Giallo help
 

I'm a fan of Giallo and have recently written a rather American version of one. Now I need to sell it. And the first step is getting the agent hyped on the project.

I've prepared a Giallo primer for him with lists of films and directors, but I know he'll be more impressd by the American films that have ripped off the Giallo. And that's where I need your help.

Can you help me name contemporary horror films that were directly influenced by Giallos. Halloween comes to mind with the whole subjective camera thing. Se7en is very clearly a Giallo rip-off (minus the boobs) - John Doe even wears the "giallo Killer" outfit.

Others?

Thanks a ton.

yup, you did... love MING!!!

Sorry. I'm not at all familiar. Can you elaborate?

I'll start thinking, one of the best Asian movies I've seen recently really drew a lot from Giallo it seems. Evil Dead Trap.

Hostel and Friday the 13th part 5. Everytime I watch Hostel, I think of Torso (Sergio Martino).

Gialli are a series of Italian horror/thrillers made popular by Mario Bava & Dario Argento among others. They all seem to go a little like this:

An unknown killer wearing black gloves is committing gruesome murders. A gun is hardly ever used and knives or other sharp items seem to be the killer’s preferred methods of murder, unless they’re choking or drowning their victims. The dead are mostly beautiful women who met their terrible ends in European locations, often somewhere in Italy. The killer finally commits suicide or is caught alive, but dies an accidental death at the hands of one of their intended victims... or an amateur sleuth who gets very little help from the local police catches them.

Films like this are
Deep Red, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, Opera etc.

Don't forget Sergio Martino!

The Case of the Scorpion's Tail
Your Vice is a Locked Room & Only I have the Key
The Strange Vice of Mrs.Wardh

Unfortunately, there hasn't been much that I would consider modern American giallo. To me, half of what makes giallo giallo is that the story is so much of a mystery, but with little horror kickers (via Se7en).

I guess the problem is that Giallo isn't as appreciated here in America as it should be. Sadly, it's kind of a lost genre.

As a good man once told me, most American producers "wouldn't know giallo from Jell-O."


I'll think it over...it's hard to stay off of the Argento and Bava tracks.

Terrible flick

I think the original Black Christmas is very Gialla like. However, it's Canadian so I'm not sure if that would work for you.