1960년대 이후 호러 영화가 세계적으로 알려진데는 이탈리아 호러 영화의 역할이 특히 컸다. 감독은 다리오 아르젠토, 마리오 바바, 푸피 아바티 등 대표적 감독의 작품을 중점적으로 살피며 당시 영화인들이 부족한 예산과 검열 등 척박한 제작 환경 속에서 어떤 창조적 작업을 선보였는지 살펴본다. 또한 잔혹한 신체 훼손 같은 폭력의 과잉이 어떤 사회문화적 맥락을 갖고 있었는지도 함께 고민한다.

In a small mountain village lives a man with a challenging name, Giuseppe Garibaldi (one of Italy's "fathers of the fatherland"), but everybody call him with the nickname Peppino. Love fishing, the company of friends, the library where he works as a precarious employee. He is an optimistic person even if his child accuse him of being a wannabe. One day, due to a mess of politicians, an amazing thing happens: Peppino is mistakenly elected President of the Italian Republic. Pulled out from his quiet life, is to play a role for which he knows he is obviously inappropriate, but his common sense and his instinctive gestures are incredibly effective, except for the etiquette, for which he is in trouble. The inflexible and fascinating Deputy Secretary General of the Presidency of the Republic, Janis Clementi, is anxious to no avail in an attempt to regulate the unpredictable actions of the President...