All the Colors of Giallo (2019) User Reviews

An in depth look at Italian giallo

[AlsExGal · 8/10 · 10 February 2023]

Currently available on Tuvi, this documentary directed by Federico Caddeo is a top-level overview of Italian giallo (what else?) films which primarily focuses on Mario Bava (The Girl Who Know Too Much, Blood and Black Lace and A Bay of Blood), Dario Argento (The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, The Cat o' Nine Tails, Four Flies on Grey Velvet, Deep Red, Tenebrae and Giallo), Lucio Fulci (One on Top of the Other, A Lizard in a Woman's Skin, Don't Torture a Duckling and The Psychic), Umberto Lenzi (So Sweet...So Perverse, Orgasmo, Paranoia, Knife of Ice, Spasmo and Eyeball) and Sergio Martino (The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh, Your Vice Is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key and All the Colors of the Dark). But also includes references to other directors (Aldo Lado (The Short Night of the Glass Dolls and Who Saw Her Die?), Giuliano Carmimeo (The Case of the Bloody Iris), Duccio Tessari (Death Occurred Last Night and The Bloodstained Butterfly) and Luciano Ercoli (Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion, Death Walks on High Heels and Death Walks at Midnight)).

Fairly talkative (or, in my case, readative (is that a word?) since it is in Italian with English subtitles) as it is mostly narrated by a historian. But it does include interviews (some archived, most not) with many of the aforementioned names plus various screenwriters and actors (Barbara Bouchet, Edwige Fenech, George Hilton, Nieves Navarro and Daria Nicolodi). But still fairly interesting and would serve as an ideal introduction (albeit with some spoilers) to someone new to this genre or, in my case, an ideal reintroduction to someone who hasn't really watched any of these movies since the 1970s. And definitely provides one with a nice list of what movies to start with.

Informative Documentary about Gialli

[Reviews_of_the_Dead · 8/10 · 19 May 2023]

This was a documentary that I heard about and it went on a list of ones to check out. I saw that this was streaming on Shudder so I decided to give it a watch while working. This turned out to be a bad idea. I'll get into why. Don't think that this is a bad documentary though, that's not the case.

What I'm alluding to is that his is mostly in Italian, a language that I don't speak fluently enough. It was difficult to read the subtitles while trying to work. I'm not going to hold this against the documentary as this is well done. I just thought it would be more of the experts on the genre talking about it. We get filmmakers.

I'd say that this is de facto led by Fabio Melelli who is an Italian movie historian. He gives good insight and leads us into the different major players. What I love here is that we get interviews with directors like the great Dario Argento, Sergio Martino and Lamberto Bava talking about his father, Mario. There is an archive interview of Lucio Fulci which was great. There are even lesser directors here like Luciano Ercoli and Umberto Lenzi. That's not to say they didn't do great work in their own rights. They aren't just as known household names as others. We also get to hear from Ernesto Gastaldi, who did writing of many gialli. There are also actors like Barbara Bouchet, Edwige Fenech, George Hilton, Daria Nicolodi and Nieves Navarro.

Despite me not knowing what I was getting, this is informative about this great subgenre of film. There were quite a few movies that I've seen. There are also titles that I haven't yet and will be moving up my list after seeing this. An interesting look at the origins and how this subgenre influenced others going forward. I'd recommend it to fans for sure.

My Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

An incredible package from Severin

[BandSAboutMovies · 10/10 · 27 March 2019]

Seeing as how we're in the middle of giallo week here at the site, there's no better blu ray available now than this set from Severin if you either want to learn all about the genre or already are a fan and want to see some of the people behind your favorite films. There's so much on all three discs to love, no matter whether you know that giallo means yellow, you've never seen an Argento movie before or that you can name these films or if you worship Edwige Fenech and can name every movie's alternative titles off the top of your head.

Disc one contains the documentary All the Colors of Giallo by Federico Caddeo, which features interviews with writers like Dardano Sacchetti and Ernesto Gastaldi as well as George Hilton, Daria Nicolodi, Barbara Bouchet, Nieves Navarro and the still lovely Ms. Fenech, plus Argento, Umberto Lenzi, Lamberto Bava, Sergio Martino and even audio from the past from Lucio Fulci!

