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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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! :)
