The Killers Wear Black Shiny Gloves
All the Gialli I have seen, ranked from best to worst.
Disclosure: Horror films are not my specialty. I'm more of an art-house fan.
Giallo (like film noir) is a style that I'm drawn to. I like the luridness, the 70's funk/groovy scores, the pretty girls, and the mystery/suspense. The over the top sex and violence sometimes works for me, sometimes not.
The score at the end is my rating out of ten: not a Giallo ten, but a "films just don't get any more perfect than this" ten. It helped me order the list.
Disclosure: Horror films are not my specialty. I'm more of an art-house fan.
Giallo (like film noir) is a style that I'm drawn to. I like the luridness, the 70's funk/groovy scores, the pretty girls, and the mystery/suspense. The over the top sex and violence sometimes works for me, sometimes not.
The score at the end is my rating out of ten: not a Giallo ten, but a "films just don't get any more perfect than this" ten. It helped me order the list.
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- DirectorJoe D'AmatoStarsEwa AulinKlaus KinskiGiacomo Rossi StuartGreta, a mysterious woman with amnesia, is taken in by the wealthy Mr. and Mrs. von Ravensbruck. The three soon enter into a love triangle that turns deadly, as Greta's gruesome past is slowly revealed.
This is what you hope for every time you watch a B film. It's an artsy, trippy, gothic Giallo, steeped in atmosphere. Of course there is a bit of camp around the edges given the material, and the budget constraints that all B films have.
I thoroughly enjoyed it. I see Arrow will put out a Blu ray of this film. Excellent!
8.0 - DirectorLucio FulciStarsFlorinda BolkanStanley BakerJean SorelThe potentially unhinged daughter of a British politician is accused of killing her hedonistic neighbor after she witnesses the murder in a dream.
Giallo style, and it's lurid exploitation abounds in this wild film. So does lovely Florinda Bolcan! Jean Sorel is good as well.
Fulci makes one hell of a stylish, groovy, exploitation picture.
8.0 - DirectorMassimo DallamanoStarsFabio TestiKarin BaalCristina GalbóA teacher who is having an affair with one of his students is reluctant to present an alibi when his lover witnesses the first in a series of murders connected to their school.A very good giallo thriller in general. Pretty actresses abound, and hunky Fabio Testi in the lead. Good story, good pace, good resolve. The Ennio Morricone score is excellent, and almost all the acting is quite good (the photographer's one scene is horrible though).
7.9 - DirectorDario ArgentoStarsDavid HemmingsDaria NicolodiGabriele LaviaA jazz pianist and a wisecracking journalist are pulled into a complex web of mystery after the former witnesses the brutal murder of a psychic.It possesses so much style. The lurid color throughout is striking, the killing is imaginative, and there is quite a high quality to the acting (for a Giallo), thanks to David Hemmings in the lead.
PS, I watched it for the second time, and the film weakened a bit for me. the Goblin prog-rock soundtrack got on my nerves from time to time, and the non-David Hemmings acting can be pretty so-so.
7.8 - DirectorLucio FulciStarsFlorinda BolkanBarbara BouchetTomas MilianWhen a southern Italian town is rocked by a string of child murders, the police and two urban outcasts search for the culprit amid scapegoating within the superstitious community.
It does everything well for the groovy, harsh, lurid, exploitation style we know and love called Giallo. It is more on the cruel, sadistic side of the genre. It is certainly harsher than Fulci's "Lizard In A Woman's Skin".
7.7 - DirectorEmilio MiragliaStarsAnthony SteffenMarina MalfattiEnzo TarascioA rich, mentally-unstable man - with a penchant for playing deadly S&M games with women who resemble his dead wife - sparks off a chain of bizarre events after getting remarried.
I thought this was a really enjoyable gothic Giallo. I'd say it's quite under appreciated. Don't let the cover of the old DVD scare you off. It makes the film look so bad.
Sadly, I didn't think too much of The Red Queen Kills Seven Times by the same director, Miraglia.
7.6 - DirectorDario ArgentoStarsAnthony FranciosaGiuliano GemmaJohn SaxonAn American novelist visiting Rome to promote his latest book is stalked and harassed by an obsessed fan who is committing a string of murders that appear to be tributes to his work.An over-baked ending stops this picture from being even higher on my list. Most of it is really, really good stuff. Argento has such a talent for drawing the viewer in, and making one feel immersed in a dark dream.
