Since the release in 1929 of a popular book series with bright yellow covers, the Italian word giallo (yellow) has come to define a whole spectrum of mystery and detective fiction and films. Although most English speakers associate the term giallo with the violent and erotic thrillers popular in the 1960s and 1970s from directors like Mario Bava, Dario Argento, Lucio Fulci and others, the term encompasses a wide range of Italian media such as mysteries, thrillers and detective stories-even comedies and political pamphlets. As films like Blood and Black Lace (1964) and Deep Red (1975) have received international acclaim, giallo is a fluid and dynamic genre that has evolved throughout the decades. This book examines the many facets of the giallo genre-narrative, style, themes, and influences. It explores Italian films, made-for-TV films and miniseries from the dawn of sound cinema to the present, discussing their impact on society, culture and mores.

Elio Petri (1929-1982) was one of the most commercially successful and critically revered Italian directors ever. A cultured intellectual and a politically committed filmmaker, Petri made award-winning movies that touched controversial social, religious, and political themes, such as the Mafia in We Still Kill the Old Way (1967), police brutality in Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion (1970), and workers' struggles in Lulu the Tool (1971). His work also explored genre in a thought-provoking and refreshing manner with a taste for irony and the grotesque: among his best works are the science fiction satire The 10th Victim (1965), the ghost story A Quiet Place in the Country (1968), and the grotesque giallo Todo modo (1976). This book examines Elio Petri's life and career, and places his work within the social and political context of postwar Italian culture, politics, and cinema. It includes a detailed production history and critical analysis of each of his films, plenty of never-before-seen bits of information recovered from the Italian ministerial archives, and an in-depth discussion of the director's unfilmed projects.

A self-taught culinary genius, Francesco Bracali is one of Italy's top chefs. He and his brother Luca, a sommelier, own the two-Michelin-starred restaurant "Bracali" in Massa Marittima, Tuscany: once an unpretentious tavern run by their parents, Francesco and Luca turned it into a fine dining place where they started revisiting the region's ample gastronomic tradition in an innovative and creative way. The book tells the story of the Bracali brothers, from the early days where their revolutionary approach to cuisine was a novelty, to today's International recognition. It also examines Tuscany's regional cuisine and its historical and cultural roots, and includes a detailed analysis of Bracali's own creative reinterpretation of several traditional dishes.

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.

In an eclectic career spanning four decades, Italian director Riccardo Freda (1909-1999) produced films of remarkable technical skill and powerful visual style, including the swashbuckler Black Eagle (1946), an adaptation of Les Miserables (1947), the peplum Teodora, Slave Empress (1954) and a number of cult-favorite Gothic and horror films such as I Vampiri (1957), The Horrible Dr. Hichcock (1962) and The Ghost (1963). Freda was first championed in the 1960s by French critics who labeled him ""the European Raoul Walsh,"" and enjoyed growing critical esteem over the years. This book covers his life and career for the first time in English, with detailed analyses of his films and exclusive interviews with his collaborators and family.

Tonino Valerii is one of Italy's best genre directors. He started his career as Sergio Leone's assistant on For a Few Dollars More before moving on to directing. He specialized in Spaghetti Western, and his films stand out among the most accomplished and powerful in the genre. Among his best-known works are Day of Anger (1967, starring Lee van Cleef), The Price of Power (1969), A Reason to Live, a Reason to Die! (1972, starring James Coburn and Telly Savalas), and My Name is Nobody (1973, starring Henry Fonda). He also directed the outstanding giallo My Dear Killer (1972). Valerii's life and career are discussed thoroughly for the first time, through exclusive interviews with the filmmaker, scriptwriters and actors, and in-depth analysis of his films. With a foreword by Spaghetti Western scholar Christopher Frayling and an afterword by film director and scriptwriter Ernesto Gastaldi.

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. Foreword by film director and scriptwriter Ernesto Gastaldi.

Mario Bava’s Blood and Black Lace (1964) is a legendary title, and is commonly considered as the archetypal giallo. A murder mystery about a faceless and menacing killer stalking the premises of a luxurious fashion house in Rome, Blood and Black Lace set the rules for the genre: a masked, black-gloved killer, an emphasis on graphic violence, elaborate and suspenseful murder sequences. But Blood and Black Lace is first and foremost an exquisitely stylish film, full of gorgeous color schemes, elegant camerawork, and surrealistic imagery, testimony of Bava’s mastery and his status as an innovator within popular cinema. This book recollects Blood and Black Lace’s production history, putting it within the context of the Italian film industry of the period and includes plenty of previously unheard-of data. It analyzes its main narrative and stylistic aspects, including the groundbreaking prominence of violence and sadism and its use of color and lighting, as well as Bava’s irreverent approach to genre filmmaking and clever handling of the audience’s expectations by way of irony and pitch-black humor. The book also analyzes Blood and Black Lace’s place within Bava’s oeuvre, its historical impact on the giallo genre, and its influential status on future filmmakers.

The Italian Gothic horror genre underwent many changes in the 1980s, with masters such as Mario Bava and Riccardo Freda either dying or retiring and young filmmakers such as Lamberto Bava (Macabro, Demons) and Michele Soavi (The Church) surfacing. Horror films proved commercially successful in the first half of the decade thanks to Dario Argento (both as director and producer) and Lucio Fulci, but the rise of made-for-TV products resulted in the gradual disappearance of genre products from the big screen. This book examines all the Italian Gothic films of the 1980s. It includes previously unpublished trivia and production data taken from official archive papers, original scripts and interviews with filmmakers, scriptwriters and actors. Entries include a complete cast and crew list, plot summary, production history and analysis. Two appendices list direct-to-video releases and made-for-TV films.

Besides the great and renowned auteurs, the history of Italian cinema includes also a number of peculiar, lesser-known but very interesting filmmakers. Their artistic trajectories were unorthodox and sometimes plagued by economic and productive issues, and their works were original and thought-provoking. The book examines eight Italian "mavericks" who were active from the late 1940s onwards: Pier Carpi, Alberto Cavallone, Riccardo Ghione, Giulio Questi, Brunello Rondi, Paolo Spinola, Augusto Tretti, and Nello Vegezzi. Their life and works are discussed with an abundance of previously unpublished production information drawn from official papers and original scripts. These filmmakers brought to their films their experience in different fields-such as poetry, playwriting, advertising, literature, comics-and a nonconformist, sometimes antagonistic attitude. Their bodies of work are ripe for a rediscovery and a proper critical and historical analysis. Furthermore, they allow us to better understand the cultural milieu and the productive dynamics of the Italian film industry from the early post-WWII years to the new millennium.