Cinema Italiano: The Complete Guide from Classics to Cult

by Howard Hughes

Uncovering a treasure trove of Italian films from The Leopard to Puma Man - Italian filmmakers have created some of the most magical and moving, violent and controversial films in world cinema. During its twentieth-century heyday, Italy's film industry was second only to Hollywood as a popular film factory, exporting cinematic dreams worldwide. With international finance and multinational stars, Italian filmmakers tackled myriad genres with equal gusto and in inimitable style. Cinema Italiano is the first book to discuss comprehensively both Italian 'popular' and 'arthouse' cinema of this golden age.

Appraising over 400 movies, Cinema Italiano unearths the best of Italian cinema. Dario Argento's 'gialli' thrillers and Sergio Leone's spaghetti westerns are explored alongside the best films of Luchino Visconti, Federico Fellini, Pier Paolo Pasolini and Michelangelo Antonioni. Chapters discuss the rise and fall of genres such as mythological epics, gothic horrors, science-fiction, spy films, war movies, costume adventures, zombie films, swashbucklers, political cinema, spaghetti westerns and 'poliziotteschi' crime films. The book also traces the directorial careers and key films of such luminaries as Mario Bava, Sergio Corbucci, Francesco Rosi, Lucio Fulci, Duccio Tessari, Enzo G. Castellari, Bernardo Bertolucci and Gillo Pontecorvo. An essential guide for DVD and video collectors and aficionados alike, it is illustrated throughout with rare stills and international posters from this revered era in world cinema.
Films La dolce vita, Hercules Conquers Atlantis, The Leopard, The Terror of Dr Hichcock, Contempt, The Gospel According to St Matthew, Castle of Blood, Fists in the Pocket, Django, Battle of Algiers, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Blowup, Diabolik, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, The Conformist, They Call Me Trinity, Violent City, The Marseilles Connection, Illustrious Corpses, Suspiria, The Big Silence, The Mask of Satan, Maciste in Hell, Blood and Black Lace, Hercules Against the Moon Men, The Last Man on Earth, The Wild, Wild Planet, Special Mission Lady Chaplin, Django Kill!, Fellini Satyricon, Deep Red, Sons of Thunder, Tentacles, The Inglorious Bastards, Zombie Flesh Eaters, Puma Man, 1990: Bronx Warriors, 8½, Once Upon a Time in the West, L'Avventura, Black Sabbath, Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion.

Genres: Film

328 pages, Paperback

First published April 19, 2011

Reviews

[Hassan RB]

يقع هذا الكتاب في ٥٠٠ صفحة يتكلم فيها الكاتب عن السينما الايطالية (اعتقد من منظور شخصي) كتابته كانت عن تشكل السينما الايطالية واساساتها من افلام المبنية على الاساطير او افلام الرعب وغيرها وايضاً يتحول قلمه الى هوليود ويبدأ بالحديث عنها (لا اعلم لماذا). لم اعجب ابداً بتوجه الكتاب فقد استرسل كثيراً في الافلام الهامشية والتي لم يعد لها ذكر (على الرغم من اهميتها في تكوين السينما الايطالية) واتفهم ذلك. على الرغم من ذلك الا ان ذكره للأفلام التي شكلت السينما الايطالية على ما هي الان كان نادر جداً، الوجه، ولا اتذكر انه تحدث عن الموجة الواقعية الايطالية ولو انه ذكرها فقد كان بشكل موجز جداً. كنت اتمنى انا اقرأ اكثر عن ثمانية ونصف لفيليني او سارقوا الدرجات لدي سيكا او غيرها من الافلام اللي اصبحت الوجه الحقيقي للسينما الايطالية، احيي هوارد على تخصيصه لبعض السطور للحديث عن افلام مثل "التحقيق حول مواطن فوق مستوى الشبهات" لإيليو بيتري و"صقور وعصافير" لبيير بابلو بازوليني.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really wonderful book on Italian cinema covering a range of films from genre to art films. IT covers a wide range of films from the familiar to the pretty obscure. It's not a very large book, so a lot of films aren't covered, but what is covered is interesting and Hughes has a lot of in depth knowledge of the subject