This is a treat, hearing from the actual people what it was like to be part of these films as well as the legacy that they've created. It's a perfect companion to the All the Colors of the Dark rerelease that Severin put out alongside this. Plus, there's an interview with John Martin from The Giallo Pages and audio commentary by Kat Ellinger, who wrote the book All the Colors of Sergio Martino.

The best part of this collection are the trailers, which include The Girl Who Knew Too Much, Blood and Black Lace, Libido, The Embalmer, The Murder Clinic, Deadly Sweet, Death Laid an Egg, Naked You Die, The Sweet Body of Deborah, A Black Veil for Lisa, Deadly Inheritance, Paranoia, Perversion Story, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, Five Dolls for an August Moon, Hatchet for the Honeymoon, Death Occurred Last Night, The Weekend Murders, The Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion, The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh, The Cat O' Nine Tails, A Lizard in a Woman's Skin, Cold Eyes of Fear, The Designated Victim, In the Eye of the Hurricane, Slaughter Hotel, The Case of the Scorpion's Tail, The Fifth Cord, The Night Evelyn Came Out of the Grave, The Iguana with the Tongue of Fire, The Black Belly of the Tarantula, The Bloodstained Butterfly, Short Night of Glass Dolls, Death Walks on High Heels, The Devil with Seven Faces, Four Flies on Grey Velvet, The Dead Are Alive, My Dear Killer, Seven Blood-Stained Orchids, All the Colors of the Dark, What Have You Done to Solange?, Amuck!, Who Saw Her Die?, The French Sex Murders, The Case of the Bloody Iris, The Crimes of the Black Cat, The Red Queen Kills Seven Times, Knife of Ice, Don't Torture a Duckling, Tropic of Cancer, The Killer is on the Phone, A White Dress for Mariale, Torso, Death Carries a Cane, Seven Deaths in the Cat's Eye, Spasmo, The Killer Reserved Nine Seats, The Girl in Room 2A, What Have They Done to Your Daughters?, Puzzle, Death Will Have Your Eyes, The Killer Must Kill Again, Autopsy, Eyeball, Deep Red, Strip Nude for Your Killer, The Bloodsucker Leads the Dance, Strange Shadows in an Empty Room, The House of the Laughing Windows, Nine Guests for a Crime, Watch Me When I Kill, The Psychic, The Pyjama Girl Case, Hotel Fear, Enigma Rosso, The Sister of Ursula, The Bloodstained Shadow, Killer Nun, Giallo in Venice, The New York Ripper, Tenebre and A Blade in the Dark.

Plus, you get an entire disc filled with kriminal trailers and The Case Of The Krimi, an interview with film historian Marcus Stiglegger and a third disc (!) with music from the films curated by Alfonso Carillo of Rendezvous! From The Archives Of Beat Records and remastered By Claudio Fuiano. It contains music from The Young, the Evil and the Savage, Killer Nun, Perversion Story, A Lizard in a Woman's Skin, The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh, The Case of the Scorpion's Tail, Seven Shawls of Yellow Silk, Amuck!, Smile Before Death, The Case of the Bloody Iris, All the Colors of the Dark, The Cat In Heat, Strange Shadows In an Empty Room, The Bloodstained Shadow, The New York Ripper and The Great Swingle.

This is literally THE giallo package that I've turned to time and again since I've purchased it. You'd do well to do the same. It's available from Severin.

None of the colors, none of the joy. Only boring blah-blah

[Coventry · 3/10 · 23 May 2023]

There are several reasons why I fanatically seek out documentaries about my favorite genre (and subgenres) of horror. For starters, in the hope of stumbling upon some unknown and obscure new titles to discover, even if only just one or two. Secondly, to celebrate and honor all the main contributors of the genre, like directors and other crucial crew members, and learn more about their visions, motivations, and challenges. Thirdly, and most importantly, simply to relive the clips and highlights of my favorite movies, and to witness how other people are talking about them as enthusiastically as I do! Based on those three reasons, there are documentaries that I genuinely rank as brilliant viewing experiences, like "Eurocrime! The Italian Cop and Gangster Films that Ruled the '70s", "Not Quite Hollywood! The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation!", "The Man Who Saw Frankenstein Cry", and "Forgotten Scares: an in-depth look at Flemish Horror Cinema".

