Laurence Phillips
@hardyroach.bsky.social
Writer/Designer/Editor. Worked on Vampire Survivors, and TTRPG stuff for Rowan Rook and Decard, UFO Press, Weird Age Games, Cubicle7. Writes about toy soldiers for Goonhammer.com. Working on a new Giallo horror RPG, check my threads.
Open for work, DM me.
Open for work, DM me.
Made a timelapse for a Il Fantasma del Giallo related sculpt I'm working on, mostly as a test to see if I could given this sculpt isn't actually finished yet.
November 13, 2025 at 2:29 PM
Made a timelapse for a Il Fantasma del Giallo related sculpt I'm working on, mostly as a test to see if I could given this sculpt isn't actually finished yet.
"Keeping busy, yeah?"
Me:
Me:
November 12, 2025 at 12:52 PM
"Keeping busy, yeah?"
Me:
Me:
Oh do fuck off messenger. Right where "cut" would usually be, pressed it accidentally.
November 12, 2025 at 12:47 PM
Oh do fuck off messenger. Right where "cut" would usually be, pressed it accidentally.
Pah. Humble is for uggos. My partner snapped these sexy selfies of me only recently.
You can't even tell how tired and overworked I am! Just that hot.
You can't even tell how tired and overworked I am! Just that hot.
November 11, 2025 at 8:44 AM
Pah. Humble is for uggos. My partner snapped these sexy selfies of me only recently.
You can't even tell how tired and overworked I am! Just that hot.
You can't even tell how tired and overworked I am! Just that hot.
My partner is running a playtest of my game and I'm listening to techno real loud on my headphones so I don't hear them and feel mortified.
November 10, 2025 at 8:15 PM
My partner is running a playtest of my game and I'm listening to techno real loud on my headphones so I don't hear them and feel mortified.
Its nice to be at the "fun to write prose" bit for a while rather than the "agonise over card probabilities" bit.
November 9, 2025 at 11:23 PM
Its nice to be at the "fun to write prose" bit for a while rather than the "agonise over card probabilities" bit.
Look, sometimes you've gotta amuse yourself to pass the day.
November 9, 2025 at 5:46 PM
Look, sometimes you've gotta amuse yourself to pass the day.
You know you've fucked up trying to make your headline less horrible when you go from a "Way of Kings" manosphere headline to a Der Stürmer headline.
November 9, 2025 at 9:27 AM
You know you've fucked up trying to make your headline less horrible when you go from a "Way of Kings" manosphere headline to a Der Stürmer headline.
Stress testing a new resin! I eventually broke the spear but it took some effort. A plastic spear would have broken sooner.
November 6, 2025 at 10:15 AM
Stress testing a new resin! I eventually broke the spear but it took some effort. A plastic spear would have broken sooner.
They built a Quar tank irl!
November 1, 2025 at 5:52 PM
They built a Quar tank irl!
Learning a new flourish for showmanship at convention tables
November 1, 2025 at 12:24 PM
Learning a new flourish for showmanship at convention tables
As explained before, mystery is just a device used to cultivate suspicion, danger, and thrills - it's not an intellectual exercise.
So yes, solid film, especially once you get past the first forty minutes or so, and the mystery gets going in earnest.
So yes, solid film, especially once you get past the first forty minutes or so, and the mystery gets going in earnest.
October 29, 2025 at 11:02 PM
As explained before, mystery is just a device used to cultivate suspicion, danger, and thrills - it's not an intellectual exercise.
So yes, solid film, especially once you get past the first forty minutes or so, and the mystery gets going in earnest.
So yes, solid film, especially once you get past the first forty minutes or so, and the mystery gets going in earnest.
Common element - unsolvable mystery:
The brother who reveals everything is barely in the film before that point. He's in a few scenes where he never seems like more than a background character.
You can definitely solve that Monica is actually Susan, quite easily actually, but beyond that, no.
The brother who reveals everything is barely in the film before that point. He's in a few scenes where he never seems like more than a background character.
You can definitely solve that Monica is actually Susan, quite easily actually, but beyond that, no.
October 29, 2025 at 11:02 PM
Common element - unsolvable mystery:
The brother who reveals everything is barely in the film before that point. He's in a few scenes where he never seems like more than a background character.
You can definitely solve that Monica is actually Susan, quite easily actually, but beyond that, no.
The brother who reveals everything is barely in the film before that point. He's in a few scenes where he never seems like more than a background character.
You can definitely solve that Monica is actually Susan, quite easily actually, but beyond that, no.
Common element - mood lighting, shadow and colour:
Though more conventional than Blood & Black Lace, this film does make strong use of some thematic colours and shadows.
Along with the more noir-y shots, you've also got things like Henry being bathed in green during his bitter little envy speech.
Though more conventional than Blood & Black Lace, this film does make strong use of some thematic colours and shadows.
