On Thursday nights in August, we celebrate the cinematic art of the giallo. Baroque, preposterous, unbelievably dramatic, hilariously gory and almost always erotic, these classic Italian thrillers are perfect viewing on a hot summer night. And since these overheated guilty pleasures pair well with something sweet, we're offering a free scoop of ice cold gelato with your ticket. Tonight, we present a double feature of What Have You Done to Solange? with The Bird With the Crystal Plumage.

What Have You Done to Solange? @ 20:00

Mr. Rossini (Fabio Testi) is a young Italian gym teacher at a Catholic high school in London. While on an clandestine boat trip with his pupil Elizabeth (Cristina Galbò), he witnesses the murder of another schoolgirl. As more victims are killed in the same brutal manner, Rossini struggles to prove his innocence, while concealing his private life. He sets out to break the school's wall of silence and find the real murderer. Writer-director Massimo Dallamano blends the austerity of the film's British setting and characters with the giallo’s fascination for exploitation and gore to create a genre film with a surprisingly sharp social critique. Watch the trailer.

Directed by Massimo Dallamano, 1972, Italy, 103 minutes. In English.

The Bird With the Crystal Plumage @ 22:00

A night stroll in Rome is rarely an ordinary experience. For Sam Dalmas (Tony Musante), an American writer who foils a murder attempt in an art gallery while on his way home, it is just the beginning of a nightmarish adventure in the Eternal City. Forced by the Italian police to stay in town until when he remembers a key detail about the attack that has vanished from his memory, Dalmas finds himself involved in the investigation of a serial killer and becomes the primary target of the criminal. Adapted from the novel The Screaming Mimi, The Bird With the Crystal Plumage is horror and giallo master Dario Argento’s directorial debut and an dazzling early showcase for his stylistic hallmarks. Watch the trailer. 

Directed by Dario Argento, 1970, Italy, 92 minutes. In Italian w/ English subtitles. 

Bar opens @ 19:30.
€4 entry includes a free ice cream.