE (VOLUME 2): "AMERICAN GIALLI - 1990 to 2013"



Earlier week, we examined American Gialli from the period of 1970 to 1989. Today, we examine 15 more of them from 1990 to the present day. During this latter period, American Gialli tinkered with the Classic Italian Giallo formula, and gave us an array of thrillers and horror films with varying plots that still brimmed with that unmistakable Giallo style and flair.

Without further ado, please find below 15 more American Gialli, from 1990 to 2013, listed chronologically:



#16. FLATLINERS (1990)

Partay!

POSTER TAGLINE: Some lines shouldn't be crossed...

CAST: Kiefer Sutherland, Julia Roberts, Kevin Bacon, William Baldwin, Oliver Platt, Hope Davis, Kimberly Scott, Benjamin Mouton.

DIRECTOR: Joel Schumacher

IT'S LIKE THIS: A friend of mine says that in order for one to become a doctor, one must have a competitive ego the size of Jupiter. In other words, you basically have to be a ruthless asshole to survive medical school. If there was ever evidence in support of that theory, it's this movie. Basically, we have five med students at some Chicago university all trying to see which one of them has the bigger dick - and that includes the lone female among them. They are: (1) Nelson Wright (Kiefer Sutherland), bossy ringleader asshole; (2) Rachel Mannis (Julia Roberts), standoffish asshole; (3) David LaBraccio (Kevin Bacon), rebellious asshole; (4) Joe Hurley (William Baldwin), punani marauder asshole; and (5) Randy Steckle (Oliver Platt), fat asshole.

Nelson, being the ringleader asshole, decides to enlist the others into an experiment so crazy, it could only happen in an American Giallo: he wants them to all kill themselves - and come back to record their experiences. You're probably wondering how in the fucking hell they are going to committ suicide - and also live to tell about it. Well, apparently, our jackass Nelson will induce brain death in each of them under controlled laboratory conditions - and then revive them a few minutes later. In essence, bringing them back from the dead to talk about what they saw on the other side. And being competitive choads, the others agree. They go ahead and conduct the "near-death" experiments and come back from the beyond, no problems.

Well, that's not entirely, true. You see, while it is true that Nelson, Rachel, David, Joe, and Fat Randy do come back successfully from the other side - they have not come back alone. Soon, it becomes clear that they are being haunted by some strange force - and it will not stop until these fuckers have made some kind of, ahem, atonement. That's what you get for fucking around with things you should be leaving well enough alone, assholes.

THE GIALLO CONNECTION: Unlike just about every American Giallo in our sampler, FLATLINERS doesn't feature most of the traditional Giallo characteristics. There are no mysterious, black-gloved killers or serpentine, twisting mysteries to solve or innocent protagonists doing the work that the police should be doing. And FLATLINERS has a virtually-zero body count (the only person who dies is a minor character, and dies of benign, natural causes). Instead, this movie is more of a cerebral ghost story that acts as a cautionary tale for those who do not pay the appropriate respect to the unknown.

So how, then, does FLATLINERS connect to the Giallo Style? In two words: atmosphere and lighting. American films usually feature hyper-realistic lighting; in other words, lighting that mimics daily life. Many of the Italian Gialli, on the other hand, feature strong primary color lighting that is surreal and ethereal - just like FLATLINERS. Watching this movie, one can't help but be reminded of the bright reds, deep blacks, vibrant yellows, and shimmering blues of the cinematography seen in Dario Argento's PROFONDO ROSSO (1975), SUSPIRIA (1977), and INFERNO (1980), as well as Mario Bava's SEI DONNE PER L'ASSASSINO (1964) & ECOLOGIA DEL DELITTO (1971).

Those movies all had an eerie feel because of their unnatural but very expressive lighting, which is distinctively Giallo - and FLATLINERS features this element in abundance. Entirely appropriate for a movie that is less about this world - and more about the one that lies beyond...

TRIVIA: In earlier drafts of the script, Julia Robert's character was named "Rachel Kinberg." In the final shooting script and finished film, she is known as "Rachel Mannis." Also, Roberts was initially eyed for the lead role of Carly Norris in SLIVER (1993), another American Giallo on this list, but did not take the part. Had she been cast in SLIVER, it would've been her second time starring with William Baldwin (after FLATLINERS), who ultimately accepted that movie's male lead role.

#17. BASIC INSTINCT (1992)

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POSTER TAGLINE: A brutal murder. A brilliant killer. A cop who can't resist the danger.

CAST: Michael Douglas, Sharon Stone, George Dzundza, Jeanne Tripplehorne, Leilani Sarelle, Bill Cable, Dorothy Malone.

DIRECTOR: Paul Verhoeven

IT'S LIKE THIS: San Francisco mucky-muck (and former rock-n-roll star) Johnny Boz (Bill Cable) is brutally murdered one night with an ice-pick by a mysterious fuck buddy. SFPD detective Nick Curran and his rotund partner Gus (George Dzundza) are put in charge of finding out what's what. The prime suspect soon becomes Johnny's girlfriend, Catherine Trammell (Sharon Stone). Not only because she was the last person to see him alive, but also she's a writer who published a book the previous year about a former rock-n-roll star who is brutally murdered one night with an ice-pick by a mysterious fuck buddy. What the what? Hmmmmmm.....

Nick is sure Catherine did it. Or is he? I mean, come on: would she be so stupid as to write a book about killing someone - and then kill them exactly as she described in her book? How can Nick be sure that it wasn't some deranged hater/stalker of Catherine's who is trying to frame her or make trouble for her? Or is Catherine simply exceptionally devious? And what does Nick's police psychologist ex-girlfriend Beth Garner (Jeanne Tripplehorne) know about Catherine that she is not saying? Is the killer actually someone close to Nick? And will he eventually wind up like Johnny: tied up to a bed with dozen holes in his body? Hmmmmmmmm.....

THE GIALLO CONNECTION: From its opening frames, with bodies reflected on a baroquely decorated ceiling to resemble flames, to its final scenes that stylishly reveal "whodunit," BASIC INSTINCT is thick with Giallo Style. One strong element of many Italian Gialli is erotica. While Dario Argento's films featured less "skin" than those of Sergio Martino, Lucio Fulci, Umberto Lenzi, and others, sensuality and nudity are pretty common in Italian Gialli. Along with a lush, colorful set design; swelling, expressively operatic music; and twisting, labyrinthine plot (all Gialli trademarks), BASIC INSTINCT sports more than its share of sexy scenes and naked characters.

This movie's "copycat murders" angle was also previously used in Dario Argento's 1982 Giallo, TENEBRE, wherein a deranged stalker is discovered to have enacted the killings in an American writer's book - but not before the writer, Peter Neal (Anthony Franciosa), is first suspected by the cops. And Argento also previously featured a plot thread about a mysterious, wealthy femme fatale who may or may not be a killer in 1971's THE CAT O'NINE TAILS, with Anna Terzi's (Catherine Spaak) storyline.

TRIVIA: The actresses considered for the female lead role of Catherine Trammell included Michelle Pfeiffer, Julia Roberts, Kim Basinger, Greta Scacchi, Geena Davis, and Emma Thompson. All turned it down primarily because of the amount of nudity that would be required. Mel Gibson was also the first choice to play the male lead role of Nick Curran (first choice for Catherine Trammell was Michelle Pfeiffer). In the end, though, Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone made these role very much their own.


#18. SLIVER (1993)

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POSTER TAGLINE: You like to watch. Don't you?

CAST: Sharon Stone, William Baldwin, Tom Berenger, Polly Walker, Colleen Camp, Martin Landau, Nina Foch, CCH Pounder, Keene Curtis.

DIRECTOR: Phillip Noyce

IT'S LIKE THIS: Shy, sensitive Manhattan book editor Carly Norris (Sharon Stone) moves into a sleek, high-class apartment building with sexy men everywhere, including fine-ass computer geek Zeke Hawkins (William Baldwin) and rough-around-the-edges novelist Jack Lansford (Tom Berenger). But before you can say "too-good-to-be-true!", Carly also discovers that the place has a high rate of tenant turnover - primarily due to them, you know, dying unexpectedly. And the last resident to, um, check out was Naomi Singer ( ), a chick who looked very much like Carly, and took a swan dive off the balcony. And now Carly lives in the same apartment. Then there's the secret video cameras everywhere (including inside the units themelves), where the unknown building owner observes the lives and movements of everyone who live there.

All in all, not something you'd want to see in the brochure, eh? Anyhow, the deeper Carly digs into the strange deaths in the building, especially Naomi's, the more she becomes convinced that one of her neighbors is responsible. And soon, she realizes that it comes down to only two specific people: Zeke or Jack. The very same guys who are courting her. In other words, one of her boyfriends is a killer - and she doesn't know which one. Man, I hate it when that happens. Carly, my dear, just chuck 'em both and go for one of the construction workers across the street. Less trouble, better sex. Ahem.

THE GIALLO CONNECTION: In our WTF? GIALLI sampler section, we discussed the 1972 Italian Giallo THE CASE OF THE BLOODY IRIS. That film essentially has the same plot as SLIVER (although far less well-executed than SLIVER's): a luxury highrise apartment block plagued by a series of mysterious deaths - and the innocent woman who moves in and finds herself at the center of a dangerous puzzle. SLIVER also has a murder scene in a narrow stairwell that closely echoes one in THE CASE OF THE BLOODY IRIS that is similarly set in a confined location: an elevator.

SLIVER's vibrant use of music is also very striking and distinctive. Italian Gialli have very evocative musical scores, which add much atmosphere to the stories. Think of the progressive rock band Goblin's scores for SUSPIRIA, INFERNO, TENEBRE, and SLEEPLESS - and how they enhanced those films. Here, the haunting, moody contributions of the New Age group Enigma combine with Howard Shore's pensive, eerie score to do the same exact thing: make SLIVER a surreal and involving experience.

And, of course, SLIVER's emphasis on Carly's carnal awakening and her sensual relationship with Zeke is, like BASIC INSTINCT (also starring Sharon Stone), is very reminiscent of Italian Gialli's sexy characteristics.

TRIVIA: (SPOILERS) The original shooting script and uncut finished version of SLIVER was much darker in tone: at the end of the movie, Carly fully crosses to the dark side and embraces Zeke's voyeuristic lifestyle - and even after she discovers that he is the killer within the sliver building, she stays with him. This ending was way ahead of its time, and test audiences rejected it. With only a few months left until SLIVER's national release on May 21, 1993, the studio quickly rounded up the principal cast members for reshoots and had screenwriter Joe Eszterhas (BASIC INSTINCT) write five new endings, as well as supporting scenes that would help them make sense. Two endings (plus support scenes) were filmed, and one of them was chosen for the theatrical (and DVD) release. Unfortunately, compared to the ballsy original ending that was just too daring for test audiences, the new ending was weak and unsatisfying. And it really hurt the film.

