Suspiria (1977)

Director - Dario Argento

Arguably Argento’s masterpiece, this is a step away from his Giallo roots and into the world of full-on horror. An American ballet dancer turns up for her first day at her new school in Germany only to find that everything is a little upside down. Oh and a couple of students have been brutally murdered (in one of Argento’s greatest set-pieces). Witches, huge Goblin soundtrack, lots of rain, cinematography that you sink into and a script that only just hangs together. Horror films never looked this good again. 

Profondo rosso [Deep Red] (1975)

Director - Dario Argento

Argento’s first stone-cold classic, is this tale about a jazzer (David Hemmings) who witnesses one of his neighbours being offed, and sets about trying to figure out what the heck is going on. Argento makes a huge leap forward with his cinematography with elaborate tracking shots and incredible close ups. If you’re new to the big world of Argento you could do worse than starting here. Gorgeous score by Goblin too.

Gli orrori del castello di Norimberga [Baron Blood] (1972)

Director - Mario Bava 

Gothic horror set in the then modern day about an evil type being bought back to life by an idiot ancestor. As painful as it is to see the once great Joseph Cotten slumming it as the titular Baron this is a film that has lots going for it. Light on gore but has oodles more imagination that the majority of schlock that passes for horror nowadays.

Naked Violence (1969)

Director - Fernando Di Leo 

Early Di Leo crime flick about a group of young offenders who rape and murder their teacher during class. It’s down to detective Duca (Pier Paolo Capponi playing much the same role here as he did in Cat o' Nine Tails), to figure out who the ringleader is. Dirty and sweaty and with a twist ending ripped straight from an Argento film. Nowhere near as over-the-top as Di Leo’s more famous crime flicks, but well worth hunting down if you like gritty Italian crime flicks.

Four Flies on Grey Velvet (1971)

Director - Dario Argento

A drummer is blackmailed when he is photographed apparently murdering someone in this Argento giallo. This marks the first time that an Argento film went all out bonkers and disregard any sort of logic story-wise. The visuals are really ramped up but the murders are not quite as elaborate as you expect from Agento. After this he’d make a string of classic horror films. If you like giallo then this is a must see. Gorgeous Morricone score too.