As soon as the film started, I realized the French band Justice sampled a huge chunk from the main theme for the tracks Phantom/Phantom II on their album Cross.
7.5 - DirectorLucio FulciStarsJean SorelMarisa MellElsa MartinelliAn unscrupulous doctor is accused of killing his asthmatic wife as part of an insurance scam, despite discovering that she has a doppelgänger who works as a stripper and call girl.AKA: Perversion Story
Lucio Fulci with yet another very good film. As you can see by my list, Fulci is tops for me for consistently good Gialli.
Perversion Story isn't a particularly graphic film, like some of Fulci's work. It's just another solid, stylish Italian genre film.
I'd love to see a Blu-ray of this film come out. The lead actress, Marissa Mell (from Mario Bava's fun film Danger: Diabolik) is hot as hell.
7.4 - DirectorLuigi BazzoniStarsFranco NeroSilvia MontiWolfgang PreissA maverick, heavy-drinking journalist pursues a killer who is targeting acquaintances of his, prompting the police to brand him a suspect in their investigation.Vitorio Storaro shot this film, and boy, does it show. It's a treat for the eyes. Some shots rival "Il Conformista"!
As for the film in general, it's more solving a string of murders than lurid style sex, cruelty, and violence.
7.4 - DirectorPupi AvatiStarsLino CapolicchioFrancesca MarcianoGianni CavinaStefano, a young restorer, is commissioned to save a controversial mural located in the church of a small, isolated village.
Jean Sorel anchoring yet another very good Giallo. What's not to like here? I think it all works well. I could see some people finding the pace a bit slow, but the quality of this production, the acting, etc. is quite high.
7.4 - DirectorFrancesco BarilliStarsMimsy FarmerMaurizio BonugliaMario ScacciaSylvia, an industrial scientist, is troubled by strange hallucinations related to the tragic suicide of her mother.More of a psych-horror film than a traditional Giallo, this is high quality stuff. It creates an atmosphere that mimics the protagonist's mental state. The ending is quite creepy.
7.4 - DirectorSergio MartinoStarsGeorge HiltonAnita StrindbergAlberto de MendozaAn insurance investigator tries to determine any irregularities in the policy of a heiress' dead husband, but soon finds himself suspected of her murder.Very good stuff. It's a nicely crafted film. It has style, suspense, and a good resolve.
7.4 - DirectorMario BavaStarsCameron MitchellEva BartokThomas ReinerA masked, shadowy killer brutally murders the models of a scandalous fashion house in Rome.Over the top in style and color, it feels like a supercharged Giallo. There are some pretty cruel scenes, but it generally worked very well for me.
Many consider this to be the best of all the Gialli.
7.3 - DirectorMario CaianoStarsAntonio SabatoLuciana PaluzziGabriele FerzettiStory about a young girl, the daughter a prominent doctor. When the girl goes missing her father gets the police to jump into action because of his class status and wealth.AKA: Without Trace.
An underrated politzia focused Giallo that I really enjoyed. The story, tone, killings, and suspense really worked for me.
If you get the Mya DVD like I did, be warned, the subtitles have a number of mistakes in them. I think it is the only Region 1 option though.
7.2 - DirectorPaolo CavaraStarsGiancarlo GianniniClaudine AugerBarbara BouchetA series of victims are paralyzed while having their bellies ripped open, much in the same way tarantulas are killed by the black wasp. The victims all seem to have a connection with a spa.
The acting, and cinematography, and construction of this film are very good. The lead actor Jean Sorel has some acting chops, and good presence. The killing is cruel, and creative.
7.2 - DirectorLucio FulciStarsJack HedleyAlmanta SuskaHoward RossA burned-out New York police detective teams up with a college psychoanalyst to track down a vicious serial killer randomly stalking and killing various young women around the city.Warning: Very graphic slashing scenes, and lots of nudity/sex.
I'd read it's a harsh film, and I now see it is. Fulci went all out on the sex and violence on this one. It was banned in several countries.
I thought, aside from a horrible intro/outro song, and a bit of stiff acting on the periphery, this was a very good watch. Lots of twists and turns, and the main actors are all quite good. At times the style of the film is very clever, very striking. That's Fulci for you.
7.1 - DirectorStelvio MassiStarsTinì CansinoValentina ViscontiFrancesco CasaleArabella is a nymphomaniac. One day, her writer husband finds her with another man. She has a strange reaction: Arabella kills her lover.**Sexual Content Warning**
This is the sleaziest Giallo I've ever seen, chock-a-block with sex (it's almost a softcore porn), and a fair bit of Giallo violence as well. Yes, that's what one expects in the exploitation films, but still, this very 80's film "takes it to the max". It's not a great film per se, but all the same, it's very entertaining from beginning to end. It's an excellent example of a guilty pleasure.
