Sergio Martino

Sergio Martino (born 19 July, 1938 in Rome, Italy) is an Italian film director, notable for his contributions to the giallo genre.

Martino is the brother of producer Luciano Martino. They collaborated frequently in their respective professions. Their grandfather was director Gennaro Righelli.

Martino worked for both the big screen as well as for Italian television.

He often worked with actress Edwige Fenech who in the 1970s was married to his brother Luciano. He also worked a lot with actors George Hilton, Ivan Rassimov, Claudio Cassinelli and screenwriter Ernesto Gastaldi.

Martino's pseudonyms include: Julian Barry, Martin Dolman, Serge Martin, Christian Plummer, George Raminto.

In recent years Martino has primarily worked for Italian television.

Giallo films

Martino's notable giallo films include:
* "Lo strano vizio della signora Wardh" (1971) ("The Strange Vice of Mrs Wardh"; aka "Blade of the Killer", "Next!", "The Next Victim") made on location in Vienna, Austria, and Spain; starring George Hilton, Edwige Fenech and Ivan Rassimov; written by Ernesto Gastaldi
* "La coda dello scorpione" (1971) ("Tail of the Scorpion"; aka "The Case of the Scorpion's Tail") starring Hilton and Anita Strindberg; written by Gastaldi
* "Il tuo vizio è una stanza chiusa e solo io ne ho la chiave" (1972) ("Your Vice Is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key" ; aka "Eye of the Black Cat", "Gently Before She Dies", "Excite Me!") starring Fenech and Rassimov; written by Gastaldi
* "Tutti i colori del buio" (1972) ("All the Colors of the Dark"; aka "They're Coming to Get You", "Day of the Maniac") starring Hilton, Rassimov, Fenech; written by Gastaldi
* "I corpi presentano tracce di violenza carnale" (1973) ("The Bodies Bear Traces of Carnal Violence"; aka "Torso") starring Suzy Kendall; written by Gastaldi
* "Milano trema—La polizia vuole giustizia" (1973) ("The Violent Professionals") starring Luc Merenda and Richard Conte
* "Assassinio al cimitero etrusco" (1982) ("Murder in the Etruscan Cemetery"; aka "The Scorpion With Two Tails") starring Claudio Cassinelli, Marilù Tolo, John Saxon, Van Johnson

Exploitation and sci-fi works

Martino's notable exploitation and sci-fi films include:
* "Mille peccati... nessuna virtù" (1969) ("Mondo Sex") narrated by Edmund Purdom
* "La montagna del dio cannibale" (1978) ("The Mountain of the Cannibal God"; aka "Slave of the Cannibal God", "Primitive Desires") with Ursula Andress and Stacy Keach; featured real animal cruelty/ mutilation
* "L'isola degli uomini pesce" (1979) ("Island of the Fish Men"; aka "Screamers", "Something Waits in the Dark") starring Joseph Cotten, Barbara Bach, Claudio Cassinelli and Richard Johnson; U.S. release prints were heavily edited with new American footage added
* "Il fiume del grande caimano" (1979) ("The River of the Great Alligator") starring Barbara Bach and Mel Ferrer
* "Creampuffs" (1981) starring Edwige Fenech
* "2019—Dopo la caduta di New York" (1983) ("2019: After the Fall of New York") starring Michael Sopkiw and Luigi Montefiore
* "Vendetta dal futuro" " (1986) ("Vendetta From the Future"; aka "Hands of Steel", "Fists of Steel") starring Luigi Montefiore, John Saxon and Claudio Cassinelli; (Note* - Claudio Cassinelli was killed in a helicopter crash during the making of this film.)
* "La regina degli uomini pesce" (1995) ("Queen of the Fish Men") made for Italian TV

External links

* [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0553941 IMDb entry]
* [http://www.precertvideo.com/giallo/index.php/Sergio_Martino precertvideo giallo database]