Arrow Video continues its exploration of Italian cult cinema with this second volume of Giallo Essentials, bringing together three more suspense-filled exemplars of the genre! In Massimo Dallamano’s What Have They Done to Your Daughters? (1972), hot-headed Inspector Silvestri (Claudio Cassinelli, The Suspicious Death of a Minor) and rookie Assistant District Attorney Vittoria Stori (Giovanna Ralli, Cold Eyes of Fear) investigate the apparent suicide of a teenage girl, leading them to a sordid prostitution ring whose abusers occupy the highest echelons of Italian society. Sergio Martino’s Torso (1973) helped lay the groundwork for the American Slasher Movie: when a ruthless killer begins to target the female university students of Perugia, Jane (Suzy Kendall, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage) and her friends flee for the peace of the countryside, only to discover that the threat isn’t far behind. Finally, Andrea Bianchi’s Strip Nude for Your Killer (1975) delivers depravity in droves as ambitious photographer Magda (Edwige Fenech, Your Vice is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key) and her on-off boyfriend, love rat Carlo (Nino Castelnuovo, The English Patient), team up to solve the spate of highly sexualized murders that are rocking a prestigious Milanese fashion house. Featuring grisly murders, amateur sleuths and motorcycle-riding maniacs, these iconic gialli are restored in 2K from their original negatives and are presented alongside a raft of juicy extras!
For thoughts on Giallo Essentials: Volume Two, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic here.
Video Quality
The three films in the Giallo Essentials: Volume Two (Yellow Edition) box set are packaged together on Blu-Ray after being released separately by Arrow Video with 1080p masters in their original aspect ratios. What Have They Done To Your Daughters? comes from a restored HD master provided by Camera Obscura, while Torso and Strip Nude For Your Killer have been restored from their original camera negatives with a 2K scan. By and large these three releases are very similar to one another and will be discussed as a group with any meaningful differences pointed out.
One cannot say enough nice things about the way Arrow Video treats their films. The deliberate photography which captures the various sumptuous locations sparkles in high definition with natural grain intact and nicely resolved with only a handful of moments looking excessively coarse. The transfers show off a great amount of depth and enhanced detail, but admittedly the close-up shots hold up better than the long shots. There are also occasional optical shots where the quality dips ever so slightly. There are certain elements like close-up shots of wounds or text of newspapers that look quite striking in their clarity. There is a fantastic amount of detail present with nice textures on the clothing, both in the iconic outfits of some of the antagonists to the sensible businesswear of some of the protagonists. Black levels are deep with no trace of black crush or compression artifacts. The contrast is well defined, and there is virtually no print damage to be found outside a few stray moments. Arrow Video has done a miraculous job with all of these transfers in a way that should make anyone who decides to pick this set up extremely happy.
It should be noted that Strip Nude For Your Killer is presented with a choice of different color grading for the opening sequence due to the fact that some audience members might be more familiar with how it was presented during certain engagements. Both the “Blue Tint” version and the “Natural” version are of equal quality.
Audio Quality
All three films are given restored LPCM 1.0 mono tracks in Italian and English language options. Every single one of these tracks represents these worlds in a pretty impressive way sonically. All of the various sounds in the mix seem accurately rendered so that nothing ever feels off. The dialogue itself comes through crystal clear without being crushed by the sound effects or score. There are moments of fighting that pack a punch without becoming a muddled mess in the action. The memorable music throughout these films brings a very distinct mood to the proceedings that is represented well in the mix. Everything is presented with an excellent fidelity with only the occasional instance of sound presenting as a bit thin or boxy. Most of these films have their dialogue post-looped which results in some loose sync instances that may be annoying to some, but it is a product of this period in filmmaking. Many of these tales take place in a busy city which creates a din of sound that creeps through to provide some excellent ambient details. The latter half of Torso, on the other hand, conveys its sense of isolation well with crisp, subtle environmental texture. This presentation is mostly free of any hiss or other age-related wear-and-tear. Another top-tier effort from Arrow Video.
Special Features
What Have They Done To Your Daughters?
- Audio Commentary: Film Historian Troy Howarth delivers a thoroughly entertaining commentary track in which he discusses the film’s history, the output of the creative figures, the use of the score, the balance of sensational elements with more high-minded aspirations, the plot and themes of the film and more that adds a lot of great context to this work.
- Masters and Slaves: A 20-minute video essay from film historian Kat Ellinger in which she explores the themes in the films of Massimo Dallamano including how he tackles power dynamics, loss of personal autonomy, corruption in the larger social sphere, the interplay of decadence and more. Ellinger always makes some keen observations which opens up your appreciation for a film even more.
- Eternal Melody: An extensive 50-minute conversation from 2016 with composer Stelvio Cipriani in which he discusses his early life, his journey to becoming a composer, how he began working with film, some of his distinct styles that he implemented for specific films, his work with Massimo Dallamano and more. This is a must-watch for those who want to know more about musical composition.
- Dallamano’s Touch: A 22-minute conversation from 2016 with editor Antonio Siciliano in which he discusses his entry into the world of editing, his work with Dallamano, the unique way in which he composed a frame, how his approach to editing differed from others, and more. The interviewer also has Siciliano watch the hardcore footage from the next supplement and comment on it.
