Notizie

When 28 Days Later hit theaters in 2002, it instantly became a favorite among horror fans, who were enthralled with the film's fast-paced action and zombies that attacked with break-neck speed. With its themes of infection and subversive political commentary, 28 Days Later has received praise from critics and fans alike as a film that shifted the paradigm and brought the zombie film back to life. However, long before 28 Days Later, Nightmare City, released in 1980 and directed by Umberto Lenzi, amped up the speed and savagery of the zombie film while also establishing a commentary on the escalation of the nuclear arms race.

The films of Umberto Lenzi exist in multiple subgenres. In Cannibal Ferox and Eaten Alive!, Lenzi took the savagery and brutality of the Amazon cannibal film to new heights, a subgenre he had helped start with Man from Deep River in 1972. His giallo films, Seven Bloodstained Orchids,...

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Lexington Books

222 pages

Illustrated

Hardback

January 2022

Isbn: 978-1-4985-7072-5

Rrp: £73.00

By Adrian Smith

British author Edgar Wallace, aside from the London pub bearing his name, is now largely forgotten in his home country, and is perhaps best remembered, if at all, for his contribution to Rko’s King Kong (1933), although he sadly died before the film was completed. During his immensely prolific career as a journalist, author, poet, playwright, historian, film producer and director, screenwriter and chairman of the British Lion Film Corporation, he published around two hundred novels, almost a thousand short stories and twenty stage plays. It was said that at one point around a quarter of all books being read in the UK were written by Wallace. He was best known for his crime novels, particularly ‘The Four Just Men’ series and the amateur detective J.G. Reeder,...

[This October is "Gialloween" on Daily Dead, as we celebrate the Halloween season by diving into the macabre mysteries, creepy kills, and eccentric characters found in some of our favorite giallo films! Keep checking back on Daily Dead this month for more retrospectives on classic, cult, and altogether unforgettable gialli, and visit our online hub to catch up on all of our Gialloween special features!]

From the late 1960s to the early 1980s, the giallo film was a defining genre for Italian cinema. The giallo, for those unfamiliar, was born from literature; crime novellas published in Italy, and known for their yellow book covers, would focus on pulp fiction detective tales and crime stories. When the giallo style found its way into cinematic form, the genre would be most influenced by the exercise of sensationalized sex and violence rather than the crime procedural or mystery solving.

The giallo, in some forms of film during this Italian wave of horror, finds significantly more depth and complication than otherwise perceived. And there is no better example of the sensationalized and nuanced approach to this style of film than Sergio Martino’s 1973 film Torso. Alternatively known as Carnal Violence, or sometimes The Bodies Bear Traces of Carnal Violence, this film functions as both giallo and a slasher film,...

It is a glorious week to be a horror fan, because we have a ton of amazing Blu-rays and DVDs heading home on Tuesday. And while there’s a lot to be excited about, on a personal note, I’m beyond thrilled that Anna and the Apocalypse is finally getting a tangible home media release, because I feel like I’ve been waiting forever to add a copy of John McPhail’s delightful musical to my own collection of movies.

Beyond that, the amazing-looking House of Hitchcock Collection arrives this Tuesday, and looks to be a must-own set for any Alfred Hitchcock fans out there. Kino Lorber is showing some love to Nightmare Beach this week with their special edition release, and Arrow Video has put together a much-deserved limited edition set for The Prey as well. We also have a few genre favorites making their 4K Ultra HD debut this week: The Shining,...

Readers of all ages can experience Batman's Gotham and its surroundings in uniquely different ways this summer with collected volume editions of four new Batman-related titles—Grayson, Batgirl, Batman: Arkham Knight, and Gotham Academy—and we have details on the summer releases in our latest round-up. Also included this time around are details and a look at the cover art for three upcoming Blue Underground Blu-ray/DVD releases: 1990: The Bronx Warriors, The New Barbarians, and Escape From the Bronx.

DC Comics' Batman Collected Editions: Press Release - "Whether you’re a lifelong or novice comic reader, a teen reader or a mystery lover, DC Comics is releasing a highly diverse lineup of Collected Editions this June that revolve around the world’s most popular Super-Hero, Batman, and are perfect for your summer reading lists!

For young readers 12 and up, Gotham Academy Vol. 1 is a vibrant take...

We return with another edition of the Indie Spotlight, highlighting recent independent horror news sent our way. Today’s feature includes details on The Book, which brings together some of the biggest names in Italian horror, a trailer for Dead of the Nite, new releases from Cavity Colors, and much more:

First Details on The Book: “The Book sees the ultimate collaborative Italian horror film unfold before your very eyes. A one off project of unprecedented scale, The Book brings together, for the very first time, the writers, directors, actors, composers and artists behind the finest Italian genre cinema of the past sixty years. This includes the creative forces behind the Giallo movement, Spaghetti Westerns, Eurocrime and more. Each director will be given the opportunity to showcase their own personal vision of Rome, spread across a dozen episodes. Each segment in this feature film will contain a unique blend of macabre thriller,...

If you're a fan of Italian horror films and your list of favorite filmmakers includes names like Ruggero Deodato and Lamberto Bava, then boy, are you in for a treat. Read on for all the details about an exciting upcoming horror anthology called The Book, which will only get funded with Your help!

From the Press Release

The Book sees the ultimate collaborative Italian horror film unfold before your very eyes.

A one-off project of unprecedented scale, The Book brings together, for the very first time, the writers, directors, actors, composers, and artists behind the finest Italian genre cinema of the past sixty years. This includes the creative forces behind the Giallo movement, Spaghetti Westerns, Eurocrime, and more. Each director will be given the opportunity to showcase his own personal vision of Rome, spread across a dozen episodes. Each segment in this feature film will contain a unique blend of macabre thriller,...

Sleazemeister Umberto Lenzi popularized the Italian cannibal film subgenre with The Man from the Deep River and made gore fans drool with Cannibal Ferox, but you won't get over-the-top violence and a truly seedy story when it comes to his 1972 giallo, Seven Blood-Stained Orchids. The director's early gialli were quite tame compared to his later movies. Lenzi lures us to Orchids with a killer opening, featuring the death of a naked prostitute and a stylish murder set piece, starring giallo babe Marina Malfatti. Frustratingly, Orchids starts to dwindle after that. Lenzi bookends his thriller with some of the mood and craftiness we've come to expect of the Italian-made movies, but a bloated middle drags to the finish. Newlyweds Mario (Antonio Sabato, father of soap opera star Antonio Sabato, Jr.) and Giulia (German actress Uschi Glas) find their honeymoon interrupted after a black-gloved psychopath attempts to murder the missus. The unlucky...