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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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
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)
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)
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....
