"Depressingly timely" is one way of looking at Luigi Bazzoni's 1971 corker The Fifth Cord/Giornata nera per l'ariete, and not just because it's partly set on New Year's Eve.

CW: Violence, gendered violence, sexual abuse of minors, problematic portrayals of LGBTIQ+ characters.

Copyright © 2026 David Thomas and Jon Dear

Availability on disc and streaming: Blu-ray.com

Our theme music:
Silent Night (Dark Piano Version) by myuu
Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0
Free Download/Stream Music promoted by Audio Library

Giallo Reading List
La Dolce Morte: Vernacular Cinema and the Italian Giallo Film by Mikel J. Koven

Italian Giallo in Film and Television: A Critical History by Roberto Curti

So Deadly, So Perverse: 50 Years of Italian Giallo Films by Troy Howarth
Volume 1: 1963-1973
Volume 2: 1974-2013
Volume 3: Giallo-Style Films From Around the World

Mario Bava: All the Colours of the Dark by Tim Lucas

Dario Argento: The Man, the Myths & the Magic by Alan Jones

All the Colours of Sergio Martino by Kat Ellinger

Beyond Terror: The Films of Lucio Fulci by Stephen Thrower

Human Beasts: The Films of Paul Naschy by Troy Howarth

Italian Horrors: Cannibals, Zombies, Strange Vices and Guilty Pleasures! edited by Allan Bryce

Make Them Die Slowly: The Kinetic Cinema of Umberto Lenzi by Troy Howarth

Slay bells ring in 1980s London as Dave and Jon tackle Edmund Purdom et al's Don't Open till Christmas (1984).

CW: Violence, gendered violence, problematic portrayals of LGBTIQ+ characters.

Copyright © 2025 David Thomas and Jon Dear

Availability on disc and streaming: Blu-ray.com

Our theme music:
Silent Night (Dark Piano Version) by myuu
Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0
Free Download/Stream Music promoted by Audio Library

Giallo Reading List
La Dolce Morte: Vernacular Cinema and the Italian Giallo Film by Mikel J. Koven

Italian Giallo in Film and Television: A Critical History by Roberto Curti

So Deadly, So Perverse: 50 Years of Italian Giallo Films by Troy Howarth
Volume 1: 1963-1973
Volume 2: 1974-2013
Volume 3: Giallo-Style Films From Around the World

Mario Bava: All the Colours of the Dark by Tim Lucas

Dario Argento: The Man, the Myths & the Magic by Alan Jones

All the Colours of Sergio Martino by Kat Ellinger

Beyond Terror: The Films of Lucio Fulci by Stephen Thrower

Human Beasts: The Films of Paul Naschy by Troy Howarth

Italian Horrors: Cannibals, Zombies, Strange Vices and Guilty Pleasures! edited by Allan Bryce

Make Them Die Slowly: The Kinetic Cinema of Umberto Lenzi by Troy Howarth

We're back with the very liberated Susan Scott and her beau Luciano Ercoli, along with a host of giallo regulars, for Ercoli's first giallo The Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion/Le foto proibite di una signora per bene, from 1970.

CW: Violence, gendered violence, sexual assault.

Copyright © 2025 David Thomas and Jon Dear

Availability on disc and streaming: Blu-ray.com

Our theme music:
Silent Night (Dark Piano Version) by myuu
Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0
Free Download/Stream Music promoted by Audio Library

Giallo Reading List
La Dolce Morte: Vernacular Cinema and the Italian Giallo Film by Mikel J. Koven

Italian Giallo in Film and Television: A Critical History by Roberto Curti

So Deadly, So Perverse: 50 Years of Italian Giallo Films by Troy Howarth
Volume 1: 1963-1973
Volume 2: 1974-2013
Volume 3: Giallo-Style Films From Around the World

Mario Bava: All the Colours of the Dark by Tim Lucas

Dario Argento: The Man, the Myths & the Magic by Alan Jones

All the Colours of Sergio Martino by Kat Ellinger

Beyond Terror: The Films of Lucio Fulci by Stephen Thrower

Human Beasts: The Films of Paul Naschy by Troy Howarth

Make Them Die Slowly: The Kinetic Cinema of Umberto Lenzi by Troy Howarth

In this episode we take a departure to Hong Kong's mighty Shaw Brothers studio, for Kuei Chih-Hung'a grisly 1981 horror Corpse Mania/Shi yao.

CW: Violence, gendered violence, gore, necrophilia.

