I never loved Italian horror but the appeal is there. I always thought of it as the ghost ride/theme park- as you said. I look at the Beyond and tip my hat off to how the ride was made, and how it made me feel. Now, I would never say Italian horror is as aestically pleasing as Vampur by Dryer but I do think the film works as well in the same way as Vampur, in a dream or a broken nightmare. It is pulling from that, which i think you referenced as well. The narrative, in Beyond , is a disjointed mess. The story is strung together loosely, but the fantastical directions that Fulci decides to take gives it a form like no other. Its a horror film but so far from grounded, its as much fantasy as horror in a lot of ways. I love the wild turns of the ride if you will. The powerful music that pumps you through the ride. Then Fulci switches to slow moments and forces you to deal with the horror. The two scenes that I think of in the Beyond are the spider scene, when the man falls from the ladder. The other, the blind women betrayed by her dog...more heart-breaking then anything. How could man's best friend do such a thing. I do think these films are important, not all but some. They are saying in a Peter Greenaway way, the image is king. I do want a proper story/narrative but I think Fulci and others are not allowing you to have it. That itself is very frustrating, but adds to the experience and the ride. It makes me what to go back. It kinda begs me to try to put my finger on what its really trying to say in a Kubrick Room 237 way. I think these films (some) are good films, Darn good. Ps your vids are amazing sir Pleasure to listen, and thank you always for sharing your thoughts

As someone who really enjoys giallo, I’ve got to say I have really only 2 reasons. First off, its the dreamlike tone - I just really enjoy the dubbing and cinematography, they’re definietly an exercise in style but they’re so atmospheric to me and take me away to a place filled with wonder. The other is, well, I’m quite a bit younger than you and admittedly grew up loving classic horror, but all the “new” horror from my childhood was desaturated and dark and various shades of dull grey and the idea that you could make horror in vibrant popping colours was just a very unique idea to me. Thats it really. They’re not my favourite horror films and to be honest I think the remake of Suspiria is tenfold better than the original. I also quite like Amer and The Strange Colour of Your Body’s Tears as postmodern takes on Giallo. They’re more artsy and atmospheric - even if they’re stylized to the point of irritation sometimes. Love your videos btw. You’re doing what KZfaq was made for.

Really enjoy this series Michael, perfect timing too bc they just added Suspiria to Criterion and im gonna watch it with my brother who's never seen it. Interested to hear his opinion on it. I agree that they're not particularly 'good' films but as you said the music/style/weirdness is what makes them fun for me. Totally acceptable criticisms tho, great vid.

This video really speaks to me. Italian horror is beautifully stylistic. So many amazing sounds and visuals, but I'm always disappointed by the story or lack thereof. I can only really enjoy them for the spectacle.

Another interesting & thought provoking essay Michael. I learnt the way to enjoy Italian cinema is to focus on style over substance - in other words the importance of plot is secondary to the visual/laudio spectacle. Italian movies are like fever dreams.

Great food for thought, as always, Mike. I'm actually not that well versed in Italian horror, but I do have great fondness for Argento's original 'Suspiria' (haven't yet seen the remake). The sumptuously colorful art direction, the lead performance by Jessica Harper (one of my favorite actresses), and above all, as you mention, the overwhelming prog soundtrack by Goblin are all indelible assets for what has now become a bona fide classic. I see your point how Italian horror films tend to be a succession of set pieces rather than sustained, thematically focused narratives, but with my general tolerance for non-narrative art, this isn't a liability from my perspective. One grand exception to this trend could be potentially seen in Pier Paolo Pasolini's final feature 'Salò o le 120 giornate di Sodoma', which is arguably a horror film of sorts, insofar as one of its primary aims is to horrify the spectator. It is also a philosophically cohesive and focused achievement, presenting a mirror to those who survived it of perhaps the most terrible century in human history.

Hi Michael, Thanks to YT’s algorithms I discovered your channel and I really enjoyed this first encounter. Your criticisms are valid, within a particular frame of reference. I recall during the early days of J-Horror many similar critiques were levied at the focus on atmosphere vs. real narrative content, though this was not ALWAYS the case. I think that giallo and Italo-Horror on the whole drew far more upon the excesses of verismo opera (indeed, Argento and many other Italian horror auteurs acknowledged the operatic stage as an inspiration), than upon the English literary gothic horror tradition. The same can be said of how the static narratives of Noh and the hyper-violence of Kabuki informed J-Horror. Just a thought… but yes, viewed through a narrative lens, Italian horror doesn’t provide much coherency or complexity.

Black Sunday (1960) Directed by Mario Bava The Long Hair of Death (1964) Directed by Antonio Margheriti Zombie Flesh Eaters (1979) Directed by Lucio Fulci Tenebrae (1982) Directed by Dario Argento These are the Italian Horror Films I most like to watch, even though they could certainly be described as good/bad Films with their striking visuals and music creating intense atmosphere over any real sense of a coherent narrative story.

There's a doc on Shudder called Woodland Dark and Days Bewitched which examines folk horror and it makes a lot of the same arguments about the appeal of horror - the irrational or the old and inexplicable leaking into the modern world and disrupting our perception of the natural order. I think there's a lot to that. You can't really fight or defend against something you don't understand and that is objectively terrifying.

Completely agree, I'm consistently underwhelmed by the Italian horrors I've seen, though a handful are worthwhile for the otherworldly atmosphere they evoke. My reaction to The Beyond was indentical to yours - 'Is this brilliant or crap? It's just a sequence of bizarre, disgusting set pieces strung together'. I think in the end the randomness of the events makes it work, like a bad dream., though I don't feel like giving Fulci much credit for it! I will say though that I've always quite enjoyed Demons and Demons 2, you can't go wrong with zombies running riot in claustrophobic environments.

