This has just enough of the giallo about it to be considered a late entry in the genre and whilst it is far from outstanding is perfectly watchable. It is bright, fast moving and colourful but at the same time rather brash with an uninvolving story and the usual crashing 80s score. Serena Grandi may not be the greatest actress in the world but she is outstanding in one (or is that two?!) respects. Another large busted performer, Sabrina plays herself and between them the two girls manage to display a considerable amount of flesh amidst the murderous shenanigans. George Eastman makes an appearance and it is regrettable that his part could not have been enlarged in place of some of the silliness going on around. Daria Nicolodi is a welcome participant and again enlarging her part might have been a good idea. Altogether there is too much time spent on the young guys and creating red herrings when the script is really not up to being taken seriously.
42 Reviews
Serena Grandi Has A Huge Problem (Or Three)
evetilly15 August 2019
This is such great trash. As a straight woman, I was insanely distracted by Serena Grandi's breasts throughout. I really don't know how she walks, let alone runs, with those things. I hope her back is ok. There were times when I was more concerned that she'd topple over and hit her head on a coffee table than get stabbed by the psycho killer who was after her.
It's fairly typical giallo stuff and feels a little like a less psychic Eyes of Laura Mars with a well off magazine editor finding out that her models are being killed off one by one. But this one comes with 100% more Daria Nicolodi, which is never a bad thing even if she gets nothing to do.
There's a suspenseful sequence in a department store, a wacky killer monologue/motivation, and some really surreal murder sequences where we see them through the killer's P.O.V. where he or she sees the victims as different kinds of strange insects or giant eyeballs. If someone can figure out what the creators were smoking or shooting up when they thought of this, I'd like some, please.
It's fairly typical giallo stuff and feels a little like a less psychic Eyes of Laura Mars with a well off magazine editor finding out that her models are being killed off one by one. But this one comes with 100% more Daria Nicolodi, which is never a bad thing even if she gets nothing to do.
There's a suspenseful sequence in a department store, a wacky killer monologue/motivation, and some really surreal murder sequences where we see them through the killer's P.O.V. where he or she sees the victims as different kinds of strange insects or giant eyeballs. If someone can figure out what the creators were smoking or shooting up when they thought of this, I'd like some, please.
Delirium:Photos of Gioia
Scarecrow-8819 August 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Models who work on the nude shoots of the adult magazine "Pussycat" are being murdered by a deranged psychotic who sees various colors before confronting them. Two of the first female victims, appear to the killer with grotesque faces commenting to us that he's quite mad(one model has the face of an eye with veins bulging;another victim has the face of an insect). After they are murdered, the psycho sits them on a sofa in front of the massive blown-up photos of Gioia(Serena Grandi, one hot mama with curves..think Anna Nicole Smith, except much prettier)a former model who is now in charge of her late husband's company of the Pussycat mag. Meanwhile, Gioia receives naughty phone calls from a wheel-chair bound cripple, Mark(Karl Zinny)who lost his girlfriend in an unfortunate car crash that has left him embittered and angry. Who could be the one threatening Gioia? And, what is the killer's motive for sending photos of dead victims in front of her old photos?
This late 80's giallo is long on style and nudity(LOTS of flesh is shown and the camera glides so lustfully down Grandi's naked flesh..Grandi's naked body is shot by Lamberto Bava's camera in every lascivious way possible), but short on nasty violence. Much of the violence is non-gory(even the first victim's death by being stabbed through with a pitchfork isn't all that gruesome)and this particular giallo seems to concentrate on the story/mystery elements. The camera-work in this film is exceptional. The cast has Dario Argento vet Daria Nicolodi as Gioia's assistant Evelyn and Capucine has a small role as Gioia's rival Flora who wishes to buy the magazine from her. Most of the supporting roles are minor diversions such as George Eastman as hulky actor Alex who is offered as a promising love-interest to Gioia, but he stays away on shoots for most of the film's duration and David Brandon as Gioia's photographer Roberto. The only other real meaty part goes to Vanni Corbellini as Tony, Gioia's brother and the one responsible for getting the most out of the models who work on the mag's nude shoots.
My favorite sequence is in the massive multi-floored clothing store where Gioia runs for her life as the female cackles of the psycho echo throughout. The identity of the killer is quite an interesting little twist, if a tad bit far-fetched.
This late 80's giallo is long on style and nudity(LOTS of flesh is shown and the camera glides so lustfully down Grandi's naked flesh..Grandi's naked body is shot by Lamberto Bava's camera in every lascivious way possible), but short on nasty violence. Much of the violence is non-gory(even the first victim's death by being stabbed through with a pitchfork isn't all that gruesome)and this particular giallo seems to concentrate on the story/mystery elements. The camera-work in this film is exceptional. The cast has Dario Argento vet Daria Nicolodi as Gioia's assistant Evelyn and Capucine has a small role as Gioia's rival Flora who wishes to buy the magazine from her. Most of the supporting roles are minor diversions such as George Eastman as hulky actor Alex who is offered as a promising love-interest to Gioia, but he stays away on shoots for most of the film's duration and David Brandon as Gioia's photographer Roberto. The only other real meaty part goes to Vanni Corbellini as Tony, Gioia's brother and the one responsible for getting the most out of the models who work on the mag's nude shoots.
My favorite sequence is in the massive multi-floored clothing store where Gioia runs for her life as the female cackles of the psycho echo throughout. The identity of the killer is quite an interesting little twist, if a tad bit far-fetched.
Much better than expected!
