Dario Argento

[B-side]

I'll be diving into his work for the first time in the coming days with The Bird With The Crystal Plumage. I caught a bit of it earlier before succumbing to sleep through no fault of my own. I'll be starting over soon.

Anyways, rate what you've seen from him and we'll go from there.

[Raiders]

The Bird With the Crystal Plumage - 68
Cat o' Nine Tails - 77
Deep Red - 89
Suspiria - 82
Inferno - 57
Tenebre - 85
Phenomena - 61
Opera - 87
The Stendhal Syndrome - 70
Jenifer - 67
Pelts - 52

I have avoided most of his 90s stuff.

[megladon8]

He's perhaps one of my favorite filmmakers, because I just find a lot of his work very exciting and eclectic.

My first viewing of Suspiria is one of the most memorable film viewings of my life.

My ratings would go something like this...

Deep Red - 9.5
Suspiria - 9
Tenebre - 7.5
Opera - 8

As you can tell, I really need to see more by him.

[B-side]

He's perhaps one of my favorite filmmakers, because I just find a lot of his work very exciting and eclectic.

My first viewing of Suspiria is one of the most memorable film viewings of my life.

My ratings would go something like this...

Deep Red - 9.5
Suspiria - 9
Tenebre - 7.5
Opera - 8

As you can tell, I really need to see more by him.

I believe I've heard Suspiria is all manner of weird, which of course excites me to no end.:P

[Melville]

I'm afraid that a googly-eyed Raiders may stab me in the throat for saying so, but I thought Suspiria was intolerably hokey, with visual and audio designs that grated on my nerves with their garishness.

[megladon8]

I believe I've heard Suspiria is all manner of weird, which of course excites me to no end.:P


Argento describes it as "an assault on the senses".

Of course, there have been more "sense assaulting" films since then. But it's still pretty amazing.

The set design alone is worth watching the film for.

Plus, it's genuinely creepy. Which is a plus with a horror movie :P

[Sven]

Not liking Pelts or Inferno means you lose.

[EyesWideOpen]

I need to see more. I thought Suspiria was fantastic and I though Jenifer was awful.

[Boner M]

I dig him.

The Bird With the Crystal Plumage 80
Deep Red 81
Suspiria 59
Inferno 74
Tenebre 73
Phenomena 79

[B-side]

Argento describes it as "an assault on the senses".

Of course, there have been more "sense assaulting" films since then. But it's still pretty amazing.

The set design alone is worth watching the film for.

Plus, it's genuinely creepy. Which is a plus with a horror movie :P

See, now that sounds fantastic.:)

[megladon8]

See, now that sounds fantastic.:)


I can almost guarantee that the bright colours and jarring music will throw you off at first. Just try to embrace it, and let the film - in the words of D_Davis - "have its way with you".

Near the beginning, there is a scene where the protagonist is in a taxi, driving through a forest in the middle of night (ie, no light at all). Yet there are super-bright flourescent pink, green and yellow lights shining in on her face through the windows.

That'll give you an idea of the tone to expect from the film.

[B-side]

I can almost guarantee that the bright colours and jarring music will throw you off at first. Just try to embrace it, and let the film - in the words of D_Davis - "have its way with you".

Near the beginning, there is a scene where the protagonist is in a taxi, driving through a forest in the middle of night (ie, no light at all). Yet there are super-bright flourescent pink, green and yellow lights shining in on her face through the windows.

That'll give you an idea of the tone to expect from the film.

That sounds awesome. I mean, if it's any indication, I'm a big fan of Lynch's more surreal work. INLAND EMPIRE, Eraserhead, Blue Velvet, Mulholland Drive...

[megladon8]

That sounds awesome. I mean, if it's any indication, I'm a big fan of Lynch's more surreal work. INLAND EMPIRE, Eraserhead, Blue Velvet, Mulholland Drive...


Well, I certainly wouldn't compare Argento to Lynch.

But I think you'll like it.

[B-side]

Well, I certainly wouldn't compare Argento to Lynch.

But I think you'll like it.

I didn't really mean to compare the two, just to let you get a better sense of my feelings towards surrealism.

