Footsteps” is a medium-length film of 34 minutes directed by Giulio Questi in 1964. A real jewel of Italian underground cinema, unknown to most and brought into the open in 2009 on the occasion of the 66th Venice International Film Festival.

This is the first of the three episodes that make up the film Amori Pericolosi aka Dangerous Loves (Giulio Questi, Carlo Lizzani, Alfredo Giannetti, 1964), an Italian-French co-production inspired by the tradition of the Grand Guignol (the Parisian theater, founded by Oscar Metenier, specializing in shows both gruesome and gory).

Footsteps is undoubtedly the best episode, the result of the connection between Questi and editor Franco “Kim” Arcalli that beautifully blends style with technique to produce a final, truly amazing result.

If the direction of Questi proceeds through a series of sublime shots enhanced by the chiaroscuro of Leonida Barboni (brother of the more famous Enzo), the editing of Arcalli is very fast, without pause or nearly so, with the speed of avant-garde cinema. Regarding this film, Questi recalls that “in Footsteps there is exemplary editing, probably the best of of Arcalli’s career.”

Also worthy of note are the interpretation of Juliette Mayniel (then partner of Vittorio Gassman) and the soundtrack of Ivan Vandor, which contribute to the success of this wonderful period, black comedy, whose gothic atmosphere prefigures Questi’s style in his later works, and which has nothing to be ashamed of in comparison to the films of Mario Bava and Riccardo Freda.

IL PASSO (Giulio Questi, 1964).mkv

General
Container:  	Matroska
Runtime: 	33mn 37s
Size: 	119 MiB
Video
Codec: 	h264
Resolution: 	640x358 
Aspect ratio:  	16:9
Frame rate: 	25.000 fps
Bit rate: 	
BPP: 	
Audio
#1:  	2.0ch AAC

https://nitro.download/view/3618F55CDAF4ABB/IL_PASSO_(Giulio_Questi,_1964).mkv
https://nitro.download/view/1B2DDDAE98F9B39/IL_PASSO_(Giulio_Questi,_1964)-eng.srt
https://nitro.download/view/07A8AA4923168C3/IL_PASSO_(Giulio_Questi,_1964)-it.srt

Language(s):Italian
Subtitles:English, Italian

The post Giulio Questi – Il Passo (1964) first appeared on Cinema of the World.

In 1981, RAI-TV presented six hour-long films based on stories by 19th century horror/fantasy authors from such directors as Giulio Questi (DJANGO, KILL!), Marcello Aliprandi (A WHISPER IN THE DARK) and Giovanna Gagliardo (STREET OF MIRRORS), starring actors that included Veronica Lario (TENEBRE), Saverio Vallone (ANTHROPOPHAGUS) and Stefano Madia (THE DEVIL’S HONEY). But it was the mini-series’ second episode that remains its most celebrated: The final work of legendary director Mario Bava – and the debut of his son Lamberto Bava as co-director – LA VENERE D’ILLE/THE VENUS OF ILLE stars Daria Nicolodi (DEEP RED) and Marc Porel (DON’T TORTURE A DUCKLING) in an elegantly chilling tale of supernatural love. Five episodes have been sourced from broadcast masters, with Bava’s swansong restored from a 16MM print discovered in the RAI vault by film preservationists Simone Starace and the late Michele De Angelis.

EPISODE 1: The Sandman
Dir. Giulio Questi

Hotheaded, romantic student Nathaniel conceives a passion for the professor’s daughter, Olympia. Others, though, say she has no soul, even that her singing and dancing are mechanical. When he stumbles on the professor and his assistant fightin over the automaton’s disassembled body, Nathaniel becomes even more unhinged.

EPISODE 2: Venus of Ille
Dir. Mario Bava & Lamberto Bava

Wealthy landowner Mr. De Peyhorrade uncovers a bronze statue of Venus on his property. Afterwards, De Peyhorrade asks an antique expert, named Matthew, from another village to examine the statue and confirm its wealth. Upon arrival, Matthew is striken with love by Clara, Mr. De Peyhorrade’s daughter-in-law, who bears an uncanny resemblance to the statue.

