This month, Fragments of Fear delves into the Crazy Desires of a Murderer with Fillipo Walter Ratti’s Gothic whodunit of the same name. Purportedly from 1977, we look at the film’s ambiguous production date and account for some of the so called dated aspects of the film whilst examining how Crazy Desires slots into the gialli of the 1970s with its heady mix of Gothic and erotic elements. As always, we take a look at the film’s cast and crew, taking a moment to shine a light on some of the...

Fragments of Fear returns to the sixties to discuss Vittorio Sindoni’s French styled thriller and prototype giallo, Deadly Inheritance. Throughout the episode we explore the placement of Sindoni’s film in relation to the gialli of the 1960s and beyond whilst looking at other key filmic elements from the significance of its rural setting in provincial France to its characterisation and usage of red herrings. We also take a look at the film’s production history, Sindoni as a director and some...

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...

In the latest episode of Fragments of Fear, we return to the eighties once again to dissect Bruno Gaburro’s 1989 giallo, Fashion Crimes. Perhaps most notable for its leading role from Tenebrae alumni, Anthony Franciosa, we take a look at the actor’s career and assess the effectiveness of his character and the draw his casting has on the film. In our exploration of the film, we look at the film’s thematic ideas that tie back to the golden age of the giallo from fragmented memories and...

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,...

In celebration of Fragments of Fear’s first anniversary, we eschew our focus on the lesser known gialli in favour of a more well known title requested by you - the listeners! Running away with the vast majority of the vote was Andrea Bianchi’s popular giallo from 1975, Strip Nude For Your Killer, one of the more sordid titles to emerge from the giallo cycle. We examine the film’s sleazy reputation and accusations of misogyny, framing them within the film’s comedic stylings and the Italian...

To celebrate Fragments of Fear’s one year anniversary, we are releasing part 1 of our Door into Darkness episode, a previously Patreon exclusive episode, to celebrate as a way of thanking everyone for their support. In episode one of our two part discussion into Dario Argento’s 1973 television series for RAI, Door into Darkness, we discuss episodes one and two of the series; Luigi Cozzi’s Il vicino di casa (The Neighbour) and Dario Argento’s Il tram (The Tram). As well as looking at Cozzi and...

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...

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...

In this month’s episode of Fragments of Fear, we return to the Italian thrillers of the late 1960s, looking at Franco Rossetti’s The Rage Within. Released in 1969, at the height of the student protests, we examine how the political volatility of the late 1960s manifests throughout the film - assessing if the purported ideologies of the main characters are wholly honourable. Adapted from Alberto Moravia’s short story, “Crime at the Tennis Club” we look at how Rossetti translates Moravia’s...

In the latest episode of Fragments of Fear, we take a look at Tonino Ricci’s 1971 giallo Cross Current. An example of an Italian Spanish co=production, Cross Current was released during the boom period of the giallo and exhibits elements of the Diabolique influenced sexy Italian thriller of the 1960s alongside the more psychological Argento styled thriller. Throughout the episode we examine the effectiveness of these elements and explore the execution of the film’s many twists and turns. We...

Delving once again into the genre’s post golden period, in this month’s episode of Fragments of Fear we take a look at an example of the giallo poliziotteschi hybrid in Paolo Cavara’s politically charged E tanta paura aka Plot of Fear (1976). In our dissection of the film, we explore Cavara’s background as the originator of the Mondo film and take a look at how the creative freedom afforded to him in Plot of Fear led to a complex, deconstruction of the giallo utilising elements of the...

The 1980s heralded in a new era for the giallo and Carlo Vanzina’s 1983 thriller, Mystère is indicative of a marked change in the Italian thriller during the decade of excess. We take a look at how the cultural shift in the 1980s manifested in the stylings of Carlo Vanzina’s contemporary giallo, examining the film’s influences from Roger Moore era Bond to Jean-Jacques Beineix ’s 1981 thriller, Diva. In our discussion of Mystère, we examine the film’s tonal shift from giallo to espionage...

For the latest episode of Fragments of Fear we turn our focus once again to the golden period of the genre with Maurizio Pradeaux’s 1973 giallo, Death Carries a Cane - a formulaic giallo indicative of the trend for Argento styled thrillers in early 1970s Italy. Analysing the film’s merits, we discuss the effectiveness of its humour - touching upon the role of comedy in the giallo - and examine how it impacts on Death Carries a Cane’s characterisation. We also muse on the film’s Argento...

In the latest episode of Fragments of Fear we once again return to the 1960s, delving into the genre’s Gothic strain with 1966 Gothic giallo hybrid, The Murder Clinic. Discussing the intersection between the Gothic and the giallo, we examine the effectiveness of this melding of genres ruminating on how the Gothic influenced the more contemporary styled gialli of the early 1970s. We also discuss the impact of Mario Bava’s Blood & Black Lace on The Murder Clinic, assessing changing trends...

In this month’s episode of Fragments of Fear we revisit the genre’s post golden era examining Duccio Tessari’s 1974 giallo Puzzle. Arguably the lesser discussed giallo of Tessari’s foray into the genre, we make the case for why Puzzle is an essential title for fans of the giallo. From the film’s sympathetic characterisation, courtesy of Senta Berger’s exceptional leading performance, to its exploration of Hitchcockian style themes of fractured and mistaken identity, Puzzle is an effective...

Entering into the giallo’s golden period, Fragments of Fear takes an in-depth look at Sergio Pastore’s The Crimes of the Black Cat (1972). Heavily indebted to the early gialli of Dario Argento, we take a look at the way in which the new Italian thriller influenced The Crimes of the Black Cat and the ways in which Pastore incorporated Argento like flourishes into his film. We also take a gander at The Crime of the Black Cat’s sympathetic approach to its female characters, the giallo’s...

In this month’s episode of Fragments of Fear we take our first foray into the work of prolific Italian genre film director, Umberto Lenzi, delving into the second of his gialli with American actress Carroll Baker; Così dolce, Così perversa aka So Sweet… So Perverse (1969). We discuss one of the most influential but unsung figures of the giallo; Luciano Martino, examine the various strands of the 1960s giallo and look at the core themes at the heart of the film from its erotic nature and...

Autopsy (1975)In the inaugural episode of Fragments of Fear, we discuss Armando Crispino’s deliriously innovative 1975 giallo Macchie Solari aka Autopsy. Wavering between science-fiction tinged surrealism and a detached almost documentary like style, Crispino’s Autopsy is a somewhat experimental take on the giallo that plays with the genre’s form to deliver a fascinating and unrelenting character study of a woman plagued by personal trauma set against a backdrop of mysterious suicides in sun...

Episode ZeroIn this special introductory episode of Fragments of Fear, we discuss the ethos behind the podcast whilst talking about our own experiences and introduction to gialli. We touch upon our friendship, personal involvement in gialli releases and the importance of community and social media in the celebration of the genre.