#delirium: photo of gioia

[watching-pictures-move]

Movie Review | Delirium: Photo of Gioia (Bava, 1987)

I first became interested in this movie after seeing a screenshot of a woman with a giant eyeball for a head. Having finally seen it, I can confirm that not only does the movie not disappoint on that front, it throws in another scene where a woman has a bee’s head. Of course, these are murder sequences and the latter woman is stung to death by a bunch of bees while being very naked, although the first woman is only stabbed with a pitchfork. In the torso, not in the eyes. Just thought you should know. 

This is an ‘80s giallo, and is definitely glossy instead of rich and darkly decadent like the ‘70s variety. The gloss makes a certain amount of narrative sense as it’s about the publisher of a fancy porno magazine, which also means that there’s a good amount of nudity on top of the stylish murder sequences. And as it clips along at a nice pace and has a bunch of actors I like seeing in these things, it’s quite entertaining, although I’m not sure how well it all coheres. While the movie looks good, the stylishness comes in fits and starts and is mostly noticeable in the murder set pieces. (As far as Lamberto Bava efforts go, this lacks the sustained force of Demons.) And there’s enough sleaze on paper, but the movie’s heart isn’t really in it. There are forays into perversion, like a nightmare where the heroine is sexually assaulted by her wheelchair-bound Mick Jagger lookalike neighbour, and the final reveal, but the movie never makes us complicit like the genre would in its earlier years. 

After my viewing I watched the interview with George Eastman included in my copy. Eastman appears for like two minutes and apparently had his nuts crushed by a soapy Serena Grandi sliding around in their steamy bathtub scene. Eastman talks shit about everybody involved in the movie, except for David Brandon for some reason. First off all, dude, you made Porno Holocaust. Second of all, Serena Grandi is fine in the movie (and fine in the movie). I think Eastman was just mad about his nuts. Although acting wise, I do agree that Brandon brings a certain humanity to an edgy character, and I also liked seeing Daria Nicolodi as I always do.

[sonjackcarl]

[apicturespeaks]

Delirium: Photo of Gioia, Lamberto Bava

[videoreligion]

Serena Grandi in Delirium: Photo of Gioia (1987)

[gbhbl]

Horror Movie Review: Delirium (1987)

Notable, not just for being a video nasty, Delirium (Italian: Le foto di Gioia, lit. 'Photos of Gioia') is an erotic slasher Giallo from legendary director Lamberto Bava.

Notable, not just for being a video nasty, Delirium (Italian: Le foto di Gioia, lit. ’Photos of Gioia’) is an erotic slasher Giallo from legendary director Lamberto Bava. Its cast is made up of noteworthy nasty names; the likes of George Eastman and Daria Nicolodi, Bava regulars like Karl Zinny and Lino Salemme, and several Italian sex symbols, namely Serena Grandi and Sabrina Salerno. Not only…

[brokehorrorfan]

Delirium will be reissued on Blu-ray on June 29 via Code Red, in conjunction with Kino Lorber. The 1987 Italian giallo film is also known as Photos of Gioia.

Lamberto Bava (Demons) directs from a script by Gianfranco Clerici (Cannibal Holocaust) and Daniele Stroppa (Witchery). Serena Grandi, George Eastman, and Daria Nicolodi star.

Scream was mastered in high definition in 2016. Special features are listed below.

Special features:

Interviews with director Lamberto Bava, actor George Eastman, cinematographer Gianlorenzo Battaglia, and art director Massimo Antonello Geleng

Vintage interviews with director Lamberto Bava and actors George Eastman and David Brandon

Trailers

Gioia (Serena Grandi) is a buxom centerfold working for Pussycat magazine. In such a profession, having an admirer or two is expected, but Gioia's new admirer is a vicious killer! He murders her fellow magazine models one at a time, using a variety of twisted implements of death. Gioia is the lucky recipient of a collection of photos, each with murdered bodies arranged around posters of her.

Pre-order Delirium on Blu-ray from Amazon.

