Special Collector

Thriller Cinema
Special Collector's Issue

Italian Thriller Cinema

 european trash cinema
EDITOR AND FOUNDER
CRAIG LEDBETTER
PITWT.ISH KB
EDITORIAL
TOM WEISSER

FRANCINE DALI
TYPESETTING lie's
m
where differ' I'm concentrating, n
I

one Country - Italy • But one genre, tl

JANICE LEDBETTER thriller or Giallo II not for my love of this type
doubt could nave finished In time (you I
I

atch over 100 films AND re

-THIS ISSUE-

Their Personnel There an

reviews lor all 600+ films, plus credits. Along witl
alenglhy Index, you'll find complete fitmographie:
by ditector, composer, screenplay writer, actor.

Introduction and there is a Foreword by Tor

Betts Westerns Air/lellana) and Closmi
(

Comments by Bill Connolly ( Spaghetti Cinema

Finally, a book on the subject tor the fans (am

not necessarily academia) to enjoy. It's scheduler

Belly Of The Tarantula says it all See as a Fall release, contact McFarland & Co at Bo
7 for the complete review. Reg ai Bing the 611, Jefferson, NC 28640, (919) 2464460
lover: talented Edwlge Fenech is the

european trash Cinema is published lour limes a year al PO Box 5367, Kingwood,
TX 77325. SUBSCRIPTIONS: Four issues $15. Single copies $5 (ppd) RETAIL DISTRIBUTION:
.
Capilal Cily Distribution Inc., 2829 Perry Streel, P0 Box 9836, Madiskm. Wl 53715 (608) 275 7763
SUBMISSIONS ol articles, photographs, and artwork are encouraged. Printed in USA Reviews
copyright 1992 by their respective authors, unless otherwise noted. Long Live ETCI
 (
Ihe Color Of IFear:

compilation
GIALLO and reviews by Craig Ledbetter
It you look up the term Glallo In an Italian never ever played this country. The early days of
language dictionary, you'll see that it's the color home video were a gold-mine for fans of Halo -
yello. Applied to film however, it means some- exploitation as: the major movie companies had
thing all together different. Much like the term not yet decided to Hood the market with their
product, the Blockbuster video super stores had
Sene Noir, to indicate the hard-boiled detective not yet destroyed the smaller outlets that carried
novel in France, giallo has its origins in Italian hundreds ol obscure titles instead ol hundreds
literature. It was the lurid yellow covers ol these

Italian mystery novels lhat now designates a anything because the marketplace supported
certain type of thriller film in Italy. variety.

In this oveiview that have prepared lor ETC,

I Things change however and the U.S. video
I have not limited mysell to what 'experts' might market began lo reflect the same demographics
deline strictly as a Giallo. Not all the lilms listed as the theatrical one. Fewer and fewer lilms with
herein contain a killer, with black hal, gloves and bigger and bigger budgets resulting in less
overcoat, wiping out members of the cast. What riskier projects. The video market will no longer

I have tried to include are lilms that contain a even release Italian Horror films (in a carbon
killer, at least one victim, and a mystery element copy atmosphere of the theatrical one),
to be solved. I'm sure some titles have escaped ironically, at time when Italian exploitation films

my notice so, as always, (eel free to write in with feature U.S. actors exclusively, are filmed locally
corrections and additions. and are no longer even dubbed. In other words,
Ok. what possessed me to undertake this they are now as shitty and bland as what's
project and why? For one thing. BLOOD AND already being done here. It's a market that has
BLACK LACE was my introduction to the Italian been completely abandoned in the U.S. except
horror film and #, along with DEATH LAID AN lor mail order houses like Video Search of

EGG (also reviewed in these pages), was Miami.

responsible lor my lifelong dementia lor films of On a project like this, there has to be a
an Italian persuasion Over the years I tried to starting point lor gathering the information so
view as many Italian horror films as possible, but one can expand and bring it up lo date, in the
growing up in Houston. Texas, it was strictly a seventies. French film expert Alain Petit was
hit or miss proposition. So few of these films covering what has finally caught hold over here,
ever played in a theater, that, were not for it some twenty years later. Thanks to Michael
Castle of Frankenstein and the odd issue of Secula, who photocopied a French edition ol the
Famous Monsters, my mania for these lilms Warren Magazines' Vamplrella. I had that
might have altogether died out. starting point. Inside lhai issue, mixed with
Fortunately the invention ol home video French translations ol the black and white horror
arrived. Yes, lhat much spat upon technology comic, was a Mmography ol Malian thrillers. It