To this day, the original uncut version of SLIVER (with the controversial darker ending) has only been seen at those Los Angeles test screenings from early 1993. I have seen this original cut from the test screenings, and it is a much better movie than what was released in theatres back in 1993, and then subsequently on VHS and DVD. Hopefully, one day, a "Special Edition" DVD of SLIVER will be released, with its original darker storyline and very eerie ending intact. In many ways, this movie is a forerunner to 50 SHADES OF GRAY, and is very underrated.


# 19. THE COLOR OF NIGHT (1994)

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POSTER TAGLINE: Five suspects. Two lovers. One killer. Nothing is what it seems. Except murder...

CAST: Bruce Willis, Jane March, Ruben Blades, Lesley-Ann Warren, Scott Bakula, Brad Dourif, Lance Henriksen.
DIRECTOR: Richard Rush.

IT'S LIKE THIS: NYC psychiatrist Bill Capa (Bruce Willis) witnesses a troubled patient kill himself - and soon finds himself afflicted with "psychologically-induced color-blindedness." Meaning, because of the trauma of seeing his patient's suicide, Bill can no longer see the color "red." Hmmmmmm... That ought to make Valentine's day awkward for him, eh? Anyhow, needing to recuperate, Bill's best friend (and fellow shrink) Bob Moore (Scott Bakula) invites him to come to the West Coast, where Bob has a practice in sunny Los Angeles. Unfortunately, Bob and Bill barely have time to share a catch-up drink, when a mysterious killer brutally offs Bob.

Wacky LAPD detective Martinez (Ruben Blades) tells Bill that he believes one of Bob's patients from his Thursday night group therapy sessions is the killer. To help Martinez ferret out the murderer, Bill agrees to take on Bob's Thursday group - and, wow, these guys are whackjobs. They are: (1) Sondra (Lesley-Ann Warren), nyphomaniac who would fuck the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy (ahem) if she could get on top of it; (2) Buck (Lance Henriksen), dude with some sort of drinking problem and is alway pissed; (3) Casey (Kevin J. O'Connor), dude who is like a male version of Sondra, in other words: a punani hunter; (4) Clark (Brad Dourif), some dude who is the walking definition of "weird"; and (5) Richie (Special Mystery Guest - Ahem), some teenage boy who has gender identity issues and buck teeth bigger than a prehistoric beaver's.

Which one of these wackos is the killer? And will Bill be murdered like Bob before he finds out? And who was the woman that Bob was seeing before he was murdered? Is she the same mysterious chick named Rose (Jane March) who, um, rear-ended Bill and is now fucking him? Is she the killer? And how will Bill's inability to see the color red affect his ability to solve the mystery? Hmmmmmmmm.....

THE GIALLO CONNECTION: As with BASIC INSTINCT and SLIVER, this movie emphasizes the sensual aspects of its story, while spinning the mystery and setpieces in a stylish, colorful way. THE COLOR OF NIGHT is very Giallo-like, with its complex mystery, erotic elements, and myriad suspects. It also features Dario Argento's trademark trait of a protagonist unable to remember or see a vital clue until the end of the movie. This is reflected in Bill Capa's trauma-induced inability to see the color "red." Also, the emphasis on "red" is very Giallo-like. This color is very dramatic, operatic, avant-garde and intrinsically Italian. Many Italian Gialli have the word "red" in their titles: DEEP RED, THE RED QUEEN KILLS SEVEN TIMES, RED RINGS OF FEAR, and the vibrant shade is a distinctive part of many Gialli's cinematography.

THE COLOR OF NIGHT is, in the end, not as good as many American Gialli on this list, but that is due more to the weakness of its script - not its vibrant style. If anything, it's this colorful style that makes his movie watchable. Without it, the film would have been a completely mediocre experience.

TRIVIA: The early press for THE COLOR OF NIGHT made a big (no pun intended)deal about lead Bruce Willis' full frontal nude shots. A year before in 1993, the early press for SLIVER also touted male lead William Baldwin's own "full monty." However, Baldwin changed his mind and requested that his frontal nude shots not be included in any of SLIVER's versions (both original and theatrical). With THE COLOR OF NIGHT, however, Willis was perfectly fine with his full frontal scenes - but the MPAA insisted it be removed to give the movie an R-rating. Sigh.

#20. SEVEN (1995)

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POSTER TAGLINE: Seven deadly sins. Seven ways to die.

CAST: Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kevin Spacey, R. Lee Ermey.

DIRECTOR: David Fincher

IT'S LIKE THIS: In some unnamed rainy city, detective William Somerset (Morgan Freeman) is getting ready to retire from the police force. If he can just make it through one last week, he's home-free. Unfortunately, he is tasked with training his replacement, eager-beaver alpha male David Mills (Brad Pitt), who has recently moved to this shithole place with his sweet wife Tracey (Gwyneth Paltrow). Still, Somerset knows that if the worse he has to contend with on his final week of work is some annoying young upstart like Mills, then he's doing fine. How much you want to bet this won't be the case?

Sure enough, Somerset and Mills find themselves investigating a bizarre murder case in which a fat-ass victim was forced to eat, like, a million Spaghetti-Os - until the lard-bucket literally exploded. Then our dynamic duo follows this up with a case of a slimy sleazeball who was starved to death over a period of several months. Then they discover another case of a vain, superficial woman who was forced to cut off her own nose. Before you know it, Somerset is putting two-and-two together - and the result isn't four. Nope. Somerset posits that a shadowy killer is offing folks in the style of the Seven Deadly Sins: Sloth, Greed, Lust, Pride, Envy, Wrath, and Gluttony.

Is Somerset right? If so, who is the killer? And what is his ultimate agenda? Is anyone safe, since we are all sinners? Or can someone stop this guy? Hmmmmmmmmm....

THE GIALLO CONNECTION: A common trait of many Italian Gialli is a protagonist who is an average American or Briton in Italy, just minding his/her own business, who gets pulled into the fray. There a few Gialli, though, that are more like police procedurals, and feature leads who are cops trying to solve a mystery, such as in THE BLACK BELLY OF THE TARANTULA (1972) and LA POLIZIA CHIEDI AIUTO (1974). The mysteries they are trying to solve, however, remain just as complex and colorful as those in Gialli where the heroes are just Average Joes and Janes trying to survive their circumstances. With its thick atmosphere and convoluted twists and turns, SEVEN is an American version of those police procedural Italian Gialli.

SEVEN also has something that sets it apart from other American serial killer movies like THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS: the killer has a motive that is not just based on scientific pathology, but also in arcane, esoteric, and artistic roots. The connection to the Seven Deadly Sins gives this movie a baroque, rococo flair that a more clinical film like THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, despite being an excellent thriller in itself, doesn't have.

TRIVIA: Kevin Costner, Nicolas Cage, and Denzel Washington were considered for the role of David Mills, which Brad Pitt ultimately got. Gwyneth Paltrow, however, was always the first choice for the role of Tracey Mills.


# 21. UNFORGETTABLE (1996)

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POSTER TAGLINE: He loved her. He lost her. He won't let her memory die. Until it tells him who killed her.

CAST: Ray Liotta, Linda Fiorentino, Peter Coyote, Christopher McDonald, Caroline Elliott, David Paymer, Kim Cattrall.

DIRECTOR: John Dahl

IT'S LIKE THIS: Seattle medical examiner David Krane (Ray Liotta) has never found out who killed his wife Cara (Caroline Elliott), although he was the prime suspect for awhile - and still continues to be viewed with suspicion. One night, at a fundraiser, he meets UW researcher Dr. Martha Briggs (Linda Fiorentino), a mousy but brilliant neuroscientist who is working on the controversial scientific theory of "memory transfer" - that is, individuals can experience the memories of others using a special serum. David thinks he can use Martha's invention to "experience" Cara's memories. Specifically, the last few minutes of her life. David thinks that he might be able to identify her killer that way.

Unfortunately, using Martha's serum has a bad effect on the human body. The more "memory transfers" occur, the weaker the subject becomes. How many times can David use the memory serum before his body collapses entirely? Will he find out who Cara's killer is by then? Or will he die before he does? And who is the killer, anyway? And will he target Martha for being David's little helper? Hmmmmmmmm....

THE GIALLO CONNECTION: Being about memory, this film has an inherently surreal, European quality to it, which is also juxtaposed with more adrenalin-infused action scenes that are very American. Dario Argento's Gialli often have abrupt memory flashbacks that are disorienting and compelling. UNFORGETTABLE's setpieces are similarly involving and hypnotic.

This movie didn't do too well during its initial release in 1996, probably due to its combination of heady and visceral thriller themes. As time has gone by, however, it has developed somewhat of a cult following, and anyone who appreciates Italian Gialli will appreciate this American thriller's offbeat, inventive, and artful storytelling approach to what could've been a standard murder-mystery.


#22. SCREAM (1996)

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POSTER TAGLINE: Don't answer the phone. Don't answer the door. Don't try to escape.

CAST: Neve Campbell, Skeet Ulrich, David Arquette, Courteney Cox, Rose McGowan, Matthew Lillard, Jamie Kennedy, Drew Barrymore.

DIRECTOR: Wes Craven

IT'S LIKE THIS: In the California town of Woodsboro, someone is playing a game of Horror Movie Trivia with the local teenage population. If they answer wrong, they die. If they answer right, they, well, they still die. Talk about lose-lose, eh? The first to bite it is Casey Becker (Drew Barrymore) and her boyfriend Steve (can't remember the actor's name right now). Next, good-girl Sydney Prescott (Never Campbell) receives a not-so-friendly visit from the definitely-not-so-friendly killer - but manages to get away. Soon, it becomes clear that this killer has an agenda, and it's all centered around dear Sydney. So what does she do? Does she do what any thinking, normal person would do if he/she found out he/she was being stalked by a killer? Like leave town or hole up somewhere secure with a loaded Beretta?

Nope. Our gal Sydney and her pals Tatum (Rose McGowan), Randy (Jamie Kennedy), Billy (Skeet Ulrich), and Stu (Matthew Lillard) decide to - wait for it - throw a house party at Stu's very unsecure mansion - and invite practically everyone in Woodsboro. I don't have to tell you folks that it doesn't go particularly well. More like specatacularly bad. Good luck, kids...

THE GIALLO CONNECTION: As we've talked about before, Dario Argento's PROFONDO ROSSO. DEEP RED (1975) was a major influence on HALLOWEEN (1978), which in turn was a major influence on SCREAM. Also, in interviews about SUSPIRIA, Argento has said that he wanted that movie's opening double-murder sequence to be stronger than most movies' climaxes - so that the audience would not know what to expect next. This is the same approach that Wes Craven took with SCREAM's opening double-murder: he starts the movie the way most other horror films would end: very frighteningly. They are those who say that SCREAM's first setpiece is an homage to SUSPIRIA's opening sequence, and it shows: both are scary, colorful, and powerful.

