“Hanging Shadows” by Paolo Fazzini is a documentary offering perspectives on Italian horror from the maestros of giallo. The 60 minute film is a truly informative gem for any horror fan, especially the fan that loves Italian horror. “Hanging Shadows” has originally only been available as an education tool for film students but it is now being made available to the general public. I have to say it is a must have for any collector. It presents the giallo genre from the directors themselves through continuous interview sequences that weave first-hand accounts of Argento, Bava, Deodato, Cozzi and others relationships to projects and one another. “Hanging Shadows” is a wealth of knowledge, shedding light on the horror genre from Italian points-of-view. It gives insight to very specific projects like “Demons”, “Cannibal Holocaust”, and “Once Upon A Time In America”. Plus the documentary gives us an understanding on the love-hate relationship the Italian film community held for the masters of horror and the whole “fantasy” film concept. It goes without saying that the Western, English speaking world had a higher respect and love for the films than Italian counterparts. Not my American pride, the issue is addressed in the documentary.
This is a film to get, I imagine watching it over and over. Mostly because the stories, collaborations and perspectives come from men whose films I have watched over and over. “Hanging Shadows” is a fascinating collection of information, Italian directors discussing how they met one another, experiences on set, and the publics reaction to the films at the time of their release. There isn’t much more that I can really say other than this, “Hanging Shadows” is necessary for horror fans, if you want to understand the films and the people responsible for giving them to us, then why not let them tell you in their own words. Which is exactly what you get with this documentary. It is the best perspective on Italian horror on the market.
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