The_Void5 January 2006
Lamberto Bava may not be as great as his father; master director Mario Bava, but you can always count on a good time when it comes to his movies - and while Delirium is certainly no masterpiece; Giallo fans will be satisfied with this sleazy story of murder and naked women! Italy's answer to Dolly Parton, Serena Grandi, stars as Gioia (the Italian answer to 'Gloria'), the owner of a porn magazine known as 'Pussycat'. The porn industry attracts a lot of attention for it's stars, and Pussycat magazine is no exception. One of Gloria's admirers is a wheelchair bound young man who spies on here from the sanctity of bedroom, and another 'admirer' is someone a little more psycho - someone that likes to kill Gloria's models, and then send her pictures of their mutilated corpses in front of a six foot picture of herself! Obviously, this leads our leading lady to assume that she's the next victim; as more and more of her models are killed, who could be the killer?
And what could possibly be their reason for slicing up such fine looking ladies? Lamberto Bava seems to know what audiences like - and this is shown by the way that Grandi's breasts are shown often. I have no problem with this; and I doubt anyone else with a will to see this film will either. The Giallo is a sub-genre soaked in sleaze, and Bava does a good job of implementing that style into this film by way of lots of nudity, and some graphic murders. The murders are a big part of any Giallo - and this one features the likes of murder by pitchfork, and the (apparently) famous bee murder scene! Really, the murders aren't the best ever seen in a Giallo; but they do the job. The acting is typically trashy, and it's always obvious how Serena Grandi won her role (clue: it wasn't acting talent). The cast is made up of unknowns (Giallo standard), with the exception of Daria Nicoladi. Dario Argento's frequent collaborator lights up the support cast, and gives the film an extra little bit of cult class. Lamberto Bava's films are often rated poorly by critics (both professional and amateur), but as usual; Delirium isn't all that bad. No masterpiece; but well worth seeing for the Giallo fan.
And what could possibly be their reason for slicing up such fine looking ladies? Lamberto Bava seems to know what audiences like - and this is shown by the way that Grandi's breasts are shown often. I have no problem with this; and I doubt anyone else with a will to see this film will either. The Giallo is a sub-genre soaked in sleaze, and Bava does a good job of implementing that style into this film by way of lots of nudity, and some graphic murders. The murders are a big part of any Giallo - and this one features the likes of murder by pitchfork, and the (apparently) famous bee murder scene! Really, the murders aren't the best ever seen in a Giallo; but they do the job. The acting is typically trashy, and it's always obvious how Serena Grandi won her role (clue: it wasn't acting talent). The cast is made up of unknowns (Giallo standard), with the exception of Daria Nicoladi. Dario Argento's frequent collaborator lights up the support cast, and gives the film an extra little bit of cult class. Lamberto Bava's films are often rated poorly by critics (both professional and amateur), but as usual; Delirium isn't all that bad. No masterpiece; but well worth seeing for the Giallo fan.
"How's it feel to be surrounded by death?"
Hey_Sweden7 May 2016
It's all about director Lamberto Bavas' style in this decent Giallo with a merely okay story but lots of sex and violence. Beautiful Serena Grandi (known as the "Dolly Parton of Italy") stars as Gioia (Gloria in the English language version), a former model who now owns and operates an adults only magazine. Her models begin to be slaughtered by a psycho admirer of hers, who arranges their dead bodies in front of a photo of her. Naturally, this leads her to believe that she will eventually become the killers' ultimate victim.
The lighting and camera work are exemplary. Certainly if Lambertos' father Mario had seen this one, he likely would have been proud. There is also some effective suspense at times. Simon Boswell supplies a score that alternates between pounding rock 'n' roll and more conventional arrangements. (One climactic chase scene would have done better to do away with the rock score.) The screenplay by Gianfranco Clerici & Daniele Stroppa does at least succeed in keeping fans of this genre interested in determining which of the possible suspects will eventually be unmasked as the real culprit. The most original touch is when things are shown from the killers' warped perspective, and it's too bad that we don't see a little more of this throughout.
The performances are adequate enough for the material. Nothing award worthy, but entertaining. Grandi is well supported by Daria Nicolodi, Vanni Corbellini, David Brandon, Karl Zinny (who'd acted for Lamberto in "Demons", and who here plays a horny, sleazy, surly, wheelchair bound kid), and the most welcome of all, Italian cult & exploitation icon George Eastman, playing Gioias' ex fiancée, an actor. There are several very attractive female cast members and numerous breast shots for those who are interested. Veteran sex symbol Capucine appears as Gioias' bitter business rival.
If you enjoy the genre or the films of Bava Jr., this should be an agreeable hour and a half exercise in style and sleaze.
Seven out of 10.
The lighting and camera work are exemplary. Certainly if Lambertos' father Mario had seen this one, he likely would have been proud. There is also some effective suspense at times. Simon Boswell supplies a score that alternates between pounding rock 'n' roll and more conventional arrangements. (One climactic chase scene would have done better to do away with the rock score.) The screenplay by Gianfranco Clerici & Daniele Stroppa does at least succeed in keeping fans of this genre interested in determining which of the possible suspects will eventually be unmasked as the real culprit. The most original touch is when things are shown from the killers' warped perspective, and it's too bad that we don't see a little more of this throughout.
The performances are adequate enough for the material. Nothing award worthy, but entertaining. Grandi is well supported by Daria Nicolodi, Vanni Corbellini, David Brandon, Karl Zinny (who'd acted for Lamberto in "Demons", and who here plays a horny, sleazy, surly, wheelchair bound kid), and the most welcome of all, Italian cult & exploitation icon George Eastman, playing Gioias' ex fiancée, an actor. There are several very attractive female cast members and numerous breast shots for those who are interested. Veteran sex symbol Capucine appears as Gioias' bitter business rival.
If you enjoy the genre or the films of Bava Jr., this should be an agreeable hour and a half exercise in style and sleaze.
Seven out of 10.
"It's your turn to die."
