Shocking Cinema of the 70s Xavier Mendik, Julian Petley, editors It’s hardly shocking that two of the UK’s most distinguished film journalists have produced this impressive new edition of a film book which has long been an essential component of any cinéaste’s shelves. Examining an era in which some of the most confrontational and censor-baiting films ever made were common currency, the book is more than just an examination of films in which sexuality and violence are given free rein but a pertinent examination of the audience responses to such fare as Dirty Harry (1971 and Death Wish (1974). This new edition embellishes the insights in the earlier book, and remains a key chronicle of a remarkable era in filmmaking. If there is one caveat, it is the daunting price of the volume, but academic publishers (as I know from my own books in the field) are rarely easy on the pocket. Shocking Cinema of the 70s Xavier Mendik, Julian Petley, editors is published by Bloomsbury
The Giallo Canvas: Art, Excess and Horror Cinema by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas Once a despised genre in the UK (principally because of the crass dubbing they were invariably subjected to), Italian crime thrillers (or gialli) have undergone a major critical re-assessment, with their visual stylishness and imaginative – if sometimes incoherent — plotting now celebrated. This is partly due to the availability of prints in the original Italian and in splendid Blu-ray transfers form such companies as Arrow Films and 88 Films, and the effect is immeasurably more interesting. This writer has widely on the subject (along with recording commentaries for a variety of Blu-rays), and, frankly, I didn’t think there was much I could be taught in the subject. I was wrong! Alexandra Heller-Nicholas’s The Giallo Canvas: Art, Excess and Horror Cinema is crammed with new insights into the subject, and along with the familiar classics of the genre from such directors as Sergio Martino, Mario Bava and Dario Argento, Heller-Nicholas casts a spotlight on many neglected pieces. There is a particular emphasis on the use of images from fine art in the genre, but the author’s remit is wider than that, and this is one of the most insightful contributions to the growing library on the subject. The fact that she quotes my writing on the subject several times establishes, of course, her impeccable taste… The Giallo Canvas: Art, Excess and Horror Cinema by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas is published by McFarland
Italian Crime Filmography 1968 – 1980 by Roberto Curti Anyone with the slightest interest in Italian genre cinema should have a good representation on their shelves of the books of Roberto Curti, one of the key chroniclers of the form. In this assiduously researched and highly readable volume, Curti tackle something different from the horror and giallo genre is which held sway for so long – Italian crime film. It goes without saying that Curti’s book is an essential companion to a viewing of any of these films. My copy will be well thumbed. Italian Crime Filmography 1968 – 1980 by Roberto Curti is published by McFarland