Also, at the end of the film, we discover that (SPOILERS) there have been two killers all along. This twist goes as far back as Dario Argento's very first Giallo, the classic THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE. After that, Argento re-used the "two-killers" concept in FOUR FLIES ON GREY VELVET(1972), DEEP RED (1975), TENEBRE (1982), PHENOMENA (1985), and THE STENDHAL SYNDROME (1996).

TRIVIA: Drew Barrymore was originally offered the lead role of Sydney Prescott, but thought it would be better if she played Casey Becker, who gets killed in the very first setpiece. That way, audiences wouldn't know what to expect next. Very much like Argento's approach to SUSPIRIA.


#23. KISS THE GIRLS (1997)

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POSTER TAGLINE: A detective is searching for a deadly collector. The only one who can help him is the woman who got away.

CAST: Morgan Freeman, Ashley Judd, Cary Elwes, Tony Goldwyn, Jay O. Sanders, Roma Maffia, Gina Ravera, Jeremy Piven.

DIRECTOR: Gary Fleder

IT'S LIKE THIS: Most guys probably have fantasies about creating their own Harem filled with gorgeous women. The baddie in KISS THE GIRLS, however, has taken things one step too far. This nutjob is named Casanova and has actually taken to kidnapping beautiful females and keeping them in some underground lair deep in the woods for his own amusement. But they are not just beautiful - they are also talented and accomplished. In other words: unique and unforgettable. The latest girl to disappear is the lovely Naomi Cross (Gina Ravera), a music student from the Research Triangle Park area of North Carolina.

Fortunately, Naomi has a super-duper psychologist/detective for an uncle who lives in Washington DC. He is Alex Cross (Morgan Freeman), and he's basically like Hannibal Lecter when it comes to piecing things together - only a lot nicer. Alex investigates alongside the local cops, and they discover that Casanova might have made a big mistake. That is, one of his prisoners has managed to escape his underground lair after he kidnapped her. She is Dr. Kate McTiernan (Ashley Judd) - and just might be the break that Alex needs to catch Casanova. But what happens when they discover that Casanova has actually been working with another serial killer named The Gentleman Caller? How can Alex, Kate, and the cops pursue two killers at the same time? Hmmmmm.....

THE GIALLO CONNECTION: As with SEVEN and its connection to artistic and esoteric themes (The Seven Deadly Sins), KISS THE GIRLS gives us a villain, Casanova, who has more of an artful bent than a clinical one. Casanova is an Italian figure, and this reinforces this movie's connection to Italian Gialli, along with its lush and vibrant cinematography - especially the scenes set in Casanova's lair. Kate McTiernan's abduction sequence is also a very Giallo-like setpiece, with the killer playing cat-and-mouse with Kate in the dark of her own house. Also, the concept of the heroine being attacked by the killer early on in the story, but managing to escape and eventually join the hunt for the baddie, only to be attacked again at the end, was first used in the 1972 Italian Giallo SEVEN BLOOD-STAINED ORCHIDS.

And as far as the film's two villains, it should be noted (as with SCREAM) that the concept of two killers, cooperating with each other and protecting each other, is a device that has been used in many of Dario Argento's Gialli. And the artful way that director Gary Fleder shoots the final confrontation between Alex Cross, Kate McTiernan, and Casanova reflects the stylish nature of Italian Gialli.

TRIVIA: Denzel Washington was originally eyed to play Alex Cross, but was not available. Also, the success of this film turned Ashley Judd into something of a "Thriller Queen" - and she followed it with DOUBLE JEOPARDY, HIGH CRIMES, EYE OF THE BEHOLDER, and TWISTED.


#24. THE NINTH GATE (1999)

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POSTER TAGLINE: Leave the unknown alone...

CAST: Johnny Depp, Emmanuelle Seigner, Lena Olin, Frank Langella, Barbara Jefford, James Russo, Jack Taylor.

DIRECTOR: Roman Polanski

IT'S LIKE THIS: Rare book dealer Frank Corso (Johnny Depp) isn't in it for the sake of love of literature or preserving books that would otherwise disappear with the passing of time. Nope, this schmuck is in it just for the money. He basically will do anything to make a sale or an acquisition. So when rare book collector Boris Balkans (Frank Langella) hires him to search out the last 3 surviving copies of a book titled "The Nine Gates Of The Kingdom Of Shadows" which is said to have been originally written by the devil - and has the power to summon Old Scratch himself from the bowel of hell - Frank jumps all over that shit. Sensing a big paycheck, Corso agrees - and quickly gets more than he bargained for.

You see, it turns out that there are many people who are also looking for the same book - and are willing to kill for it. These weirdos include the sexy Liana Tefler (Lena Olin) whose husband originally owned a copy of the book before it was sold to Frank - and she wants it back. Then there's the mysterious unnamed Girl (Emmanuelle Seigner) who has been tailing Frank ever since he started his investigation. What the fuck does she want? Is she after the book, too? Or something else? Hmmmmmmmm....

THE GIALLO CONNECTION: One of our earlier sections dealt with SUPERNATURAL GIALLI. This film is another example of that kind of Giallo, but a non-Italian one. Despite its nationality, though, THE NINTH GATE is definitely a Supernatural Giallo, through and through. This movie has the same baroque, rococo style and atmosphere that Dario Argento's early Gialli have. Being set mostly in Europe adds to that considerably. We also have the winding, twist-filled puzzle that characterize many Gialli. Then there's the whole "rare book" angle that we've seen before in Argento's INFERNO (1980).

This movie's emphasis on symbology and rare documents also pre-figures another (and much, much, much more popular) American Giallo that would use the same elements and colorful style in 2006: THE DA VINCI CODE (discussed later).

TRIVIA: Female lead Emmanuelle Seigner was director Roman Polanski's lover and mother of his two kids. She has starred in many of his films as either the lead or important supporting player.


#25. WHAT LIES BENEATH

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POSTER TAGLINE: He was the perfect husband. Until his one mistake followed them home.

CAST: Harrison Ford, Michelle Pfeiffer, Amber Valletta, Diana Scarwid, James Remar, Miranda Otto, Wendy Crewson, Ray Baker, Katharine Towne.

DIRECTOR: Robert Zemeckis

IT'S LIKE THIS: After their daughter Caitlin (Katharine Towne) leaves for college, Claire and Norman Spencer (Michelle Pfeiffer and Harrison Ford) find themselves alone together in a big-ass house. Actually, make that a big-ass haunted house. You see, Claire immediately begins hearing things like whisperings and breathing and footsteps. Soon, she starts to suspect that the ghost of the wife of the asshole who lives next door is trying to reach out to Claire. You see, the asshole is Warren Feur (James Remar) and his wife is Mary (Miranda Otto) - and Mary hasn't been seen since she and Warren had a bad fight several nights before. And now, Claire is convinced that Mary's ghost is trying to reach out to her from beyond the grave. Got all that? Just play along, folks. I did.

But is the ghost really Mary Feur? Or is it someone else with the initials M.E.F. that mysteriously keep flickering on Claire's computer screen whenever she tries to play solitaire? Like, oh I don't know, Madison Elizabeth Frank (Amber Valletta), a grad student who went missing the year before? A grad student who just happened to be one of Norman's students? Could Norman know something about Madison's disappearance? A-fucking-hem, people.....

THE GIALLO CONNECTION: We previously discussed the Italian Giallo, SETTE NOTTE IN NERO (1977) and THE EYES OF LAURA MARS (1978). Both films dealt with heroines who are drawn into supernatural/paranormal mysteries - and both women discover (SPOILERS) in the end that the baddies are much closer to them that they realized, and were under their noses the whole time. WHAT LIES BENEATH shares these elements, and is a good example of stylish, atmospheric American Giallo.

Like DRESSED TO KILL, many pundits have labeled WHAT LIES BENEATH a "Hitchcockian" thriller. What they forget, though, is that Alfred Hitchcock never dealt in ghosts and psychic phenomena. His only film that featured the unexplained is THE BIRDS, and even then it remained firmly down-to-Earth and refused to go into paranormal or supernatural territory. And his only film to even deal remotely with psychic ability is FAMILY PLOT - and even then the psychic medium character Blanche Tyler (Barbara Harris) was a phony and her "abilities" were played for laughs. In other words, Alfred Hitchcock didn't take the supernatural seriously.

Italian Gialli do, however. Films like SUSPIRIA, INFERNO, PHENOMENA, and SETTE NOTTE IN NERO (THE PSYCHIC in North America) treated its supernatural plot elements with respect and seriousness - which is what made them scary. WHAT LIES BENEATH takes this same sober approach, never playing things for laughs the way FAMILY PLOT did, and as a result fares quite well. It's a solid American Giallo.

TRIVIA: The lead couple of this film played by Michelle Pfeiffer (Claire) and Harrison Ford (Norman) have first names that are an homage to the heroine of THE CHANGELING (1979), another supernatural thriller about a spirit reaching from beyond the grave to influence a living person to seek justice for them: Claire Norman (Trish Van Devere). Also, THE CHANGELING's plot device of the lead character misunderstanding a set of initials, then realizing what it really stands for later on, is repeated in WHAT LIES BENEATH.


#26. VALENTINE (2001)

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POSTER TAGLINE: Love hurts...

CAST: David Boreanaz, Marley Shelton, Denise Richards, Jessica Cauffiel, Jessica Capshaw, Hedy Burress, Katherine Heigl, Fulvio Cecere, Daniel Cosgrove, Johnny Whitworth, Adam Harrington, Woody Jeffreys.

DIRECTOR: Jaime Blanks.

IT'S LIKE THIS: When they were all in middle school, best pals Kate (Marley Shelton), Paige (Denise Richards), Dorothy (Jessica Capshaw), Lily (Jessica), and Shelley (Katherine Heigl) were mean to some dork named Jeremy Melton (Joel Palmer) at a Valentine's Day dance - and he got beat up by the other guys, as a result. Thirteen years later, our ladies are hot twentysomethings living in San Francisco and are living it up - especially since Valentine's Day is just around the corner. Then they start receiving really fucked-up Valentine's Day cards that all go a little something like: "Roses Are Red, Violets Are Blue, I'm Going To Kill You, You Fucking Bitch." You know, one of those cards.

Then Shelley gets killed while pulling an all-nighter at the medical school. Detective Vaughn (Fulvio Cecere) rounds up the surviving ladies and tells them that Jeremy Melton is back to get revenge on them - only no one knows what he looks like now. In other words, he could be any one of their boyfriends or suitors or fuck buddies. Is he Adam (David Boreanaz), Kate's struggling alcoholic boyfriend? Is it Campbell (Daniel Cosgrove), Dorothy's shifty suitor? Or is it Max (Johnny Whitworth), Lilly's sleazy artist fuck buddy? Or is it Bryan (Woody Jeffreys), some jackass Paige met on a Speed Dating Marathon? Or is it... Detective Vaughn himself? Hmmmmmmmm.... Happy Valentine's, ladies. Don't lose your hearts....

