Fragments of Fear - A Giallo Podcast

Crazy Desires of a Murderer (Ratti, 1977)

Deadly Inheritance (Sindoni, 1968)

My Dear Killer (1972)

Fragment of Fear’s latest episode focuses on Tonino Valerii’s sole entry in the giallo filone, My Dear Killer (1972). Deviating away from the Argento styled gialli of the time whilst retaining some of its hallmarks, we examine this more realistic take on the Italian giallo and assess the film’s effectiveness in terms of its stark thematic ideas and visual style. We also take a look at the central performance of giallo stalwart, George Hilton and his characterisation of protagonist Luca Peretti; looking at how it compares to his typical roles of the period. Focus is also placed on Valerii as a director and his career outside of his sole foray into the giallo as well as our usual discussions around production history, design and contextualisation.

Fashion Crimes (1989)

The Double (1971)

In the latest episode of Fragments of Fear, we take a moment to mark the tragic passing of Daria Nicolodi; discussing her legacy and contribution to Italian cult cinema before moving on to this month’s discussion of Romolo Guerrieri’s 1971 giallo, The Double. In our examination of this experimental giallo, we explore the film’s literary origins, Guerrieri’s work as a director and the film’s inventive narrative structure whilst also taking a look at its thematic concerns from sexual politics, the crisis of masculinity and post sixties counter culture.

Strip Nude For Your Killer (1975)

Door into Darkness: Part One

Libido (1965)

Whilst Mario Bava’s 1960s thrillers, The Girl Who Knew Too Much (1963) and Blood & Black Lace (1964), have become known as the defining giallo texts of the 1960s, the tropes and genre markers of the giallo weren't fully established and popularised until Dario Argento’s debut, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage in 1970. As such, the Italian thrillers of the 1960s could be thought of as prototype gialli - transitional works that bridge the gap between the the fantastical psychosexual modernist fare of the 1970s and the more traditional thrillers of the 1960s that were often rooted in the Gothic. One key text to understanding this transitional period in the giallo is Ernesto Gastaldi & Vittorio Salerno’s Libido (1965) which is imbued with elements of both and marks a move towards the archetypal giallo that Gastaldi helped to popularise as a prominent writer in the genre. In this episode of Fragments of Fear, we examine this key period in the genre and examine how Libido acts as a transitional yet highly influential work in the giallo. We take a look at the film’s Freudian themes, Gastaldi & Salerno's use of the Gothic and Libido’s enduring influence on the giallo alongside our usual musings on the film’s production history and key players.

Tropic of Cancer (1972)

Fragments of Fear returns for another episode focussing on the genre’s golden period, examining Edoardo Mulargia & Gian Paolo Lomi’s Haitian set 1972 giallo Tropic of Cancer; an entry that eschews some of the more traditional trope heavy gialli of the early 1970s in favour of incorporating influences outside of it - primarily the Mondo film of the 1960s. We look at how this influence manifests throughout the film and ascertain the effectiveness of Tropic of Cancer’s Mondo like elements and depictions of Haitian culture within the structure of the giallo. We also discuss the film’s musings on sexuality, a fitting topic considering the prominent role of Swedish screen siren and giallo queen, Anita Strindberg whose career we take a look at in our discussion of the film’s players. As always, we give our insights into the film’s production history, plot mechanics and thematic ideas whilst evaluating its role in the giallo pantheon.

The Rage Within (1969)