Someone has to put this out on home video (Arrow, Blue Underground..I'm looking at you).
7.0 - DirectorJuan Piquer SimónStarsChristopher GeorgeLynda Day GeorgeFrank BrañaThe co-eds of a Boston college campus are targeted by a mysterious killer who is creating a human jigsaw puzzle from their body parts.A Spanish Slasher/Giallo by the director of the very light hearted 80's horror film "Slugs".
Like Slugs, this is low budget, and unpolished, but there is something about J.P. Simon's films that just work very well for me in the GUILTY PLEASURE vein.
If you watch this from a logical, critical viewpoint, you'll find myriad problems with this film. If you can go with it, you'll have some laughs, be entertained, and grossed out by a fun exploitation film.
7.0 - DirectorDario ArgentoStarsJessica HarperStefania CasiniFlavio BucciAn American newcomer to a prestigious German ballet academy comes to realize that the school is a front for something sinister amid a series of grisly murders.Argento's colorful approach is very interesting to watch, I just wish this was a more consistent film.
One of my friends says Suspiria is his favorite Argento picture. I, on the other hand, recently watched it again, and would say it has some real clunk here and there. On the good side, there is some great tension, and the score/sound effects are creepy.
It's a touchstone for the genre, so see it for yourself. It does have great style.
(Luca Guadagnino's remake is such a mixed affair. Parts have great style and atmosphere, but parts are laughable...)
7.0 - DirectorMario BavaStarsWilliam BergerIra von FürstenbergEdwige FenechAn industrialist invites his colleagues to his private island so they can exploit a resin formula invented by one of the guests, but a killer within the group disrupts the proceedings.This was a solid watch, and has a fairly unique feel to it. I would gladly watch it again.
6.7 - DirectorLucio FulciStarsOlga KarlatosRay LovelockClaudio CassinelliThe owner of a prestigious New York ballet school teams up with a male model to solve a series of bizarre murders of a few of the students.Fulci again, so you know there's some style to this film. It's a hard film to rate, because a few of the songs are horrible, and the end is a bit weak, but most of the film was very entertaining, very engaging. This is definitely in the guilty pleasure vein.
They certainly were cashing in on the Aerobics/Flash Dance craze, but I didn't mind watching the beautiful dancers, that's for sure.
6.6 - DirectorAndrea BianchiStarsEdwige FenechNino CastelnuovoFemi BenussiWhen a model dies during an abortion, a series of murders begins, starting with her doctor. The killer wears a suit and a black motorcycle helmet. Will anyone discover the killer's identity before the entire agency dies?Strip Nude for Your Killer has great music, the film is very well lit and photographed.
Overall, It's a solid watch. Lots of pretty girls, a decent story, and a killer with a switchblade, dressed in a motorcycle outfit, wearing a helmet and BLACK SHINY GLOVES.
6.5 - DirectorAldo LadoStarsIngrid ThulinJean SorelMario AdorfAn American journalist temporarily stationed in Central Europe searches for his new girlfriend, who has suddenly disappeared.Franco Nero is good in the lead, the Morricone score is very nice, and this is a quality production through and through. It may even be wrong to call this a B film.
It doesn't have a lot of violence and sex like some Gialli. There is some, but overall, this is a missing girl mystery, with some depravity towards the end. Most of the film was quite good. I did find the film weakened in the third act, but the very end worked well.
6.5 - DirectorDario ArgentoStarsTony MusanteSuzy KendallEnrico Maria SalernoAn American expatriate in Rome attempts to unmask a serial killer he witnessed in the act of an attempted murder - and is now hunting him and his girlfriend.It didn't blow me away, considering it is thought to be one of the very best Gialli. It is the film that made Gialli popular, spawning hundreds of offspring, so we can be very thankful for that!
It's still well worth checking out, and maybe you will think more of it than I did.
I will give it another watch in a year or two.
6.5 - DirectorSergio MartinoStarsGeorge HiltonEdwige FenechIvan RassimovA woman recovering from a car accident in which she lost her unborn child finds herself pursued by a coven of devil worshipers.This is a pretty solid piece of entertainment from Martino. There is a heavy psych-horror (80%) versus classic Giallo (20%) ratio to "All the Colors of the Dark", and it certainly has a psychedelic element to it as well.