[theburningclem]

DELIRIUM: PHOTOS OF GLORIA review

“mildly intelligent softcore trash”

[johnnymundano]

Delirium (1987) (AKA Le foto di Gioia)

Directed by Lamberto Bava

Screenplay by Gianfranco Clerici and Daniele Stroppa

Story by Luciano Martino

Music by Simon Boswell

Country: Italy

Running Time: 93 minutes

CAST

Serena Grandi as Gloria

Daria Nicolodi as Evelyn

Vanni Corbellini as Tony

David Brandon as Roberto

George Eastman as Alex

Katrine Michelsen as Kim

Karl Zinny as Mark

Lino Salemme as Inspector Corsi

Sabrina Salerno as Sabrina

Capucine as Flora

delirium /dɪˈlɪrɪəm/ noun 1) an acutely disturbed state of mind characterized by restlessness, illusions, and incoherence, occurring in intoxication, fever, and other disorders. 2) a 1987 Italian giallo erotic horror film directed by Lamberto Bava characterized by illusions, incoherence, boobs and dismal 1980s pop “star” Sabrina being stung to death while buck nekkid except for a very poor bee mask.

(Guilt Belch: The print of Delirium I streamed was atrocious. So I have had to nick pics off IMDB. Thanks, Prime.)

Delirium is a terrible but worryingly enjoyable (very) late entry in the Italian giallo cycle. It is also a frighteningly prophetic movie. While it retains enough of the hallmarks of its Italian genre forbears to remain identifiably a giallo, Delirium also clearly points to the forthcoming cultural nightmare of the American cable TV style “erotic thrillers” of the 1990s, which in retrospect were neither erotic nor thrilling. These dismal American exercises in coy peekaboo tedium all starred Shannon Tweed and were about as erotic as sorting the recycling in the rain. They possessed plots so featureless they might in fact all have been the same movie, just edited differently and given a different title (Animal Longings, Nocturnal Emissions, Nocturnal Longings, Animal Emissions, Nocturnal Animals, oh wait…).  I don’t know much about them beyond that because I was busy playing Quake and they were, well, dull; Delirium is anything but dull. Delirium is ridiculous, misogynistic, stupid, and on at least two occasions astoundingly Guinness Book of Records level nuts, but it is rarely ever dull. Delirium is either better than you think or worse than you think, or both. Whatever, it’s definitely something.

Gloria (Serena Grandi; chesty) is an ex-“glamour” model who has used the money from her husband’s recent death to empower herself by moving into publishing. In a strikingly feminist move Gloria has chosen to publish the same kind of glossy booberama she used to appear in; it’s called Pussycat, because classy never goes out of fashion. Her next door neighbour is Mark (Karl Zinny; overwrought), a young man confined to a wheelchair after a car accident in which his fiancé died. He peeps on the Pussycat photoshoots Gloria stages poolside, and frequently rings Gloria up to tell her how hard she makes him and how much he wants to “invade her flower”, because contrary to reports romance isn’t dead. Kim (Katrine Michelsen; expendable), Gloria’s friend is, however, very dead; stabbed by a pitchfork in front of Mark’s creepy peepers. Gloria thinks Mark’s having her on since no body is found, but then photos arrive showing Kim’s corpse posed in front of a blown up photo of Gloria’s chest, and when Kim herself turns up in a skip Inspector Corsi (Lino Salemme; macho) is called in to look virile and get everything wrong.

Delirium being a giallo first and a cinematic spank mag second, the dead bodies accumulate faster than the glimpses of skin, and almost as fast as the red herrings. Basically, the race is on to unmask the killer before everybody in the movie is dead. Mark saw the killer had long blonde hair so is the killer Gloria’s blonde haired assistant Evelyn (Daria Nicolodi; too good for this)? But Kim was posed in front of an old photoshoot only Roberto (David Brandon; again, too good for this) has access to, so it must be him right? Yet Roberto claims the negatives were stolen, so maybe it’s Flora (Capucine; think an evil Sybil Danning) who is trying to wrest the magazine from Gloria, who Flora feels owes her one since she saved Gloria and her brother from “the street”. Or maybe it’s Gloria’s brother Tony (Vanni Corbellini) who can’t get it up for ‘80s pop footnote Sabrina? Gloria bumps into an old flame, Alex (George Eastman; rugged), who can get it up, as we see in a scene where he humps Gloria’s thigh in the bath while she shakes about a bit, but Alex proves elusive after his comeback hump so maybe it’s him? There are so many suspects I even forgot to mention Mark, but then he can’t walk, so it can’t be him. Or can he, so can it? Or something?

