Book excerpt: This work is a detailed portrait of one of the most important, bustling and absurd industries that cinema has ever known: colorful essays and nine career-spanning interviews with Italian genre directors of the 1970s, such as Luigi Cozzi, Francesco Barilli, Lamberto Bava and more. The directors reflect on their successes, failures and experiences directing films in the Italian westerns, sci-fi and horror genres. Following the anecdotes, gossip and controversies of the industry, the essays employ critical analyses to fully unveil the Italian genre cinema, as well as its impact on films across the world.