Copyright © 2025 David Thomas and Jon Dear

Availability on disc and streaming: Blu-ray.com

Our theme music:
Silent Night (Dark Piano Version) by myuu
Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0
Free Download/Stream Music promoted by Audio Library

Giallo Reading List (special Hong Kong edition)
Planet Hong Kong: Popular Cinema and the Art of Entertainment by David Bordwell

Hong Kong Action Cinema by Bey Logan

The Essential Guide to Deadly China Dolls compiled by Rick Baker and Toby Russell, edited by Lisa Baker

So Deadly, So Perverse: 50 Years of Italian Giallo Films by Troy Howarth
Volume 3: Giallo-Style Films From Around the World

British national treasure Francis Matthews (Paul Temple, Dracula: Prince of Darkness) is faced with a different kind of scarlet in Stelvio Massi's 1974 giallo Five Women for the Killer/5 donne per l'assassino.

CW: Violence, gendered violence, fertilitiy issues, death during pregnancy.

Copyright © 2025 David Thomas and Jon Dear

Availability on disc and streaming: Blu-ray.com

Our theme music:
Silent Night (Dark Piano Version) by myuu
Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0
Free Download/Stream Music promoted by Audio Library

Giallo Reading List
La Dolce Morte: Vernacular Cinema and the Italian Giallo Film by Mikel J. Koven

Italian Giallo in Film and Television: A Critical History by Roberto Curti

So Deadly, So Perverse: 50 Years of Italian Giallo Films by Troy Howarth
Volume 1: 1963-1973
Volume 2: 1974-2013
Volume 3: Giallo-Style Films From Around the World

Mario Bava: All the Colours of the Dark By Tim Lucas

Dario Argento: The Man, the Myths & the Magic by Alan Jones

All the Colours of Sergio Martino by Kat Ellinger

Beyond Terror: The Films of Lucio Fulci by Stephen Thrower

Human Beasts: The Films of Paul Naschy by Troy Howarth

Italian Horrors: Cannibals, Zombies, Strange Vices and Guilty Pleasures! edited by Allan Bryce

Make Them Die Slowly: The Kinetic Cinema of Umberto Lenzi by Troy Howarth

What do we see in Umberto Lenzi's final true giallo, 1975's Eyeball/Gatti rossi in un labirinto di vetro? Listen and find out.

CW: Violence, gendered violence, problematic portrayals of LGBTIQ+ characters.

Copyright © 2025 David Thomas and Jon Dear

Availability on disc and streaming: Blu-ray.com

Our theme music:
Silent Night (Dark Piano Version) by myuu
Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0
Free Download/Stream Music promoted by Audio Library

Giallo Reading List
La Dolce Morte: Vernacular Cinema and the Italian Giallo Film by Mikel J. Koven

Italian Giallo in Film and Television: A Critical History by Roberto Curti

So Deadly, So Perverse: 50 Years of Italian Giallo Films by Troy Howarth
Volume 1: 1963-1973
Volume 2: 1974-2013
Volume 3: Giallo-Style Films From Around the World

Mario Bava: All the Colours of the Dark By Tim Lucas

Dario Argento: The Man, the Myths & the Magic by Alan Jones

All the Colours of Sergio Martino by Kat Ellinger

Beyond Terror: The Films of Lucio Fulci by Stephen Thrower

Human Beasts: The Films of Paul Naschy by Troy Howarth

Italian Horrors: Cannibals, Zombies, Strange Vices and Guilty Pleasures! edited by Allan Bryce

Make Them Die Slowly: The Kinetic Cinema of Umberto Lenzi by Troy Howarth

Giulio Questi's poulty-themed 1968 film Death Laid an Egg/La morte ha fatto l'uovo confounds Dave and Jon. Were we beaten, or is it a clucking masterpiece?

CW: Violence, gendered violence, animal cruelty, real scenes of animal killing.

Copyright © 2025 David Thomas and Jon Dear

Bruno Maderna - Hyperion III: YouTube

Availability on disc and streaming: Blu-ray.com

Our theme music:
Silent Night (Dark Piano Version) by myuu
Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0
Free Download/Stream Music promoted by Audio Library

Giallo Reading List
La Dolce Morte: Vernacular Cinema and the Italian Giallo Film by Mikel J. Koven

Italian Giallo in Film and Television: A Critical History by Roberto Curti

So Deadly, So Perverse: 50 Years of Italian Giallo Films by Troy Howarth
Volume 1: 1963-1973
Volume 2: 1974-2013
Volume 3: Giallo-Style Films From Around the World

Mario Bava: All the Colours of the Dark By Tim Lucas

Dario Argento: The Man, the Myths & the Magic by Alan Jones

All the Colours of Sergio Martino by Kat Ellinger

Beyond Terror: The Films of Lucio Fulci by Stephen Thrower

Human Beasts: The Films of Paul Naschy by Troy Howarth

Italian Horrors: Cannibals, Zombies, Strange Vices and Guilty Pleasures! edited by Allan Bryce

Make Them Die Slowly: The Kinetic Cinema of Umberto Lenzi by Troy Howarth

Married life meets giallo sleaze. Dave and Jon examine a strange state of affairs with Roberto Bianchi Montero's 1972 wandering-eye giallo So Sweet, So Dead/Rivelazioni di un maniaco sessuale al capo della squadra mobile.

