Arrow Video continues to surprise and amaze fans with the films they choose to release. With Giallo Essentials: Black Edition, the company is up to its third release of obscure giallo films from the early ’70s. According to Wikipedia, “In the context of 20th-century literature and film, especially among English speakers and non-Italians in general, giallo refers specifically to a particular Italian thriller-horror genre that has mystery or detective elements and often contains slasher, crime fiction, psychological thriller, psychological horror, sexploitation, and, less frequently, supernatural horror elements.”
This collection certainly falls into many of those categories and includes Smile Before Death (1972), The Weapon, The Hour, The Motive (1972), and The Killer Reserved Nine Seats (1974). It’s certainly an eclectic collection and not always great, but it’s a killer set.
In The Killer Reserved Nine Seats, an English nobleman invites nine of his upper-class friends to join him at an abandoned theater. They soon realize they’re trapped, and one by one, they begin to fall victim to a vicious killer. This one was a bit difficult for me to sit through, but at the same time, it pays off in the end. Its pacing is a bit slow, which was my main complaint, so it will require a bit of patience. If you can do that, then you will be rewarded.
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In The Weapon, The Hour, The Motive, a horny priest is murdered in the church, and a grizzled detective comes in to solve the case. In doing so, he falls for the victim’s girl, kicking off a heated love affair. There are a few interesting moments, but this one lacked in the suspense arena and didn’t offer enough intrigue to work. It does, however, contain a sequence with nude nuns, so if that is your kind of thing, you may not want to skip this one.
Smile Before Death follows a teenage girl being duped by her stepfather and girlfriend. They’ve murdered her mother and are trying to figure out a way they can cheat her out of the inheritance. This one is the gem of the set. It’s sexy and violent with enough suspense and plot twists to make up for the other two subpar films. It also features some terrific performances from the leads and expert direction from Silvio Amadio.
Each film is housed in its own case with booklets featuring very well-written essays and technical information. They have a solid amount of bonus features, including audio commentaries, trailers, image galleries, and a few other treats. The three films fit wonderfully in the well-constructed case that is great for displaying on the shelf.
Giallo Essentials: Black Edition is the first set like this I’ve had the chance to dig into, and now, I need to go back and get the other editions. While all the films didn’t impress me, it’s a genre I’ve always loved, and getting the opportunity to see the lesser-known pictures is still enjoyable and exciting. This is an excellent set for Italian horror fans. Check it out on Arrow Video!