What I absolute don't seek in (horror-)documentaries is: dull and endless lectures by an anti-charismatic film historian, a simple summing up of the most obvious and widely acclaimed film titles everybody knows already, a severe shortage of clips and footage taken from genre movies, and a complete lack of joyful spirit, insignificant but fun little anecdotes, and an overall tangible love for the genre. Well, guess what. This paragraph sadly describes "All the Colors of Giallo" to the fullest...

I genuinely cannot fathom how this could have happened! How can you focus on a horror subgenre that is so versatile, exhilarating, and wonderful as the Italian Giallo, and yet make such a dreadfully boring documentary out of it?!? With all due respect - not - for the knowledgeable movie historian Fabio Melelli, I don't want to watch and listen to his monotonous talking for approximately half of the running time! If that would be interesting at all, I might not have dropped out of college, neither.

To make matters worse, Melelli's dull monologues only get interchanged by other dull monologues of personal heroes of mine. "All the Colors of Giallo" features Dario Argento, Umberto Lenzi, Lamberto Bava, Ernesto Gastaldi, Barbara Bouchet, Sergio Martino, Edwige Fenech, and voice recordings of Lucio Fulci, but they all behave as if they are giving a speech at a funeral. I didn't sense any love or nostalgia for the heydays of Italian cult & exploitation cinema at all.

Honestly, undergoing "All the Colors of Giallo" was close to painful. There's so much greatness to show and tell about the Italian Giallo, but this thing only features the bare minimum. Of course, there are landmarks the pioneers that deserve more attention than others. It's only logical to spend more time on "Blood and Black Lace" by Mario Bava, "The Bird with Crystal Plumage" by Dario Argento, and "Don't Torture a Duckling" by Lucio Fulci. But what about all those other great people in the industry, and the numerous gems and hidden treasures they directed? Lamberto Bava is interviewed, but he only gets to talk about his father. How disrespectful is that, when he also made several great gialli himself ("A Blade in the Dark", "Midnight Killer", "Delirium: Photo of Gioia"). What about Pupi Avati ("The House with Laughing Windows"), Massimo Dallamano ("What have you done to Solange?, "The Coed Murders"), Emilio Miraglia ("The Red Queen Kills Seven Times"), Paolo Cavaro ("Plot of Fear, "Black Belly of the Tarantula"), Luigi Cozzi ("The Killer must Kill Again"), Alberto de Martino ("Formula for a Murder"), Antonio Margheriti ("Seven Deaths in a Cat's Eye"), Tonino Valerii ("My Dear Killer"), and so many more!

A MUST HAVE FOR GIALLO FANS

[kirbylee70-599-526179 · 9/10 · 27 February 2019]

Wow. Just...wow. When I read that Severin was going to be releasing this to disc my interest was piqued immediately. I've only recently become a major fan of giallo films. To hear that they were releasing a disc that not only contained a documentary on the subject but a ton of trailers as well? I mean come on, that's a no brainer. It had to be added to the collection.

ALL THE COLORS OF GIALLO has so much to offer it's difficult to begin telling you how good it is and what there is. But let's start with the first disc shall we? This blu-ray starts off with the documentary about the giallo film, ALL THE COLORS OF GIALLO. If you're not aware of what giallo it it's a term given to a genre of film, most of which were made in Italy, that were called this because they were based on mystery thriller book at the time which all featured yellow, or giallo, covers. So close to the series of books were they that the term applied to the films. The documentary is in Italian with subtitles provided but that doesn't make a difference. What we are presented with is a discussion of the films that were made in the genre's peak period coupled with interviews of those who were responsible for some of the most amazing features the genre produced. If those involved were deceased at present, audio from those directors has been brought in to get their views on the matter. Included among the many luminaries from the genre are Mario Bava, Dario Argento, Lucio Fulci, Sergio Martino, Antonio Margheriti, Umberto Lenzi and more. It's an amazing documentary with not just behind the scenes information from those who made the films but clips inserted as well. It will leave you wanting to see those movies you might have missed. But that's not all! There is also a commentary track with Kat Ellinger, Author of "All the Colors of Sergio Martino". And THE GIALLO FRAMES, an interview with John Martin, Editor of the Giallo Pages. But that's still not enough! There is also a compilation of trailers of giallo films, enough to occupy you for 4 hours! This would be a disc worth buying on this alone. But as those late night hour long commercials say "Wait! There's more!"

