Gialli Dreams In Yellow: Volume #4 - Analyzing Argento's Animal Trilogy

Gialli Dreams in Yellow will be a series of articles, essays and reviews of my favorite horror sub-genre, Giallo. Giallo is the Italian word for YELLOW but is also used to describe the whole sub-genre of horror films that weave elements of mystery, thriller and horror all into one narrative... sprinkle in over the top violence alongside some gratuitous nudity and you got yourself a GIALLO!  Here are my thoughts on the genre... I hope to infuse some new opinions & views into what I consider the most diverse sub-genre in horror movie history.

Today I am going to attempt to analyze Dario Argento's "Animal Trilogy" to see which film is the "Gialliest" of them all... (see what I did there... hehehe)

If You Like ______, Then You Should Watch _______ - Vol #1: Suspiria/The Bird With The Crystal Plumage

If You Like _______, Then You Should Watch _____ is a new column that will be appearing here on CCD.NYC weekly. Whenever people try recommending a movie to someone they instantly go with the line: "It's like ____ meets ____". It is the easiest way to convince someone to watch a new film... appeal to their basic sense of past movies they have seen and might have liked. It usually works too, since people like to compare & contrast things they are going to do with things they have already done. So in order to broaden your horizons and open you to some new films, we will use that model to help you discover some celluloid gold.

Today's Pick: If You Like Suspiria, Then You Should Watch The Bird With The Crystal Plumage

Dario Argento's 'Dracula 3-D': Either Vintage Genius or Terrible Schlock?

I have had my eye on the production of Dario Argento's newest film 'Dracula 3-D' right here on this blog since way back in July 2011 when the first images from the production popped up on the web. At the time I was a bit intrigued, mostly because Argento is one of my favorite horror directors and I was dying to see him have another good movie under his belt. I also love Argento's 'stalker' cam that he uses with his killers, putting the audience into the frame of view of the killer. What better character than Dracula to use the 'stalker' cam with? But now its two years later, the film is in the can, and it is about to be released... so what do we think? Well... the trailer poses an interesting conundrum. One way to look at it is that Argento is going for the "classic Hammer Horror" look and feel of the great European horror movies of the 60s & 70s. This is quite easy to imagine and understanding considering Argento has roots in this era of film making and probably wishes it was all as simple as it was back then. Or.... it could be that the movie just sucks ball sacks and looks like a 30 year old piece of shit. Who knows? The movie comes out on Oct. 4th, and I really don't care what critics say... I for one will give it a shot. Argento earned my viewership with Suspiria. But if it doesn't play like a Hammer film, a vintage love story, and just sucks... well, at least we will get to see a ton of tits. Like Asia Argento, Dario's daughter, tits. Big D loves showing off the tits, especially his daughters. Check out the full trailer and one of the posters (which has a certain Hammer feel, no) after the jump...

Argento's 'Dracula 3-D' Looks & Sounds Intresting To Say The Least....

The Master at work....

I had heard a few months ago that Italian Horror master (and one of my personal favorite directors) Dario Argento was going to take a crack at both the Dracula mythos and a 3-D film with his unimaginatively entitled 'Dracula 3-D'. Now I know some film connoisseurs are shaking their head when they hear that a genius director like Argento wants to do a 3-D film, but I am totally OK with the idea. Why, you ask? Because Argento has made a career out of shooting visually stunning movies and using the latest technologies available to him for both shooting and post producing his films. I am eager to see what geniuses like Argento and Martin Scorcese (he has his 3-D movie Hugo Cabaret coming this December) do with the 3-D technology. Not to mention I am excited to see what Argento can do with the Dracula mythos. Oh, and one last thing.... the film has Rutger Hauer as Van Helsing!!!! Vampire Hunter with a Shotgun son..... lets go!!!!

***Click Read more below to see more pics from Argento's Dracula 3-D***

Check Out The Italian Horror Film Invasion On Netflix Instant Streaming!!!

It's October, aka Spook Season... so what better way to spend it then watching horror films? I am a huge fan of Netflix Instant Streaming, and they have tons of wonderful horror titles ready for your viewing pleassure at the click of a button. Today I am going to focus on one of my favorite sub-genres of horror films, Italian horror movies. Italian horror is an acquired taste. The movies are usually in English (or dubbed in English) and tend to be a bit gore orientated. Though not as popular as their American counterparts, Italian horror films make up some of the best in the genre. I am a particular fan of late 70's/80's Italian horror, particularly the work of Dario Argento. He is my second favorite film director behind Kubrick. Not just horror director, all kinds of movies. The guys is amazing. Ask any true horror fan, and they will tell you that Italian horror is a must watch.

First up, lets take a look at Argento's films that Netflix Instant has to offer. His seminal classic, Suspiria (1977), is unreal and a must watch amongst all film fans. The colors, the scenery... wow, just wow. Also,  catch Opera (1987), Two Evil Eyes (1990), and his two contributions to the great Masters of Horror TV series entitled Jennifer (2006) & Pelts (2006). Also, check out The Church (1989), which was written and produced by Argento. The rest of his titles are available on traditional mailing Netflix. I reccomend Tenebre (1982), Inferno (1980) and Phenomena (1985) if you are going to add any to your mailing que. 

Next, we got Mario Bava.You can start with the all time great analogy film Black Sabbath (1963), which features 3 nerve tingling tales narrated by horror icon Boris Karloff. Next, check out Hatchet for the Honeymoon (1988), Shock (1977) & Panet of the Vampires (1965). If you are going to get any Bava flicks in the mail, try the all time classics Black Sunday (1960) & Blood and Black Lace (1963). Most people say that Bava was 20 years ahead of the curve in the slasher genre, and Blood and Black Lace is often sited as such an example.

Finally, we get Lucio Fulci. Fulci is a very gifted filmmaker, but unfortunately his best works are not available for instant streaming. City of the Living Dead (1980) and The New York Ripper (1982) are. If you are a serious horror fan then order The Beyond (1981), House by the Cemetary (1981), The Black Cat (1981), and Zombi 3 (1988) by mail. Trust me, you will not be disappointed.

Hope you enjoy the great 3 Italian Horror directors and all their films. Expand your horizons and check some of these titles out if you truly love horror cinema. At this time of year, its good to get some new scares. Happy viewings!!!