Short Story Month 2012, Day 4. Giallo

It's Friday. I suppose it's too early in the month to slack off a little (is it ever too early to slack off a little?) but I thought I'd mention this very funny site where you can generate your own giallo. Giallo is an Italian genre that originated with some cheap yellow genre paperbacks that were probably pretty sensationalist in their day--their day being before the advent of Friday the Thirteenth and the like. Anyway, it soon came to represent a certain kind of lurid film as well.

And thus the Do-it-Yourself Giallo Kit was born. Maybe it's only me, but I find this generator hilarious. I've often thought of writing a whole set of stories based on the things that come up here--the titles alone are terrific, and if you could somehow convey the slasher film mentality while keeping it somewhat tongue in cheek...Well, better minds than mine, right?

For today's prompt, here are a couple for examples, drawn very much at random:

A Butterfly with Teeth of Glass

Directed by
Matteo Bruni

A drug-addicted student finds a human torso which has been hacked up on stage, in front of an audience which doesn't understand what's going on. A politician inadvertently picks up the one piece of evidence that will solve the the killing. When another person is found murdered, he is able to take control of his shattered life long enough to unmask the real criminal.

My Heart is an Assassin with One Red Eye

Directed by
Ovidio Massaprodussi

A strange painter is found dead. A blind writer is implicated in the murder. After several bloody murders, she finds herself faced with the decision to betray her own twin.

Three Dead on a Frozen Landscape

Directed by
Romano Pecorino

A wealthy journalist is found brutally murdered in an old, abandoned warehouse. A bisexual sculptor seems to know a little too much about the the murder; and after decoding entries in a hidden journal, he unravels the complicated plot and leads the police to the criminal. Unfortunately, he is mistaken, and soon the real maniac is on his trail.

A Key of Ice in a Woman's Hands

Directed by Stefano Giocomonte

An old musician is murdered with a hatchet. A controversial student discovers the crime. After decoding entries in a hidden journal, she discovers that she herself is actually responsible; her own son is forced to kill her before she can kill again.

Yeah, I know--I've put up too many of these. I'm telling you, it's addicting.