THE GIALLO CONNECTION: Out of all the neo-slashers that followed in the wake of SCREAM's resounding success in 1996, this movie is the one that feels most like a Giallo. From its upwardly-mobile, career-track young adults, to its sophisticated urban setting, to the black-gloved killer stalking them, and to the colorful suspense setpieces, VALENTINE has all the trademark elements.

The difference between a common slasher and a Giallo is that the latter takes its time to set up and pay off its suspense sequences - and does so with style. In VALENTINE, there are many of these: Lilly's chase scene in the video maze, Shelley's chase scene in the empty medical school, Ruthie's (Hedy Burress) chase scene through Dorothy's basement, and the best of them all: Paige's attack scene in the jacuzzi room while the party rages on above her. Director Jaime Blanks stages all of these setpieces with a flair and an operatic sense of style. Very, very Giallo-like.

TRIVIA: The original cut of VALENTINE was much more violent, but the studio edited it down to a "softer" R-rating. Originally, all the death scenes were longer and more elaborate.


# 27. THE GRUDGE (2003)

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POSTER TAGLINE: It never forgives. It never forgets.

CAST: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jason Behr, KaDee Strickland, Clea Duvall, William Mapother, Grace Zabriskie, Bill Pullman, Rosa Blasi.

DIRECTOR: Takashi Shimizu

IT'S LIKE THIS: An ordinary, nondescript home in Tokyo, Japan was the sight of a vicious murder/suicide three years ago involving a family of three - and now it appears to be cursed. You see, it appears that anyone who enters the house is "marked for death." That is, the vengeful ghosts of the dead family (father, mother, son, cat) pursue them no matter where they go. Unlike most haunted houses where the haunting is confined to the house itself, these ghosts are more, shall we say, free-roaming and unforgiving. Which means one thing: you can run - but you cannot hide.

A few of the folks who make the mistake of entering the house and therefore become severely fucked (figuratively, not literally - these are not THAT kind of ghosts) include: (1) Karen (Sarah Michelle Gellar), American exchange student; (2) Doug (Jason Behr), Karen's hot fellow American boyfriend; (3) Susan (KaDee Strickland), American executive sister of (4) Matthew (William Mapother), American business man who recently moved to Japan with (5) Jennifer (Clea Duvall), his wife; (6) Emma (Grace Zabriskie), Susan and Matthew's invalid mother; (7) Peter (Bill Pullman), American professor who is married to (8) Maria (Rosa Blasi). There are a few others, but there's no need to mention them since pretty much anyone who encounters this curse gets their ass handed to them. Ouch.

THE GIALLO CONNECTION: Dario Argento's films are very big in Japan, and there are those who believe that THE GRUDGE, which is a remake of the Japanese horror classic JU-ON (which means "grudge" in Japanese), was inspired by Argento's INFERNO (1980). In INFERNO, an extended network of loosely-connected characters are united by an obscure legend - and one-by-one they fall victim to it. The story is told in a non-linear and abstract way that feels surreal and disorienting. THE GRUDGE has the very same plot and feel, and as with INFERNO, we are never quite sure who is going to survive, if anyone.

The strongest parallel between INFERNO and THE GRUDGE is the shared sequence wherein an important character encounters the "evil" in a public place where she should be safe, manages to escape, then returns home where the thinks she is finally safe for real - only to find out that it has followed her home. In INFERNO, this was the sequence with Sarah (Eleanora Giorgi) that starts in the library, then moves into the basement where she is attacked, then ends at her flat where she and Carlo (Gabriele Lavia) are attacked unexpectedly. In THE GRUDGE, it is the setpiece where Susan is attacked in her office tower while working late at night, then she seeks help with the Japanese guard, and then returns home to her flat to discover that the ghosts are waiting for her there. These are both great setpieces that drip with atmosphere, dread, and style that you can only find in Gialli.

TRIVIA: The producers of the American remake of the original JU-ON (Japanese for "Grudge") briefly toyed with setting the story in the United States, but ultimately decided that keeping the story in Japan, but replacing the Japanese characters with American ex-pats, would keep the original story's eerie and disorienting atmosphere. They were right.


Please expect the last four entries of Volume 2 of AMERICAN GIALLI to post tomorrow. Have a wonderful night, folks....





Thursday, September 26, 2013

GIALLI SAMPLER, PART FIVE (VOLUME 1): "AMERICAN GIALLI - 1970 to 1989"


In Part Four of our sampler, "WTF? GIALLI", the last entry was Dario Argento's TRAUMA, the Italian Hitchcock's very ill-advised attempt to create an Italian Giallo in the Heartland of America, AKA Minneapolis, Minnesota. TRAUMA would have been a much stronger and more interesting film had he shot in Bella Italia with an Italian cast. However, in a very misguided effort to win over American audiences, he forged ahead with his cockamamie plan - and TRAUMA ended up being one of his weakest films because of its American setting and mostly-Yankee cast. The reason TRAUMA failed artistically and commercially was because it was an Italian Giallo with an Italian director who forced the whole story into an American setting that it didn't belong in. Despite being set in Minneapolis, TRAUMA was most definitely an Italian film to the core - not an American one.

What are American Gialli, then? These are the North American (including Canadian) thrillers or horror films that were strongly influenced by the earlier Italian movies of Dario Argento, Mario Bava, Luigi Bazzoni, Lucio Fulci, Sergio Martino, Umberto Lenzi, and other Italian Giallo directors. Like their Italian cinematic cousins who inspired them, American Gialli are stylish, colorful, and setpiece-driven, filled with red herrings, twists, and surprise endings. The only thing that is significantly different is that the protagonists of American Gialli are usually American men or women on their own home turf - instead of foreigners in Italy. American Gialli also sometimes play with the Giallo formula and take their stories into new directions. Bottom line: the Modern American Thriller and Horror Film owe a debt of gratitude to Italian Gialli.

There are a total of 30 entries in our AMERICAN GIALLI section. Given this large number, we are splitting the AMERICAN GIALLI section into 2 volumes. Volume 1 covers 1970-1989, and Volume 2 covers 1990 - 2013.

Please find below Volume 1 of our AMERICAN GIALLI section. As with the entries from the other sections, the films are listed chronologically.


# 1. KLUTE (1971)

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POSTER TAGLINE: Lots of guys want to swing with a girl like Bree. One guy just wants to kill her....

CAST: Jane Fonda, Donald Sutherland, Charles Cioffi, Roy Scheider, Dorothy Tristan, Rita Gam.

DIRECTOR: Alan J. Pakula

IT'S LIKE THIS: Sexy call girl Bree Daniels (Jane Fonda) finds herself pursued by two men: (1) John Klute (Donald Sutherland), a cop/private dick who is convinced Bree knows something about his friend's disappearance; and (2) Mr. Psycho Killer (??????), some nutjob who is obsessed with Bree - and will kill any guy who fucks her. Soon, John finds himself stepping into the role of protector of Bree, as Mr. Psycho Killer draws nearer and nearer. Who could this killer be? Ahem? Good luck with that one, Klute.

THE GIALLO CONNECTION: This early American Giallo came out when Italian Gialli themselves were still going strong worldwide. KLUTE was released about a year and a half after THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE - and there are very strong echoes of that film here. From the breathy female vocals of Michael Small's score (reminding us of Ennio Morricone's music for BIRD) that is sensual and creepy at the same time, to the quirky opening credits that play over a sexy conversation Bree has with a client, to the scary final confrontation with the killer, this movie has the Giallo Aura all around it.

TRIVIA: Barbara Streisand turned down the role of Bree Daniels. And Jane Fonda prepared for her role as a high-class prostitute by hanging out with real "working girls" and their pimps.


# 2. HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS (1972)

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POSTER TAGLINE: There's nothing more chilling than a warm family reunion...

CAST: Eleanor Parker, Sally Field, Jessica Walter, Jill Haworth, Julie Harris, Walter Brennan.

DIRECTOR: John Llewellyn Moxey

IT'S LIKE THIS: The Morgan family is having a Christmas Reunion at their isolated California ranch - and the Morgan girls are all coming home for it. The family is comprised of: (1) Ben (Walter Brennan), dying-pain-in-the-ass father; (2) Alex (Eleanor Parker), mother-hen daughter who takes care of everyone, (3) Freddie (Jessica Walter), drinks-like-a-fish daughter who, uh, drinks everyone under the table; (4) Joanna (Jill Haworth), ice-princess daughter who looks down on everyone; (5) Chris (Sally Field), lovey-dovey youngest daughter who is probably our best bet for the "Sole Survivor" award; and (6) Elizabeth (Julie Harris), mysterious second wife of Ben - who just might hate them all. When a killer in a hooded yellow slicker and a sharp pitchfork crashes the reunion and starts offing them one by one, it becomes clear that "Christmas In The Big City With Your City Slicker Pals" was probably the option the girls should have chosen. Too late now, bitches...

THE GIALLO CONNECTION: Mario Bava's TWITCH OF THE DEATH NERVE (1971) is often cited as major influence on FRIDAY THE 13th. But way before FRIDAY THE 13TH came out in 1980, this solid 1972 made-for-TV thriller took DEATH NERVE's template of a clan getting killed off one-by-one in an isolated location and transplanted it to an American setting. HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS is thankfully not bloody, at all, and focuses instead on atmosphere and character. The truth is, I prefer it over FRIDAY THE 13TH for that reason.

TRIVIA: Interestingly enough, Sally Field, who plays Christine Morgan here, was reportedly considered for the lead role of Alice in FRIDAY THE 13th eight years later. Adrienne King got the part, instead.


#3. THE EYES OF LAURA MARS (1978)

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POSTER TAGLINE: No tagline - just a close-up of Faye Dunaway's face (as Laura Mars) with the whites of her eyes glowing eerily. That's all ya need to sell the movie.

CAST: Faye Dunaway, Tommy Lee Jones, Renee Auberjonois, Raul Julia, Darlanne Fluegel, Lisa Taylor.

DIRECTOR: Irvin Kershner

IT'S LIKE THIS: Glamorous, talented NYC fashion photographer Laura Mars (Faye Dunaway) is the toast of the Big Apple. Her photos of models in various stages of dress and undress are selling products like hotcakes - not to mention selling like hotcakes themselves. Unfortunately, Laura's success is suddenly marred by terrifying visions of her friends, colleagues, and associates being murdered by an icepick-wielding killer. The trouble is Laura gets these visions just as they are happening. In other words, she sees through the eyes of the killer just as he (she?) is committing the crimes. Enter smoking-hot NYPD detective John Neville (Tommy Lee Jones), who's more than happy to help Laura solve the mystery. Good luck with that one, kids.

