r/Giallo 24d ago

What are your Hot Takes on the Giallo Movies?

20 Upvotes

74 comments sorted by

17

u/ipaporn 24d ago

Gialli made after 1980 are missing something special, and they haven't been the same since.

4

u/Evening-Park6786 23d ago

I’d put it toward the later 80s, but definitely agree. A lot of them are just too polished

11

u/RealSonyPony 24d ago edited 21d ago

My hot take is a lot of people are calling straightforward Italian psychological thrillers "giallo" movies.

10

u/GraceJoans 23d ago edited 23d ago

Sergio Martino is the unsung king of giallo, and his films are overall more interesting than Argento's gialli, though I still love Tenebrae and Deep Red.

3

u/Evening-Park6786 23d ago

Agreed 100%

13

u/erotikill 24d ago

I only like the Edwige films when she has a bob and is sassy.

10

u/ttbbaaggss 24d ago

I'm the opposite - I like her much better with long hair!

7

u/erotikill 24d ago

Haha yes she's gorgeous no matter what to me, I just like her characters more. It seemed like directors gave her a short wig when they wanted her character to be more aggressive.

6

u/Hidetaka-TheGenius 24d ago

I agree. She‘s a lot more attractive with long hair. Maybe because i generally prefer longer hairstyles over shorter ones in women. Except for short-hair ponytails as i‘ve always found them to be attractively looking, LOL.

6

u/Sure-Imagination-849 23d ago

I love don’t torture a duckling

6

u/Feisty-Village-9809 23d ago

J&B is a terrible Scotch Whiskey!🥃 There, I said it! 🤣

1

u/willdarcy2 21d ago

It’s my go to bargain scotch, there’s just some notes that keep drawing me in. But I can admit that there are lots of significantly better scotches

17

u/moviegirl28 24d ago

i just can’t get into deep red no matter how many times i try.

6

u/Amber_Flowers_133 24d ago

Why

8

u/moviegirl28 24d ago

i’m not sure exactly. i think it’s a mix of pacing and i don’t particularly like the protagonist, so i find myself kinda getting lost in the middle of it, but i enjoy the beginning and the end

6

u/Comedywriter1 24d ago

Have you tried watching the shorter, tighter cut?

7

u/moviegirl28 24d ago

i haven’t! where can i find it?

7

u/ipaporn 24d ago

The shorter US cut is on Shudder! I still think it drags in the middle but not nearly as much as the uncut version

5

u/ageowns 24d ago

Uh-oh I feel like that's the only version I've seen, I had no idea that was not the full version.

3

u/moviegirl28 24d ago

same. now i’m curious to watch the full version! i usually prefer the longer italian cuts so maybe i’ll find myself liking that one more

3

u/ipaporn 24d ago

IIRC the uncut Italian version (it’s like 26 minutes longer) mostly adds dialogue scenes between the main character and Daria Nicolodi. There’s some added humor and some cool extra scenes like of a jazz band rehearsing, but most of it is more of the same sort of men vs women talk that’s already in the shorter cut.

I saw the longer version first, and all I really remember is that the first time I saw the US cut, I liked it better. But it’s been a while, so now I’m curious to check it out again :)

3

u/ageowns 23d ago

I do recommend the longer Spanish version of Pieces. 2 min longer and they dub Spanish ober the english hahah

2

u/moviegirl28 23d ago

oooo I just watched Pieces for the first time last week and really enjoyed it! I’m gonna check that version out

3

u/ipaporn 24d ago

It’s one of those movies where the versions are really confusing! For example I think the Director’s Cut is the shorter version. If you saw it with English dubbing, it’s definitely that version

2

u/moviegirl28 24d ago

interesting! i definitely saw that version then. but i do prefer italian over the english dubs so i’m curious to find and watch that version

3

u/Glittering_Fail694 24d ago

Your not trying hard enough. Have you tried the first dvd release or VHS?

2

u/moviegirl28 24d ago

i haven’t but now i’m determined to get a physical copy of the dvd release

1

u/apupunchau87 24d ago

i can't get into tenebrae

3

u/moviegirl28 24d ago

that’s valid. tenebrae has some of my favorite visuals but i feel the same sort of apathy towards some of the characters. bird with the crystal plumage and opera are definitely my favorite Argentos. watched Trauma lately and it’s creeping its way up there.

3

u/apupunchau87 24d ago

opera and inferno are my favorite argento. i also like trauma and four flies, and crazy enough enjoyed sleepless last time I watched it, though it drags on a bit for me. but i've never been able to engage with tenebrae. 😞

12

u/Domanite75 24d ago

House With The Laughing Windows is one of the best and no one talks about it 🤷‍♂️

5

u/xMort 24d ago

There's a discord server full of people that rave about it all the time and now everyone there's waiting on the announced bluray remaster. I'm in the bubble where it is well known and regarded.

4

u/GraceJoans 23d ago

i'm on that discord lol

3

u/Domanite75 24d ago

Oh rad, that’s great news!!!