For me, it's flaw is there are simply too many twists and turns of the "what is real, what is in her mind" type. In the end, I couldn't tell you for sure what the final reality turned out to be.
6.3 - DirectorLucio FulciStarsJennifer O'NeillGabriele FerzettiMarc PorelA clairvoyant woman discovers a skeleton in a wall in her husband's house, and seeks to find the truth about what happened to the victim.I'm mainly putting "The Psychic" on this list because it's Lucio Fulci, the best director of Gialli, and I thought it would be one before I watched it, and no doubt many of you would think the same based on others reviews.
This is a quality production, but it isn't really a Giallo. There is certainly not much sex or violence. It comes off more like an A-film mystery thriller, rather than B-film exploitation.
High quality yes, but there is a slow pace to this film. It's overly long for the material IMO. The twists are pretty telegraphed, but I did like where it eventually ended. So far, this is the least compelling of Fulci's work that I have seen.
6.3 - DirectorDario ArgentoStarsLeigh McCloskeyIrene MiracleEleonora GiorgiAn American student investigates the disappearance of his sister and the death of a friend, both connected from New York to Rome by an old alchemy book.This is a very hard film to rate. Everything I'd read about it is true. It's both brilliant... and quite terrible.
I was taking the advice of one user review, to take the film as a dream. That worked really well for the first half of the film, not the second half.
Generally the first half is great (there is a staggeringly good early sequence involving water-WOW), and the wonderful Argento visual flair is everywhere. The second half, unfortunately, has some laughable elements and moments. The prog-rock score failed me for the most part as well.
6.2 - DirectorMaurizio PradeauxStarsLeonard MannRobert WebberVera KrouskaAn Italian fashion photographer is travelling on the Istanbul-Athens train. A woman is murdered with the photographer's letter-opener so that makes him the main suspect. With the help of his Swedish girlfriend he starts investigating in order to prove his innocence.A solid watch. It has a general charm to it, and for most of the film, moves forward well. The pace does slacken 3/4 into the film though. The last act could have been tightened up, but the resolve had style.
I thought he humor used through the film fell fairly flat.
6.2 - DirectorLuciano ErcoliStarsFrank WolffNieves NavarroSimón AndreuAfter a French stripper is harassed by a man who wants a cache of diamonds stolen by her late father, she flees to England in the company of a doctor, but danger follows.The first half of the film benefits from the lovely Nieves Navarro playing a stripper, and this film does a great job of exploiting her beauty. There is some annoying romantic, lounge music throughout this film, and I thought there was a real dead zone from 50 minutes to the hour mark.
Things got interesting again from then on. The story has a number of twists and turns, some good, some just okay. I may give it another go at some point...
6.1 - DirectorLuciano ErcoliStarsNieves NavarroSimón AndreuPeter MartellDuring a drug-fuelled photoshoot, a model witnesses a brutal murder in the apartment opposite hers, and is forced to become an amateur sleuth to unravel the mystery.AKA: Death Walks At Midnight
Great start/set up. The spiked glove is a very good idea. This film certainly has it's moments, and there is a good quality to the production for a Giallo, but I just found it rather dull overall. I wanted to like it. There is just not enough sustained pace to keep the suspense up.
6.1 - DirectorSergio MartinoStarsGeorge HiltonEdwige FenechConchita AiroldiAn ambassador's wife discovers that one of the men in her life - either her husband, an ex-lover or her current lover - may be a vicious serial killer.Well, it's a perfectly okay Giallo, with beauty Edwige Fenech carrying the burden of entertainment more than she should have to. I found the film started to drag in the second half. Nothing really stands out for me but Fenech's presence.
6.1 - DirectorDario ArgentoStarsMichael BrandonMimsy FarmerJean-Pierre MarielleA musician is stalked by an unknown homicidal maniac, who blackmails him for the accidental killing of another stalker.Solid stuff. Not exceptional, but generally quite watchable. The score is very cool. I did find the third act of the film dragged though.
6.1 - DirectorAldo LadoStarsGeorge LazenbyAnita StrindbergAdolfo CeliBetween a four-year gap in the murder of a young girl, the daughter of a well-known sculptor is discovered dead, and her parents conduct an investigation, only to discover they are much out of their depth.Despite being more an A film than a B film, it's just not a terribly gripping film. The story struck me as standard fare, and was not overly engaging stuff.