Like a second disc. I found this one equally as fascinating, giving me information I was completely unaware of. This disc discussing a genre of films that actually influenced the giallo films. It features THE CASE OF THE KRIMI an interview with film historian Marcus Stiglegger. I had never heard of the krimi genre before. Apparently these were films made mostly in Germany in the fifties and sixties that were based on the same thriller novels that later giallo films were made from. Instead of yellow these books were released with red covers in Germany and the main author the films seemed to be drawn to were the books written by Edgar Wallace. If the name sounds familiar, Wallace was well known for the proliferation of mysteries he wrote but maybe more so for being the creator of the story for King Kong. This documentary talks about those films and once more will most likely result in your wanting to seek some out. I know it did me. But as with the first disc...there's more! Like another compilation of trailers, this time involving krimi films. Not quite as long as the other compilation it still presents plenty to pique your interest.

One would think you could relax with these two discs, satisfied that the money spent on the package was well worth it. But again, there is STILL more. A third disc! This one is called "The Strange Case of the Bloodstained Films" and is a soundtrack compilation of various themes from numerous giallo films. It features the works of composers like Ennio Morricone, Riz Ortolani, Bruno Nicolai, Stelvio Cipriani and more.

I know, this one is an exhausting disc to experience. Trust me it took me time to sit and watch every single moment. But it was well worth it and one of the most enjoyable experiences to have as a burgeoning fan of the genre. It is one of those discs that you know you'll find yourself referencing as you build a collection of films based on the recommendations and items seen in the documentaries and among the trailers offered.

As I said before, Severin has stepped up their game with several new releases and this is one of them. This is not a disc that you will casually consider buying, it is one that you need to have. It is one that not only offers everything in pristine fashion but in overwhelming amounts. This is a must have so make a point of ordering it immediately.

disappointing

[martinjohnston39 · 3/10 · 15 September 2023]

I dont think there has been a negative review of this short documentary. So here goes ,most reviewers have let there love of giallo overshadow how dull this film is , there is one point where a talking head explains how important music and sound is to giallo ,but at moment there isnt a short clip of the disturbing music always used in these films and on and the talking goes wuth no music or soundbites , for gods sake they must have heard of berberian sound studio/? A whole film dedicated to it. Thats what is lacking , music brings excitement to stop the academic boredom setting in , i dont know maybe ive watched better docs on this subject .this film is good for beginners in giallo but it just didnt enlighten me at all and made one of the best genres in film seem very very dull.

Excellent appraisal

[Leofwine_draca · 9/10 · 27 January 2021]

An excellent appraisal of the Italian giallo, made and released as a blu-ray feature by Severin with an accompanying trailer collection. ALL THE COLORS OF GIALLO explores the growth and development of the genre from its roots in 1920s-era pulp novels through the German krimi and then Bava's bravura, landmark achievements. This takes the traditional format of multiple interview segments with directors, writers and actors and is entirely shot in Italian, with subtitles throughout. Promotional material and film clips are incorporated where appropriate. There's a little too much of the film historian at times and I found Fulci getting undue prominence, but it's great to see the likes of Lenzi and Argento talking about their heyday and it's a must-see for fans of this excellent genre.

Top Shelf Effort to a Under Appreciated Genre

[derekadrouillard · 9/10 · 14 June 2022]

Delving deep into the symbiosis and origin history of "giallo" cinema and the myriad of burgeoning artists that were at the forefront of an entirely different style of filmmaking.

Definitely recommend!