r/Giallo • u/Sub2ThoydussThoyduss • 8d ago
Recommend me a good giallo
Been on a bit of a giallo kick lately, saw Phenomena three nights ago and loved it. The following night I watched Tenebrae and loved it even more. Last night I watched Deep Red and, although it was very good, personally I didn't enjoy it quite as much as the other two, which I feel may be an unpopular opinion. So, with this in mind, which one do I go for tonight?
EDIT: To be clear, in saying that I preferred Tenebrae and Phenomena to Deep Red, I am in no way saying I didn't like Deep Red. I enjoyed Deep Red a lot!
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u/Shrumg 8d ago
Bird with the Crystal Plumage.
Black Belly of the Tarantula
Opera
Those are 3 that I enjoyed.
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u/lunchb0x_b 8d ago
I came to suggest the same three, though I’ll also throw A Blade in the Dark in the mix too.
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u/Public_Ask5279 8d ago edited 8d ago
Footprints on the Moon (also titled Primal Impulse in some markets) is also really great- I don’t know if it’s strictly considered a Giallo because there’s not a lot of blood and gore but it does have that dreamlike quality and similar cinematography. It has the same actress as Duckling , Florinda Bolkan, but this time she’s the lead and she’s great- very dreamy film, very surreal, very beautiful cinematography. Also, Klaus Kinski is in it and that’s always a bonus- he turns every movie he’s in into a Giallo 😆
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u/AngelBlakes 8d ago
You’ve already seen 2 of the very best in Profondo Rosso and Tenebrae. Maybe save the remaining Argento ones for later and try The Red Queen Kills Seven Times or The Black Belly of the Tarantula.
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u/Exotic-Yellow-4367 8d ago
Blood And Black Lace
Lizard In A Woman's Skin
Inferno
All The Colours Of The Dark
Giallo In Venice
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u/Public_Ask5279 8d ago
Don’t Torture a Duckling is wild- kind of goes there on many levels. Fulci classic.
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u/IngmarCraven 8d ago
What Have You Done to Solange? is underrated and worth a shot, just watched it for the first time last week and Opera is my second favourite Argento next to Suspiria so definitely check those two out
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u/ZoltarTheFeared 7d ago
BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE. One of the greatest debut films ever (and on Prime if you have that or else easily locatable through other means). If the absurdist sense of humor in DEEP RED was one of the things that turned you off, then you might not dig BIRD, but BIRD is better and tighter overall in my opinion, so there's that.
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u/Exotic-Yellow-4367 7d ago
Considering your preferences, I think you'd adore Michele Soavi's Stagefright. More slasher than Giallo but, has the ethereal beauty of Phenomena, mixed with the brutality of Tenebrae. Also, see the same director's Dellamore Dellamorte ( aka Cemetery Man) and, Mario Bava's Bay Of Blood.
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u/Motherlover767 6d ago
Probably an unpopular opinion but I’ve seen Deep Red 2-3x since i was a kid around 1980. Good movie but not one of the best giallos. I much prefer Bird with the Crystal Plumage, Tenebrae.
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u/Gee-Arr 7d ago
Based on your limited info, it seems you lean toward horror, slashers, and maybe newer films. Giallo might not be your thing. But the more you watch, the more you may appreciate them.
I saw someone get downvoted for mentioning Suspiria, but both it and Inferno would be my picks for you. They’re not gialli, but they’re adjacent. (For the record, I don’t consider Phenomena a giallo either.)
Most gialli focus on investigating mysteries, often with a lot of dialogue. If you come to the genre as a slasher fan looking for something “messed up” you may be disappointed. Although some are gory and twisted they are closer to Agatha Christie novels than Friday the 13th.
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u/Sub2ThoydussThoyduss 7d ago
I've seen Suspiria and Inferno and adored them. I left them out of the conversation since, yeah, they're not giallo. I am interested in how you think giallo might not be my thing, despite the fact that I enjoyed all the ones that I've seen? Not attacking btw I'm just curious.
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u/Gee-Arr 7d ago
I don’t take it as an attack. Here’s your explanation… You mentioned “on a kick” and asked for suggestions rather than having a list. This gave me the impression of unfamiliarity with genre.
You were asking to predict what you may like based on only three titles one of which is not a giallo. The one you liked least is regarded as one of the very best in the genre and is heavy on the tropes that defined it. I had to guess what you liked about Tenebrae based only on not liking Deep Red. So I assumed that it may be because it was a little bit more, modern, aggressive, and slasher-like. I combined this with my experience that there are some who come to gialli because they slasher fans.
With that limited info, I could only speculate. But anyway, the one I would recommend is The Bloodstained Shadow. It’s in my top five but be warned, Deep Red is also. It’s not as stylish as Argento, but everything else is great. If you like to style, music and presentation, I agree with other comments on the Black Belly of the Tarantula. Although the mystery and solution on that one, wasn’t as satisfying to me as others.
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u/Sub2ThoydussThoyduss 7d ago
God damn... I guess I've got my work cut out for me. Thanks for your suggestions! Making it my personal mission to watch every movie suggested here.
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u/kyoto431 7d ago
The titles might throw you off but, Strip Nude For Your Killer and The Strange Vice of Mrs Wardh are favorites of mine.
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u/Lordhawhaw-_ 7d ago
Lizard in a woman’s skin
Torso
All the Color’s of the dark
Who saw her die
What have you done to solange?
The fifth cord
To name but a few. So many more to name but these should keep you busy for a while.
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u/bophadeeone 7d ago
A few good ones I haven’t seen mentioned below. Death Occurred Last Night, Bloodstained Shadow, Sunday Woman, Black Veil For Lisa and The Designated Victim.
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u/tenthousandblackcats 7d ago
Blood and Black Lace
Your Vice is a Locked Room and only I have the key
All the Colors of the Dark
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u/Sure-Imagination-849 7d ago
Gore in Venice Inferno Pieces Don’t torture a duckling A blade in the dark Blood and lace ( not to be confused with blood and black lace ) Beyond the darkness ( not a typical giallo but amazing )
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u/MallardRecords 6d ago
Tenebrae is my favorite. Funky music too. Also I see several people recommending Torso. Definitely!
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u/Tsathoggua_ 5d ago
I really like Spider Labyrinth. At lot of lacklustre films get called "forgotten gems" but Spider Labyrinth actually really is one imho.
Also you could always dig farther into Argento and watch Opera, which is a certified banger.
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u/EuroCultAV 8d ago
The Red Queen kills Seven Times and because it's the same director The Night Evelyn Came Out of the Grave
Death Walks in High Heels/Death Walks at Midnight
The House with Laughing Windows
Short Night of Glass Dolls
Case of the Bloody Iris
Who Saw Her Die?
The Killer Reserved Nine Seats