Backlash0079 April 2006
Warning: Spoilers
~Spoiler~
Delirium: Photo of Gioia is a giallo from the late 80's directed by Italian horror veteran Lamberto Bava. Let me just say that I started off with the best giallo-Tenebre. It was the first one I ever saw. I haven't found one yet that has surpassed it and it's the standard by which I judge all other giallo. So, having said that, Delirium is not the best of its kind, but it's certainly not the worst. George Eastman said in an interview, for the DVD release no less, that it was a waste of time. Daria Nicolodi also pretty much disowns it. Granted Eastman, Nicolodi, and David Brandon aren't given much to do, but it's really not that bad. Bava himself even doesn't seem that proud of it. It's sad really. I thought if they had fixed a few problems this could have been a classic. It needed a few more kills and a little more action. Delirium is basically a starring vehicle for the beautiful Serena Grandi (who gives the film much of its ample amount of nudity). It's about a madman killing models and terrorizing the owner of a Playboy type magazine, Gioia (or Gloria in the US version). But it's also deeper than that. If you check out this DVD do yourself a favor and read the brilliant Scooter McCrae essay included as a special feature. The most creative aspect of this film is the killer's perspective. Whenever he's about to kill someone, we get to see what's inside his head. The victim's are seen as monsters to the killer. It's a really original concept and they should have exploited that more. One of the things I really didn't like was score. It was done by Simon Boswell and he basically re-used the score he did for Demons 2. Also, the film drags at points which is why I think it could have used a few more kills. But it's not as bad as its makers would have you believe. You should either be proud of the things you create, or you shouldn't create them at all.
Delirium: Photo of Gioia is a giallo from the late 80's directed by Italian horror veteran Lamberto Bava. Let me just say that I started off with the best giallo-Tenebre. It was the first one I ever saw. I haven't found one yet that has surpassed it and it's the standard by which I judge all other giallo. So, having said that, Delirium is not the best of its kind, but it's certainly not the worst. George Eastman said in an interview, for the DVD release no less, that it was a waste of time. Daria Nicolodi also pretty much disowns it. Granted Eastman, Nicolodi, and David Brandon aren't given much to do, but it's really not that bad. Bava himself even doesn't seem that proud of it. It's sad really. I thought if they had fixed a few problems this could have been a classic. It needed a few more kills and a little more action. Delirium is basically a starring vehicle for the beautiful Serena Grandi (who gives the film much of its ample amount of nudity). It's about a madman killing models and terrorizing the owner of a Playboy type magazine, Gioia (or Gloria in the US version). But it's also deeper than that. If you check out this DVD do yourself a favor and read the brilliant Scooter McCrae essay included as a special feature. The most creative aspect of this film is the killer's perspective. Whenever he's about to kill someone, we get to see what's inside his head. The victim's are seen as monsters to the killer. It's a really original concept and they should have exploited that more. One of the things I really didn't like was score. It was done by Simon Boswell and he basically re-used the score he did for Demons 2. Also, the film drags at points which is why I think it could have used a few more kills. But it's not as bad as its makers would have you believe. You should either be proud of the things you create, or you shouldn't create them at all.
Not the best giallo
BandSAboutMovies8 July 2018
Warning: Spoilers
After directing several giallo films in a row (Macabre, A Blade in the Dark, You'll Die at Midnight), Lamberto Bava began to dislike the genre and wanted to do more works like Demons. That was the inspiration for this film, where he used the killer's point of view to show fantastic images of the victims, from a woman with a giant eyeball to another that looks like a human insect. He also claimed that this was one of the few times that he had the time and budget he needed to get it right.
Gloria (Serena Grandi, the "Dolly Parto" of Italy who also appears in Antropophagus and The Adventures of Hercules) is a former model who has inherited the magazine Pussycat from her dead husband. The magazine takes off once a killer begins murdering whatever model is on that month's cover, starting with Gloria's friend Kim.
Her neighbor Mark, who is in a wheelchair due to a mental condition, sees the murder and alerts her, but all she finds are photos of Kim's body. Soon, Kim's body is found in a dumpster.
Gloria's brother Tony is a photographer for Pussycat and does a photoshoot with Sabrina (Italian glamour model, singer and songwriter Sabrina Salerno) and tries to have sex with her, but he's impotent. After he leaves, killer bees sting her to death and sends the photos to Gloria.
Flora (Capucine, the famous French model and actress), an old friend of Gloria, is trying to buy the magazine and Gloria finally agrees, hoping that the murders will finally end. I wouldn't say that she's a friend actually, as she has all this old footage of Gloria back when she was a model and did porn and horror movies, which keep showing up every time we go back to her office.
Tony and Gloria start another photo shoot with Susan in a department store, but Tony ends up dead. The killer taunts them over the loudspeaker and kills Susan. When the police arrive, there are no bodies, but Gloria gets the photos and her friend Evelyn (Daria Nicolodi, ex-wife of Dario Argento, mother of Asia, writer of Suspiria and the star of Shock) finds Susan's body.
The police go to question Roberto and discover the backdrops of Gloria that were in every one of the killer's photos. He shows up at her house and she runs, just as a car hits him. The police now consider that the case is closed.
The magazine is finally sold and Evelyn quits. Tony's body is floating in the pool and the killer shows up...but it's Tony. He explains that he committed these murders to protect his sister, but he's cutting off her clothes with a butcher knife while he's doing this. So at the last second, Mark shoots him in the groin. He then visits her in the hospital at the end, seemingly recovered from his mental issues.
Completely unrelated to the plot, George Eastman shows up as one of her old boyfriends. I'm not complaining - George can be in every movie.
I'm not pretending that this movie is any good. You can tell when making a movie like Demons that Bava really cares. Here, things sloppily head toward its ending. A movie about a porn magazine filled with murder, gore and nudity that ends up boring you has to be a total failure. There's just enough here to stay enjoyable, but it's borderline at best.