CW: Violence, gendered violence, misogyny, homophobic portrayals of LGBTIQ+ characters.

Copyright © 2025 David Thomas and Jon Dear

Availability on disc and streaming: Blu-ray.com

Our theme music:
Silent Night (Dark Piano Version) by myuu
Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0
Free Download/Stream Music promoted by Audio Library

Giallo Reading List
La Dolce Morte: Vernacular Cinema and the Italian Giallo Film by Mikel J. Koven

Italian Giallo in Film and Television: A Critical History by Roberto Curti

So Deadly, So Perverse: 50 Years of Italian Giallo Films by Troy Howarth
Volume 1: 1963-1973
Volume 2: 1974-2013
Volume 3: Giallo-Style Films From Around the World

Mario Bava: All the Colours of the Dark By Tim Lucas

Dario Argento: The Man, the Myths & the Magic by Alan Jones

All the Colours of Sergio Martino by Kat Ellinger

Beyond Terror: The Films of Lucio Fulci by Stephen Thrower

Human Beasts: The Films of Paul Naschy by Troy Howarth

Italian Horrors: Cannibals, Zombies, Strange Vices and Guilty Pleasures! edited by Allan Bryce

Make Them Die Slowly: The Kinetic Cinema of Umberto Lenzi by Troy Howarth

We're back for our fourth season and fortieth episode. Dang, if only Mimsy Farmer had been in a famous movie with 'four' in the title... Instead we catch up with her being affected by the heat in Armando Crispino's 1975 shocker Autopsy/Macchie solari.

(Re-uploaded with slightly better audio balance).

CW: Violence, sexual violence, self harm, suicide, real autopsy images.

Copyright © 2025 David Thomas and Jon Dear

Availability on disc and streaming: Blu-ray.com

Our theme music:
Silent Night (Dark Piano Version) by myuu
Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0
Free Download/Stream Music promoted by Audio Library

Giallo Reading List
La Dolce Morte: Vernacular Cinema and the Italian Giallo Film by Mikel J. Koven

Italian Giallo in Film and Television: A Critical History by Roberto Curti

So Deadly, So Perverse: 50 Years of Italian Giallo Films by Troy Howarth
Volume 1: 1963-1973
Volume 2: 1974-2013
Volume 3: Giallo-Style Films From Around the World

Mario Bava: All the Colours of the Dark By Tim Lucas

Dario Argento: The Man, the Myths & the Magic by Alan Jones

All the Colours of Sergio Martino by Kat Ellinger

Beyond Terror: The Films of Lucio Fulci by Stephen Thrower

Human Beasts: The Films of Paul Naschy by Troy Howarth

Italian Horrors: Cannibals, Zombies, Strange Vices and Guilty Pleasures! edited by Allan Bryce

Make Them Die Slowly: The Kinetic Cinema of Umberto Lenzi by Troy Howarth

We're back for our fourth season and fortieth episode. Dang, if only Mimsy Farmer had been in a famous movie with 'four' in the title... Instead we catch up with her being affected by the heat in Armando Crispino's 1975 shocker Autopsy/Macchie solari.

CW: Violence, sexual violence, self harm, suicide, real autopsy images.

Copyright © 2025 David Thomas and Jon Dear

Availability on disc and streaming: Blu-ray.com

Our theme music:
Silent Night (Dark Piano Version) by myuu
Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0
Free Download/Stream Music promoted by Audio Library

Giallo Reading List
La Dolce Morte: Vernacular Cinema and the Italian Giallo Film by Mikel J. Koven

Italian Giallo in Film and Television: A Critical History by Roberto Curti

So Deadly, So Perverse: 50 Years of Italian Giallo Films by Troy Howarth
Volume 1: 1963-1973
Volume 2: 1974-2013
Volume 3: Giallo-Style Films From Around the World

Mario Bava: All the Colours of the Dark By Tim Lucas

Dario Argento: The Man, the Myths & the Magic by Alan Jones

All the Colours of Sergio Martino by Kat Ellinger

Beyond Terror: The Films of Lucio Fulci by Stephen Thrower

Human Beasts: The Films of Paul Naschy by Troy Howarth

Italian Horrors: Cannibals, Zombies, Strange Vices and Guilty Pleasures! edited by Allan Bryce

Make Them Die Slowly: The Kinetic Cinema of Umberto Lenzi by Troy Howarth