Between two worlds: Disjointed trajectories in the local and global circulation of Italian made-for-television horror series.

Abstract

The article addresses the challenges faced by filone filmmakers to adapt to televisual language and content in the 1980s. Made-for-television horror films exemplify this failed adaptation process in a decade characterized by the rise of commercial television and the consolidation of the dominant market position of Silvio Berlusconi’s broadcasting empire. They are also an example of the impact of distribution patterns on discursive practices surrounding the international circulation of Italian horror movies. Challenging ongoing scholarly debates in anglophone contexts, the article aims to shed light on the impact of transnational distribution practices peculiar to production companies like Dania Film and Medusa Distribuzione on the marketization of made-for-television horror series in anglophone countries and beyond. The combination of old and new industrial traditions may not have favoured the series’ success in Italy on the verge of the 1990s, but it ensured their circulation around the globe long after.