Gloria (Serena Grandi, the "Dolly Parto" of Italy who also appears in Antropophagus and The Adventures of Hercules) is a former model who has inherited the magazine Pussycat from her dead husband. The magazine takes off once a killer begins murdering whatever model is on that month's cover, starting with Gloria's friend Kim.
Her neighbor Mark, who is in a wheelchair due to a mental condition, sees the murder and alerts her, but all she finds are photos of Kim's body. Soon, Kim's body is found in a dumpster.
Gloria's brother Tony is a photographer for Pussycat and does a photoshoot with Sabrina (Italian glamour model, singer and songwriter Sabrina Salerno) and tries to have sex with her, but he's impotent. After he leaves, killer bees sting her to death and sends the photos to Gloria.
Flora (Capucine, the famous French model and actress), an old friend of Gloria, is trying to buy the magazine and Gloria finally agrees, hoping that the murders will finally end. I wouldn't say that she's a friend actually, as she has all this old footage of Gloria back when she was a model and did porn and horror movies, which keep showing up every time we go back to her office.
Tony and Gloria start another photo shoot with Susan in a department store, but Tony ends up dead. The killer taunts them over the loudspeaker and kills Susan. When the police arrive, there are no bodies, but Gloria gets the photos and her friend Evelyn (Daria Nicolodi, ex-wife of Dario Argento, mother of Asia, writer of Suspiria and the star of Shock) finds Susan's body.
The police go to question Roberto and discover the backdrops of Gloria that were in every one of the killer's photos. He shows up at her house and she runs, just as a car hits him. The police now consider that the case is closed.
The magazine is finally sold and Evelyn quits. Tony's body is floating in the pool and the killer shows up...but it's Tony. He explains that he committed these murders to protect his sister, but he's cutting off her clothes with a butcher knife while he's doing this. So at the last second, Mark shoots him in the groin. He then visits her in the hospital at the end, seemingly recovered from his mental issues.
Completely unrelated to the plot, George Eastman shows up as one of her old boyfriends. I'm not complaining - George can be in every movie.
I'm not pretending that this movie is any good. You can tell when making a movie like Demons that Bava really cares. Here, things sloppily head toward its ending. A movie about a porn magazine filled with murder, gore and nudity that ends up boring you has to be a total failure. There's just enough here to stay enjoyable, but it's borderline at best.
A Killer Who Plays Mind Games
Lechuguilla11 February 2012
Gloria (gorgeous Serena Grandi) is a publisher of a girlie magazine called "Pussycat" that features nude photos of female models. But someone starts killing people around Gloria. And she becomes frightened for her own life. Whoever it is likes to deceive and trick others by playing mind games.
Characters in this Italian giallo are upscale, high-class people and the costumes and sets reflect that elegance. There's not as much suspense here as in other giallos. But one sequence that is suspenseful takes place inside a large clothing store full of mannequins. Having discovered a just-murdered person, the trapped Gloria searches for a way out, only to hear a weird voice from somewhere in the building: "Now it's your turn Gloria; you can't escape." About midway through the plot, there's a scene wherein the killer's motive is described through dialogue and visuals. But the clue is wonderfully subtle.
Cinematography gives us sharp, vibrant colors. But when someone is about to be murdered, we see that person from the killer's POV, at which time the sharp colors morph into color-saturated hues of blue or orange. And the intended victim wears an ugly mask, presumably to represent the ugliness of the killer's thought processes.
Near the end, at the reveal, the killer looks very different from the killer's previous persona of normality. A look of insanity, or madness, appears on that person's face, possibly the result of overacting. I was quite surprised as to who the killer was. Reviewing the plot, I determined that it was highly improbable, but I could not find any overt plot holes.
I could have wished for more suspense. And the acting leaves a lot to be desired. But "Delirium" is worth watching for the nudity, as well as for that clothing store sequence and surprise ending.
Characters in this Italian giallo are upscale, high-class people and the costumes and sets reflect that elegance. There's not as much suspense here as in other giallos. But one sequence that is suspenseful takes place inside a large clothing store full of mannequins. Having discovered a just-murdered person, the trapped Gloria searches for a way out, only to hear a weird voice from somewhere in the building: "Now it's your turn Gloria; you can't escape." About midway through the plot, there's a scene wherein the killer's motive is described through dialogue and visuals. But the clue is wonderfully subtle.
Cinematography gives us sharp, vibrant colors. But when someone is about to be murdered, we see that person from the killer's POV, at which time the sharp colors morph into color-saturated hues of blue or orange. And the intended victim wears an ugly mask, presumably to represent the ugliness of the killer's thought processes.
Near the end, at the reveal, the killer looks very different from the killer's previous persona of normality. A look of insanity, or madness, appears on that person's face, possibly the result of overacting. I was quite surprised as to who the killer was. Reviewing the plot, I determined that it was highly improbable, but I could not find any overt plot holes.
I could have wished for more suspense. And the acting leaves a lot to be desired. But "Delirium" is worth watching for the nudity, as well as for that clothing store sequence and surprise ending.
Not delirious enough
gridoon202423 July 2021
Warning: Spoilers
While Lamberto Bava, son of Mario, deserves credit for keeping the giallo genre alive in the 1980s, this one is a middling effort. Bava does do some things right, like keeping us guessing who the murderer is (there is a plethora of suspects). But he fails to enliven the equally plentiful dialogue scenes - they are a drag. Serena Grandi is utterly captivating (her face or her body alone would be enough to make her the hottest Italian actress of the 1980s - imagine what their combination does!), but second-billed genre veteran Daria Nicolodi is wasted. The coolest touch is when we see two victims as giant insects (or something like that) from the killer's perspective - but this motif is neither continued nor explained. ** out of 4.
