Announcing GOTH RENAISSANCE: A Critical Introduction to Italian Gothic Horror

This September, Gutter Studies officially relaunches with a new video series on the origins, meaning, and legacy of Italian gothic horror.

Over five installments, GOTH RENAISSANCE covers one of the most influential and unlikely periods in horror movie history: the flurry of innovative, haphazard, and endlessly fascinating horror movies emerging from 1960s Italy—a country that, until this period, had no horror tradition to speak of.

GOTH RENAISSANCE is the product of around two years of research, writing, and video editing, and it’s the most complex video project I’ve attempted so far. It’s designed to welcome newcomers to the genre with curation, background, and context, as well as to appeal to those already well-versed in Eurohorror, through novel analysis and discussion.

In addition to the trailer above, I wanted to share with subscribers the program of principal films covered. You don’t need to watch any or all of these to understand and enjoy the series. But, if you’re interested, our syllabus is below.

I’ve bolded those films that I think are most interesting and relevant to the overall study of the genre. The list goes in the order in which the films are covered, rather than strictly chronologically.

1. LUST OF THE VAMPIRE (dir. Ricardo Freda, 1957)

2. The Vampire and the Ballerina (dir. Renato Polselli, 1960)

3. Mill of the Stone Women (dir. Giorgio Ferroni, 1960)

4. BLACK SUNDAY (dir. Mario Bava, 1960)

5. Black Sabbath (dir. Mario Bava, 1963)

6. The Whip and the Body (dir. Mario Bava, 1963)

7. The Horrible Dr. Hichcock (dir. Ricardo Freda, 1962)

8. Horror Castle (dir. Antonio Margheriti, 1963)

9. BLOODY PIT OF HORROR (dir. Massimo Pupillo, 1965)

10. Castle of Blood (dir. Antonio Margheriti, 1964)

11. NIGHTMARE CASTLE (dir. Mario Caiano, 1965)

12. An Angel for Satan (dir. Camillo Mastrocinque, 1966)

Don’t hesitate to reach out to me here, via email, or on Instagram if you need any help finding these movies or other resources, or if you’re wondering where to start. I can make recommendations based on your preferences, background, time constraints, etc.

Lastly, please help me get the word out. Forward this email on to all the horror fans, cinematic autodidacts, and theory heads in your orbit. Let friends and weird acquaintances know about the series, and encourage them to subscribe for free here, simply by entering their email. Every little helps, and you can’t imagine how much I appreciate your support.

See you again in a few weeks.