Does anyone have a good short definition of both, and in what circumstance one would take main subgenre status over the other? Is giallo infact a subgenre of the exploitation movement?

There's a lot of overlap between the two. I realise Giallo is usually a gorey, flashy murder/serial killer flick, often featuring nudity and more sleazey elements, whilst exploitation is a cheap/bmovie subgenre that involves 'getting' people to watch based upon 'lower' values/content playing up to taboo subjects.

There seems to be a lot of cross over though, so in such circumstances, what would you say is the lesser genre? Giallo seems to be a more descript plot trait driven genre classifcation whilst exploitation is more a classification of the production value/artistry of the movie (Not saying they are lesser films, just how they are filmed and marketed).

What's your opinion on the cross over, would you say giallo or exploitation if forced to pick?

Exploitation...

Great topic Spud
This is why I came up with the term "Horrorsploitation". The line that there is between the the 2 can be a bit blurry but I'll try and explain the difference..at least as I use for the UEC.
A giallo of course is a murder mystery type film..it can have nudity and even a sex scene and still be a giallo. Now the line is if it has an overabundance of sex and nudity then It gets moved to exploitation.Same with gore in a way....If it has over the top gore in it I usually throw it in the Horrorsploitation...this is not a couple of scenes I mean mainly the movie is made up just for that purpose is to sick you out...As is the nudity at a level where is throws away the plot in sake of showing prolonged sex acts or nudity throughout the film.Taboo subjects often get a giallo to an exploitation level say involving incest, pedophilia or just good horse fucking. In the end Spud..it comes down to the viewer on the decision of where it lies but these are the standards I follow and they seem to work.
I got more to add but my brain shut off on me right now..I'll wait for a response and add more later.

giallo is in the eye of the beholder

mine definition would be - Italian thrillers with glimpses into horror because of its violent, graphic depiction of death. Plot is usually whodunnit? with freudian overtones

i just know a giallo when i see one.

DxA would you name a flick, which has so many sex scenes that is not a giallo anymore? i'm curious.

I think you misunderstood my comments or I didn't convey them correctly....I meant all movies not just giallo that I hold the standard to....Most giallo is made in the 60's and early 70's so the sex dept is not as blatant and more hidden. I don't think I know of any giallo of the top of my head that would classify it in the terms you describe...although plenty have exploitive elements to them..Say..."Don't torture a Duckling"..deals with pedophilia and has a fair amount of nudity in it but I would still classify as giallo because the elements don't take away from the meat of the story which is a "Who done it"

Delirio Caldo is a good example. Also I think Torso and that one where guy basicaly just hits his naked wife the whole time forget the name. Blood stained omething... anyway I think Giallo and Exploitation are two seperate genres one isn't under the other. Giallo>exploitation ain't right for sure! Exploitation>giallo would have to be the way to go, forced to choose. I have watched many of both and never really drew a line between them, except maybe some more raunchy-sexy giallos.

Giallo= psycho-twisted mystery involving murder and/or sexual deviance, with a drama pacing.

exploitation= cheap thrill sex death comedy film. Drive-in films.

I've normally percieved the Giallo's as the more obviously artistic films. Argento's 'Deep Red' is an obvious example.
Exploitation to me would be more like something that Deodato or Sergio Martino would direct. Even though I feel that a film like 'Cannibal Holocaust' is actually a great film visually it doesn't have that real sense of baroque that 'Deep Red' has.

I am no expert however, that's just the way I would devide them with my limited education in the genres.

i'd say it's more common to categorize film as a giallo beacuse its narrative scheme (murder mystery) with some variations, than to look at its artistic values. roughly - black clad killer, series of murder set pieces, amateur sleuth, trauma from the past that caused murderer's killing spree equals giallo.

artistry of the director, camera operator is not important. there are just good, well filmed films of this genre ('Profondo Rosso', 'Casa dalle finestre che ridono') and lowbrow, exploatative examples such as 'Strip Nude For Your Killer' [:mrgreen:]

There's plenty of movies where the cinematographer and technical staff have been far more daring, innovative and competent than the director.

agree. but that was not the point

so to put it in other words - artistic values of the film are not important when classifying it as a giallo exponent or not

As long as it has sex and blood I am there.

Spud are you gonna split up forums into subgenres? Or is this just a general discussion? I would love a Giallo forum and a Exploitation forum or maybe just an exploitation forum and true-to-form giallos can go into horror, like Dario,etc. Most of the films posted have some kind of shock value to them, non-horror feels more like 'shocking' crime dramas or Italian action flix. If anything, all those softcore crappers (misty) shouldn't be in horror IMO (horrorporn right?) Whoa sorry I am way off topic I think.


What giallos do you think cross the line to the for'stablished definition of exploitation? I know there are a few tagged [giallo] but are mostly sleazy dramas with some kind of threat-of-death theme.

Good god...say that ain't so...I can see headache after headache on that one.

lmao! Actually, i was just playing:
http://www.bothanspies.com/beta.dead-do ... m.php?f=33

but that was last week when i was playing with that structure, when shorts section was requested

Yeah. I agree with the narrative elements too. I'll have to look into Giallo more though. Now i've got the time.

Glad you decided against it.....I can just see a nightmare coming is all....exploitation film and giallo's are both labeled as such anyway in the non-horror section.The work on the UEC would be for nothing if we just had a separate section for it...Although at this rate of getting it fixed one could say it is for nothing anyways Going to get to a point where I am going to post the 2nd part out and not have the first online...Damn this server and it's idiosyncrasies Tell them to get off their asses and do something...all that money you spend should be good for something shouldn't it?