(especiallyby those who seem to only be able

to enjoy a Nm when viewing it in a theater lilled
with drunks, drug addicts and people with written by Petit and Jean -Marie Sabatier (the
bladder control problems) helped to re introduce latter using the name 'Jacques CatiHon*).
the lilms saw as a youth and, more importantly,
I It opened my eyes up to just what I had
reveal here-to-lore unknown treasures lhat had been, and was still missing. It listed 62 lilms ol
which at the time had only seen 8. knew at
I 1 of gore and nudity usuaty spells disaster for
that then that had a lot ot catching up to do!
I a film like Umberto Lenzis
exploitation films, yet
So, I went about finding these films on video, SPASMO, which lacks those elements,
from England to Italy to Spain to Finland to, well, overcomes it all with a brilliant script, direction,
you get the idea. OK, had spent all this timeI cinematography and musical score. It's just one
trackingthem down, but at the same time was I of many examples you'l find in these films. If you
also collecting thousands of other films in other realy delve into the Italian film industry's history
you will also discover the joys of spotting the
I had ak these thrillers, yet realized one day I people in front of and behind the camera There
that had only watched very few. At that time
I is a consistent thread of actors and actresses

you begin to wonder why are you into all this. Is that appear in this genre that, especially after
the chase truly more important, more rewarding watching over 100 of them, you'll learn to
than sitting down and watching these films? No, appreciate when they play against type.
that's stupid. With a vehicle fike ETC, seemed it Director wise. Umberto lenzi and Sergio
a pathetic waste to not detail what these films Martino are the genre champions. Except for
are. who made them and why are they so one misstep by Lenzi (EYEBALL), he and
popular? I can't answer the latter, but I knew I Martino consistently made stand out films.

could handle the first two. Especialy Martino, who utiized actors (like

I had originally planned on writing an Edwige Fenech and George Hilton), music
overview in this introduction, detailing trends, and cinematography
(Bruno Nicolai), (Giancarlo
recurring plot devices, the movers and shakers Ferrando) in ways that gave his films both style
of the genre, et al„ but quite frankly, it's all there and substance. Argerrto is considered the
in the reviews. So, rather than spoon feed you maestro ol the genre and is he that has kept it

the information, I'll leave it for you to discover.
did learn that I still think ol the Thriller as my
favorite.How else could have written so many
reviews in such a short amount of time? now
have infinite respect lor people like Chas. Baiun
I the genre alive all these years and is the one
known by the Ians today, but for a thriller with a
I story and bloody throat slashing effects, my
I money Is on Martino.
have only covered the films have seen up
I I

and especially Torn Weisser who had to sit to this date. There are dozens more that have I

through all types of genres instead of being able not caught up with, and didn't have the space to
to concentrate like did. on one they truly loved.
I delve into further. Rest assured that I will return
Why do find these types of films so
I

enjoyable? Probably because they utilize all I have seen and credits for those that have
aspects of the movie -making process. It's not eluded my grasp.
just a dependance on say. SPFX, like a SF film
or splatter effects but a utilization of all types of helped me with information and visuals. Without
talents. For example, musical scores by Bruno their help, this work would not be nearly as
Nicolai or Ennio Morricone can so enhance a complete: Alain Petit, Michael Secula. Horficio
film, cleverly written or photographed that it Higuchi, Jeff Segal, Tim Lucas, Ian Caunce, Bob
elevates the work of all concerned. An absence Sargent and Tom Weisser.

NOTES ON THE FOLLOWING TEXT

The entries are arranged chronologicaly and alphabetically (based on the original Italian title)
withn each year. The Italian titles are printed in bold; known Engish language titles are listed in caps
beneaih the Italian counterpart. For easier access to any film in the text, refer to the Contents
directly
(Engltsti Language List ol GiaHos) on page 6.
Contents: 'EngCish Language List Of QiaUos

Boy Of Blood

Blode Of The Rippo*

Blood Stained Butterfly

Body Count

DpOJJIwM.n*:

'Ann! Body Of Deborah

 TflDDs
UJSCOUWE
DELfl
Westmnc (APOCALYPSE JOE. DJANGO THE
BASTARD, clc) bill ho conT aoom to convince in i OscurziOA O MARTINO
EASTIVIAIMCOUOR
nl ad lot Satgto Marvno S Day Of The Maniac
'

19
?
i5
S3*
I Si
o
 DON'T BE AFRAID
SUBSCRIBE!

Send cash, check or money ordei (payable to Craig Ledbetter). US currency only.
To: Craig Ledbetter / PO Box 5367 / Kingwood, TX 77325