The Spider Labyrinth (Italian: Il nido del ragno) is a 1988 Italian horror film directed by Gianfranco Giagni.

The Spider Labyrinth
Directed byGianfranco Giagni
Screenplay by
Story byTonino Cervi[1]
Produced byTonino Cervi[1]
Starring
  • Roland Wybenga
  • Paola Rinaldi
  • Margareta von Krauss
  • Claudia Muzii
CinematographyNino Celeste[1]
Edited bySergio Montanari[1]
Music byFranco Piersanti[1]
Production
company
Splendida Film
Distributed byMedusa/Penta Film
Release date
  • 25 August 1988 (1988-08-25) (Italy)
Running time
86 minutes[1]
CountryItaly[1]

Production

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Prior to working on The Spider Labyrinth, director Gianfrano Giagni in radio and television since the mid-1970s.[2] Along with directing music videos he created the music program Mister Fantasy [it] and made the short film Giallo e nero.[2] Producer Tonino Cervi liked Giagni's short and offered him a job to direct his first feature, the horror film The Spider Labyrinth.[2]

The original script for the film was developed by Cervi, Riccardo Aragno and Cesare Frugoni which dated a few years before production started.[2] Giagni felt the script was a bit dated, and got Gianfranco Manfredi in with him to give the film a more modern framing.[2] Their changes in the script changed the location from Venice to Budapest.[2]

Release

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The Spider Labyrinth was distributed in Italy by Medusa/Penta Film on August 25, 1988.[1]

Reception

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From retrospective reviews, In his book on horror films of the 1980s, Scott Aaron Stine stated that despite that gorey scenes do not start until 40 minutes into the film, it was an "engaging and beautifully staged horror film." comparing scenes to the work of Dario Argento and Mario Bava.[3] Louis Paul commented on the film on his book on Italian horror film directors, declaring the film "one of the most obscure and atmospheric modern Italian horror films."[4]

References

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Footnotes

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Curti 2019, p. 162.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Curti 2019, p. 163.
  3. ^ Stine 2003, p. 202.
  4. ^ Paul 2015, p. 281.

Sources

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  • Curti, Roberto (2019). Italian Gothic Horror Films, 1980-1989. McFarland. ISBN 978-1476672434.
  • Paul, Louis (2015). Italian Horror Film Directors. McFarland. ISBN 978-0786487493.
  • Stine, Scott Aaron (8 July 2003). The Gorehound's Guide to Splatter Films of the 1980s. McFarland. ISBN 0786415320.
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