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| Viva Italia! |
Welcome to the first of these segments on the blog where I'm going to be talking about horror films from a different specific country. This first time around, we're going to tackle Italian horror films. One of the most prolific and popular countries out there with a slew of titles that are regularly found on all-time favorites list for numerous writers and aficionados, this is a country who's output is renown around the world and really doesn't have too many strange hidden gems out there so this might be a rather conventional list for some but that's the whole point here.
To give you an idea of how these are going to work in the future, this is not a list of the best films ever from the country but rather a selection of films that will help give a general idea of what to expect when first diving into their work as a first-time watcher. This is not organized into any order (for the time being, I've organized it by year of release and is not to be taken any deeper than that) but rather serves as a mention into what to look for in order to get an idea of what to expect.
So, let's take a look at several films to introduce you to the world of Italian Horror films.
Black Sunday-
The birth of the modern Italian horror film, and still among horror cinema's finest debut efforts around, this stellar, brooding masterpiece is a classic for all the right reasons. For it's sterling atmosphere, simplistic storytelling, strong special effects work and effective performances which manages to wrap itself together to create a moody, haunting piece. Bava has a stellar grasp of technique that far belies his experience which manages to readily work on that end as well as allowing this one to offer up the kind of Gothic-infused ambiance that would soon become a massive part of Italian genre cinema with numerous Gothic horror imitations by Antonio Margheriti, Massimo Puppilo, Mario Caiano and even Bava himself who directed several more stellar entries in the style several years later. A standout genre piece and one of the best examples of the scene period.
The Whip and The Body-
As mentioned earlier, Bava had made such an impact with his debut in the genre that it was going to take something special to overthrow it, and while this one doesn't quite make it it's still the best of the bunch to follow. The sense of doom pervading every frame here, featuring characters trapped in a situation that they know will lead to their deaths but can't do anything about it, reeks off the screen just as well as the familiar Gothic trappings that he played with several years before. Lee turns in a solid performance, coming off every bit the megolomanical sadist who keeps his assistant under his torturous thumb even after death has separated them and proving he was capable of more to the genre than just Dracula despite this no coming nowhere close to topping it. Sure it's a little stiff and dated but the fact that it works like it does is one of Mario's best achievements and makes this one worth of inclusion on the list.
While not necessarily the first giallo ever made, this is definitely the granddaddy of the style. There are so many elements taken from the genre to be started here, not only from the outfit of the killer but more important matters ranging from the fashion-house setting to the detective angle investigating the whole affair to the use of multiple killings methods for the various attack scenes. Even without those being featured in the film, this one remains one of the most consistently enjoyable and entertaining entries in the style with classy production values and tons of entertaining moments that truly make for a top-notch effort. That this came at a time in the genre's output (it would've been no later than the 5th released film that's qualified as a 'Giallo') to have laid the groundwork for what's to come later, especially with the next few choices, serves as a reminder of the films' impact and importance.
The Bird with the Crystal Plumage-
Yet another Giallo on the list, but perhaps almost as important to this list than anything else in this article since here is where we find the de-facto blueprint for what constitutes the genre for most people. The black leather-gloved killer, the investigation handled by the layperson who witnessed a crime and gets thrust into the story, the ornate murders, the elaborate tongue-twisting titles aluding to animals, colors or death, the shocking twist ending that reveals the killer and their motive in the final minutes of the film, it's all here and put in one entertaining package that gives this one a lot to like. So influential is this film that it launched a cycle of films in Italy and other countries that emulated it's style, format and layout for the duration of the genre's existence until now, including the next entry we'll talk about.
