When it comes to the films of Dario Argento, Mario Bava, Lucio Fulci and Sergio Martino, all of whom are pioneers of the glamorous and bloody giallo genre of Italian horror films, it can be said that they would be nothing if it weren’t for their leading ladies. Actresses such as Dagmar Lassander, Barbara Bouchet, Edwige Fenech, Carla Brait and Marisa Mell have become legends thanks to their striking looks, killer wardrobes and the ability to maintain it all whilst being stalked, blackmailed and hunted.

For her first hardcover photo book, Californian photographer Kristin Gallegos has created her very own giallo. In a series of interconnected vignettes featuring models Cora Keegan, Dani Dolinger, Chavi St. Hill, Ashley Smith, Alix Brown and others, Gallegos stages imagined film stills in a distinctly giallo style whilst paying tribute to the individual leading ladies who defined the genre. Her book, Eight Dolls for an Autumn Moon, takes its title from Mario Bava’s 1970 classic Five Dolls for an August Moon starring Edwige Fenech. Here, Gallegos takes us through the inspirations and ideas behind five images inside the book.

Cora Keegan

“Cora is the main character in this Giallo film of mine. She portrays the fashion photographer who is trying to save herself and her model friends from a serial killer. This photo is important to the story. She is seen here in her darkroom. She has printed photos of another character who she suspects knows more than she is letting on. She is searching for clues as to who is after this circle of people and why. The study of how obsession can develop within humans, especially in a fame-driven culture, forms an intersectional part of the books narrative.

I love this image not only because of the red light but because the photos that are hung up are photos I actually took of Alix Brown, another character, years ago in NYC. It was really fun to tie that into the story.  A lot of the films that inspired this book have a female photographer as the main character like The Red Queen Kills Seven Times, Baba Yaga, Strip Nude for Your Killer and even Eyes of Laura Mars which is a great American Giallo. Cora’s look is inspired by German Actress Barbara Bouchet.”

Dani Dolinger

“In Giallo films the characters are always very stylish and always living in lavish homes. Set design was so important to this genre. And I was so lucky to get to shoot in this incredible Los Angeles mansion courtesy of my friends Justin Tranter and Darian Darling, who also did the makeup on most of the shoots for this book.  The house really helped to bring this world to life.

I think this image perfectly encapsulates the era and the undertones of these films. The height of the era was between ’68 and ’78 which is where my work usually takes inspiration from in general.  Giallo films are always super stylised, which I really love. In this shot Dani hears a noise and is going downstairs to see if someone is inside of the house. So the paranoia and fear are there but she also looks so perfect and stunning.  Giallo queen Edwige Fenech inspired Dani’s character and look. And films like All the Colors of the Dark, The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh and The Case of Bloody Iris were inspiration for her storyline. The Mario Bava film Five Dolls for an August Moon that Edwige also starred in was the inspiration for my book title!”

Chavi St. Hill

“I wanted to pay homage to the directors of the genre and the main ones for me are Dario Argento, Mario Bava and Sergio Martino. The lighting especially in Argento and Bava films like Suspiria and Blood and Black Lace is so iconic. I wanted to make sure I did a nod to that in my book. It was a lot of fun experimenting!

Chavi’s story in particular has a good range of lighting from day time indoors to outside in the sun. Then she comes home at night and her lights are cut off and she runs outside and is chased by the killer. I think the light in this shot reflects what is happening to her.  She is definitely in danger. I got to shoot her at the legendary Chelsea Hotel in NYC and we shot some of it in Los Angeles as well. Her character was inspired by Italian actress Carla Brait and in particular the film The Case of the Bloody Iris.

As a single woman living in a big city– or any place – no matter how successful, powerful, and confident, to be consistently on high alert, looking over your shoulder, especially when walking alone, has been forcibly ingrained in our nature. The perspective into the female experience and how terrifying it can be is a big theme in this project.

I actually had the pleasure of meeting the legend, Sergio Martino, while I was shooting this book! Cinematic Void and American Cinematheque had a double feature of two of his films, Torso and The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood and he was there doing a Q and A. Alix Brown and I got to meet him and get a photo with him which was amazing.  I am going to be hosting a couple of Giallo screenings with Cinematic Void and American Cinematheque for the official book release in January!”

Ashley Smith

“Locations are really important to me in my work and I obviously treated this project as if I were making a movie. So I wanted to shoot at some iconic locations that looked as cinematic as possible. For Ashley’s storyline I shot her in two locations.  She has crossover with Cora’s character so I shot them together in a photo studio. Where Cora is questioning Ashley during their photoshoot. Ashley is another suspicious character in the plot.

After she leaves the photo studio she heads off to blackmail one of the other characters. She is seen holding a tape recorder that contains some crucial evidence tying Alix to the killer. We shot this on the tunnel that leads to the iconic Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles. I love the way this building looks.  Many movies and TV shows have been shot there. It is a brutalist futuristic dream.  Ashley’s character is inspired by Swedish actress Anita Strindberg. And her storyline was influenced by many movies including Psychout for Murder and Smile Before Death.”

Alix Brown

“Alix is inspired by the iconic Marisa Mell. Particularly her look in Danger Diabolik (which is crime comic film with the feel of an exaggerated Giallo by Mario Bava) as well as in One on Top of the Other/Perversion Story.  The latter also served to inspire her storyline. As mentioned she is suspected in being involved by Cora and she is the character that is being blackmailed by Ashley. Her storyline involves her skipping town and heading to the airport after paying off Ashley to get those tapes and for her silence. But not before the killer tries to get her before she drives off.

We were so lucky to be able to shoot with this insane 1972 Porsche 914 (courtesy of Steven Vartanian) which is the same car in The Red Queen Kills Seven Times.  Steven also suited up and made a cameo as the killer in this shot. After that we headed to the Theme Building at LAX to shoot the rest of her story which was amazing!”

Eight Dolls for an Autumn Moon is in extended pre-order before being released in January 2025.