Films · Giallo and horror
Giallo Movie Posters and Italian Horror: What to Collect
Giallo movie posters advertise the Italian thrillers of the 1960s–1980s, a genre named after the yellow (giallo) covers of the crime paperbacks Italians read. Together with the Italian horror films of the same years — by Mario Bava, Dario Argento, Lucio Fulci and others — they produced some of the boldest poster art of the period, and they are among the most collected Italian posters worldwide.
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What giallo means
Giallo is Italian for yellow. Mondadori's crime series, launched in 1929 as I Libri Gialli, used yellow covers, and "giallo" became the Italian word for a mystery or crime story. In cinema it means a specific kind of thriller: a mysterious killer, often gloved and unseen, a stylish setting, and set-piece murders.
Essential gialli and Italian horror films
| Italian title | English title | Year | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| La maschera del demonio | Black Sunday | 1960 | Mario Bava |
| La ragazza che sapeva troppo | The Girl Who Knew Too Much | 1963 | Mario Bava |
| Sei donne per l'assassino | Blood and Black Lace | 1964 | Mario Bava |
| L'uccello dalle piume di cristallo | The Bird with the Crystal Plumage | 1970 | Dario Argento |
| Il gatto a nove code | The Cat o' Nine Tails | 1971 | Dario Argento |
| Lo strano vizio della signora Wardh | The Strange Vice of Mrs Wardh | 1971 | Sergio Martino |
| Reazione a catena | A Bay of Blood | 1971 | Mario Bava |
| Non si sevizia un paperino | Don't Torture a Duckling | 1972 | Lucio Fulci |
| Tutti i colori del buio | All the Colors of the Dark | 1972 | Sergio Martino |
| Profondo rosso | Deep Red | 1975 | Dario Argento |
| Suspiria | Suspiria | 1977 | Dario Argento |
| Zombi 2 | Zombi 2 / Zombie Flesh Eaters | 1979 | Lucio Fulci |
| Inferno | Inferno | 1980 | Dario Argento |
| Macabro | Macabre | 1980 | Lamberto Bava |
| Tenebre | Tenebrae | 1982 | Dario Argento |
Sandro Symeoni painted the Italian poster for Profondo rosso, one of the best-known images of the genre.
Collecting giallo and horror posters
- Original Italian releases of the classics are scarce and widely reproduced — check the authenticity points carefully.
- Locandine and fotobuste are the affordable formats; fotobuste show the films' famous scenes.
- Censorship variations exist: some posters were altered or toned down, which can make particular versions rarer.
- English and Italian titles differ widely, so search both, and use the director and year to be sure.
Where giallo ends and horror begins
Collectors use the two words loosely. A giallo is a murder mystery with a hidden killer and a solution, however outlandish; horror adds the supernatural or the undead, as in Bava's La maschera del demonio or Fulci's zombie films. Argento moved between the two — from the gialli L'uccello dalle piume di cristallo and Profondo rosso to the witches of Suspiria and Inferno — so his posters sit in both collections. When you search, try "giallo", "thriller" and "horror" with the Italian title.
Frequently asked questions
Why is it called giallo?
Giallo means yellow: Italian crime paperbacks were published with yellow covers, and the word came to mean any crime or mystery story.
What is the most famous giallo?
Dario Argento's Profondo rosso (Deep Red, 1975) is the title most often named, alongside Mario Bava's Blood and Black Lace and Argento's The Bird with the Crystal Plumage.
Keep reading
- Spaghetti Western Posters: A Collector's GuideSpaghetti western posters from Italy: the key films from Per un pugno di dollari to Il mio nome è Nessuno, their Italian titles, painters and collecting tips.
- Sandro Symeoni: Posters for Fellini, Leone and ArgentoSandro Symeoni (1928–2008) painted posters, locandine and fotobuste for over 3,000 films, including La dolce vita, A Fistful of Dollars and Profondo rosso.
- Italian Movie Poster Value: How Much Is Yours Worth?Italian movie poster value: the five factors that set the price — film, format, artist, edition and condition — and how to research comparable sales.
Locandine Best is an independent reference site. We do not sell posters, and we are not affiliated with any auction house, dealer, film distributor or previous owner of this domain.