If there is one type of film that I find myself obsessing over, and going back to year in, and year out, it is the giallo. Send me a giallo that I haven’t seen, and I guarantee it will be in my Blu-ray player that night. So needless to say when Vinegar Syndrome’s Blu-ray release Forgotten Gialli Vol. 1 ended up in my mailbox, I knew I would end up plowing through its contents as fast as I could.

I have spent the better part of 2 decades watching gialli, and there is not a film in this set (which is made up of 2 Spanish and 1 true Italian giallo films) that I had seen making the set all too enticing. The films in the collection are Leon Klimovsky’s (The People Who Own the Dark) Trauma, Police Are Blundering in the Dark, and Javier Aguirre’s (Hunchback of the Morgue) The Killer is One of the Thirteen. Each one has a distinct and unique tone from one another, making each film in the set interesting to watch in marathon form, as they never quite feel repetitions.

The set opens with Trauma, which feels less giallo, and more akin to something like Psycho or Twisted Nerve, but I digress. This film stars Heinrich Starhemberg as Daniel, a writer who has escaped his city life, and his wife to stay at a lakeside inn run by Veronica. During his stay bodies begin to pile up around him. At the same time Veronica is spending a lot of time arguing with her handicapped husband in an upstairs bedroom.

Trauma, of the 3 films in the set is the one I had the least fun with. I’ll admit that is probably because on a performance and thematic level this one felt the most serious dealing with issues like rape, sexual abuse, and emotional trauma, so while there is lots of lurid sex and violence typical of the genre, it has some emotional baggage with it. Still it’s a good film, and as it is Klimovsky’s swan-song certainly worth a watch.

The next film, and the least serious of the lot is The Police are Blundering in the Dark. This film is the only Italian film in the set, and if you are a giallo elitists (I am not), then you might consider it the only true giallo in the set. The film opens up with a hippie chick’s car breaking down, and within 30 seconds she is topless and being stalked by a killer with a pair of scissors. Needless to say this one had my attention from the first minute. This leads to a second similar murder which when investigated leads to the goings-on in a nearby manor house.

The Killer is One of Thirteen is an interesting one. It takes place 2 years after the death of Lisa Mandel’s (Patty Sheppard) husband over the English channel. She has invited a group of friends to a dinner, where she accuses them of her husband’s murder. Of course, the body count starts piling up until the killer is revealed. The film’s first 2 acts are moderately paced, but the whole thing gets totally gonzo in the third act.

Vinegar Syndrome did a predictably outstanding job with their Forgotten Gialli Vol. 1 set. All 3 transfers are scanned at 2k in 1:85:1 1080p AVC encoded transfers. All 3 films look excellent with stable and natural colors, fine detail, and very minimal damage throughout. Audio is handled in DTS-HD MA 2.0 tracks in Spanish and Italian with subtitles, and comes through crisp and clear without issue. Extras include a commentary on Trauma by Troy Howarth, Trauma also has a photo gallery. The Killer is One of Thirteen has an excellent, and informative commentary by Kat Ellinger. A photo gallery is also provided. The Police are Blundering in the Dark also a photo gallery and an audio essay by Rachael Nisbet. While the extras are slim, they do give excellent information and context, the films are fun, and the transfers are excellent HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Forgotten Gialli Vol. 1

Director- Javier Aguirre, Helia Colombo, Leon Klimosky

Cast- Various

Country of Origin- Spain/Italy

Discs-3

Distributor- Vinegar Syndrome

Reviewer-Scott MacDonald