THE GIALLO CONNECTION: In our SUPERNATURAL GIALLI section, we discussed and reviewed SETTE NOTTE IN NERO (1977), which revolved around a woman with psychic abilities whose special gifts cause her to "witness" ghastly events which, in turn, place her in grave danger. The same premise holds THE EYES OF LAURA MARS together - and it came out about a year-and-a-half or so after SETTE NOTE IN NERO (known as THE PSYCHIC in North America). Both films also feature endings wherein (MASSIVE SPOILER ALERT) our heroines discover that the killer is much closer to them than they realized. And, just as THE PSYCHIC influenced THE EYES OF LAURA MARS, this movie in turn influenced SOTTO IL VESTITO NIENTE seven years later in 1985 (with its "psychic connection" plot thread). Essentially, an Italian Giallo influenced an American Giallo - which then influenced another Italian Giallo. THE EYES OF LAURA MARS also influenced another American Giallo on this list: JACK'S BACK (1988)

TRIVIA: John Carpenter co-wrote the screenplay for THE EYES OF LAURA MARS. The same year as this movie came out, Carpenter's HALLOWEEN (which he directed) was released - and became a phenomenal success. HALLOWEEN is widely recognized as having been influenced by Dario Argento's PROFONDO ROSS (1975) - known in North America as DEEP RED.


# 4. HALLOWEEN (1978)

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POSTER TAGLINE: The night HE came home...

CAST: Donald Pleasence, Jamie Lee Curtis, P.J. Soles, Nancy Loomis, Charles Cyphers, Kyle Richards, Brian Andrews.

DIRECTOR: John Carpenter

IT'S LIKE THIS: The small Illinois town of Haddonfield is about to get a very nasty Halloween surprise this year: a nutjob named Michael Myers has broken out of a sanitarium nearby and is headed home for some serious mischief. You see, Mikey is a Haddonfield native but has been incarcerated for the last 15 years ever since he killed his own sister on Halloween night. Now that he's back in town, teenage babysitters Laurie, Linda, and Annie (Jamie Lee Curtis, P.J. Soles, Nancy Loomis) find themselves in his crosshairs. Get ready for a wild night, ladies. Let's just say if there was ever a cautionary film about babysitting, it would be this movie.

THE GIALLO CONNECTION: This movie is a classic that spawned the American Slasher sub-genre. It is widely-known that John Carpenter was inspired by DEEP RED's style and music - and it shows here. HALLOWEEN's cinematography is bathed in the same deep blacks and vibrant reds as that Italian classic. The musical theme is also as distinctive and recognizable as DEEP RED's - and is classic Thriller Music. HALLOWEEN is an important film for both the Italian Giallo sub-genre and the American Slasher sub-genre because it bridges the two. This movie also inspired the wave of American horror films that would eventually be revived by SCREAM - but it itself was inspired by Italian Gialli.

TRIVIA: Until THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT came out in 1999 and took the title, this movie was considered the most successful independent film of all time.


# 5. DRESSED TO KILL (1980)

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POSTER TAGLINE: The latest fashion in murder...

CAST: Michael Caine, Angie Dickinson, Nancy Allen, Dennis Franz, Keith Gordon.

DIRECTOR: Brian De Palma

IT'S LIKE THIS: NYC psychiatrist Robert Elliott (Michael Caine) has a serious dilemma: one of his patients, Kate Miller (Angie Dickinson) has been brutally murdered - and he suspects that one of his other patients is the killer. But who could it be? It's up to high-class call girl Liz Blake (Nancy Allen) to find out. You see, Liz witnessed Kate's murder after leaving an, um, assignment (don't ask) - and she glimpsed a tall blonde woman in a black trenchcoat at the murder scene, carrying a straight razor. And if Liz doesn't track her down first, she's the next victim. Will Dr. Elliott be able to help. Or is Liz pretty much on her own? And who is that tall blonde lady with the razor? Ah, New York life... so bat-shit crazy.

THE GIALLO CONNECTION: A straight razor, a very common weapon in Italian Gialli, is the killer's weapon-of-choice in DRESSED TO KILL. Director Brian De Palma creates setpieces that are grand, operatic, and colorful - very much like the sequences in Italian Gialli. Ironically, many pundits refer to DRESSED TO KILL as "Hitchcockian" - but Hitchcock was never this colorful or over-the-top. Dario Argento, on the other hand, frequently was - and DRESSED TO KILL is closer in spirit to his films than Hitchcock's. Also, Kate Miller's elevator murder scene echoes the one from the 1971 Italian Giallo, THE CASE OF THE BLOODY IRIS (featured in our "WTF? GIALLI section).

TRIVIA: Sean Connery was offered the lead role of Dr. Robert Eliott, but had to decline due to scheduling reasons.


#6. FRIDAY THE 13TH (1980)

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POSTER TAGLINE: They were warned. They are doomed. And on Friday The 13th, nothing will save them.

CAST: Adrienne King, Betsy Palmer, Harry Crosby, Kevin Bacon, Peter Brouwer, Jeannine Taylor, Robbie Morgan.

DIRECTOR: Sean Cunningham

IT'S LIKE THIS: Camp Crystal Lake in rural New Jersey has been known as Camp Blood for years because of several murders that took place there a long time ago. Since then, the camp has been abandoned and shuttered. Then a local entrepreneur (and utter moron, obviously) named Steve Christie (Peter Brouwer) buys the place and decides to reopen it, as if nothing had happened. Despite the warnings of locals who say that the place is cursed - and bad things will happen once more if anyone sets foot there. Like I said: utter moron. Anyhow, it soon becomes apparent that the townspeople aren't as dumb as they look, because on a certain Friday The 13th, Steve's crew of workers gets decimated one-by-one by a shadowy killer. Who will live to tell the tale? Hopefully not that idiot Steve. Good going, Stevo. Imbecile.

THE GIALLO CONNECTION: As mentioned before, FRIDAY THE 13TH is believed by many to have been influenced by Mario Bava's TWITCH OF THE DEATH NERVE (1971). Both films feature lakeside, woodland settings where a group of people are picked off-by-one by an unseen killer (or killers). Both films are high on gore and blood, but very short on characterization. However, they are both entertaining and scary in the moment, if nothing more.

TRIVIA: The final "jump scare" of Jason leaping out of the lake to grab sole survivor Alice (Adrienne King), which turns out to be just a nightmare she has in the hospital after being rescued, was not in the script. However, director Sean Cunningham felt that the movie needed to get the audience with one last shock before the end credits rolled - and improvised it. Good call - it's the best part of the movie.


#7. NIGHT SCHOOL (1981)

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POSTER TAGLINE: A lesson in terror.

CAST: Leonard Mann, Rachel Ward, Drew Snyder, Joseph R. Sicari, Annette Miller, Karen MacDonald, Elizabeth Barnitz.

DIRECTOR: Ken Hughes

IT'S LIKE THIS: Wendell College For Women in Boston, MA must be a very tough school, judging by how often its students lose their heads. And I don't mean over studying for exams. I mean, literally. As in, decapitated. As in, beheaded. As in, headless. You see, it appears that three women who attend night classes at Wendell have been killed recently, in the manner described before. And it turns out that both of them were students of horndog anthropology professor Vincent Millett (Drew Snyder). BPD detective Judd Austin (Leonard Mann) takes on the case and questions Professor Millett, who claims he is innocent. But is he really? And what happens when another woman gets killed? Who will be next? Professor Millett's loyal assistant Eleanor Adjai (Rachel Ward)? Will she pay the price for fucking her teacher? Or does she have her own agenda? Hmmmmmm....

THE GIALLO CONNECTION: The massive success of HALLOWEEN in 1978 kick-started the first wave of American Slasher movies (the second wave was after SCREAM's success in 1996), and of all the films that came out during that period, NIGHT SCHOOL (and a couple of others) is the one that is most Giallo-like. This movie has a very European feel and look. Like many Italian Gialli, it features older, upwardly-mobile characters who are on career tracks, and not your typical brainless teens. These folks are fairly sophisticated and have lives that feel lived in. The suspense setpieces are also very elaborate and operatic in execution - another Giallo trademark. Finally, there is the "look" of the killer himself (herself?): riding a motor-bike in a black leather outfit and helmet. This was the same look as the baddie in the 1974 Italian Giallo, LA POLIZIA CHIEDE AIUTO.

TRIVIA: This movie was model-turned-actress Rachel Ward's film debut. Ward was one of the dark-haired/dark-eyed models (along with Janice Dickinson, Gia Carangi, Iman, and others) who helped break the "WASP/Blonde Ceiling" that existed in the late-1970s NYC modeling world - paving the way for exotic brunette stunners like Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, Yasmeen Ghauri, and Christy Turlington. Ward would go on to wider cinematic success in THE THORN BIRDS and AGAINST ALL ODDS.


#8. LOOKER (1981)

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POSTER TAGLINE: If looks could kill...

CAST: Albert Finney, James Coburn, Susan Dey, Leigh Taylor-Young, Dorian Harewood, Tim Rossovich. Terri Welles, Kathryn Witt, Catherine Parks.

IT'S LIKE THIS: Poor Beverly Hills plastic surgeon Larry Roberts (Albert Finney): he's having a supremely weird week. He's just found out that three of his patients have killed themselves. The women have two things in common: (1) they were all beautiful model/actresses; and (2) they all recently had microscopic plastic surgery (down to the millimeter). Even worse, the Beverly Hill PD now suspect that Larry might have been, um, schtupping his patients and had something to do with their deaths. Now, he must work with Cindy (Susan Dey), another patient who may be next on the killer's list, and find out why the women all had unnecessary microscopic surgery that would have been invisible to the naked eye. They follow a trail of clue to Digital Matrix, Inc., a company that does extensive media research. What role does DGI have in the deaths - and will Larry and Cindy be next?

THE GIALLO CONNECTION: This movie was very forward-thinking and prescient, intuiting the CGI technology that would soon be a daily part of Hollywood and the media world. In a lot of ways, LOOKER was ahead of its time. It also has some strong Giallo elements: the mysterious, black-gloved killer; the protagonist forced to investigate on his own due to uncooperative or unfriendly police figures; and the colorfully elaborate suspense setpieces. The killer also wears big reflective sunglasses like the baddie in the 1972 Giallo, LA MORTE ACCAREZZA A MEZZANOTE.


#9. CURTAINS (1983)

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POSTER TAGLINE: Behind every curtain, someone is waiting, something is watching.

CAST: John Vernon, Samantha Eggar, Linda Thorson, Anne Ditchburn, Sandra Warren, Lesleh Donaldson, Lynne Griffin.

