Attenzione, Giallo Fans!

[Eucalpytus P. Millstone]

Recently released: Paura, a new collection of previously unreleased rare Italian horror soundtracks remastered from CAM Sugar and Decca Records.

Paura: Deluxe Edition Splatter Vinyl 2LP + 7" Box Set

 

[Eucalpytus P. Millstone]

Newly released on Blu-ray Disc by Severin Films: Libido, mainly notable because it was co-written by prolific screenwriter Ernesto Gastaldi, who shared writing credits with Vittorio Salerno and Mara Maryl, and directing credits with Salerno.

As a giallo, Libido is not quite a "standard," "conventional," and "typical" representative of the genre. Plotwise, it has more in common with comparatively subdued mystery-thrillers such as Gaslight and Les Diaboliques than it does with more stylish, more violent classic gialli such as Blood and Black Lace, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, and Deep Red. Its plot concerns "the sins of the fathers"; protagonist Christian fears that he will follow in his father's footsteps to become a sex maniac.

The spare cast (of five) includes Giancarlo Giannini, in his motion picture debut, as Christian; the "Italian Peter Lorre" Luciano Pigozzi (billed under his familiar American pseudonym "Alan Collins"); French actress Dominique Boschero; Mara Maryl (Gastaldi's wife, she also conceived the story); and a little boy (uncredited) as the young Christian.

For me, the arousing highlight in Libido  is Signora Gastaldi, Mara Maryl. Delectably dished up for ocular consumption and libidinal stimulation by her obliging director-writer marito (Grazie, Signor Gastaldi!), the blonde bombshell tantalizingly wiggles and giggles and undulates and titillates in primo fetishistic fashion -- injecting some much needed, much welcome sex appeal into this rather lethargic potboiler.

Worth a look for giallo aficionados and completists, IMO.

 

[jaragon]

 

[Eucalpytus P. Millstone]

2 hours ago, jaragon said:

 

Thank you for the promo, jaragon! Wished I lived in NYC.

I've  got most (13) of the movies in the Lincoln Center retrospective in my movie library. I've never seen The Five Days, The Card Player, Do You Like Hitchcock?, and Dark Glasses. A Dario Argento thriller that I'm very keen on seeing -- despite its reputation as being lousy -- is Giallo.

More Information

Beware of Dario Argento: A 20-Film Retrospective

 

[LawrenceA]

1 hour ago, Eucalpytus P. Millstone said:

Thank you for the promo, jaragon! Wished I lived in NYC.

I've  got most (13) of the movies in the Lincoln Center retrospective in my movie library. I've never seen The Five Days, The Card Player, Do You Like Hitchcock?, and Dark Glasses. A Dario Argento thriller that I'm very keen on seeing -- despite its reputation as being lousy -- is Giallo.

I have Giallo on DVD. It's not very good, although it has a few moments evocative of Argento's earlier work. It's hard to discuss the film's biggest issues without getting into heavy spoiler territory, so I'll leave it at that.

I also have The Card Player and Do You Like Hitchcock? on disc; the former was fairly recently put on Blu-ray by Scorpion Releasing. Again, they're not top-tier, but I enjoyed them both, especially The Card Player, which is very old-school giallo in tone.

I've never seen The Five Days, and I don't think Dark Glasses has had a release here yet.

I have the rest of them on Blu or DVD, even Dracula 3D, which I find to be his worst film. 

[jaragon]

On 6/20/2022 at 10:50 PM, LawrenceA said:

I have Giallo on DVD. It's not very good, although it has a few moments evocative of Argento's earlier work. It's hard to discuss the film's biggest issues without getting into heavy spoiler territory, so I'll leave it at that.

I also have The Card Player and Do You Like Hitchcock? on disc; the former was fairly recently put on Blu-ray by Scorpion Releasing. Again, they're not top-tier, but I enjoyed them both, especially The Card Player, which is very old-school giallo in tone.

I've never seen The Five Days, and I don't think Dark Glasses has had a release here yet.

I have the rest of them on Blu or DVD, even Dracula 3D, which I find to be his worst film. 

Dracula 3- D has some very cheesy CGI effects

[Eucalpytus P. Millstone]

On 6/20/2022 at 7:50 PM, LawrenceA said:

I . . . even [have] Dracula 3D, which I find to be his worst film. 

 

1 hour ago, jaragon said:

Dracula 3- D has some very cheesy CGI effects

Dracula 3D is also in my movie library. I can't say that it is Argento's worst film because I haven't seen all of his movies.

I also own Argento's Phantom of the Opera, which I consider better than Dracula 3D. I'd rather watch either of those inferior adaptations than Mother of Tears, which -- among the Argento flicks I've seen -- I consider his worst movie.