Matt Blake – Page 63 – The Wild Eye

March 10, 2010

R.I.P. Giuseppe Castellano

It’s being reported on Nocturno that Italian character actor Giuseppe Castellano died earlier in March. Castellano was one of those faces who pops up all over the place in Italian exploitation films of the 1960s and 1970s

March 9, 2010

Trappola d’autore

Just out on DVD in Italy is Franco Salvia’s Trappola d’autore, which kind of slipped by me and I don’t think is even listed on IMDB yet

March 2, 2010

R.I.P. Nini Grassia

Director Nini Grassia, who won the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice Film Festival in 2008, has died at the age of 66. His heart stopped beating Sunday night in the clinic where he was hospitalized for liver cirrhosis.

March 1, 2010

Missing in action, part 1: Italian Horror films of 2009 that you may never have heard of…

I try to post up as much information as I can about Italian films that make it to the cinemas or DVD over there, but there are also a number of productions which never actually reach the big screen or manage to pass me by for one reason or another.

February 23, 2010

Magnificat

Over the last forty years – since his debut Thomas e gli indemoniati in 1970 – Pupi Avati has proven to be one of the most prolific and acclaimed directors working in Italy. His films range from giallos (La casa dalle finestre che ridono (76)) to biopics (Noi tre (84)), from comedies (Il cuore altrove (2003)) to dramas (Regalo di Natale (86)).

February 17, 2010

La doppia ora, Il mercenario

Couple of essential new DVDs out this week. Giuseppe Capotond’s La doppia ora is a thriller that came out last year…

February 16, 2010

Red Coat

Red Coat is a rather peripheral entry into the White Fang series of films. It has all the key elements of the genre – snowy, mountainous settings, big men in fur coats, copious sledge riding, imperilled child protagonist – except one: it doesn’t feature a dog.