There is no cinema with such effect as that of the hallucinatory Italian horror film. From Riccardo Freda's I Vampiri in 1956 to Il Cartaio in 2004, this work recounts the origins of the genre, celebrates at length ten of its auteurs, and discusses the noteworthy films of many others associated with the genre. The directors discussed in detail are Dario Argento, Lamberto Bava, Mario Bava, Ruggero Deodato, Lucio Fulci, Umberto Lenzi, Antonio Margheriti, Aristide Massaccesi, Bruno Mattei, and Michele Soavi. Each chapter includes a biography, a detailed career account, discussion of influences both literary and cinematic, commentary on the films, with plots and production details, and an exhaustive filmography. A second section contains short discussions and selected filmographies of other important horror directors. The work concludes with a chapter on the future of Italian horror and an appendix of important horror films by directors other than the 50 profiled. Stills, posters, and behind-the-scenes shots illustrate the book.

The "Gothic" style was a key trend in Italian cinema of the 1950s and 1960s because of its peculiar, often strikingly original approach to the horror genre. These films portrayed Gothic staples in a stylish and idiosyncratic way, and took a daring approach to the supernatural and to eroticism, with the presence of menacing yet seductive female witches, vampires and ghosts. Thanks to such filmmakers as Mario Bava (Black Sunday), Riccardo Freda (The Horrible Dr. Hichcock), and Antonio Margheriti (Castle of Blood), as well the iconic presence of actress Barbara Steele, Italian Gothic horror went overseas and reached cult status. The book examines the Italian Gothic horror of the period, with an abundance of previously unpublished production information drawn from official papers and original scripts. Entries include a complete cast and crew list, home video releases, plot summary and the author's analysis. Excerpts from interviews with filmmakers, scriptwriters and actors are included. The foreword is by film director and scriptwriter Ernesto Gastaldi.

Commanding a cult following among horror fans, Italian film director Dario Argento is best known for his work in two closely related genres, the crime thriller and supernatural horror. In his four decades of filmmaking, Argento has displayed a commitment to innovation, from his directorial debut with 1970's suspense thriller The Bird with the Crystal Plumage to 2009's Giallo. His films, like the lurid yellow-covered murder-mystery novels they are inspired by, follow the suspense tradition of hard-boiled American detective fiction while incorporating baroque scenes of violence and excess. This book uses controversies and theories about the films' reflections on sadism, gender, sexuality, psychoanalysis, aestheticism, and genre to declare the anti-rational logic of Argento's oeuvre. Approaching the films as rhetorical statements made through extremes of sound and vision, it places Argento in a tradition of aestheticized horror that includes De Sade, De Quincey, Poe, and Hitchcock.

In its heyday from the late 1950s until the early 1980s Italian horror cinema was characterised by an excess of gore, violence and often incoherent plot-lines. Films about zombies, cannibals and psychopathic killers ensured there was no shortage of controversy, and the genre presents a seemingly unpromising nexus of films for sustained critical analysis. But Italian horror cinema with all its variations, subgenres and filoni remains one of the most recognisable and iconic genre productions in Europe, achieving cult status worldwide. One of the manifestations of a rich production landscape in Italian popular cinema after the Second World War, Italian horror was also characterised by its imitation of foreign models and the transnational dimension of its production agreements, as well as by its international locations and stars.This collection brings together for the first time a range of contributions aimed at a new understanding of the genre, investigating the different phases in its history, the peculiarities of the production system, the work of its most representative directors (Mario Bava and Dario Argento) and the wider role it has played within popular culture.

This book is the assembly of various texts that are freely available on the web, especially from Wikipedia. The next obvious question is: why buy this book? The answer: because it means you avoid having to carry out long and tedious internet searches. (6 different topics grouped in one book) The topics are all linked to each other organically, and as a function of the subject and, in most cases, contain additional unpublished topics, not found on the web. Moreover, the inclusion of images completes the work so as to make it unique and unrepeatable. (Over 50 poster and film scenes) In addition, each film is linked to Youtube and in most cases the films are viewed in full Movie. Contents of the book: The Director Riccardo Freda: Biography, Film career, Filmography, Notes, References. The Five Horror Masterpieces of Riccardo Freda: I Vampiri, Caltiki: Il Mostro Immortale, L’Orribile Segreto del dr. Hichcock, Lo Spettro and Murder Obsession. Of each movie: Plot synopsis, Cast, Production, Release, Reception, References, Footnotes, Sources and Bibliography.

Italian Gothic horror films of the 1970s were influenced by the violent giallo movies and adults-only comics of the era, resulting in a graphic approach to the genre. Stories often featured over-the-top violence and nudity and pushed the limits of what could be shown on the screen. The decade marked the return of specialist directors like Mario Bava, Riccardo Freda and Antonio Margheriti, and the emergence of new talents such as Pupi Avati (The House with the Laughing Windows) and Francesco Barilli (The Perfume of the Lady in Black). The author examines the Italian Gothic horror of the period, providing previously unpublished details and production data taken from official papers, original scripts and interviews with filmmakers, scriptwriters and actors. Entries include complete cast and crew lists, plot summaries, production history and analysis. An appendix covers Italian made-for-TV films and mini-series.

This collection of essays examines the themes and styles that characterize the new millennium work of Italian film directors from different generations. These artists range from Marco Bellocchio, Dario Argento, Marco Tullio Giordana, and Nanni Moretti, who made their name in the 1960s and 1970s, to Oscar winners such as Gabriele Salvatores who forged their careers in the late 1980s. The volume also features essays on Ciprì and Maresco, Emanuele Crialese, Cristina Comencini, as well as work on successful new millennium directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Matteo Garrone whose controversial films examine the nature of interpersonal relations and the individual’s rapport with Italian society today. The essays illustrate the way in which contrasting images of Italy and its provinces emerge in the work of different directors; what links new millennium Italian screen protagonists, film directors, and even individual spectators is often a sense of being at the centre of oppressively converging social, economic, and political forces and having diminishing opportunities and space for self-realization. The contributors to the volume are academics who have also worked as film critics, visual artists, film industry administrators, and, indeed, as film-makers, and the book’s foreword has been written by Geoffrey Nowell-Smith.

Discusses renowned masters including Roberto Rossellini and Federico Fellini, as well as directors lesser known outside Italy like Dino Risi and Ettore Scola. The author examines overlooked Italian genre films such as horror movies, comedies, and Westerns, and he also devotes attention to neglected periods like the Fascist era. He illuminates the epic scope of Italian filmmaking, showing it to be a powerful cultural force in Italy and leaving no doubt about its enduring influence abroad. Encompassing the social, political, and technical aspects of the craft, the author recreates the world of Italian cinema.

This is a forty year journey through Italian horror films. This book grants producers, directors, screenwriters, make-up artists, and actors an opportunity to express their views and opinions, as well as their personal hopes and disappointments through a series of fascinating interviews. Includes an extensive filmography of Italian films plus numerous rare and uncensored stills from the filmmakers themselves.