DIRECTOR: Richard Ciupka

IT'S LIKE THIS: If this movie is any indication, then being a working actress is even more competitive and cutthroat than we realized. Six actresses (well, there were seven who were invited, technically, but the killer gets to # 7 before she even gets a chance to pack or leave the city) gather at esteemed film director Jonathan Stryker's (John Vernon) isolated country estate for the weekend to audition for a coveted lead role in a film he plans to make. Unfortunately, one of the actresses wants the part so bad she is willing to kill for it. But which one? Pretty soon, before you can say "Ladies, is this any way to behave?" the women are being knocked off one-by-bloody-one by a mysterious killer in a hag-mask. Who is behind that mask? Who will survive? Or does it matter anyway when you consider that these dumb bitches pretty much signed their death warrants by agreeing to hole up in the middle of nowhere with a director who looks that sketchy? Whatever. Good luck, ladies...

THE GIALLO CONNECTION: In our WTF? GIALLI section, we discussed the Italian Giallo THE RED QUEEN KILLS SEVEN TIMES from 1972. That film has direct parallels with CURTAINS, from the similar "looks" of its villains, to the storylines filled with backstabbing and duplicitous females, and suspense setpieces that mirror one another. Along with NIGHT SCHOOL (1981), CURTAINS feels more like a Giallo than it does a slasher movie, filled with sophisticated characters who are more mature than the usual teens and students found in thrillers of that time. The atmosphere is also very sensual and seductive - very much in keeping with the European origins of the Giallo sub-genre.

TRIVIA: CURTAINS had a very troubled production. It was actually filmed and completed in 1980, but was not released until 1983. Also, French-Canadian actress Celine Lomez was originally cast in the role of Brooke Parsons (Linda Thorson), and even shot some scenes, but had to step down from the role for undisclosed reasons. Thorson replaced her soon after.


# 10. A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (1984)

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POSTER TAGLINE: If Nancy doesn’t wake up screaming, she won’t wake up at all.

CAST: Heather Langenkamp, Robert Englund, Johnny Depp, John Saxon, Amanda Wyss, Ronee Blakely.

DIRECTOR: Wes Craven

IT'S LIKE THIS: If there was ever an argument for No-Doz pills and round-the-clock espresso shots, it's this movie. A group of teenagers realize they have been having the same nightmare about some freakazoid named Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) with really bad skin, wearing a red-and-green sweater and Fedora hat (bad fashion combo, but whatever), and sporting some contraption that looks like a glove but with knife blades for fingers. Yes, folks, he's not exactly Mr. Sandman. Things get even worse when the teens start getting offed one-by-one in their sleep. Pretty soon, it's up to surviving gal Nancy Thompson (Heather Langenkamp) to stay up late at night long enough to figure out who their ugly tormentor is, and what she can do to stop him. After another five shots of espresso first, that is...

THE GIALLO CONNECTION: This movie's setpieces (usually dreams and nocturnal wanderings set in some very surreal environments) echo the dreamy, other-worldly vibes of Dario Argento's Supernatural Gialli like SUSPIRIA (1977) and INFERNO (1980). Also, Freddy Krueger's custom-made weapon is very similar to the killer's "iron-glove-with-spikes" from LA MORTE ACCAREZZA A MEZZANOTE (1972). Finally, there's the sequence where Nancy sets elaborate booby-traps in her house to trap Freddy. This echoes a very similar scene from LA RAGAZZA CHE SAPEVA TROPPO from 1963, wherein the heroine does the same exact thing to nab the killer stalking her. And, of course, the trademark headwear of the Classic Giallo Villain that Freddy also wears: the Fedora Hat.

TRIVIA: John Saxon, who played the male lead in LA RAGAZZA CHE SAPEVA TROPPO, plays Nancy's policeman father here.


#11. BLACK WIDOW (1987)

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POSTER TAGLINE: She mates and she kills...

CAST: Debra Winger, Theresa Russell, Sami Frey, Dennis Hopper, Terry O'Quinn, Rutanya Alda, Diane Ladd.

DIRECTOR: Bob Rafelson

IT'S LIKE THIS: Rinny Walker (Theresa Russell) has been a very, very, very busy girl lately. She has married three different men within the last five years - and murdered each one of them for their money. In New York, she was sophisticated Catherine, and hooked up with a publishing tycoon. In Houston, she was sassy Marielle, and ensnared a toy manufacturer millionaire. And in Seattle, she was cerebral Margaret, and hooked a brainy heir. And she killed all of 'em, folks. Now, she has morphed again into someone new and has moved to Hawaii as Rinny. Now, she has her sights on Paul (Sami Frey), a local millionaire who looks ripe for the poisoning, er, picking. But, wait... here comes brilliant Department of Justice bloodhound Alex Barnes (Debra Winger), who apparently has seen and read one too many suspense-thrillers (ahem). She has pieced together Rinny's schtick - and is going to bring her down. But, wait... Alex finds herself entranced and fascinated by Rinny, just like the stupid men Rinny killed. Is Alex falling under Rinny/Catherine/Margaret/Marielle's spell, too? Or will Alex snap out of it and finally arrest her? Hmmmmmm.....

THE GIALLO CONNECTION: The killers in Dario Argento's Gialli often turn out to be female, and our killer in BLACK WIDOW is one of two wily females. The difference here is that we know from the beginning who the killer is. The mystery of BLACK WIDOW doesn't revolve around whether Rinny is guilty or not - we know that definitively from the outset. The real question is how Alex will bring her down for what she has done - and also, whether Alex ultimately even wants to. Aside from the gender of the killer, BLACK WIDOW's connection to Italian Gialli is the very seductive atmosphere director Bob Rafelson brings to the story. It's a very European feel that is langurous and hypnotic. The movie is also filled with color and texture, echoing the lush set designs of many of Argento and Bava's Gialli.

TRIVIA: Theresa Russell dubbed the American voice of Daria Nicolodi's character, Ann, from TENEBRE (1982) - an Argento Giallo - for that movie's British and North American release.


#12. THE BEDROOM WINDOW (1987)

Partay!

POSTER TAGLINE: A violent crime. A secret affair. A single witness.

CAST: Steve Guttenberg, Elizabeth McGovern, Isabelle Huppert, Carl Lumbly, Frederick Coffin, Paul Shenar, Wallace Shawn.

DIRECTOR: Curtis Hanson

IT'S LIKE THIS: Terry Lambert (Steve Guttenberg), is one of those guys who is both utterly brilliant and also thoroughly stupid at the same time. On one hand, he is a talented architect in Philadelphia's top design firm. On the other hand, he's also fucking his boss's wife. See what I mean? It's during one of his illicit trysts with Sylvia (Isabelle Huppert), AKA Mrs. Boss, at his fuckpad that she happens to look out Terry's window and see a woman (Elizabeth McGovern) being attacked by a freak with red hair (Carl Lumbly). Sylvia scares off the attacker, and the would-be victim, Denise, is rescued. But now Sylvia has a problem: if she comes forward, everyone will now she was in Terry's apartment when the attack occurred in the middle of the night. And from there, it's just a short jump away to the conclusion that she and Terry were swapping bodily fluids. Enter our boy Terry, who once again demonstrates his capacity to be simultaneously utterly brilliant - and also as dumb as a box of bricks: he tells Sylvia that he will tell the police that HE saw the attack on Denise. And HE will be the one to identify Red-Headed Freak in the police line-up based on Sylvia's description. And HE will be the one who will take the stand at Red-Headed Freak's trial. I think you folks see where this is going. Good luck with that, Terry. Jackass.

THE GIALLO CONNECTION: The premise of an innocent bystander witnessing an attempted murder - then getting pulled into the fray despite his/her's best intentions to stay out of it, was first used in THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE (1970). Also, the concept of secret lovers witnessing a crime, but unable to come forward to the police for fear of having the affair discovered was also used previously in another Italian Giallo, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO SOLANGE? (1972). Finally, THE BEDROOM WINDOW's overall sleek, stylish look echoes the handsome appearance of many Italian Gialli.

TRIVIA: Elizabeth McGovern, who plays this movie's heroine, currently stars on DOWNTON ABBEY as Cora Crowley, Countess of Grantham. And director Curtis Hanson would go on to direct Russell Crowe's star-making film, L.A. CONFIDENTIAL, and Eminem's 8-MILE.


#13. WHITE OF THE EYE (1987)

Partay!

POSTER TAGLINE: The only difference between a hunter and a killer is his prey...

CAST: David Keith, Cathy Moriarty, Alan Rosenberg, Art Evans, Michael Greene, Alberta Watson.

DIRECTOR: Donald Cammell

IT'S LIKE THIS: With all its endless sunshine and gorgeous vistas, you'd think Tucson, AZ would be a great place to live. Not according to this movie, which shows a vicious killer knocking off the wealthy housewives of a Tucson suburb. Before you know it, sound technician/expert Paul White (David Keith) is being eyed by the local cops as a suspect. Mainly, because he, um, serviced the stereo systems of those households - and may have also, ah, serviced the women, too. This doesn't come as any kind of good news to his wife, Joanna (Cathy Moriarty), who has been acting like the perfect homemaker and mother all this time. Unaware of her husband's hanky-panky. But is Paul really the killer? Or maybe it's their good-for-nothing pal Mike (Alan Rosenberg), whom they haven't seen in ages but has suddenly re-appeared - exactly around the time the murders started. Who could the killer be? Hmmmmmmm....

THE GIALLO CONNECTION: Out of all the films in our AMERICAN GIALLI (both Volumes 1 & 2) WHITE OF THE EYE is one of the most Giallo-like. From beginning to end, this film feels like a Dario Argento movie - from the hypnotic opening credits, to the elaborate suspense setpieces, to the colorful climactic revelation of "whodunit." This movie also uses the "extreme eyeball close-up" Argento used in THE CAT O'NINE TAILS , DEEP RED, and TENEBRE to signify the killer's presence nearby. The constant sunny environment of Tucson also echoes the brightly-lit Gialli of Sergio Martino (TORSO) and Umberto Lenzi (SEVEN BLOOD-STAINED ORCHIDS), which were located in sunny Italian settings.

TRIVIA: This movie has yet to be released on American DVD, despite its large cult following and critical acclaim. Currently, only a VHS version is available (and a PAL-Region DVD)


#14. JACK'S BACK (1988)

Partay!

POSTER TAGLINE: It's One Hundred Years Later. And He's Back...

CAST: James Spader, Cynthia Gibb, Robert Picardo, Jim Haynie, Chris Mulkey, Danitza Kingsley.

