Giallo; the word conjures images of black gloved killers who’s identity is revealed late in the ghoulish game, POV murder shots, and stylish direction with aesthetic splendor to spare! For those not in the know, a giallo is an Italian mystery/thriller film, oft times heavy on the ol’ stalk n’ slay…not to mention female flesh…and usually featuring elements of psychological horror and the aforementioned artistic flourishes. Speaking of not in the know, you’ll be a god-damned giallo expert after you check out the subject of this revoltin’ review: Severin’s release of All the Colors of Giallo!
Comprised of three discs, All the Colors of Giallo is one hell of a deep dive into the fright flicks so near and dear to the hearts of many a horror hound worldwide. First up we get the eponymous doc, Federico Caddeo’s All the Colors of Giallo that covers the complete history of the giallo; from it’s origins in German krimi (crime) books (and the flicks based on them), to the Italian literary equivalent (named “giallo” ‘natch which means ‘yellow’ in Italian, and was so named for the yellow hued covers the murder heavy books featured) and the groundbreaking, often imitated, films of cinematic maestros such as Dario Argento, Mario Bava, and Lucio Fulci that followed in their wake. The whole affair is entertaining, engaging, and will fill your noxious noggin with all you need to know (but were afraid to ask) about giallo cinema.
Following that comes an interview with John Martin, editor of The Giallo Pages, that provides even more info and an astounding four fuckin’ hours of giallo trailers!!
Speaking of those trailers; they feature an incredible commentary by Kat Ellinger, Author of All The Colors Of Sergio Martino…and for those of you boils n’ ghouls who are unaware, you can bet your arcane asses that you will be well and thoroughly entertained and educated by any conversation Ellinger provides, and this track is no exception!
On Disc Two we get more on the previously referenced krimi genre including an info-packed interview with Film Historian Marcus Stiglegger, ninety minutes of Klaus Kinski infused krimi film trailers.
Disc Three contains a sinister selection of soundtrack highlights from a scad of giallo flicks, and is guaranteed to please your eerie earholes with it’s arcane audio!
All the Colors of Giallo works quite the glamour as it will appeal to those that are hungry to learn more about the genre as well as those that are already seasoned pros on the subject in equal measure!