Along with the more noir-y shots, you've also got things like Henry being bathed in green during his bitter little envy speech.
October 29, 2025 at 11:02 PM
Common element - mood lighting, shadow and colour:
Though more conventional than Blood & Black Lace, this film does make strong use of some thematic colours and shadows.
Along with the more noir-y shots, you've also got things like Henry being bathed in green during his bitter little envy speech.
Though more conventional than Blood & Black Lace, this film does make strong use of some thematic colours and shadows.
Along with the more noir-y shots, you've also got things like Henry being bathed in green during his bitter little envy speech.
Common element - everyone kinda sucks:
George is lying, unfaithful conman. Henry is a murderer. Susan is too, and is also cheating. The character that comes out the best is Jane, but she’s still knowingly participating in an affair, and is a pornographer (could be fine, but not in the '60s).
George is lying, unfaithful conman. Henry is a murderer. Susan is too, and is also cheating. The character that comes out the best is Jane, but she’s still knowingly participating in an affair, and is a pornographer (could be fine, but not in the '60s).
October 29, 2025 at 11:02 PM
Common element - everyone kinda sucks:
George is lying, unfaithful conman. Henry is a murderer. Susan is too, and is also cheating. The character that comes out the best is Jane, but she’s still knowingly participating in an affair, and is a pornographer (could be fine, but not in the '60s).
George is lying, unfaithful conman. Henry is a murderer. Susan is too, and is also cheating. The character that comes out the best is Jane, but she’s still knowingly participating in an affair, and is a pornographer (could be fine, but not in the '60s).
Common element - police are dumb:
Inspector Wald is entirely gullible to Henry and Susan's plot, even to the point of it almost not working. The cops only find out it was murder because the insurance agent tips them off, and they never even bother to check dental records until after the conviction.
Inspector Wald is entirely gullible to Henry and Susan's plot, even to the point of it almost not working. The cops only find out it was murder because the insurance agent tips them off, and they never even bother to check dental records until after the conviction.
October 29, 2025 at 11:02 PM
Common element - police are dumb:
Inspector Wald is entirely gullible to Henry and Susan's plot, even to the point of it almost not working. The cops only find out it was murder because the insurance agent tips them off, and they never even bother to check dental records until after the conviction.
Inspector Wald is entirely gullible to Henry and Susan's plot, even to the point of it almost not working. The cops only find out it was murder because the insurance agent tips them off, and they never even bother to check dental records until after the conviction.
Theme - dangerous sexuality:
Sex is both ecstasy and danger. It's used to show how characters exert power over each other.
Jane hates being a mistress, but can't resist. Jane seduces Monica to surprise her with a picture of the nurse. The killers are killed by a man driven mad by jealousy.
Sex is both ecstasy and danger. It's used to show how characters exert power over each other.
Jane hates being a mistress, but can't resist. Jane seduces Monica to surprise her with a picture of the nurse. The killers are killed by a man driven mad by jealousy.
October 29, 2025 at 11:02 PM
Theme - dangerous sexuality:
Sex is both ecstasy and danger. It's used to show how characters exert power over each other.
Jane hates being a mistress, but can't resist. Jane seduces Monica to surprise her with a picture of the nurse. The killers are killed by a man driven mad by jealousy.
Sex is both ecstasy and danger. It's used to show how characters exert power over each other.
Jane hates being a mistress, but can't resist. Jane seduces Monica to surprise her with a picture of the nurse. The killers are killed by a man driven mad by jealousy.
Theme - mistrust and unreliability:
Characters are not honest with each other, and generally fail to honestly represent their desires and motivations. As with many Gialli, characters cannot really trust what they personally witness, as things tend to be misrepresentations of some sort.
Characters are not honest with each other, and generally fail to honestly represent their desires and motivations. As with many Gialli, characters cannot really trust what they personally witness, as things tend to be misrepresentations of some sort.
October 29, 2025 at 11:02 PM
Theme - mistrust and unreliability:
Characters are not honest with each other, and generally fail to honestly represent their desires and motivations. As with many Gialli, characters cannot really trust what they personally witness, as things tend to be misrepresentations of some sort.
Characters are not honest with each other, and generally fail to honestly represent their desires and motivations. As with many Gialli, characters cannot really trust what they personally witness, as things tend to be misrepresentations of some sort.
Theme - identity and duality:
Reflections are a constant visual motif in this film. This reflects (teehee) the general theme of dual identity, like a sleazier version of Vertigo.
Characters present different masks to different people, and you're never entirely sure which is the correct one.
Reflections are a constant visual motif in this film. This reflects (teehee) the general theme of dual identity, like a sleazier version of Vertigo.
Characters present different masks to different people, and you're never entirely sure which is the correct one.