- Hardcore Footage: A five-minute reel of explicit sex scenes apparently shot for the movie but never integrated into any known version of the film.
- English Titles: A rough-looking three-minute peek at the English-language version of the opening and end credits.
- Theatrical Trailer: A four-minute long trailer is provided here.
- Image Gallery: A collection of images showing off promotional materials, stills and more.
Torso
- Four Versions Of The Film: Original Italian Version (1:33:36), Hybrid English/Italian Version (1:33:02), English Version with “Carnal Violence” titles (1:30:12), and English Version with “Torso” titles (1:29:33)
- Audio Commentary: Kat Ellinger, author of All the Colours of Sergio Martino, provides a really thoughtful commentary track in which she discusses the misunderstood nature of Sergio Martino, how this film fits into his career, the cinematography of the feature, working with Carlo Ponti, the locations in the film, the landscape of Italian cinema and more that provides great context for the feature. Ellinger always provides a unique perspective that is well worth a listen.
- All Colors Of Terror: A new 34-minute conversation with co-writer and director Sergio Martino in which he discusses capitalizing on the giallo craze of the time, the process of making the film, the film’s reception, his feelings about the material from a modern context, his creative process, changes that were made to the material and more. This is a really excellent piece that should be sought out by fans of the genre.
- The Discreet Charm of the Genre: A new 35-minute conversation with actor Luc Merenda in which he discusses his feelings on the films he was performing in at the time, his feeling of responsibility to his audience, the process of filming Torso, working with Sergio Martino, injuries he sustained on set and more.
- Dial S For Suspense: A new 29-minute conversation with co-writer Ernesto Gastald in which he shares a story of meeting Audrey Hepburn, his work with “experimental” films, his work with Sergio Martino, playing in the giallo drama, trying to maintain mystery within these stories and more.
- Women In Blood: A 25-minute conversation with Federico Martino, daughter of Sergio Martino and herself a filmmaker, in which she discusses the film’s legacy, her evolving feelings about the film, her father’s filmmaking style, a funny story involving Eli Roth and more.
- Saturating The Screen: A 25-minute piece with Mikel J. Koven, author of La Dolce Morte: Vernacular Cinema and the Italian Giallo Film, in which he discusses his personal history with the giallo subgenre, how Torso fits into and subverts the genre, the style of the film, the characters and more.
- Sergio Martino Live: A 47-minute live Q&A with Sergio Martino from the 2017 Abertoir International Horror Festival in which the director discusses the career of his family and his early career, what attracted him to the giallo genre, the place of music within his films, specific highlights from his filmography and more.
- Trailers: This disc provides the Italian Trailer (3:03) and English Trailer (3:03).
Strip Nude For Your Killer
- Audio Commentary: HORRORPEDIA.com’s Adrian J. Smith and David Flint deliver a freewheeling and fact-filled commentary track in which they discuss the unique soundtrack of the film, the unconventional nature of the feature, where the giallo genre was at the time the film was released, the structure of the film, the performers utilized in this story and more that makes for a good listen.
- Sex and Death With A Smile: A 23-minute video essay from film historian Kat Ellinger in which she explores the career of Edwige Fenech in gialli films and Italian sex comedies, the place of Italian cinema coming out of the 1960s, the boundary-pushing nature of these features, her work with Sergio Martino and more.
- A Good Man For The Murders: A 15-minute archival interview with actor Nino Castelnuovo in which he discusses his career aspirations, his early entry into the industry, the personas that worked best for him on film, his scenes with Edwige Fenech, the directing style of Andrea Bianchi and more.
- The Blonde Salamander: A 19-minute interview with actress Erna Schurer in which she discusses how she got into the business, the work with her uncle, early roles on film, smelly scene partners, “tame” nude scenes, the pride she has in her profession and more.
- The Art of Helping: A nearly 45-minute interview with assistant director Daniele Sangiorgi in which he discusses his early career, lessons he learned on set, his working relationship with various directors, the process of casting body doubles, the behavior of the crew on set during sensitive scenes, his memories of certain performers and productions and more.
- Jack Of All Trades: A 22-minute interview with actor and production manager Tino Polenghi in which he discusses early experiences on set, his feelings about the producers, salacious behind-the-scenes stories and more.
- Image Gallery: A collection of stills and promotional material.
- Theatrical Trailers: This disc provides the Italian Trailer (3:42) and English Trailer (3:42).
Final Thoughts
The three films in the Giallo Essentials: Volume Two set take a turn for the sleazy and ultraviolent, which is likely a major plus for many fans of the genre. These features deliver many of the hallmarks that keep us returning to these types of films while impressing all the more thanks to the legendary filmmakers behind the camera. There is so much to delight in with these twisted tales of murder and revenge from both a craft and performance level. Arrow Video has provided a set with a stunning A/V presentation and so many supplemental features that will keep you busy. If you have these films separately, there is no real reason to purchase this set besides the beautiful packaging (pictures below), but those who do not own these will find each of these films to be a gem waiting to be discovered and worthy of being a part of any collection. Highly Recommended
Giallo Essentials: Volume Two (Yellow Edition) is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Arrow Video has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.