Italian/Spanish Giallo Film Reviews by R.D Francis -- as part of an "Exploring: Italian Giallo Films of the 1960s through the 1970s" feature.
Italian horrors, film noirs, and later-inspired films. Look under "Critic Reviews" for B&S About Movies.
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- DirectorRiccardo FredaStarsKlaus KinskiChristiane KrügerGünther StollAfter a businessman's unfaithful wife is seemingly killed in a car accident, he is led by several unscrupulous characters to believe that she is actually alive.
- DirectorMassimo DallamanoStarsJohn MillsLuciana PaluzziRobert HoffmannWhile trying to solve a series of murders, a possessive narcotics detective hires a hit-man to kill his unfaithful wife, but the hunter and the hunted soon begin an affair.
- DirectorAntonio MargheritiStarsMark DamonEleonora BrownSally SmithAfter a mysterious trunk arrives at a prestigious girl's boarding school, its staff and students - including an orphaned heiress and an amateur sleuth - are targeted by a shadowy killer.AKA Nude She Dies.
- DirectorYilmaz DuruSergio GarroneStarsKlaus KinskiKatia ChristineMarzia DamonUnder strong influence from his burn victim wife, a wealthy aristocrat does skin transplants from young women, who were captured, operated on against their will and then killed, to fix his wife's burnt body.Kinski-starring Giallo! Look under "user reviews" for insights.
- DirectorAntonio MargheritiStarsJane BirkinHiram KellerFrançoise ChristopheIn a small Scottish village, horribly murdered bodies keep turning up. Suspicion falls upon the residents of a nearby castle that is haunted by a curse involving a killer cat.
- DirectorJosé Ramón LarrazStarsAngela PleasencePeter VaughanLorna HeilbronA young woman is invited by her girlfriend, who lives in an English country mansion, to stay there with her. The estate, however, isn't quite what it seems--and neither is the friend who issued the invitation.
- DirectorFernando Di LeoStarsKlaus KinskiMargaret LeeRosalba NeriA rehabilitation hospital in the Italian countryside which offers treatment for women suffering from various psychological disorders is stalked by a mysterious cloaked killer.AKA Slaughter Hotel.
- DirectorEmilio MiragliaStarsAnthony SteffenMarina MalfattiEnzo TarascioA rich, mentally-unstable man - with a penchant for playing deadly S&M games with women who resemble his dead wife - sparks off a chain of bizarre events after getting remarried.
- DirectorBilly WilderStarsFred MacMurrayBarbara StanwyckEdward G. RobinsonA Los Angeles insurance representative lets an alluring housewife seduce him into a scheme of insurance fraud and murder that arouses the suspicion of his colleague, an insurance investigator.Black and White Film Noir inspiration; part of a "Drive-In Friday: Black & White Night" feature. Add graphic murder: you'd get a Giallo.
- DirectorAnatole LitvakStarsBarbara StanwyckBurt LancasterAnn RichardsWhile on the telephone, an invalid woman overhears what she thinks is a murder plot and attempts to prevent it.Black and White Film Noir inspiration; part of a "Drive-In Friday: Black & White Night" feature. Add graphic murder; you'd get a Giallo.
- DirectorBigas LunaStarsZelda RubinsteinMichael LernerTalia PaulA controlling mother uses telepathic powers to send her middle-aged son on a killing spree.Spanish inversion.
- DirectorBarry LevinsonStarsMichael DouglasDemi MooreDonald SutherlandA computer specialist is sued for sexual harassment by a former lover turned boss who initiated the act forcefully, which threatens both his career and his personal life.An introduction to the cleaned up, U.S. "erotic thrillers" of the '90s -- minus the murder and more film noirish. Connected to the more violent Fatal Attraction that stated it all.
- DirectorGregory DarkStarsMartin HewittDavid CarradineSam J. JonesA radio talk show host is accused of murdering one of his fans while on the air and he must go on the run to somehow prove his innocence.Later day, radio station noir and murder.
- DirectorJ. Lee ThompsonStarsCharles BronsonLisa EilbacherAndrew StevensAn LAPD detective and his rookie partner are on the trail of a psychopathic young man who is murdering young women.Charles Bronson goes Giallo, only not as confusing as an Italian one.
- DirectorGeorge P. CosmatosStarsSylvester StalloneBrigitte NielsenReni SantoniA tough-on-crime street cop must protect the only surviving witness to a strange murderous cult with far-reaching plans.Sly goes Giallo ... mixed with action for the slasher '80s.
- DirectorJim GillespieStarsSylvester StalloneCharles S. DuttonPolly WalkerA lead detective being stalked by a serial killer is asked to check into a clinic treating law enforcement officials who can't face their jobs.Sly dives deeper into the yellow and red pools.
- DirectorDavid FowlerStarsMatthew MacCaullTaylor Dianne RobinsonBen CottonA random bear attack during a family camping trip leaves Greg (father) and Samantha (daughter) trapped by demon worshiping cult known as The Circle. Unbeknownst to all is that there's an infiltrator in the cults ranks. She is communication with a former member on the outside named Grady. Grady's plan is to lead a small group of rescuers into the heart of The Circle. But will they get there in time to save Greg, Samantha, and others from the demon known as Percy Stephens?A deeper Italian and Spanish obscurities influence with this mind scrambler.