On the plus side, the cinematography is great, and the acting is very good for a Giallo. The score is good, but the main suspense theme comes up too many times.
6.1 - DirectorMassimo DallamanoStarsGiovanna RalliClaudio CassinelliMario AdorfPolice investigate apparent suicide of teen girl and uncover details of a teenage prostitution racket. They go on the hunt for a motorcycle riding killer.There was something matter of fact to this film, that stopped me from being fully engaged in the film. It may be the performances, or the pace. It's an intriguing story line. It should have had me in it's grip.
6.1 - DirectorUmberto LenziStarsAntonio SabatoUschi GlasPier Paolo CapponiA woman, a survivor of a failed murder attempt by the so-called "Half-Moon Killer", and her husband try to find a connection between herself, six other women, and the killer.Sometimes all the ingredients are there, but there's no magic in the mix. It isn't bad, but this should have been much better.
5.9 - DirectorSergio MartinoStarsEdwige FenechAnita StrindbergLuigi PistilliA series of murders are committed near the estate of a degenerate author and his mistreated wife.
I was so looking forward to seeing this based on the trailer, and other people's reviews. It just didn't do much for me.
Aside from The Case of the Scorpion's Tail (I've still to see Torso), I don't seem to like Sergio Marino's directing that much.
5.3 - DirectorSergio PastoreStarsAnthony SteffenSylva KoscinaGiovanna LenziA blind pianist tries to figure out who is responsible for a string of murders using a black cat with its claws dipped in curare.I thought this film had a good lead actor, and kind of a goofy killing premise. Bottom line, it's an okay example of a Giallo. The slashing gets quite graphic, so be warned.
5.2 - DirectorEmilio MiragliaStarsBarbara BouchetUgo PagliaiMarina MalfattiTwo sisters inherit their family castle, which is said to be haunted by their ancestor, a dark-haired, red-robed woman who is said to take seven lives every hundred years.AKA: The Red Queen Kills Seven Times.
After loving "The Night Evelyn Came Out Of The Grave" by Miraglia, I thought "The Red Queen Kills Seven Times" would be great as well. Sadly for me, I found it to be just passable. I wish I liked it, so I could justify buying the Arrow Video two pack.
4.9 - DirectorLuigi CozziStarsGeorge HiltonAntoine Saint-JohnFemi BenussiGiorgio is a greedy adulterer who makes a deal with a serial killer to dispose of his wealthy wife, Nora. Unfortunately, a thrill-seeking young couple steal the killer's car with Nora's corpse in the trunk, ending up at a run-down seaside villa.AKA: The Killer Must Kill Again.
You know, I hate when a film starts out so good, and then goes downhill from there. If the first 45 minutes were all that counted, this would be top notch. The rest is a slog.
4.8 - DirectorUmberto LenziStarsRobert HoffmannSuzy KendallIvan RassimovYoung couple interrupted during intimacy by disturbing discovery of a mutilated mannequin at beach ruins. Mysterious man present flees before being questioned, leaving couple unsettled and the night's events unresolved.For some reason, I love the name: I walk around my crib saying to myself "Spasmo, Spasmo...".
There is so much potential in this film to be a trippy, David Lynch-like Giallo, but for every time it is good, the film has an equally terrible moment.
Frustrating.
4.0 - DirectorMario BavaStarsClaudine AugerLuigi PistilliClaudio CamasoThe murder of a wealthy countess triggers a chain reaction of brutal killings in the surrounding bay area, as several unscrupulous characters try to seize her large estate.This is a famous Giallo, that many put very high on their list. I found it dull, and then unappealing when the action did arise. I am not a natural slasher fan, so if a film doesn't build up characters, or have great style or craft, graphic killing is just not enough for me.
3.0 - DirectorGiuliano CarnimeoStarsEdwige FenechGeorge HiltonPaola QuattriniHaving recently escaped the clutches of a hippie sex cult, a beautiful model is pursued by a serial killer whose previous victims include former occupants of her new apartment.
Approach with caution. It did not work for me at all. That said, you know how taste is. Some people certainly seem to like this film.
3.0 - DirectorDario ArgentoStarsJennifer ConnellyDonald PleasenceDaria NicolodiA young girl who has an amazing ability to communicate with insects is transferred to an exclusive Swiss boarding school, where her unusual capability might help solve a string of murders.Phenomenally bad.
Even pretty Jennifer Connelly can't make this worth watching. Argento just lost his touch completely later in his career.
2.3