Most remarkable attraction here are Grandi's prominent "properties"
Abominog15 September 1998
Warning: Spoilers
Yet another Bava Jr.'s weak (or obscured) motivation of a sick mind's descent into a chasm of destruction and terror. A bunch of Bava's favorite looney characters: freaks, necrophiliacs, transvestites acquired a suitable companion in this considerably tame slasher - incestuous and hallucinogenous brother falling for his sexy sister. He affectionately and inventively slices and dices her associates but who cares why.
Not much going for it ***SPOILERS***
Monica493719 November 2004
Delirium is an odd piece of horror, with it's strange "death" symbolisms (I'm guessing thats all part of the giallo style) and it's even stranger characters. I rather enjoyed the death scenes and the different ways the killer decided to off the models (especially a certain scene purtaining to bees), I didn't, however, like the acting of these said models. I found them all to be heavily amateurish and in desperate need of acting classes. Of course, how COULD one possibly act well with a piece of cr@p script. On the other hand, maybe thats what made this movie so horrific, the lacking dialogue between the characters. Overall I gave this film a 4/10. For me, the only things good about it were the creative deaths, the lead female's body (I do have to admit she has a gorgeous body. And no I am not gay, but it's OK to compliment no?) and the ending...with the...well...for those that saw it you know what I am talking about.
Style over everything else.
haildevilman8 December 2010
And I do mean EVERYTHING else.
A great looking film in all aspects.
Brilliant camera work. Excellent use of color. The cinematography and art direction were Oscar worthy and everybody in it looked great. The majority of them proving it by getting naked.
Beautiful models get bumped off by a killer whose face becomes a giant eye before the kill. The sudden rush of colors signifies that a murder is coming. Said models work for a magazine that our heroine (A former model herself) runs.
Of course now she thinks she's the final target. Is she? If you can find this gem, see it.
I found this in a used video box in Tokyo and was sucked in but the cover art. Seeing Bava's name helped too.
It's a bit dated now, it reminds one of an 80's music video at times. But the mystery element is great and never lets up.
A great looking film in all aspects.
Brilliant camera work. Excellent use of color. The cinematography and art direction were Oscar worthy and everybody in it looked great. The majority of them proving it by getting naked.
Beautiful models get bumped off by a killer whose face becomes a giant eye before the kill. The sudden rush of colors signifies that a murder is coming. Said models work for a magazine that our heroine (A former model herself) runs.
Of course now she thinks she's the final target. Is she? If you can find this gem, see it.
I found this in a used video box in Tokyo and was sucked in but the cover art. Seeing Bava's name helped too.
It's a bit dated now, it reminds one of an 80's music video at times. But the mystery element is great and never lets up.
It Was an OK Giallo
CMRKeyboadist23 August 2006
The Italian giallo is an interesting type of movie. I have seen many good films from this category including films like "Deep Red", "New York Ripper" or "Eyeball. "Delirium" is an interesting film from Mario Bava's son Lamberto, who also directed "Demons" 1 and 2. I had heard of this movie for many years but never really got the chance to see it, and many people had told me that this isn't a great film. Well, it wasn't exactly a great film, but, if you like a ton of nudity, some violence, and a plot that was predictable from the start of the movie, you should like this.
The story is about a woman named Gloria who runs an adult magazine. When friends and employees turn up dead she becomes frightened that the killer is out to get her.
Of course, that is just a little bit about the movie. What makes this a fun movie is all of the different Italian actors that end up in it. We have Serena Grandi playing as the volumptuous Gloria. Daria Nicoladi from Dario Argento fame playing a close friend of Gloria's in the movie. Joe Damato's good friend George Eastman makes a some what small appearance in the movie. Karl Zinny from Demons plays a pervert in a wheelchair. And Lino Salemme from both Demons films plays a detective in this film. So it has its fare share of familiar faces.
I had thought this movie would be gorier considering this is Lamberto Bava we are talking about here. But we do have a few decent scenes of bloody mayhem, but not much. More or less, this is a movie just to see a lot of big breasted women take off their clothes, and I would be lying if I said that was a bad thing.
All in all, it was a decent giallo. Not the best, but definitely not the worst. 6/10
The story is about a woman named Gloria who runs an adult magazine. When friends and employees turn up dead she becomes frightened that the killer is out to get her.
Of course, that is just a little bit about the movie. What makes this a fun movie is all of the different Italian actors that end up in it. We have Serena Grandi playing as the volumptuous Gloria. Daria Nicoladi from Dario Argento fame playing a close friend of Gloria's in the movie. Joe Damato's good friend George Eastman makes a some what small appearance in the movie. Karl Zinny from Demons plays a pervert in a wheelchair. And Lino Salemme from both Demons films plays a detective in this film. So it has its fare share of familiar faces.
I had thought this movie would be gorier considering this is Lamberto Bava we are talking about here. But we do have a few decent scenes of bloody mayhem, but not much. More or less, this is a movie just to see a lot of big breasted women take off their clothes, and I would be lying if I said that was a bad thing.
All in all, it was a decent giallo. Not the best, but definitely not the worst. 6/10
Worst Bava film ever!!!!
lightcaster114 March 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Delirium was a film I didn't wanted to see, but I got it on the Psycho Killer triple feature from Shriek Show and well, it came there so, whatever, I watched it. And guess what?! It is as terrible as it could be.
First of all, it is a giallo directed by Lamberto Bava, it shouldn't be bad, right?! Supposedly..... The film is about a model called Gioia (Played by extremely "talented" Serena Grandi) which works at Pussycat magazine (Guess what kind of magazine is :p) and well as any giallo, an unknown killer starts killing some of the models of the magazine, then taking photos of the corpses and sending them to Gioia and her friend Evelyn (Played by Daria Nicolodi).