Another very interesting, informative, and entertaining video, Mike! I also love the humor you always include. I chuckled out loud watching the inserted snippets of you listening to the soundtracks. I don't know anything about Italian horror films and I haven't seen any of the films you mention or that other viewers have mentioned in the comments that have been shared so far. (I love to read other viewers' comments. I learn a lot from them too.) Also, "giallo" is a new word for me, so thanks also for helping me broaden my vocabulary. 😀 I do plan to seek out the original Suspiria, based on your video and viewers' comments. I'm not sure about some of the others. Watching excessive gore and violence just isn't my cup of tea, although I probably am missing out on some films that I actually would think are good or at least fun.

thank you for this thoughtful video. i think horror films like Opera vs Rosemary's Baby have very different intents. i like Italian horror movies for the experience of watching them. i couldn't recall the plots to any of them, because i don't think the plot is important to them. as opposed to like Halloween or Night of the Comet, which are more story driven. I've seen almost all of the Transformer and MCU movies, but i can't remember the plots well enough to tell them apart. like what happened in Transformers I vs. III. it all washes together, like those Italian movies, because these were summer movies, all about the spectacle and experience, of getting immersed in the sights and sounds. so i think that giallo movies are more like watching a piece of art that leaves meaning to the relationship between the film and the viewer. so both styles have their own merits, and both approaches can be considered good, in that they deliver what they promise, for the most part, which is an encounter with horror. one type leaves you with an emotional impression, the other engages your intellect. imo

I love Suspiria. It is one of those rare films that I can watch over and over again. It is dark fairytale, like Gretel without Hansel, or the witches of MacBeth running a dance school in Italy because they just love creating chaos. That said I have watched other giallo films, and while I enjoyed the beauty of those films, I was ultimately left unsatisfied in the end, and I could not figure out why. When you said that the films are "Cold", it clicked. They are shocking for the sake of shock value. I think it was Argento who famously said something like, "I like to make movies where I can kill beautiful women." Mission accomplished, I suppose. Interestingly enough, I have heard others say that the reason they have trouble connecting with Asian horror is because they find those films rather, "Cold." What are your thoughts on Asian horror? Anyway, you just earned a new subscriber. I am a huge fan of Werner Herzog, so I will definitely be checking out that video and the rest.

Dellamorte Dellamore 1994 is one i like, but it leans into comedy more than horror.

Really don't try to hard, Some Italian horror I like for some strange reasons, Planet of the Vampires " ( God ! Zombies) the steel plates covering the graves is beautifully done, "Last Man on earth" As someone said," great claustrophobic atmosphere," Great to watch alone, oh yeah and Vincent Price, And Lo Spettro ( The Ghost,) Barbara Steel, ( Underrated horror Queen ? ) And that fabulous sound track by Franco Mannino, I can watch the movie just for the brilliant theme song, Why is this song not more Famous ? , Thanks for posting Michael

I love Suspiria but really just for the color and music. The horror element is almost irrelevant to me so I wouldn't say I'm a fan of the genre as a whole but I do really like Argento's style

My first italian horror is Zombie 2 by Lucio Fulci. I had seen people review it on the internet before and thought of it as big joke. As I watched it myself I was very much turned off by the cheapness of acting and the somewhat awkward english dubbing and HRD, all but I kept watching just out of interest to get the whole experience. Later on, far from being cheap, the movie actually managed to get a thick atmosphere of dread that actually disturbed me even though I didn't care much for the characters or the plot. There was no sense of who was supposed to be a main character, so people just dropped like flies with effects that were convincing enough to make me squirm a little even though I am very much used to gore and horror. It really helps that despite the usual 70s campiness, the movie felt sincere in its intentions to be a genuine horror experience, as opposed to some commentary or satire or anything of that sort. It was a very refreshing experience and it has inspired me to try and watch more italian movies despite the problems you mention that I agree with, though oddly I haven't managed to get to Suspiria yet .

Your videos always get me thinking. Like others here I agree with many of your observations about those specific films, but are you talking only about a subset of Italian horror? I don’t know Italian cinema too well but I imagine there must be more to Italian horror than those Giallo (and Giallo-related) films.?

Even though I love all horror (foreign and domestic) I have avoided the Italians because something about those films seemed rather exploitative, like they're trying to trick audiences into believing horror is even more horrifying if it is lurid and cheap, as opposed to thematic or contemplative. I obviously have gravitated to the British horror, but I've still always been curious about whether my assumptions are accurate. My first foray was this year, with "Demons" (1985) because I always look for that '80's aesthetic if I'm gonna be out of my comfort zone (for starters). it's like a warm blanket. It was just OK, but found it very thin...doubtful anything will stick, and certainly not "horrifying." I will follow up with Phenomena (1985) and see if that's any better. Overall, I feel like these films are proving grounds for young special effects artists who should go on to do more thoughtful work. But the older I get, the less I consider gore fests to be "horror movies." They are like a thing unto themselves...

I have to agree with you.

Great Video once again Mike! I agree with your opinion, the italian horror films also often leave me very cold. I do like some of the italian giallo films though, especielly The Bird with the Crystal Plumage and Deep Red by Argento I think is very good. But they feel more like suspense films then horror films. But I dont like his film Suspiria, even though I agree with you, the soundtrack by goblin is amazing. And Argentos film Tenebre- I hate so much! Its so bad, bad acting, writing, even the plot- twist was so stupid that I started laughing. It is probably one of the worst movies I have ever seen.

Yes pretty much wth you on this. Too many Italian horrors I´m told to like rather than do like. I love Tenebrae just for the knife through T-Shirt shot and John Saxon obviously. Zombie Flesh Eaters for the shark v zombie fight. I could skip the rest unless I´m in the mood for stylish gratuitous violence and nudity.