DIRECTOR: Rowdy Herrington

IT'S LIKE THIS: It's 1988, the centennial "anniversary" of the Ripper murders back in London, England, and across the pond in sunny Los Angeles, a series of copycat killings have gripped the city. Now, unless the original Jack The Ripper was some sort of ageless superbeing, and decided to emigrate to Cali, someone is mimicking his crimes down to the smallest detail. When his hooker ex-girlfriend Denise (Danitza Kingsley) becomes a victim, medical student John Wesford (James Spader) gets pulled into the fray. Oh, and to make matters even more interesting, his bad boy twin Rick (also James Spader) gets involved, too. Will the Wesford boys figure out what the hell is going on? Why is the Ripper Copycat after? What will he (she?) do once the fifth and final murder is enacted? Is it just "phase one" of a new killing spree? Or will she (he?) pull a disappearing act like the original killer? Hmmmmmmm......

THE GIALLO CONNECTION: Earlier, we discussed the connections between the Italian Gialli SETTE NOTTE IN NERO (1977) & SOTTO IL VESTITO NIENTE (1985), and the American Giallo THE EYES OF LAURA MARS (1978). All three films share themes about psychic phenomena and the paranormal. JACK'S BACK is another American Giallo that has the same "psychic link" thread - and, like SOTTO IL VESTITO NIENTE, explores the connection between twins. This film also echoes TENEBRE's (1982) "copycat murders" plot thread. The overall style and tone of the film is also more vibrant than your average American thriller, leaning more towards the colorful tone of Italian Gialli.

TRIVIA: A rumor I heard around the time this movie came out was that it was originally supposed to be set in London, England, where the original Ripper murders occurred back in 1888. But then the studio allegedly deemed it more economical to set the film in Los Angeles. The L.A. setting is fine, but planting the story where the original crimes occurred a hundred years ago would have resulted in an even more atmospheric movie. In some ways, it was a missed opportunity.


#15. D.O.A. (1988)

Partay!

POSTER TAGLINE: You're never more alive than when you’re on the edge of death.

CAST: Dennis Quaid, Meg Ryan, Daniel Stern, Charlotte Rampling, Robin Johnson, Jane Kaczmarek, Robert Knepper, Christopher Neame.

DIRECTOR: Annabel Jankel, Rocky Morton.

IT'S LIKE THIS: There are people who are having a bad day. And then there's Dexter Cornell (Dennis Quaid). Our boy Dex is having to deal with the following issues: (1) he hates his day job as an English professor teaching writing to a bunch of snot-nosed college freshmen who couldn't care less; (2) he has serious writer block and hasn't written a word in years; (3) his wife Gail (Jane Kaczmarek) whom he loves the shit out of, is divorcing him; and last but probably the worst: (4) someone poisoned him with a lethal, slow-acting poison with no known antidote - and he only has 24 hours left to live. See what I mean about Dex's colossal bad day? Anyhow, instead of spending his last day, productively, by writing up a list of people he's always wanted to fuck - and then promptly fucking them one-by-one - our boy Dex decides to just, you know, hunt down the bastard (bitch?) that slipped him the poison. Oh, how boring. Whatever. It's his last day. Let him spend it playing detective with perky co-ed Sydney Fuller (Meg Ryan) superglued to his side. I'm not even kidding. Personally, I'd be knocking on certain people's doors and be all like, "Hi, I'm dying from a slow-acting poison that doesn't affect my sexual prowess. I've got about, oh, 24 hours left. And I've always wanted to bang you six ways from Saturday. Just for 30 minutes, though. Because I have a long list of folks. Thoughts?"

THE GIALLO CONNECTION: As with most of the other entries in our AMERICAN GIALLI section, D.O.A. has a very colorful style and graceful execution to it. There's one section in particular that might as well have been lifted from any of Dario Argento or Mario Bava's films: the setpiece where Dexter peers through a red stained-glass window and glimpses Gail being attacked. He breaks down the doors and runs after Gail and her attacker into the kitchen, where.... well, let's just say it's a very Argento-esque sequence. D.O.A. also features a very intriguing mystery with many twists and turns, as well as quite a satisfying resolution - just like the best of Argento's Gialli.

TRIVIA: This is a remake of a film with the same title from 1950. The original version is more of a dark film noir, though, while this 1988 version is more Giallo-like.



Please expect Volume 2 our AMERICAN GIALLI section to post by this weekend. We will explore 15 more American films from 1990 to 2013 that have been strongly influenced by Italian Gialli. Have a wonderful evening folks. Dinner time! :)



Sunday, September 22, 2013

GIALLI SAMPLER, PART FOUR: "WTF? Gialli"


Let's face it, folks: all Gialli are cheesy. Not surprising, since they are Italian flicks. Even the very best of them (the CLASSIC GIALLI and HONORABLE MENION GIALLI sections of our sampler) have a strong Parmesan flavor. Then there's the mid-range Gialli (the vast majority in the middle) that have varying levels of cheesiness, some more so than others.

And then we have the Gialli that go beyond Formaggio Territory - and are genuinely bizarre. These are the films that are far too mediocre to be considered classics or honorable mentions, but are also too weird to be considered middle-of-the-road. This isn't to say that they are all bad (although some truly are) - but they are definitely not going to be hanging out anytime soon with the likes of THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE, DEEP RED, or BLOOD & BLACK LACE.

Bottom line: the movies in this section of our sampler will undoubtedly have you say the following at least three times during their running time: What. The. Fuck?

As with our other sections from this Sampler, the WTF? GIALLI below are listed chronologically:


#1. PERCHE QUELLE STRANE GOCCE DI SANGUE SUL CORPO DI JENNIFER? (1972)

Partay?

ENGLISH TITLE: THE CASE OF THE BLOODY IRIS

CAST: Edwige Fenech, Giampiero Albertini, George Hilton, Annabella Incontrera, Paola Quattrini, Franco Agostini, Carla Brait, Gianni Pulone, Oreste Lionello.

DIRECTOR: Giuliano Carnimeo

IT'S LIKE THIS: Just to give you folks an idea of how cheesy and bizarre this flick is, the actual English translation of the original Italian title is not THE CASE OF THE BLOODY IRIS. It is actually: WHAT ARE THOSE STRANGE DROPS OF BLOOD DOING ON JENNIFER'S BODY? Guys, can you imagine asking some girl out on a date and telling her you're going to take her to see a movie with that title? Let's see if you can even make it to first base. No wonder the foreign distributors changed the English title to something that sounds like a fucked-up Sherlock Holmes episode.

Actually, on paper, the synopsis of THE CASE OF THE BLOODY IRIS sounds pretty normal: Jennifer Lansbury & Marilyn Ricci (Edwige Fenech and Paola Quattrini), fashion model buddies, move into a flat in a luxury highrise after the previous tenant is brutally murdered - and soon find themselves the target of the resident killer. Hell, that's pretty much the story of SLIVER, (an American Gialli discussed in the next sampler section) - only without the video cameras and Billy Baldwin's luscious buttocks. Unfortunately, the way this flick actually plays out is most definitely not like SLIVER. More like Jerry Springer, Italian-style….

You see, despite its last-minute reshoots (which changed the story, the ending, and the killer's identity - and therefore compromised the film), SLIVER is an atmospheric, reasonably involving thriller (until that mediocre new ending that plays it safe). THE CASE OF THE BLOODY IRIS, on the other hand, is about as suspenseful as chopping mustard greens. Then there's the truly mondo weirdo characters. Jennifer Lansbury is relatively normal - but has got to be one of the most clueless heroines in Gialli. Edwige Fenech is lovely, but she doesn't have much to play with in the role. And then there's Marilyn Ricci - who Paola Quattrini turns into a seriously obnoxious head case. There's a hilarious scene where another character just finally loses it and straight-up punches her in the face. I think we cheered. Even more so when our resident killer finally jumps her (in a crowded piazza, no less) and does the entire world (and audience) a favor by turning her into fish food.

Then there's the identity of the killer and his (her?) motive - which, if used in a movie today, would seriously piss off the entire LGBT commmunity and anyone who supports Civil Rights.

MOST "WTF?" SCENE: Oh, there's plenty. But the clear winner is the scene where three building residents discover a bloody murder victim in the hallway - but stand there, totally unconcerned, like they just found someone's umbrella: "Hmmmm... that's odd." WTF?

SAVING GRACE: There's a scene at the beginning of the film, where a woman gets into a very crowded elevator. As the elevator rises through the building, the elevator gradually empties out - until only the killer and the woman are left in it. Then the inevitable happens. This scene is Hitchcockian and Argento-esque in its execution, starting from a point of safety - then gradually morphing into a dangerous situation. It's the only suspenseful part of this movie. Unfortunately, the quality of the film goes downhill sharply after this - and there are virtually no other setpieces to match this promising opening sequence.

TRIVIA: Edwige Fenech is sort of a "Giallo Queen" - having also starred in other such Gialli as FIVE DOLLS FOR AN AUGUST MOON (1970), ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK (1972), and YOUR VICE IS A LOCKED ROOM AND ONLY I HAVE THE KEY (1972). Look, I didn't pick these titles, okay?



# 2. LA DAMA ROSSA UCCIDE SETTE VOLTE (1972)

Partay?

ENGLISH TITLE: THE RED QUEEN KILLS SEVEN TIMES

CAST: Barbara Bouchet, Udo Pagliai, Marina Malfatti, Marino Mase, Pia Giancaro, Sybil Danning, Rudolf Schundler, Maria Antoinetta Guido, Fabrizio Moresco.

DIRECTOR: Emilio Miraglia

IT'S LIKE THIS: A friend of mine likes to call this movie "The Italian Scooby-Doo Episode." And that is a very apt description. THE RED QUEEN KILLS SEVEN TIMES has a goofy, cartoony feel and entire sequences that play out like part of someone's hilarious acid trip. Oh, and unlike most Gialli that feature killers wearing fedoras, trenchcoats, and black gloves, this flick features a killer wearing a white mask, red flowing cape, and, uh, black gloves. I guess the black gloves are non-negotiables for killers in Gialli, eh?

Anyhow, the craziness gets started in a prologue wherein we learn that the Wildenbrueck family has a curse wherein, every 100 years, "The Red Queen" rises from the dead and kills seven people - the last one being a female Wildenbrueck. Or something. The legend apparently got started centuries ago when an evil sister killed a good sister - and the good sister came back from the dead and killed seven people, the last one being her evil sister. Or something.

At any rate, cut to present-day Germany (which would make it, oh, 1972), where we find luscious dish Kitty Wildenbrueck (Barbara Bouchet) is quite a state. You see, she runs some sort of fashion house and times are very busy indeed. Unfortunately, she also is stressing over her crazy sister, Eva (Maria Antonietta Guido), whom she just, you know, accidentally killed a couple of years ago. Kitty's loyal cousin Fransizka (Marina Malfatti) helped her cover it up - but then a crazy banshee in a white mask, red cape, and black gloves begins knocking off all of Kitty's friends and associates. Is Eva still alive and back to get her sister? Or is it The Red Queen, back from the dead to fulfill a curse. Is it someone else at the fashion house? Or is it... Shaggy and Scooby-Doo gone rogue?