- DirectorJaime HellmanStarsEric RobertsLisa ThornhillJason GedrickA controversial talk show host becomes involved in the murder of a beautiful woman in a war for ratings.Eric Roberts is a noirish radio station DJ/serial killer.
- DirectorSam BarrettStarsNicola BartlettAustin CastiglioneVito de FrancescoTroubled artist Cassie suffers with reoccurring visions of murder, which she copes with by committing the violent acts to canvas. But when her visions begin to manifest in real life, her friends and family begin to turn up dead. Realizing her visions actually provide a direct link to the killer, Cassie must now confront her own past in order to stop the murders and save herself.AKA Soroal, an Australian neo-Giallo.
- DirectorMarco RossonStarsMarcella BragaClaudia MarascaToni PandolfoA professor goes to a small town in Italy to study the story of a witch killed in the early 1800's, and is drawn into a web of terror and possession as the spirit of the witch attempts to find a new host.AKA Evil River in the U.S.; later-day Italian homage.
- DirectorFred WaltonStarsGregory HinesDebrah FarentinoHarold AyerA distraught disc jockey (Gregory Hines) seeks out a mystery caller (Debrah Farentino) who may be the killer of his girlfriend (Laura Harrington).More noir and less graphic; a DJ is set up for murder by a lover.
- DirectorFruit ChanStarsBai LingMiriam Chin-Wah YeungSum-Yeung WongAunt Mei's famous homemade dumplings provide amazing age-defying qualities popular with middle-aged women. But her latest customer - a fading actress - is determined to find out what the secret ingredient is.AKA Gau Ji. Crazed Japanese import beyond description.
- DirectorTommy FairclothStarsFelissa RoseDamian MaffeiErika ArleeA group of travelers are forced to seek shelter inside an abandoned jail where a notorious nun named Sister Monday had once been assigned and was suspected of murdering prisoners.Later day direct-to-streaming indie inspired by the genre.
- DirectorDon OkoloStarsEric RobertsAnthony Ray ParkerGary Lee MahmoudStuart Sagle is leading in the race for Governor of Texas, but a fling with a prostitute threatens to derail his campaign. His biggest supporter, his uncle Bill Sagle, has a plan that puts a second candidate, Tim Bayh, into play, and Tim finds himself as the first Black candidate for Governor in Texas' history. Thrust into circumstances he neither understands nor controls, Tim weaves his way past assassination attempts, and faces his own demons as he has to decide to quit the race, ride a wave to the statehouse, or die trying.The film noir is strong with this one.
- DirectorBret WoodStarsDane BingenheimerRachel FrawleyAlice LewisA troubled veteran returns home to resume his life, but first he must fulfill a dreadful family obligation.Gruesome, neo-Giallo-styled) murders occur in a serene, Carpenteresque-Spielbergian Southern town.
- DirectorMarc CartwrightStarsAshley JonesSamantha BoscarinoBaker PowellA chance encounter dangerously intertwines the lives of three people with differing perspectives on love.Well made indie short homage to the genre; less the murder but has mannequins!
- DirectorDave BundtzenStarsElaine PartnowColleen KellyA young woman responds to an innocent "Help Wanted" sign in the window of the Rose Time antique dress shop run by a kindly, senior shop keep.A creepy thrift store and more mannequins!
- DirectorMatthew DieblerJacob GillmanStarsDebra WilsonKiersten WarrenRichard RiehleMarcy returns to her grandparents' to find a hell of surreal ghosts and psychedelic visions. With the help of her weed dealer, her phone psychic, and her southern belle neighbor, Marcy must un-blur the lines of reality to save her family.The Giallo influence is strong with this one.
- DirectorVahagn KarapetyanStarsChristos DiamantoudisNikos TsoleridisStellina VogiatziThis is a story about Wicca book. The book which devil plagued mankind with suffering. The all-powerful book of the Witches. But wherever there was evil, wherever an innocent would suffer, there would be Mia.From Greece.
- DirectorChristopher LewisStarsJuli AndelmanCharles EllisJames VanceFemale students on a college campus are being killed and their body parts used for blood sacrifices.The first VHS video-store distributed movies released in the slasher '80s, but with a heavy Giallo influence.
- DirectorMegan Freels JohnstonStarsNoureen DeWulfAshley BellA couple checks into a vacation rental to find that the anonymous host likes to play games on its guests.Home share creepiness.
- DirectorTravis WhiteStarsLee EddyLukas KingAnna SchatteA woman leaves her holiday work party late to discover the security cameras are still broken.The world of false security ... danger still lurks.
- DirectorElisa FuksasStarsSalvatore CostaVincenzo CreaJessica CressyLoving girlfriend, family fortune, breakout movie role: he's got it all. Until an app awakens a powerful new yearning. While in Rome to shoot his first movie, Niccolò becomes obsessed and sent into a self-destructive spiral.Techno-noir about loneliness and alienation brought on by one’s addiction to social media that leads to one's downward spiral -- as any noir or Giallo of old, does.
- DirectorEdward Evers-SwindellStarsSiwan MorrisGareth David-LloydJoanna IgnaczewskaThe spirit of a murdered girl returns with a message for the staff of a local radio station.Radio station noir with The Ring trappings amid Giallo elements.