Delirium’s mystery is enjoyably daft, and despite the flat lighting, terrible music and capable but unadventurous direction you will find yourself trying to guess who the killer is, as though you are watching something that actually might make sense. This is the fundamental magic of giallo; it tramples the boundaries of sanity so enchantingly that to not go along with it would leave you feeling like a sour faced party pooper. Delirium is trash, yes; but it’s magnificently, unapologetically trashy. Now, you can either take my word on that and watch the movie and have your mind blown harder than a sailor on shore leave, or you can read on where there be SPOILERS for the twin trash highpoints of Delirium.

For connoisseurs of the bizarre there are two great reasons to watch Delirium, and no, that’s not a set up for a very poor joke about the physical talents of the well upholstered star Serena Grandi. At one point Kim, smoking by a swimming pool, without any whiff of warning, inexplicably and suddenly has a face like a giant eyeball in a wig. The fact she is promptly pitchforked to death is just the icing on the, uh, eyeball. (Eventually you figure out that this eyeball faced lady is what the killer sees in the grip of their…(ta dah!) delirium, but I’m pretty sure the movie never explicitly explains it. Which is either lazy or brave; you decide.) This scene alone is all kinds of amazing, so much so that I feared Delirium had peaked early (like Tony; Boom! Boom!), but luckily even the pitchfork murder of an eyeball faced woman is not ridiculous enough for Delirium. No, Delirium also has a scene where 1980s pop warbler Sabrina is stung to death by bees in her own apartment while wearing only an unconvincing bee mask. This latter scene goes on at eye glazing length. It’s sobering to realise how quickly the human mind can become bored by the sight of a 1980s pop shouter being stung to death while wearing only a very poor bee mask. Unless of course you have a fetish for 1980s pop nonentities being stung to death while wearing only a very poor bee mask, in which case you might want to marry this movie. I’m certainly not judging you; it’s a big world. And Delirium is big, guilty fun.

[tenaflyviper]

Hey I’m wondering if you could recommended me some good Italian horror films and what do you think of the remake of susperia that’s coming out this month

I haven’t really seen enough about the Suspiria remake to make a proper judgement call at this time, I’m afraid.  However, I can certainly offer plenty of recommendations for Italian horror (and giallo).

There are certain directors with strong bodies of work that have numerous films to recommend, so I’ll start there.  Dario Argento is one of the biggest names in Italian horror, with iconic entries in the Italian giallo subgenre, which I’ve talked about before here:

http://tenaflyviper.tumblr.com/post/108100729500  

It should come as no surprise that one of his best films has been remade (I certainly hope that Goblin is on board for the remake’s soundtrack, as it would seem a sacrilege not to have them involved).  For Argento’s works, I would recommend:

The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970), The Cat O’ Nine Tails (1971), Deep Red: The Hatchet Murders (1975), Suspiria (1977) (though I assume you’ve seen the original), Inferno (1980), Tenebrae (1982), Phenomena (1985), and Terror at the Opera (1988).

A protogé of Argento, Michele Soavi may not be as recognizable a name, but he has contributed some stunning films to Italian cinema, including StageFright (1987), Cemetery Man (1995), and The Church (1998).

Lucio Fulci is another relatively big name (and a personal favorite), with both horror and giallo films under his belt.  While Italian horror in general relies more on aesthetic and atmosphere (and is often confusing and/or convoluted to Western audiences), Fulci is more restrained in his use of color than Argento, but still has a solid knack for shot composition, and his work is bolstered substantially by the lighting work of Sergio Salvati, and the haunting melodies of Fabio Frizzi. For Fulci’s works, I would recommend:

Don’t Torture a Duckling (1972), A Lizard in a Woman’s Skin (1971), The Psychic (1978), The City of the Living Dead (1980), Zombie (1980), The Beyond (1982), The New York Ripper (1982), Manhattan Baby (1982), and The House by the Cemetery (1983).

