Dressed to Kill (1980): Catholics Condemning Sexism, Acting Sexist | Part 1 (American Giallo)

Bill and Jess are joined by filmmaker and actor Ava Davis to kick off their discussion of Brian De Palma’s highly controversial film Dressed to Kill (1980). Starring Michael Caine, Angie Dickinson, Nancy Allen, and Keith Gordon, Dressed to Kill blends Hitchcockian suspense with the stylish murder mysteries of Italian giallo, helping define the American Giallo movement while becoming one of the most influential psychological thrillers of the 1980s. Upon its release, the film ignited fierce debate over violence, sexuality, gender, artistic freedom, and censorship, and more than four decades later it remains one of Brian De Palma’s most celebrated and polarizing films.