Answers Below – No Peeking!

Italian Giallo cinema emerged in the 1960s as a distinctive blend of thriller and horror elements. This quiz examines directors, actors, production details and narrative facts from landmark films in the genre. Questions range from foundational works to later entries by key figures such as Dario Argento and Mario Bava.

10 Trivia Questions

Question 1: Which 1963 film directed by Mario Bava is widely regarded as the first Giallo?

A. Black Sabbath
B. The Girl Who Knew Too Much
C. Blood and Black Lace
D. Planet of the Vampires

Question 2: Who directed the 1970 Giallo The Bird with the Crystal Plumage?

A. Lucio Fulci
B. Mario Bava
C. Dario Argento
D. Sergio Martino

Question 3: In which year was Dario Argento’s Deep Red released?

A. 1973
B. 1975
C. 1977
D. 1979

Question 4: Which actress appeared in multiple Giallo films including The Strange Vice of Mrs Wardh and All the Colors of the Dark?

A. Barbara Steele
B. Edwige Fenech
C. Florinda Bolkan
D. Mimsy Farmer

Question 5: What is the English title of the 1971 Giallo directed by Dario Argento that features a composer as the protagonist?

A. Four Flies on Grey Velvet
B. The Cat o’ Nine Tails
C. Tenebrae
D. Opera

Question 6: Which director helmed the 1972 Giallo Don’t Torture a Duckling?

A. Dario Argento
B. Lucio Fulci
C. Mario Bava
D. Umberto Lenzi

Question 7: What is the profession of the main character played by David Hemmings in Deep Red?

A. Journalist
B. Pianist
C. Detective
D. Architect

Question 8: Which 1975 Giallo by Dario Argento is also known by the title The Shadow of the Black Cat in some markets?

A. Deep Red
B. Suspiria
C. Tenebrae
D. Inferno

Question 9: Who composed the score for the 1970 film The Bird with the Crystal Plumage?

A. Ennio Morricone
B. Goblin
C. Stelvio Cipriani
D. Riz Ortolani

Question 10: Which Giallo film from 1964 was directed by Mario Bava and centres on a fashion house?

A. The Girl Who Knew Too Much
B. Blood and Black Lace
C. The Whip and the Body
D. Kill, Baby, Kill

Answers

  1. B. The Girl Who Knew Too Much – Mario Bava directed this film in 1963, establishing many conventions of the Giallo genre. Black Sabbath and Blood and Black Lace came later, while Planet of the Vampires is science fiction.
  2. C. Dario Argento – This was Argento’s directorial debut and the first in his animal trilogy of Giallo films. Bava and Fulci directed other early Giallo entries but not this one.
  3. B. 1975 – Deep Red premiered in Italy in 1975. It followed The Bird with the Crystal Plumage and preceded later Argento works such as Suspiria.
  4. B. Edwige Fenech – Fenech starred in several Giallo productions during the early 1970s. Barbara Steele appeared mainly in gothic horror, while the others featured in fewer Giallo titles.
  5. A. Four Flies on Grey Velvet – This 1971 Argento film follows a musician entangled in murder. The Cat o’ Nine Tails is also Argento but features a different lead character.
  6. B. Lucio Fulci – Fulci directed this film set in a rural Italian town. Argento and Bava worked on separate Giallo projects around the same period.
  7. B. Pianist – David Hemmings plays a jazz pianist who witnesses a murder. The character is not a journalist or detective by profession.
  8. A. Deep Red – The film carries this alternate title in limited releases. Tenebrae and Suspiria belong to different phases of Argento’s career.
  9. C. Stelvio Cipriani – Cipriani provided the original score. Morricone scored earlier Argento films, while Goblin worked on later ones such as Suspiria.
  10. B. Blood and Black Lace – Bava directed this 1964 film involving a fashion house and a killer. The Girl Who Knew Too Much predates it, while the other options are from different years or directors.

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