The Secret of Seagull Island (1981; dir. Nestore Ungaro)
This is a truncated, theatrical version of an Italian-British co-production, originally shot to run nearly five hours as a TV mini-series. As a result, the …
26 Jan
La dama rossa uccide sette volte (1972; dir. Emilio Miraglia)
La dama rossa uccide sette volte (1972; dir. Emilio Miraglia)
A confused and roughly edited murder mystery, this Italian giallo seems to be a victim of its own devices, unnecessarily cluttering its narrative with badly …
16 Dec
Il nascondiglio (2007; dir. Pupi Avati)
Il nascondiglio (2007; dir. Pupi Avati)
Pupi Avati is the most intelligent and insightful filmmaker working in conventional, narrative-based cinema today. His work, of which this is an excellent example, is consciously …
18 Nov
Lisa e il diavolo (1974; dir. Mario Bava)
Lisa e il diavolo (1974; dir. Mario Bava)
Cinema is necrophilia. The act of desiring now aged or decayed faces, trapped by the illusion of action that seems to exist in the present …
02 Nov
Gli orrori del castello di Norimberga (1972; dir. Mario Bava)
Gli orrori del castello di Norimberga (1972; dir. Mario Bava)
This is one of Bava’s less personal works but it still manages to convey his understanding of the cinematic spectacle, which informs a number of …
27 Oct
Terrore nello spazio (1965; dir. Mario Bava)
Terrore nello spazio (1965; dir. Mario Bava)
Contrary to popular belief, independent, commercial-minded cinema can be a fertile ground for intelligent, probing filmmakers, and chief amongst them is Italian helmer Bava. Although …
19 Oct
Il profumo della signora in nero (1974; dir. Francesco Barilli)
Il profumo della signora in nero (1974; dir. Francesco Barilli)
Genre is an unfortunate and regrettable aspect of film theory, resulting in the pigeonholing of films by what they should contain rather than what they …
19 Sep
I sopravvissuti della città morta (1983; dir. Antonio Margheriti)
I sopravvissuti della città morta (1983; dir. Antonio Margheriti)
To paraphrase Edgar Allan Poe, a film without an idea is just a film. This – another of Margheriti’s misadventures with actor David Warbeck – …
28 Aug
Anima Persa (1977; dir. Dino Risi)
Anima Persa (1977; dir. Dino Risi)
Venice has found itself in many works of fiction. Its corruption and decay, coupled with an elaborate history and uniquely Italian preoccupation with violence, make …
Tag: italy