Mario Bava is the godfather of Italian horror and giallo, and is extremely influential to cinema in general (which is something I plan to post about in greater detail someday).  Bava not only aided the sci-fi boom, but he also influenced the slasher subgenre.  For Bava’s films, I would recommend:

Black Sunday (1960), Black Sabbath (1964), Blood and Black Lace (1964), Hatchet for the Honeymoon (1970), Five Dolls for an August Moon (1970), A Bay of Blood (1971), Torture Chamber of Baron Blood (1972), Lisa and the Devil (1975), and Shock (1979). 

Mario Bava's son, Lamberto Bava, gave the world Demons (1985), and Demons 2 (1987), but never quite reached the same level of success as his father.

Other general recommendations: Anthropophagus (1981), Mill of the Stone Women (1960), The Night Evelyn Came Out of the Grave (1971), What Have You Done to Solange? (1972), Cannibal Holocaust (1979), House on the Edge of the Park (1984), Cannibal Apocalypse (1980), Cannibal Ferox (1981), Emmanuelle and the Last Cannibals (1977), Burial Ground: Nights of Terror (1985), Rats: Night of Terror (1983), Beyond the Darkness (aka Blue Holocaust) (1979), The House with the Windows that Laughed (1976), Ghosthouse (1988), Delirium: Photo of Gioia (1987), and Emerald Jungle (1980).

That’s about all I can come up with at the moment, and I’m sure I’m likely missing some good ones, but I hope this list is a good start! :  )

[flammablenitrate]

Delirium: Photo of Gioia

A very mediocre slasher/mystery film with some cool imagery

[ericbill]

Watching Delirium: Photo of Gioia

[sonjackcarl]

[dancemacabre]

Dancing Without You (2008)

Dancing Without You (2008)

Vivian Hsu and Tony Yang (In Case of Love) star in My DNA Says I Love You director Robin Lee Yun Chan's latest urban fairy tale Dancing Without You. The theatrical version of a mini-series exhibited exclusively in metro stations in Mainland China, the whimsical romance drama is an inspiring and humorous tale of love, dreams, and dancing. The film also features the supporting appearances of Taiwan and Hong Kong stars like Tammy Chen, Gabriel Lan, Joelle Lu, Michael Tong, and Eileen Tung. On the eve of the premiere of Swan Lake, ballet dancer Xia Xuan (Vivian Hsu) is forced to withdraw from the troupe after spraining her ankle. Losing all hope, the dejected dancer strays into the forest by the lakeside. Just when she is about to attempt suicide, a young truck driver named Ludi (Tony Yang) pops out in front of her. Full of fanciful ideas, Ludi mistakes Xia Xuan for an alien and brings her home, taking care of her and rekindling her passion in life...

Try six more:

Vuelo Sobre Ti: Zapato 3 (2015)

Lichtmond 2 - Universe of Light 3D (2012)

The Hold Steady: Castle Clinton (2007)

Delirium: Photo of Gioia (1987)

The Russian Singer (1993)

Khamsa (2008)

[videoreligion]

Delirium: Photo of Gioia (1987)

[tenaflyviper]

Hey Tena! I really love your blog, esp the horror movies post! :) I'm starting to get really into slasher movies and I was wondering if you maybe had some suggestions for me ! I've seen all the Screams and Friday the 13th so far and was looking for more ideas! Thank you! (:

I’ve always got horror suggestions!

