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The 1990s proved to be a curious and complicated era for the giallo, with many films made for export markets and direct-to-video, while the form itself was tested with directors attempting new ideas and folding modern trends into their plots. Nevertheless, around the rise of the erotic thriller and despite the contraction of the Italian genre film market overall, the true spirit of the genre soldiered on, still alive and vibrant in the three rare gialli assembled here, all seeing their Blu-ray debuts.
Madness
An unusually sincere effort from the prolific genre workhorse Bruno Mattei, Madness (Occhi Senza Volto Aka Eyes Without a Face) plays with several giallo motifs and a few contemporary thriller elements, while delivering plentiful gore and dramatic slayings. Shot by cinematographer Luigi Ciccarese (Ænigma), it features a slew of Mattei on-screen regulars, including Emy Valentino (Phantom of Death), Fausto Lombardi (Terror Express), Gabriele Gori (Convent of Sinners), and an intense lead performance by Monica Carpanese (Anthropophagus II). Vinegar Syndrome is eager to deliver to you this rarely seen late giallo entry, newly restored from its original negative.
Bugie Rosse
The giallo loyalist Pierfrancesco Campanella (Bad Inclination) wrote and directed Bugie Rosse (Red Lies Aka The Final Scoop) while still in his twenties, blending the psychosexual traditions of the style with modern technology such as IRC message boards. Portraying the weight of closeted life and sexual anxiety with stylized scenes of swingers bars and dark alleys as shot by veteran Mario Vulpiani (Watch Me When I Kill), the film also features a rare score from prolific soundtrack conductor Natale Massara (conductor of Blow Out and Body Double), and a cast including Tomas Arana (The Church), Gioia Scola (Too Beautiful to Die), Natasha Hovey (Demons), and Alida Valli (Suspiria). Vinegar Syndrome ardently presents this inspired giallo rarity newly scanned from its original camera negative.
Murder In Blue Light
A film rooted in the sleazy New York trends of Italian cinema from a decade prior, Murder In Blue Light showcases the ability of veteran writer/director Alfonso Brescia (Naked Girl Murdered in the Park) to jump into any required genre. Featuring a good deal of actual New York City street scenes, including Times Square, it leans into the sleaze with a twisty backstory and hints of a police procedural through its US star, David Hess (Last House on the Left). Also featuring Florence Guérin (Faceless) as Starlet, Rik Battaglia (Nightmare Castle), and Riccardo Parisio Perrotti (The Psychic), Vinegar Syndrome presents this obscure late entry in the “amateur detective” giallo newly restored from its original camera negative.
Directed By: Bruno Mattei, Pierfrancesco Campanella, Alfonso Brescia
Starring: Monica Carpanese, Emy Valentino, Fausto Lombardi, Gabriele Gori, Tomas Arana, Gioia Scola, Natasha Hovey, Alida Valli, David Hess, Florence Guérin, Rik Battaglia, Riccardo Parisio Perrotti, Sonia Topazio
Studio: Vinegar Syndrome
Release Date: Mar 1, 2026