Top 10 Italian Horror Movies

[Trevor]

Years ago an Italian archivist colleague visited us and he asked me if I had any fave Italian filmmakers so me being me, I said "Antonio Margheriti and Lucio Fulci".

He went  and said "Stronzo" under his breath 

[zombie no.one]

feel like giving a mention to WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO SOLANGE?

very well made, pretty shocking and horrific in some respects… also unusually (by giallo standards) a really clever and coherent twist.

A lot of giallo, the twist comes and you’re left scratching your head

[claws]

 
I won't knock on TROLL 2, which is of course hilarious, but I admit sincere fondness for EVIL CLUTCH. Saw it first on VHS in '91 or '92 and (still high off my first exposure 3 or 4 years prior to Barry Sonnenfeld's dizzying dolly & steadicam pyrotechnics in RAISING ARIZONA) I thought EVIL CLUTCH had the second greatest collection of tracking shots in cinema history. Of course, I'd yet to have seen POSSESSION (2nd mention in one thread, woot!) or dozens of other far more expertly lensed films. But I had seen EVIL DEAD 2, and purely on the basis of cinematography, I preferred EVIL CLUTCH.  

As a reasonable adult, I find it hard to argue that EVIL CLUTCH has better mobile camerawork than EVIL DEAD 2....... but it's still easy to maintain it's got MORE mobile camerawork than EVIL DEAD 2.   These poor hapless Italian kids spent ALL their allowances on a weekend rental of that steadicam, and by God, they are going to shoot THE WHOLE damn movie on that steadicam! As a young teen filmmaker, that really lit my fire. Say whatever else you want about EVIL CLUTCH's plot, acting, or SFX... those kids got their money's worth on that rental!

.......I HAD seen GOODFELLAS by the time I first saw EVIL CLUTCH, and EVIL CLUTCH also definitely had much, much more steadicam than GOODFELLAS!

Makes you wonder when an Italian movie doesn't find theatrical distribution in Italy, in the 1980s, back when they threw pretty much everything at the big screen.

Hey, I'm always rooting for the cinematic underdog but Evil Clutch is plain awful and no steadycam can save it. Unless you have a steadycam fetish. Matter of fact, if you read reviews people are complaining about the steady use of the steadycam.

I mean, just watch the end with the girl walking. This is when I was screaming ENOUGH (STEADYCAM) ALREADY   It is without a doubt the worst steadycam ending in film history.

They should have used the steadycam wisely, to enhance certain scenes. You know, that and try to make an actual good movie. Instead it is silly steadycam overkill without rhyme and reason, making it annoyingly tiresome and incredibly stupid.

The sad thing is its not even good in a bad way. The director inserted footage from a previous short film he made, so the film is also riddled with continuity errors.

I guess it is worth a watch when curious about the steadycam work, but watch with caution.

[RCMerchant]

9. PHENOMENA (1985) Dario Argento! Donald Pleasance! Insects! A monkey with a straight razor!
A classic.

[M.10rda]

I mean, just watch the end with the girl walking. This is when I was screaming ENOUGH (STEADYCAM) ALREADY   It is without a doubt the worst steadycam ending in film history.

  It's a fair cop, I suppose! I have a much lower threshold for gratuitous style over substance than I did when I was 14. I admit I watched EC again about ten years later and was less impressed by everything BUT the steadycam - though I still liked that steadycam! I suppose I do have a steadycam fetish.

Ergo I don't have an issue w/ the ending - but even if I did, I BET there is a WORSE "steadycam ending" somewhere in film history. I dunno where but I will think on it!

[RCMerchant]

EVIL CLUTCH gave me a headache. 

[RCMerchant]

10. NIGHTMARE CASTLE (1966)
The music, the atmosphere, the madness, the sadism- oh and my favorite horror actress of all time, Barbara Steele!

[zombie no.one]

my local hmv had a half price sale, just picked up SHOCK on bluray….

from the trailer there seems to be quite a prominent child character…. I dunno what it is about kids in talian horrors, but they always seem to be super annoying? Hope this one doesn’t grate on me too hard lol

[RCMerchant]

^ It's a real f**ked up movie. I think you will enjoy it.

[zombie no.one]

Haha, hope so… will report back when I’ve given it a watch

[RCMerchant]

^ Oh yeah the kids ain't annoying, their evil!

[zombie no.one]

had a watch of SHOCK... unusual to see Dario Argento's wife in a movie not directed by him. yeah I liked it. better than Fulci's THE PSYCHIC from the same year. yes the little kid was evil... but also had the face of a teenager? bit strange. I liked the Goblin-esque funky soundtrack.

[FatFreddysCat]

I dunno what it is about kids in talian horrors, but they always seem to be super annoying? Hope this one doesn’t grate on me too hard lol

I've often said the same thing: kids in Italian horror movies are usually so obnoxious that you WANT something terrible to happen to them!

[zombie no.one]

haha true.

this has reminded me of an Italian horror featuring an adult actor who has a condition that makes him.look like a child. he plays a child in the film. the only other thing I remember is I think he has an 'unhealthy' relationship with his mother (in the film)..can't remember the name of it

[LilCerberus]

haha true.

this has reminded me of an Italian horror featuring an adult actor who has a condition that makes him.look like a child. he plays a child in the film. the only other thing I remember is I think he has an 'unhealthy' relationship with his mother (in the film)..can't remember the name of it

Burial Ground? (1981)