Let’s start with a few proto-slashers (i.e., those films that helped mold the formula for the modern slasher.  They may not be as gory, but they’re important to what the slasher film would eventually become):

M (1931) - Fritz Lang

Peeping Tom (1960) - Michael Powell

Psycho (1960) - Alfred Hitchcock

A Bay of Blood (aka Twitch of the Death Nerve) (1971) - Mario Bava (I could have placed this in the next category, but the influence of this film in particular on the Friday the 13th franchise is quite noticeable)

Torso (1973) - Sergio Martino

Axe (1974) - Frederick R. Friedel

Black Christmas (1974) - Bob Clark

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) - Tobe Hooper

The Town that Dreaded Sundown (1976) - Charles B. Pierce

Alice, Sweet Alice (1976) - Alfred Sole

Massacre at Central High (1976) - Renee Daalder

The Hills Have Eyes (1977) - Wes Craven

Giallo films (personally recommended in order to best understand the genesis of the slasher subgenre):

Blood and Black Lace (1964) - Mario Bava

The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970)- Dario Argento

Five Dolls for an August Moon (1970) - Mario Bava

A Lizard in a Woman’s Skin (1971) - Lucio Fulci

Short Night of Glass Dolls (1971) - Aldo Lado

The Cat O’ Nine Tails (1971) - Dario Argento

Four Flies on Grey Velvet (1971) (Dario Argento)

Don’t Torture a Duckling (1972) - Lucio Fulci

The Red Queen Kills Seven Times (1972) - Emilio Miraglia

What Have You Done to Solange? (1972) - Massimo Dallamano

Seven Deaths in the Cat’s Eye (1973) - Antonio Margheriti

Eyeball (1975) - Umberto Lenzi

Deep Red (1975) - Dario Argento

The House with Laughing Windows (1976) - Pupi Avati

Tenebrae  (1982) - Dario Argento

Delirium: Photo of Gioia (1987) - Lamberto Bava

Stage Fright (1987) - Michele Soavi

Basic list of slasher films (as in, the most commonly-cited examples of the subgenre):

Halloween (1978) - John Carpenter

Terror Train (1980) - Roger Spottiswoode

Prom Night (1980) - Paul Lynch

Maniac (1981) - William Lustig

My Bloody Valentine (1981) - George Mihalka

The Burning (1981) - Tony Maylam

The Funhouse (1981) - Tobe Hooper

Hell Night (1981) - Tom De Simone

Just Before Dawn (1981) - Jeff Leiberman

The Prowler (1981) - Joseph Zito

Happy Birthday to Me (1981) - J. Lee Thompson

The Slumber Party Massacre (1982) - Amy Holden Jones(this was allegedly a feminist parody of slasher films, but ends up being more excessive, and less entertaining.  Noteworthy only for this information)

Sleepaway Camp (1983) - Robert Hiltzik

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) - Wes Craven

April Fool’s Day (1986) - Fred Walton

Child’s Play (1988) - Tom Holland

I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) - Jim Gillespie

Saw (2004) - James Wan 

Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (2006) - Scott Glosserman

Hatchet (2006) - Adam Green

Other slasher films:

Motel Hell (1980) - Kevin Connor

Mother’s Day (1980) - Charles Kaufman

Nightmare (1981) - Romano Scavolini

Madman (1981) - Joe Giannone

The New York Ripper (1982) - Lucio Fulci

Curtains (1983) - Jonathan Stryker

The House on Sorority Row (1983) - Mark Rosman

The Initiation (1984) - Larry Stewart

Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984) - Charles E. Sellier Jr.

Blood Diner (1987)- Jackie Kong

Slaughterhouse (1987) - Rick Roessler

Satan’s Little Helper (2004) - Jeff Leiberman

Hostel (2005) - Eli Roth (I’m not a fan, but you may feel differently)

Them (2006) - David Moreau and Xavier Palud

Standout slasher films (those of exceptional quality, or with traits that set it apart from others):

Tourist Trap (1979) - David Schmoeller

Alone in the Dark (1982) - Jack Sholder

The Stepfather (1987) - Joseph Ruben

Candyman (1992) - Bernard Rose

Dr. Giggles (1992) - Manny Coto

Wolf Creek (2005) - Greg Mclean

High Tension (2006) - Alexandre Aja

LGBT slasher films (because I felt like it):

Make a Wish (2002) - Sharon Ferranti

Hellbent (2004) - Paul Etheredge-Ouzts

You’re Killing Me (2015) - Jim Hansen

Additionally, you could look into German krimi films, which are essentially the sister subgenre to the giallo (and which I unfortunately do not have much personal experience with).

Hope this helps! :D

[videoreligion]

Delirium (1987)