You may be thinking it sounds interesting, well, it's not. The ending is terrible, it has more nudity than many sexploitation films I have seen, which doesn't seems to fit in this kind of film.
The Script is awful, and Serena Grandi doesn't acts very well, which is something important for a film like this.
I can't believe Lamberto Bava directed this piece of s**t.
I give Delirium: Photo of Gioia an 3 out of 10.
Only for true fans of Lamberto.
First of all, it is a giallo directed by Lamberto Bava, it shouldn't be bad, right?! Supposedly..... The film is about a model called Gioia (Played by extremely "talented" Serena Grandi) which works at Pussycat magazine (Guess what kind of magazine is :p) and well as any giallo, an unknown killer starts killing some of the models of the magazine, then taking photos of the corpses and sending them to Gioia and her friend Evelyn (Played by Daria Nicolodi).
You may be thinking it sounds interesting, well, it's not. The ending is terrible, it has more nudity than many sexploitation films I have seen, which doesn't seems to fit in this kind of film.
The Script is awful, and Serena Grandi doesn't acts very well, which is something important for a film like this.
I can't believe Lamberto Bava directed this piece of s**t.
I give Delirium: Photo of Gioia an 3 out of 10.
Only for true fans of Lamberto.
Well Put Together...Like Its Star!
ferbs5429 December 2009
Lamberto Bava followed up his nonsensical splatterfests "Demons" and "Demons 2" with the far less sanguine but infinitely more coherent giallo thriller "Delirium" (1987), aka "Photos of Gioia." In this one, voluMptuous Serena Grandi plays Gloria, publisher of a men's nudie mag called "Pussycat" (a character possibly based on Christie Hefner, who had assumed the helm at "Playboy" five years earlier), whose models have lately started to be gruesomely done away with by a serial killer. Many suspects abound, including Gloria's personal assistant (played by giallo vet Daria Nicolodi), her gay photographer, the wheelchair-bound Peeping Tom across the way, her duplicitous ex-lover (George Eastman), and a lesbian publishing rival (portrayed by Capucine, in one of her last roles). As far as those murders go, they are a fairly tame lot (for the viewer, that is!), employing a pitchfork, bumblebees (the bee attacks in the 1967 British film "The Deadly Bees" were much more hideous) and the usual slashings. We get to see some very interesting POV shots through the killer's eyes, and regard the victims as having eyeball and bee heads! Yes, this killer is one sick puppy, and his/her motivations, when ultimately revealed, are pretty friggin' twisted. Don't even try to guess, is my advice; just sit back and enjoy Serena's toothsome presence (the gal looks great in a soaking-wet negligee!), several genuinely suspenseful sequences (the one with the killer stalking Gloria through a department store is particularly good), the sumptuous sets, and Bava's often-flashy directorial touches. "Delirium" is not a top-drawer giallo, but it is well put together (like its star!), entertaining and often gripping. Nice work, Lamberto; papa Mario would have been proud!
Sleazy Mix of Nudity and Violence
Michael_Elliott24 March 2018
Delirium (1987)
** 1/2 (out of 4)
Gloria (Serena Grandi) is a former model who struck gold making a magazine called Pussycat but it seems a secret admirer is about to cross the line. Pretty soon obnoxious phone calls are turning into someone murdering off the models that are working for Gloria.
Lamberto Bava was trying to not only make a film that looked and seemed like the work of his father but there's no question that there's a touch of Dario Argento as well. DELIRIUM isn't a completely successful movie but at the same time there are enough interesting and bloody murders mixed in with the sexploitation feel to where fans of the genre will find it to be worth a watch.
The film seems to not know if it wanted to be a naughty nude film or a giallo so we basically just get the best of both worlds. The film's plot certainly isn't the greatest or the most original but it's basically just here to show beautiful women being murdered and of course getting naked before hand. As a giallo it works to a point as the violence is certainly there as well as the actors and actresses ability to spit out blood as they are being wounded.
The film offers up a lot of nudity from the various women and that includes the lead Grandi. She's actually pretty good in the film has she's constantly showing off her body and in a rather hilarious way she does so at the end with the killer's request. You've also got George Eastman and Daria Nicolodi appearing in brief bits. Bava's direction is fine for this type of picture and he offers up some nice cinemaotgprahy and lighting.
DELIRIUM certainly isn't a masterpiece or even a good film but it's sleazy enough to where fans of the genre should enjoy it.
** 1/2 (out of 4)
Gloria (Serena Grandi) is a former model who struck gold making a magazine called Pussycat but it seems a secret admirer is about to cross the line. Pretty soon obnoxious phone calls are turning into someone murdering off the models that are working for Gloria.
Lamberto Bava was trying to not only make a film that looked and seemed like the work of his father but there's no question that there's a touch of Dario Argento as well. DELIRIUM isn't a completely successful movie but at the same time there are enough interesting and bloody murders mixed in with the sexploitation feel to where fans of the genre will find it to be worth a watch.
The film seems to not know if it wanted to be a naughty nude film or a giallo so we basically just get the best of both worlds. The film's plot certainly isn't the greatest or the most original but it's basically just here to show beautiful women being murdered and of course getting naked before hand. As a giallo it works to a point as the violence is certainly there as well as the actors and actresses ability to spit out blood as they are being wounded.
The film offers up a lot of nudity from the various women and that includes the lead Grandi. She's actually pretty good in the film has she's constantly showing off her body and in a rather hilarious way she does so at the end with the killer's request. You've also got George Eastman and Daria Nicolodi appearing in brief bits. Bava's direction is fine for this type of picture and he offers up some nice cinemaotgprahy and lighting.
DELIRIUM certainly isn't a masterpiece or even a good film but it's sleazy enough to where fans of the genre should enjoy it.