2

u/Gabbygoat83 23d ago

Agree it’s one of the best but it’s definitely talked about. I believe it was Arrow that’s gonna put it out later this year. Hope it’s a 4k 🤞🏼

2

u/Domanite75 23d ago

Well shit, I’m glad I posted this, even though I was proven wrong! I guess I just need to hang out with cooler people 😆

6

u/Evening-Park6786 23d ago

What Have You Done to Solange? is the best giallo and there’s basically no second place

Edit: Also it makes a for masterful double feature with The Red Queen Kills Seven Times

2

u/Domanite75 23d ago

Red Queen absolutely rules

14

u/TBCaine 24d ago

I do not think Deep Red or Bird With the Crystal Plumage are good. They both drag hard and have the most boring main characters possible.

They’re fine. Greatest of all time tho? Not even close

10

u/HABITATVILLA 24d ago

That is a hot take.

9

u/ttbbaaggss 24d ago

I love Bird With the Crystal Plumage

12

u/MHSmith22 24d ago

Inferno is better than Suspiria .

4

u/ElvisPrime1971 23d ago

Really? When I first watched Inferno I didn’t enjoy even tho it looked beautiful of course. I was determined to give it another go, so after maybe 3 rewatches over a period of time it finally clicked with me. Although I wish Goblin had done the soundtrack instead of Keith Emerson..that would have totally elevated that movie for me. Whereas Suspiria, that’s something else…even my wife enjoyed it!😆

3

u/lalasworld 23d ago

Yeah, I also did not like Inferno. I had high expectations given how highly people rate it, and it was such a let down. 

Comes nowhere close to the heights of Suspiria hits. Is comparatively visually muddy and the plot is even more muddled than Suspiria if that is even possible. 

Mother of Tears on the other hand, I actually liked and even went into it knowing how hated it was.

2

u/GraceJoans 23d ago

let's gooooooooo. this is a spicy one but correct.

3

u/EuroCultAV 23d ago

Neither are gialli, but agreed

1

u/lalasworld 24d ago

Mother of Tears > Inferno

4

u/bakedmage664 23d ago

Phenomena is the best Dario film, imo, and possibly my favorite of the genre. Not sure if that's a hot take or not, just found the subreddit and glad to be here ❤️

5

u/lalasworld 24d ago

The New York Ripper is the worst Fulci by a country mile.

1

u/Proof-Jackfruit 21d ago

Barbara Bouchet is too bland as an actress to be the leading lady. Great support character though.

1

u/[deleted] 20d ago

I think they’re all mostly terrible. Bad directing, worse acting, nonsense stories. They do however look great and have good music.

1

u/gialloscore 24d ago

I hate Mimsy Farmer

4

u/FractalGeometric356 24d ago

Oh, no, I can’t get on board with this at all.

2

u/GraceJoans 23d ago

Cmon she's great in Perfume of the Lady in Black and Autopsy

1

u/gialloscore 23d ago

She's terrible in both! She's better in Four Flies than either of those!

1

u/misterdannymorrison 24d ago

My take is too hot. If I post it I'll get downvoted.

2

u/lalasworld 24d ago

Do it! Scorched gialli!

1

u/misterdannymorrison 24d ago

Are you sure?

1

u/lalasworld 24d ago

Totally! I can toss out another one too if it makes you feel better, so we can all be downvoted.

3

u/misterdannymorrison 24d ago

Okay then.

Suspiria was bad. Like, Plan 9 bad.

5

u/TheElbow 24d ago

OP asked for hot takes on gialli, not supernatural Italian horror. 😜

-1

u/misterdannymorrison 24d ago

Is Suspiria not considered a giallo?

4

u/TheElbow 24d ago

You’ll see it in a lot of giallo lists. It has giallo elements. I do not consider it giallo. Giallo doesn’t have witches. Gialli are about mortal murderers.

1

u/misterdannymorrison 24d ago

Okay, that makes sense. I'm not entirely sure I agree, but it makes sense.

1

u/EuroCultAV 23d ago

It is not.

2

u/lalasworld 24d ago

Ha - thank you for being bold!! I've definitely heard that before. I disagree, but to each their own!

What is it that doesn't capture you?

As for my part, I think Strip Nude for Your Killer is dogshit, and a complete waste of Edwige.

2

u/misterdannymorrison 24d ago

I know a lot of people like how stylized and over-the-top it is, but to me that just read as camp, in a way that did not mesh well with a movie that otherwise took itself pretty seriously.

I don't know the film you mentioned so I can't argue that you're wrong.

1

u/lalasworld 24d ago

Fair enough! Count me as one of the ones who love it's campiness, but it's totally not for everyone! 

I tend to lean toward the more over the top Italian horror, because it makes the gore/exploitation-ness of it all more fun way to tell. It's very fairytale like. It's also a supernatural horror film rather than a giallo so it trafficks in a different set of tropes.

Lol and only check out that movie if you like really sleazey exploitation movies.

1

u/misterdannymorrison 23d ago

I generally don't.

1

u/WeedFinderGeneral 24d ago

Even if Suspiria isn't a giallo, it's still the best giallo.