giallo
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Poster For Argentinian Giallo ‘Francesca’
Over the past few years, we’ve seen a number of homages to the giallo genre including Peter Strickland’s clever, slightly bizarre and altogether mesmerizing thriller Berberian Sound Studio, as well as Adam Brooks and Matthew Kennedy’s The Editor and the gorgeous, sometimes clever, and visceral Amer from directors Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani. Now an […] More
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CIFF: “Miss Julie” and “The Editor”
Here are two films from the Chicago International Film Festival that couldn’t be more different. First is Miss Julie, based on the play of the same title by August Strindber, directed by Liv Ullmann and stars Jessica Chastain, Colin Farrell, Samantha Morton, and a pug. The general plot is simple, but the drama and themes, are […] More
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‘The Strange Color of Your Body’s Tears’ drowns in its strangeness
The first 45 minutes of The Strange Color of Your Body’s Tears lay the foundation for a full-throated suspense thriller that might have felt at home in the ‘70s. Sadly, the last hour degenerates into a monotonous slash-fest that’s too preoccupied with its own weirdness to bother with our enjoyment. By the end, you may be unsure what is real and what is imagined, but you’re damn certain you no longer care. More
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‘The Strange Color of Your Body’s Tears’ – Provocative and Lush
The Strange Color of Your Body’s Tears Written & Directed by Bruno Forzani and Hélène Cattet Belgium, 2013 The Strange Color of Your Body’s Tears is a truly cinematic experience, utilizing all the elements of film to embody complicated feelings and concepts. It is not a simple homage but a mutation where the syntax of giallo […] More
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Blu-ray Review: ‘Death Occurred Last Night’ a troubling piece for the giallo canon
As a feature relatively hidden from mainstream film culture, Death Occurred Last Night’s only critical talk belongs to the hardcore giallo enthusiasts. Debate over whether the film fits into the strict classifications of giallo or perhaps the less-enthused poliziotteschi take prominence in these discussions, with something of a consensus drawn as “probably neither”. More
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GFF 2014: ‘The Strange Colour of Your Body’s Tears’ is giallo as pure aesthetic
Directing duo Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani’s debut feature Amer explored a young woman’s sexual awakening using traditional giallo tropes. An exercise in formalism, it treated giallo as pure aesthetic: a cinematic language with the potential to go beyond its usual generic applications. The Strange Colour of Your Body’s Tears, reportedly 11 years in the making, represents another stage in the development of this idea. More familiar yet more oblique, it plunges us into a surreal world where giallo is the only code of understanding, eschewing narrative in favour of startling images, symbols and style. More
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31 Days of Horror: (Giallo) — Bava and Hitchcock
The etymologic history of the giallo sub-genre is well-documented by now. Giallo, Italian for yellow, refers to the cheap mystery books that at least partially inspired a cross-section of gruesome murder films from the likes of Mario Bava, Dario Argento, and Lucio Fulci. Bava’s The Girl Who Knew Too Much from 1963 is commonly referenced […] More
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31 Days of Horror: ‘The Case of the Bloody Iris’
The Case of the Bloody Iris (1972) Directed by Giuliano Carnimeo Written by Ernesto Gastaldi Italy, 94 min. The giallo film is obsessed with surface values, the quality and textures of materials; rough, soft, hard, supple, warm, cold, etc. The constant contrast between cold metal and hot flesh, the mixing of bodies and the release […] More
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The mesmerising ‘Berberian Sound Studio’ has Italian horror, Lynch and Polanski in its blood
Berberian Sound Studio Written and directed by Peter Strickland UK, 2012 Berberian Sound Studio is an unusual thriller with a very striking atmosphere. Set amidst the production of a 1970s Italian horror production, it is definitely informed stylistically by giallo films, but also bears strong resemblances to David Lynch, early Roman Polanski and certain efforts […] More
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EIFF 2012: ‘Berberian Sound Studio’ is a mesmerising thriller, recalling Italian horror, Polanski and Lynch but offering its own unique atmosphere
Berberian Sound Studio Written and directed by Peter Strickland UK, 2012 Berberian Sound Studio is an unusual thriller with a very striking atmosphere. Set amidst the production of a 1970s Italian horror production, it is definitely informed stylistically by giallo films, but also bears strong resemblances to David Lynch, early Roman Polanski and certain efforts […] More
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Silent Sundays: ‘Études de mouvements à Paris’ (Joris Ivens, 1927)
Études de mouvements à Paris Directed by Joris Ivens France, 1927 Visual studies have long been relegated to the fringe of cinema appreciation. A mainstay of early cinema of attractions, today these films are often appreciated solely for their historical or social value rather than their visual or artistic merits. In 1927 Dutch filmmaker Joris […] More
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“Amer” & “Tenebrae” Double Bill
London’s Institute of Contemporary Arts recently hosted a murderous double bill to celebrate the imminent Blu-Ray release of 2009’s postmodern Giallo homage Amer, directed by real world couple Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani, both of whom were on hand to provide an insightful Q&A session after the screening, alongside a rare projection of the 1982 […] More