Martino is easily my favorite Italian filmmaker. When it comes to giallo, I've always said that Bava may have started it, Argento may have popularized it, but Martino perfected it. To me, his string of giallo's in the 70's, The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh (1971), The Case of the Scorpion's Tail (1971), All the Colors of the Dark (1972), Your Vice Is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key (1972) and Torso (1973) pretty much define the genre.
Of course to limit Martino to just giallos would be a serious broad stroking of his output as he's clearly one of the most versatile Italian directors. He can do mondo like his first two features Wages of Sin (1969) and Naked and Violent (1970), Eurocrime like The Violent Professionals (1973) and Gambling City (1975), spaghetti westerns like the supremely badass Mannaja - A Man Called Blade (1977), cannibal films like Mountain of the Cannibal God (1978), creature films like Island of the Fishman (1979) and even post-apocalyptic fare like 2019: After the Fall of New York (1983).
One of my favorites of his is the erotic thriller Craving Desire (1993), which despite being very much a product of its time is head and shoulders above similar films thanks to its taboo subject matter, leading lady Vittoria Belvedere and Martino's sleek direction.
Anyone seen his digitally lensed later giallo Mozart is a Murderer (1999)? Or how about the bizarre and random action/horror hybrid American Tiger (1990)?
Someone needs to write a book on Martino. We've already had great books on Argento, Fulci, Bava and Deodato. Its time for this maestro to get a proper career retrospective. So, where are the other Martino maniacs on this board?
Of course to limit Martino to just giallos would be a serious broad stroking of his output as he's clearly one of the most versatile Italian directors. He can do mondo like his first two features Wages of Sin (1969) and Naked and Violent (1970), Eurocrime like The Violent Professionals (1973) and Gambling City (1975), spaghetti westerns like the supremely badass Mannaja - A Man Called Blade (1977), cannibal films like Mountain of the Cannibal God (1978), creature films like Island of the Fishman (1979) and even post-apocalyptic fare like 2019: After the Fall of New York (1983).
One of my favorites of his is the erotic thriller Craving Desire (1993), which despite being very much a product of its time is head and shoulders above similar films thanks to its taboo subject matter, leading lady Vittoria Belvedere and Martino's sleek direction.
Anyone seen his digitally lensed later giallo Mozart is a Murderer (1999)? Or how about the bizarre and random action/horror hybrid American Tiger (1990)?
Someone needs to write a book on Martino. We've already had great books on Argento, Fulci, Bava and Deodato. Its time for this maestro to get a proper career retrospective. So, where are the other Martino maniacs on this board?
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