Lamberto Bava delivers a decent late Giallo
Stevieboy6668 June 2020
Delirium is a far cry from the beautiful classics of the 1960's and '70's, but even so it is a decent entry for the second half of the 1980's. Models are getting brutally murdered by an unknown assassin, nothing original in that respect, but Delirium is typical of erotic thrillers from this period, no full frontal nudity but plenty of naked female breasts on show and soft core sex, including pop star Sabrina. Hair is permed, shoulder pads are wide and there is that 80's staple the smoke machine. The script is laughably bad at times, "I warn you, the hate of a woman can be very bad!", and we got cops handling suspected murder weapons without wearing gloves, and so on. And in good, old giallo fashion there are several red herrings. Delirium is very colourful, has a cast of well known Italian genre stars, some tense scenes, plenty of nudity and some good kills, although not terribly gory.
"Gloria,Gloria.All night all day."
morrison-dylan-fan1 November 2013
Warning: Spoilers
Searching round for a DVD of Brazil Horror director Coffin Joe,I ended up stumbling up on a Shriek Show DVD of an Lamberto Bava DVD that I had picked up in the Easter sales!.With having found Bava's The Prince of Terror (also reviewed) to be a fun,easy going Home Invasion Thriller,I felt that it would be a good time to uncover the pictures of Gloria.
View on the film:
Placing the movie deep inside a decadent late 80's fashion house and being backed by a likable Power Metal score from Simon Boswell,director Lamberto Bava gives the film a stylish,garnish appearance,which along with emphasizing the "high-end" drama that the models of the fashion house are involved in,also allows Bava to give this Giallo some very distinctive murder scenes,with the use of killer bees and "bug eyes" being a pretty unique feature.
Whilst the eye-catching appearance of the film by Lamberto Bava and cinematography Gianlorenzo Battagila gives this Giallo a strong,stylized foundation,the screenplay by Luciano (brother of Sergio) Martino/Gianfranco Clerici and Daniele Stoppa sadly decides to over look the Giallo murder mystery side of the movie,to instead focus on the more Soap Opera day to day running of the fashion house aspect of the title,which despite a good attempt by the very pretty lead actress Serena Grandi leads to this movie quickly becoming extremely dry,as the fashion house of cards start to fall.
View on the film:
Placing the movie deep inside a decadent late 80's fashion house and being backed by a likable Power Metal score from Simon Boswell,director Lamberto Bava gives the film a stylish,garnish appearance,which along with emphasizing the "high-end" drama that the models of the fashion house are involved in,also allows Bava to give this Giallo some very distinctive murder scenes,with the use of killer bees and "bug eyes" being a pretty unique feature.
Whilst the eye-catching appearance of the film by Lamberto Bava and cinematography Gianlorenzo Battagila gives this Giallo a strong,stylized foundation,the screenplay by Luciano (brother of Sergio) Martino/Gianfranco Clerici and Daniele Stoppa sadly decides to over look the Giallo murder mystery side of the movie,to instead focus on the more Soap Opera day to day running of the fashion house aspect of the title,which despite a good attempt by the very pretty lead actress Serena Grandi leads to this movie quickly becoming extremely dry,as the fashion house of cards start to fall.
Good Thriller
myriam-z14 July 2016
The film looks like a classic Italian Giallo, almost a parody, with eroticism and many nude scenes. Actually, it's a good psychological thriller. The director Lamberto Bava manages to keep the suspense till the end, with a lot of false leads and several suspects. The most interesting part of the film is that the spectator can see the murder through the killer's eyes, his sick mind. Bizarre homicides, beautiful use of colors, cool soundtrack. Serena Grandi and the models are just gorgeous and sexy, David Brandon plays his part very convincingly, just a cameo role for George Eastman, Capucine shows off her class in the small role, the rival. I would like to say thank you to Lamberto Bava for choosing Vanni Corbellini, Gioia's brother, very talented actor. In the end, there are many psychoanalytic themes.... Delirium: Photo of Gioia is ultimately a pleasant, interesting, bizarre and surreal movie.
For die hard fans only
VincentElgar2 August 2006
'Delirium' is a disappointing late addition to the giallo cycle which peaked in the first half of the 1970s. Luscious Serena Grandi (who looks the part but unfortunately cannot act) plays the owner of a fashion magazine who becomes involved in a not-terribly-interesting series of murders. There's the usual prowling camera-work and off-kilter set-design common to this genre, but the script is too dull and the performances too by-the-numbers for this to be truly effective. Things are not helped by a truly appalling synth-based score by Simon Bosworth and some ludicrous makeup effects (intended apparently to depict the killer's 'dehumanisation' of his victims. Capucine, in one of her final screen roles, adds a bit of class as a rival magazine publisher.
For die-hard genre fans only 3/10.
For die-hard genre fans only 3/10.
Delirious!
sean-5784217 January 2020
Warning: Spoilers
IMDb has this down as a "spaghetti horror", which is pretty funny. Where does a giallo end and spaghetti horror begin, definition wise? I guess, if anything, Delirium is a late offering to the giallo cause, coming out in 1987. Either way, I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, despite how bad it looks.
The sound effects are so cheap, and couple that with an unbelievable bad overdub, the even more unbelievably bad acting, we have a recipe for success here. The plot revolves loosely around a porno mag's editor being sent pictures of the mutilated corpses of her models, who are draped in front of a massive picture of herself, so as you can imagine there is plenty of cheesy violence, and even more plentiful nudity. Trippy FX are reserved for the brief moments that we see through the eyes of the killer, but are effective.
The sound effects are so cheap, and couple that with an unbelievable bad overdub, the even more unbelievably bad acting, we have a recipe for success here. The plot revolves loosely around a porno mag's editor being sent pictures of the mutilated corpses of her models, who are draped in front of a massive picture of herself, so as you can imagine there is plenty of cheesy violence, and even more plentiful nudity. Trippy FX are reserved for the brief moments that we see through the eyes of the killer, but are effective.
