- Director : Massimo Dallamano, Sergio Martino, Andrea Bianchi
- Actors : Claudio Cassinelli, Giovanna Ralli, Suzy Kendall, Tina Aumont, Edwige Fenech
- Media Format : Anamorphic, NTSC, Widescreen
- Run time : 6 hours and 13 minutes
- Release date : December 21, 2021
- Studio : Arrow Video
- Country of Origin : USA
- Number of discs : 3
Before slasher films exploded in popularity in the United
States, Italy had a wave of horror-driven thrillers known as giallo films,
named after the often-yellow covers of the popular crime novels the movies draw
their inspiration from. The word ‘giallo’ itself means yellow in Italian, which
is why the second volume of Arrow Video’s Giallo Essentials Collection is so
fittingly colored as such. The first volume was in a red box, while the second
is given a bright yellow box to contain the three films inside. Stunningly
presented in high definition from a 2K restoration, these Italian crime
thriller classics have been given the treatment they deserve, including a
handful of extras for each. There is currently no better way to watch these
films, and no better treatment of the exploitation classics.
The limited edition content includes the original lossless
mono Italian and English soundtracks, for purists and the subtitle-averse
alike. Each of the individually packaged films contained in the box set also
have reversible sleeves, with the option of either the original poster artwork
or newly commissioned art by Adam Rabalais and Graham Humphreys.
What Have They Done to Your Daughters?
When Commissioner Silvestri (Claudio Cassinelli) and his
assistant Deputy Attorney Vittoria Stori (Giovanna Ralli) investigate the death
of a pregnant teenage girl, they uncover an underage prostitution ring
frequented by the wealthy and elite of Italy. They must solve the crime before
a motorcycle-riding killer eliminates all of the evidence. As the giallo films
waned in popularity, they were often combined with other popular genres, and What
Have They Done to Your Daughters? is also a bit of a poliziottesco film, police
procedural crime films that were increasingly successful at the time. At times you
can sense the shift in Italian culture, as the focus is more on the poliziottesco
than the giallo aspects.
The special features on What Have They Done to Your Daughters?
include:
-A commentary track by Troy Howarth, author of So Deadly, So
Perverse: 50 Years of Italian Giallo Films
-A video essay by Kat Ellinger, author and editor of
Diabolique Magazine
-An interview with composer Stelvio Cipriani
-An interview with editor Antonio Siciliano
-Deleted/unused hardcore footage shot by director Massimo
Dallamano
-An alternate English opening title sequence
-Italian theatrical trailer
-Image gallery
Torso
Directed by
prolific giallo director Sergio Martino, Torso is considered to be a precursor
to the slasher genre, finding popularity in the American grindhouse circuit after
initial success in Italy, often shown with The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The
1973 film follows the search for a masked killer with a psychosexual disorder
who is targeting college students as his victims. College student Jane (Suzy
Kendall) decides to leave the university town for a remote country villa with
her friends, only to discover that the killer is amongst them.
The special features for Torso include:
-Both versions of the film: the 94-minute Italian cut and the
90-minute English release.
-Audio commentary by Kat Ellinger, author of All the Colours
of Sergio Martino
-A video interview with director and co-writer Sergio Martino
-Video interview with actor Luc Merenda
-Video interview with filmmaker and the director’s daughter,
Federica Martino
-A Q&A with Sergio Martino from the 2017 Abertoir
International Horror Festival
-Video interview with Mikel J. Koven, author of La Dolce
Morte: Vernacular Cinema and the Italian Giallo Film
-Alternate US opening title sequence
-Italian and English theatrical trailers
Strip Nude for Your Killer
Another killer wearing a motorcycle helmet terrorizes victims
following the death of a model during an illegal operation. When employees at
the modeling agency are targeted, photographer Magda (Edwige Fenech) and her
boyfriend Carlo (Nino Castelnuovo) set out to figure out who the killer is.
While What Have They Done to Your Daughters? combined the giallo with police
procedural, Strip Nude for Your Killer instead spices the genre up with
softcore sex scenes and increasingly graphic murder scenes.
The special features for Strip Nude for Your Killer include:
-An audio commentary by Adrian J. Smith and David Flint of HORRORPEDIA.com
-Sex and Death with a Smile: a video essay by film critic Kat
Ellinger on star Edwige Fenech.
-A Good Man for Murder: an archival interview with actor Nino
Castelnuevo
-The Blonde Salamander: a video interview with actress Erna
Schurer
-The Art of Helping: a video interview with assistant director
Daniele Sangiorgi
-Jack of All Trades: a video interview with actor and
production manager Tino Polenghi
-Alternate opening scene
-Italian and English theatrical trailers
-Image gallery
Entertainment Value:
8/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 6.5/10
Historical
Significance: 8/10
Special Features: 8.5/10
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