EPISODE 3: The Perfect Presence
Dir. Piero Nelli

Based on Henry James’ “Sir Edmund Ore,” it concerns the eerie experience of upper class, pipe-smoking Henry (William Berger, Five Dolls for an August Moon) when he becomes entangled in the lives of Annie Marden (Rada Rassimov, The Cat o’ Nine Tails) and her daughter, Charlotte (Emenuela Barattolo), who seem to be haunted by an apparition from the mother’s past. This one is very low key and chatty, but the solid cast and sumptuous production design make it a classy little ghost story on the non-menacing side.

EPISODE 4: The Possessed Hand
Dir. Marcello Aliprandi

The Possessed Hand is essentially a remake of the magnificent 1943 French horror film La main du diable (Carnival of Sinners) about a mysterious man showing off a ghastly, seemingly sentient severed hand to a group of guests at an inn during a snowstorm. Through flashbacks we learned the story of the diabolical limb and its origins with a Mephistopholean carnival barker played by the fantastic Gabriele Ferzetti (who makes this episode worth a look all by himself). While the earlier episodes were all shot in scenic locations with convincing period interiors, this one shifts gears for the rest of the stories by being obviously stage-bound with more minimal, stylized sets.

EPISODE 5: The Bottle Imp
Dir. Tomaso Sherman

Based on a short story by Robert Louis Stevenson. In Samoa, Stevenson (Mario Santella) relates the story of Keawe (Stefano Sabelli), manages to acquire a seemingly unbreakable bottle from an elderly rich gentleman who informs him that it contains an imp capable of granting his dearest wishes. However, the owner will be damned for eternity if he dies while the bottle is still in his possession. Obviously inspired by Powell and Pressburger films (especially The Tales of Hoffman), this is very theatrically staged and often feels more like a ballet with the camera moving back and forth between the stylized action and the narrator.

EPISODE 6: The Dream of Another
Dir. Giovanna Gagliardo

An adaptation of H.G. Wells’ “The Story of the Late Mr. Elvesham.” Here we have the saga of medical student Edward Eden (Stefano Madia), who is approached by the aging and wealthy Albert Elvesham (José Quaglio) in search of the perfect heir. Of course, that arrangement comes with a very big hitch that turns into an metaphysical nightmare. Again this one is shot on very spare sets, often shrouded in darkness or with a Magritte-style cloud backdrop that gives it a weird, dreamlike feeling throughout.

https://nitro.download/view/61670EE28B8C378/S01.E01.The.Sandman.(Giulio.Questi).mkv https://nitro.download/view/B172ADD19DB559B/S01.E02.Venus.of.Ille.(Mario.Bava.&.Lamberto.Bava).mkv
https://nitro.download/view/9D952737624DDA3/S01.E03.The.Perfect.Presence.(Piero.Nelli).mkv
https://nitro.download/view/C8B803EEB53C526/S01.E04.The.Possessed.Hand.(Marcello.Aliprandi).mkv
https://nitro.download/view/7AA040EE8E7B2CA/S01.E05.The.Bottle.Imp.(Tomaso.Sherman).mkv
https://nitro.download/view/3A48D998D5EC7F9/S01.E06.The.Dream.of.Another.(Giovanna.Gagliardo).mkv

Language(s):Italian, English commentary
Subtitles:English

The post Lamberto Bava & Mario Bava & Marcello Aliprandi & Giovanna Gagliardo & Piero Nelli & Giulio Questi & Tomaso Sherman – I giochi del diavolo AKA The Devil’s Game (1981) first appeared on Cinema of the World.

L’Uomo della sabbia (The Sandman) is the first episode of the 1981 RAI horror anthology series I Giochi del Diavolo (The Devil’s Games). It is based on the short story Der Sandmann (1816) by E.T.A. Hoffmann.

Hotheaded, romantic student Nathaniel conceives a passion for the professor’s daughter, Olympia. Others, though, say she has no soul, even that her singing and dancing are mechanical. When he stumbles on the professor and his assistant fighting over the automaton’s disassembled body, Nathaniel becomes even more unhinged.

1.17GB | 1 h 16 min | 754×566 | mkv

https://nitro.download/view/C84C924590D29D0/The.Sandman.1981.TVRIP.x264.AC3.KJNU.mkv
https://nitro.download/view/516A5CAA2AE63C5/I_giochi_del_diavolo_l’uomo_della_sabbia.KG.rar

Language(s):Italian
Subtitles:English

The post Giulio Questi – “I giochi del diavolo” L’uomo della sabbia AKA The Sandman (1981) first appeared on Cinema of the World.