Deep Red-
The second Argento Giallo in a row, but it's an outright shame that this one isn't mentioned. There is no greater gialli made, period, end of discussion. The technical aspects here, from the fantastic camerawork during the unrelenting kills to the bright lighting in the film and its utterly hypnotic soundtrack that goes hand-in-hand with the visuals on-screen are just an absolute delight to see unfold. The fact these elements are wrapped up alongside the greatest murder-mystery storyline Argento ever devised, including the rare ability to hold up to repeat viewings, allows the film a rather unique ability to not only appear as a straightforward and enjoyable entry while also displaying a classy touch with exploitation material. It'll please the hardcore fans while not scaring off the `normies` which is quite the accomplishment for a film.
Suspiria (78)-
Frankly, this is one of the greatest entries in the genre. With all the current rage over arthouse horror films that bestow great priority on the camera-work and other technical aspects of the production, this one serves as the grandfather of the entire scene, turning a film into a nightmarish collection of brightly focused colors, deafening sound and dazzling camerawork to create a powerful and utterly breathtaking movie visually. That allows the films' strikingly brutal and graphic attacks here that are in turn shockingly brutal, immensely creative and simply beautiful to watch, as scenes like the opening double murder and the later ambush in the hallways of the institute exemplify these facets rather well. With the film staying fun throughout here due to that, it manages to readily employ plenty of stylish features to become one of the scariest, most creative genre films ever and makes this a no-doubt choice for this list.
So, there's not much to say here. This is my favorite Horror film of all-time, and everything done here is just absolutely flawless in every sense. The fact that this captures the Italian sense of filoni, riding a wave of imitators that all come from the same general cloth as numerous scenes we've seen already on this page is part of the reasoning here, while the other factor of being just an incredibly enjoyable entry packed with atmosphere, jaw-droppingly revolting gore, impeccable production values and more classic sequences than can be recounted here. Frankly, this one should be watched at all costs.
Cannibal Holocaust-
Arguably the most controversial tale here, nonetheless this magnum opus of the Jungle Cannibal style deserves mention with the cultural significance as much as the on-screen actions. Not only is the film made with actual care and craft for filmmaking (admittedly overlooked by most who are flat-out revolted at what's being captured) that tells important and impactful social commentary on the nature of savagery in the human psyche, but the overarching fact that the second half sparks the seeds of the found-footage genre that's still a huge part of the genre to this day. Not for the faintest of hearts, the kind-hearted animal lover or the softest constitutions, those that don't mind will be rewarded with one of the most impressive and shocking Exploitation offerings from the style.
One of the finest genre efforts ever made, this one provides plenty of absolutely stellar work throughout here. From the frenetic story that moves along at a breathless pace, to the make-up on the gore and demon transformations which give this a wild, over-the-top setup that's incredibly enjoyable when paired with the blaring heavy metal being pumped out during these scenes, this one offers a far more commercialized yet no less impactful exploitation style horror outing. There's plenty of action, some great suspense and an overall sleek and stylish package without too much really wrong beyond some minors storyline issues, making this a fine entry to see where the commercial end of the genre leaned towards.
Cemetery Man-
Frankly, this was the hardest entry to place here as it's a tale of two issues. If I'm looking at it solely as a standalone movie, this was a rather disappointing genre effort. While on the surface this ends up being somewhat disappointing, the main facet of its artistic exponents being featured here in the overall presentation of the small run-down village, the absolutely gorgeous zombies and the technical skills shown here that feature an evocative sense of beauty will win over most viewers. The heavy themes of destiny, existential dread and touched up with some black comedy with certainly appeal to those looking for something more than the traditional gut-muncher they've been exposed to before in the scene, which is enough to cause some to overlook the fact that this one is quite dull in places and removes the zombies from the film for the entire final third of the film with no other appearances at all. Still, on the other hand, to see something like this with plenty of depth alongside enough horror to matter appearing at this stage of the country's history is enough to make it worthwhile.
So, there's the list. Going through this will give you a solid start in the country's output which should help you get a feel for the type of film Italy put out, and it's not necessary to go in this order as the list is only in release order. So if you're a first-time explorer of the country's output or looking to expand some more after maybe seeing a title or two around the internet, this should still serve a solid outline for most out there.
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