MOST BIZARRE SCENE: Oh, there's a bunch to pick from. But the winner, hands-down, is the scene where Eva's equally crazy boyfriend Peter (Fabrizio Moresco) does something, um, very, very, VERY bad to Kitty in one scene - and then the next time they see each other, she acts like absolutely nothing happened. Altogether now: WTF?

SAVING GRACE: A nicely-executed suspense setpiece involving a would-be victim, the killer, and a runaway van. And, also, the killer's "look" - which is creepy, scary, and stylish at the same time.

TRIVIA: This films appears to have inspired the look of the killer from the underrated 1983 Canadian slasher film, CURTAINS: a female mask with long flowing hair, black bodysuit, and black gloves. Also, the scene in CURTAINS wherein Christy (Lesleh Donaldson) spots the killer skating towards her on the frozen pond is almost an homage to the scene in this movie wherein the killer runs towards Kitty's bed from a long distance away - getting larger and larger and more menacing as she approaches.


#3. LISA E IL DIAVOLO (1974)

Partay?

ENGLISH TITLE: LISA AND THE DEVIL

CAST: Telly Savalas, Elke Sommer, Alessio Orano, Sylvia Koscina, Alida Valli, Gabriele Tinti, Eduardo Fajardo, Kathy Leone.

DIRECTOR: Mario Bava, Alfredo Leone

IT'S LIKE THIS: German tourist Lisa Reiner (Elke Sommer) is with a tour group in some ancient Spanish city - and finds herself transfixed by a mosaic that shows the Devil looking a lot like... Telly Savalas. Understandably WTFed out of her gourd by this wacky sight, Lisa wanders to a gift shop where she discovers some weirdo named Leandro trying to buy clothes for his dummy. Oh, and Leandro also looks a hell of a lot like Telly Savalas, too. And, just like that, Lisa is double-WTFed out of her gourd. So much so that, she wanders off into a deserted town square where Leandro's dummy comes to life and tries to get freaky with her.

Understandably upset, Lisa flees and tries to find her tour group, which has wisely moved on to Barcelona or something. Eventually, our whacked-out heroine hails a passing car and begs its passengers to give her a lift to somewhere, anywhere, but this stupid ancient city with mosaics with Telly Savalas' face on them, and dummies who try to stick their tongues down German tourists' throats. Happily, the folks agree. They are: (1) Francis Lehar (Eduardo Fajardo), constipated aristocrat; (2) Sophia Lehar (Sylvia Koscina), Francis' understandably sexually-frustrated wife; and (3) George (Gabriele Tinti), the Lehars' chaueffeur is more-than-happy to help Sophia with her sexual frustration problem. Nice crowd you picked to hitch with, Lisa.

Anyhow, Lisa, the Lehars, and George eventually reach a country estate where their car promptly breaks down. They seek shelter in the imposing abode - and discover that it's filled with people even more bizarre than they are: (1) Max (Alessio Orano), some girly-looking dude who acts like he has known Lisa all his life - and looks about as feminine as she does; (2) the Countess (Alida Valli), Max's hopelessly batty mother; and - last, but probably the weirdest: (3) Leandro the Butler, whom, if you recall, was the weirdo in town with the dummy who freaked Lisa out - and, yes, he still looks like Telly Savalas. And then people start dying....

Let me just say that, at this point, the movie goes officially over the edge and become something so fucking strange, you will think someone slipped some exxxtacy into your Heineken. Good luck.

MOST BIZARRE SCENE: Oh, dear Lord, there are dozens... In fact, I'm not sure where one bizarre scene ends, and the next one begins. It's like a 90-minute long video. But if you were to put a Beretta to my head and yell, "Choose, bitch!" - I would have to pick the scene where, um, Max and Lisa get to know each other in a very fucked-up way. Ick.

TRIVIA: Wisely recognizing that this movie would never play in American theatres without people walking out or falling asleep or saying "WTF?" so many times they would drown out the dialogue, the production company decided to shoot a large number of new scenes for the North American release that changed the movie from a supremely weird Supernatural Giallo to a rote Demonic Possession movie. That version is called THE HOUSE OF EXORCISM and was released in the U.S. and Canada. We have only seen a part of it, but were not impressed by what we saw. Compared to the LISA & THE DEVIL version, THE HOUSE OF EXORCISM was pretty humdrum and normal. At least the original Italian version is entertaining in a bat-shit, "what-will-they-do-next?" kind of way.


#4. LA CASA CON LA SCALA NEL BUIO (1983)

Partay?

ENGLISH TITLE: A BLADE IN THE DARK

CAST: Andrea Occhipinti, Anny Papa, Fabiola Toledo, Michele Soavi, Valeria Cavalli, Stanko Molnar, Lara Lamberti.

DIRECTOR: Lamberto Bava

IT'S LIKE THIS: Oh, what wonders Dario Argento could have done with this movie... The central premise is great: Bruno (Andrea Occhipinti), a film music composer, moves into an isolated villa in Tuscany to work on the score for an upcoming horror movie - only to find himself menaced by a killer and drawn into the mystery of what happened to the villa's mysterious former tenant. Unfortunately, Argento didn't helm this film and as we discussed in our review of the excellent Argento film PHENOMENA in our SUPERNATURAL GIALLO section, execution is everything. And BLADE IN THE DARK is poorly executed.

Director Lamberto Bava comes from Italian cinema royalty, his father being maestro Mario Bava. Bava Sr. directed such Giallo classics as THE GIRL WHO KNEW TOO MUCH and BLOOD & BLACK LACE, and basically pioneered the Giallo template before Argento cemented it and brought it to the attention of the rest of the World. Bava Jr., on the other hand, is most well-known for DEMONS (1985) and DEMONS 2 (1987), which are entertaining but a definite cut below the standards and style of his father and Argento - two Giallo Masters. In BLADE IN THE DARK, Lamberto Bava is so intent on copying them (especially Argento's TENEBRE from the year before), that the whole thing feels stale and false. What should've been a near-classic thriller (perhaps even more) ends up becoming an exercise in tedium and gore.

With Mario Bava and Dario Argento's films, the violence was easy to take because it was presented in such an artful and almost classy way that made it feel less brutal and more avant-garde. Here, it is merely ugly and nasty. The "suspense" setpieces and chase scenes are weakly-staged and almost laughable. They are, quite simply, without flair or energy. Too bad, because there are some promising ideas here that could've generated some real tension and fear. Ultimately, these opportunities are fumbled and BLADE IN THE DARK ends up falling far below the high standards set by Mario Bava and Dario Argento.

MOST BIZARRE SCENE: The flashback to the childhood incident that created the killer's trauma: hilarious and fucked-up in equal measure. Then there's the final revelation of who the killer actually is - trust me, you will laugh.

SAVING GRACE: Well, not really a saving grace, but at least it generates what little suspense this flick has: the hide-and-seek chase scene between Julia (Lara Lamberti) and the killer at the very end. Unfortunately, it's over before you know it. In more ways than one.

TRIVIA: Male lead Andrea Occhipinti would star a year later with Bo Derek in the widely-panned erotic flick, BOLERO. And Valeria Cavalli would go on to star in Dario Argento's LA TERZA MADRE/MOTHER OF TEARS in 2006.


#5. TRAUMA (1993)

Partay?

ENGLISH TITLE: TRAUMA

CAST: Asia Argento, Christopher Rydell, Piper Laurie, Frederic Forrest, Laura Johnson, Brad Dourif, Jacqueline Kim.

DIRECTOR: Dario Argento

IT'S LIKE THIS: Well, folks, it appears that our man Dario Argento only did three things in his life: (1) eat pasta; (2) sire Asia Argento, and (3) direct Gialli. Regarding # 3, the guy has pretty much been at it since 1970, when his first Giallo (the classic THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE) was released. And he's still going at it. Given the large number of films he's made, it's inevitable that some of them would miss the mark, despite his talent. One of those misfires is the unfortunate TRAUMA, which could have been a classic Argento Giallo, but because of its incongruous American setting (and other factors), ends up being a mild "WTF?" experience.

TRAUMA revolves around Romanian bulimic teenager, Aura Petrescu (Asia Argento), who lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I think it's safe to say that TRAUMA is probably the only Giallo set in Minneapolis. Anyhow, Aura's parents are Stefan and Adriana Petrescu (Dominique Serrand & Piper Laurie), two psychic mediums who routinely have seances in their home. One particular session goes very bad when Adriana unexpectedly connects with the spirit of the latest victim of The Headhunter - a killer who has been terrorizing the Minneapolis area lately. And let's just say he's not called The Headhunter because of his skill in finding and placing talented business executives. Things get even more freaky when the spirit tells Adriana that the killer is "present!" - like some sort of particularly fucked-up roll call from beyond the grave. Before you know it, Adriana freaks out and books it out of there with Stefan in pursuit. Unfortunately, who should show up himself but The Headhunter who promptly, um, hunts their heads. And just like that, Aura is an orphan. But, apparently, a very feisty and spunky one. Aura teams up with David (Christopher Rydell), the television news sketch artist whose wallet she stole (don't ask) - and they team up to find out who The Headhunter is - and why he is, um, hunting heads.

Now, you're probably reading all of that and thinking, "Well, that's not bad..." I agree - it isn't. The problem is the story's location. If Argento had set TRAUMA in Italy and filled it with Italian actors and actresses, the movie might actually be almost as good as most of his other films. Unfortunately, he sets it in the Minneapolis area, which might as well be the Heart of America and three universes away from Bella Italia. Consequently, his baroque, operatic European style clashes very much with the down-to-Earth American environment. The result is a stilted feel to the proceedings which is awkward and off-putting. Too bad, because with its intriguing premise and ultimate resolution, TRAUMA might have been DEEP RED for a new generation - as Argento had hoped during pre-production.

Fortunately, the failure of TRAUMA not only in the U.S., but also in Italy, taught Argento where his real strengths lie: back home in Bella Italia.

MOST BIZARRE SCENE: Hands down, the scene where a severed head tries to whisper a clue to David. You read that right. Here we go again: W. T. F?

TRIVIA: James Spader, John Cusack, and Tim Roth were supposedly considered for the male lead role of David. Also, Bridget Fonda was initially supposed to play the role of Aura's rival Grace Harrington (Laura Johnson), but dropped out. Fonda also dropped out of Argento's next project, THE STENDHAL SYNDROME - which was initially supposed to be set in Phoenix, Arizona, but then the production moved to Florence, Italy when Fonda left it.


Please expect our final section of our GIALLI SAMPLER to post next week: AMERICAN GIALLI. These are the American thrillers and horror films that were strongly influenced by the Italian Gialli – and there’s more of them than you realize….

Have a wonderful week, folks…