October 29, 2025 at 11:02 PM
Theme - identity and duality:
Reflections are a constant visual motif in this film. This reflects (teehee) the general theme of dual identity, like a sleazier version of Vertigo.
Characters present different masks to different people, and you're never entirely sure which is the correct one.
Reflections are a constant visual motif in this film. This reflects (teehee) the general theme of dual identity, like a sleazier version of Vertigo.
Characters present different masks to different people, and you're never entirely sure which is the correct one.
You can strip away a lot of the other common elements, but as long as you've got those things (crime mystery + sleaze and thrills), you've got a Giallo film.
This film has plenty of other stuff that you see a lot in these films, however, so I'll run through some of those tropes and themes.
This film has plenty of other stuff that you see a lot in these films, however, so I'll run through some of those tropes and themes.
October 29, 2025 at 11:02 PM
You can strip away a lot of the other common elements, but as long as you've got those things (crime mystery + sleaze and thrills), you've got a Giallo film.
This film has plenty of other stuff that you see a lot in these films, however, so I'll run through some of those tropes and themes.
This film has plenty of other stuff that you see a lot in these films, however, so I'll run through some of those tropes and themes.
Sleaze: everyone's lying, everyone's cheating, people are doing drugs, hiding depravities, and suppressing urges. Society and decorum are thin veneers covering base desires.
Thrills: no one can be trusted, danger is always present, and the only authorities present are malicious or incompetent.
Thrills: no one can be trusted, danger is always present, and the only authorities present are malicious or incompetent.
October 29, 2025 at 11:02 PM
Sleaze: everyone's lying, everyone's cheating, people are doing drugs, hiding depravities, and suppressing urges. Society and decorum are thin veneers covering base desires.
Thrills: no one can be trusted, danger is always present, and the only authorities present are malicious or incompetent.
Thrills: no one can be trusted, danger is always present, and the only authorities present are malicious or incompetent.
Well, it's not brutal murders or masked killers. That's a common element but it's not crucial.
It's not just murders, either. If it were, a lot of films earlier than 1963 would apply.
If I had to boil it down, Gialli are crime mysteries with two key additions: sleaze and thrills.
It's not just murders, either. If it were, a lot of films earlier than 1963 would apply.
If I had to boil it down, Gialli are crime mysteries with two key additions: sleaze and thrills.
October 29, 2025 at 11:02 PM
Well, it's not brutal murders or masked killers. That's a common element but it's not crucial.
It's not just murders, either. If it were, a lot of films earlier than 1963 would apply.
If I had to boil it down, Gialli are crime mysteries with two key additions: sleaze and thrills.
It's not just murders, either. If it were, a lot of films earlier than 1963 would apply.
If I had to boil it down, Gialli are crime mysteries with two key additions: sleaze and thrills.
There's a few reasons. The simplest is also the least helpful - all mystery stories are Gialli, because that's just what the genre means in Italy.
But that's not how we're using it! So let's be less pedantic and more verbose, somehow.
The question is: what is the load-bearing element of a Giallo?
But that's not how we're using it! So let's be less pedantic and more verbose, somehow.
The question is: what is the load-bearing element of a Giallo?
October 29, 2025 at 11:02 PM
There's a few reasons. The simplest is also the least helpful - all mystery stories are Gialli, because that's just what the genre means in Italy.
But that's not how we're using it! So let's be less pedantic and more verbose, somehow.
The question is: what is the load-bearing element of a Giallo?
But that's not how we're using it! So let's be less pedantic and more verbose, somehow.
The question is: what is the load-bearing element of a Giallo?
If you've read my previous threads, this one might seem a bit different. There's no masked killer, there's no brutal murders. In fact, for most of the runtime only one death has happened (Susan/the nurse). Two more happen at the end, but in fairly tame fashion.
So why, exactly, is this a Giallo?
So why, exactly, is this a Giallo?
October 29, 2025 at 11:02 PM
If you've read my previous threads, this one might seem a bit different. There's no masked killer, there's no brutal murders. In fact, for most of the runtime only one death has happened (Susan/the nurse). Two more happen at the end, but in fairly tame fashion.
So why, exactly, is this a Giallo?
So why, exactly, is this a Giallo?
At the final moment George is saved due to the obsessive client of "Monica's" following her and Henry to their escape in France, and gunning both of them down out of jealousy.
A newscaster explains that George was released mere seconds before the gas lever was about to be flipped.
The end.
A newscaster explains that George was released mere seconds before the gas lever was about to be flipped.
The end.
October 29, 2025 at 11:02 PM
At the final moment George is saved due to the obsessive client of "Monica's" following her and Henry to their escape in France, and gunning both of them down out of jealousy.
A newscaster explains that George was released mere seconds before the gas lever was about to be flipped.
The end.
A newscaster explains that George was released mere seconds before the gas lever was about to be flipped.
The end.