The Beautiful Model
Insane_Man19 January 2021
Quirky and Entertaining late 80's Giallo
acidburn-1016 February 2023
'Delirium Photo of Gioia' or just 'Delirium' depending on where you live is a bizarre and outrageous late 80's Italian Giallo slasher movie directed by the brilliant Lamberto Bava. The movie is drenched in style with its striking visuals, lavish uses of colours, surreal production and to top things off plenty of violence and sleaze. All of which creates an odd but entertaining viewing experience.
The plot = A former hooker who now runs a successful men's magazine where the models and employee's are getting killed off one by one. The killer then photographs the corpses and sends them to her, will she be the killer's next target?
The movie is definitely one of the better late entries from the genre with its rather simple premise and yet its dementedly executed with its fever dream logic and overall quirky nature. Chock full of violence and sleazy sequences this flick just goes wild with its concept with fantastic direction by Lamberto Bava who creates a really solid effort here. Although there are some negatives such as the inconsistent pacing which really bogs things down at times and the plot while interesting does come secondary to the visuals, but everything else works well enough to hold your attention throughout its runtime.
The acting is very decent here with Serena Grandi taking on the title role of Gioia and delivers a strong and elegant performance with her engaging screen presence and picturesque beauty. Daria Nicolodi is another great addition to the cast and offers strong support, although a little underused. Vanni Corbellini is fantastic as the brother Tony and David Brandon also delivers a good and solid performance also. Karl Zinny is fun as the pervy wheelchair bound neighbour and delivers a decent performance and finally George Eastman is another fantastic addition to the cast with his small but memorable performance and quite frankly he should have been used more.
Overall 'Delirium' isn't quite top tier Giallo but it's a fun strange ride nonetheless that helps it stand out from the pack.
The plot = A former hooker who now runs a successful men's magazine where the models and employee's are getting killed off one by one. The killer then photographs the corpses and sends them to her, will she be the killer's next target?
The movie is definitely one of the better late entries from the genre with its rather simple premise and yet its dementedly executed with its fever dream logic and overall quirky nature. Chock full of violence and sleazy sequences this flick just goes wild with its concept with fantastic direction by Lamberto Bava who creates a really solid effort here. Although there are some negatives such as the inconsistent pacing which really bogs things down at times and the plot while interesting does come secondary to the visuals, but everything else works well enough to hold your attention throughout its runtime.
The acting is very decent here with Serena Grandi taking on the title role of Gioia and delivers a strong and elegant performance with her engaging screen presence and picturesque beauty. Daria Nicolodi is another great addition to the cast and offers strong support, although a little underused. Vanni Corbellini is fantastic as the brother Tony and David Brandon also delivers a good and solid performance also. Karl Zinny is fun as the pervy wheelchair bound neighbour and delivers a decent performance and finally George Eastman is another fantastic addition to the cast with his small but memorable performance and quite frankly he should have been used more.
Overall 'Delirium' isn't quite top tier Giallo but it's a fun strange ride nonetheless that helps it stand out from the pack.
DELIRIUM (Lamberto Bava, 1987) **
Bunuel197623 August 2006
The younger Bava's films never scaled the heights of his famous father's influential work; this giallo is a largely mediocre effort (the one good example from the sub-genre to emerge during this decade was Dario Argento's TENEBRE [1982]) with little to hold one's attention - apart from the actresses' physical attributes and especially star Serena Grandi!
Here, the director even borrows a page from his father's book by utilizing the oft-used fashion-house setting (providing a cheap excuse for ample gratuitous nudity). He even strives for a distinctive color scheme during the murder scenes, but the killer's POV produces a weird gimmick involving the victims wearing laughable make-up and underscored by equally exaggerated sound effects!
The cast (including Daria Nicolodi, George Eastman and Capucine), at least, provides enough suspects to keep the audience guessing and the electronic score by Simon Boswell isn't too bad either, under the circumstances.
Here, the director even borrows a page from his father's book by utilizing the oft-used fashion-house setting (providing a cheap excuse for ample gratuitous nudity). He even strives for a distinctive color scheme during the murder scenes, but the killer's POV produces a weird gimmick involving the victims wearing laughable make-up and underscored by equally exaggerated sound effects!
The cast (including Daria Nicolodi, George Eastman and Capucine), at least, provides enough suspects to keep the audience guessing and the electronic score by Simon Boswell isn't too bad either, under the circumstances.
"That Boy's Sick! He's Sick In The Head!"...
azathothpwiggins4 May 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Director Lamberto Bava's DELIRIUM opens with a big photo shoot for Pussycat magazine involving bizarre, choreographed groping. Gloria (Serena Grandi) owns the publication, and seems quite bored with it all. Her mood soon changes when her models start dying in awful ways!
Filled with the requisite gore and nudity, what sets this movie apart from its peers is the way the killer views his victims before they die, as well as the postmortem posing of their bodies. Some very novel makeup effects were used to create a nightmarish vision, befitting of the movie's title.
From the killer's standpoint, this is all about transformation. Bava gets this across effectively, making us see, not only what the murderer sees, but how he sees it. A chilling giallo to say the least.
Co-stars George Eastman.
Filled with the requisite gore and nudity, what sets this movie apart from its peers is the way the killer views his victims before they die, as well as the postmortem posing of their bodies. Some very novel makeup effects were used to create a nightmarish vision, befitting of the movie's title.
From the killer's standpoint, this is all about transformation. Bava gets this across effectively, making us see, not only what the murderer sees, but how he sees it. A chilling giallo to say the least.
Co-stars George Eastman.
See also
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