[Rowland]

The Bird With the Crystal Plumage - ***½
The Cat o' Nine Tails - **½
Four Flies on Grey Velvet - ***
Deep Red - ****
Suspiria - ***½
Inferno - ***½
Tenebrae - ***½
Phenomena - ***
Opera - ****
The Black Cat - ***
Trauma - **½
The Stendhal Syndrome - **½
Phantom of the Opera - *
Sleepless - **½
The Card Player - **
Do You Like Hitchcock - **
Jenifer - **½
Pelts - **

[Bosco B Thug]

I'd say my current favorite of his is Tenebre, but I need to re-watch pretty much all his other seminal films again (I'm sure Deep Red and Opera have a chance at usurping the top spot from it). Not Suspiria, though, I've watched that one enough. I like it, but it has diminished in my esteem a bit - the movie is essentially pretty plotless and narratively it just is not very interesting...


Not liking Pelts or Inferno means you lose. No offense, but Pelts was pretty dumb. There's no point to the thing, other than to watch Meatloaf hit on a stripper and then flay himself just before he finally gets to score with her. Oh the karmic irony! :P

[D_Davis]

My favorite is Opera.

[Sven]

No offense, but Pelts was pretty dumb. There's no point to the thing, other than to watch Meatloaf hit on a stripper and then flay himself just before he finally gets to score with her. Oh the karmic irony! :P

Without getting all into the "point" of Argento films centering around the spectator and perception and voyeurism and scopophilia, etc, I'd suggest that most Argento films exist initially as spooky Baroque thrillers, made to exercise his cinematic inventiveness and explore the horror of the inexplicable. There may not be as many shots of eyes in Pelts, but I'll be damned if it's not as freaky a nightmare as anything he's done.

[Bosco B Thug]

Without getting all into the "point" of Argento films centering around the spectator and perception and voyeurism and scopophilia, etc, I'd suggest that most Argento films exist initially as spooky Baroque thrillers, made to exercise his cinematic inventiveness and explore the horror of the inexplicable. There may not be as many shots of eyes in Pelts, but I'll be damned if it's not as freaky a nightmare as anything he's done.
Cool, I agree... aside from the last sentence, of course. "Pretty dumb" I meant mainly story-wise.

But I'd say Argento seems to be kind of slumming it, too. I felt little attempt at any sense of mystery, suspense, or visual formalness. He did much more memorable work in Jenifer.

[Rowland]

I felt little attempt at any sense of mystery, suspense, or visual formalness.Yeah, I didn't think there was anything that interesting about Pelts. It was vaguely entertaining for how damn weird it was, but it was more of a lame weird than the awesome WTFness of his best work, and the flashbacks to every gore sequence felt lazy and pandering.

[lovejuice]

The Bird With the Crystal Plumage - ***½
The Cat o' Nine Tails - **½
Four Flies on Grey Velvet - ***
Deep Red - ****
Suspiria - ***½
Inferno - ***½
Tenebrae - ***½
Phenomena - ***
Opera - ****
The Black Cat - ***
Trauma - **½
The Stendhal Syndrome - **½
Phantom of the Opera - *
Sleepless - **½
The Card Player - **
Do You Like Hitchcock - **
Jenifer - **½
Pelts - **

you are the only person i know who watch more argento's than i do. congrat, sir. and deep red is easily among my top ten favorite films ever.

[Grouchy]

The Bird with the Crystal Plumage - 7
Deep Red - 10
Suspiria - 10
Phenomena - 8
Two Evil Eyes (The Black Cat) - 4
The Phantom of the Opera - 3
Masters of Horror (Jenifer) - 8

[lovejuice]

oh, and i like phenomena. every time i watch it i have an uncontrollable desire to make mad hot illegal love to the 15 years old jennifer connelly.

[MadMan]

I've only seen one (and thus I'm using this thread for recommendations as well):

Suspiria(1977)-90

[Grouchy]

oh, and i like phenomena. every time i watch it i have an uncontrollable desire to make mad hot illegal love to the 15 years old jennifer connelly.
Watch Once Upon a Time in America then. That girl is walkin' jailbait, I tell ya.

This thread has reminded me that there are many classic Argento films I never bothered to see - Tenebrae, Trauma and The Stendhal Syndrome look good.

[Qrazy]

I'm afraid that a googly-eyed Raiders may stab me in the throat for saying so, but I thought Suspiria was intolerably hokey, with visual and audio designs that grated on my nerves with their garishness.

I don't feel quite as strongly as you do but yeah, my only foray into the man's filmography was Suspiria which I'd give about a B-. I'd like to see a few more of his films but it's not something at the front of my to do list.

[Qrazy]

Watch Once Upon a Time in America then. That girl is walkin' jailbait, I tell ya.


Too bad the woman playing the adult version of her is decidedly less enticing.

[Ezee E]

Connelly was in an Argento movie? Coool.

And I look forward to seeing his new one with Asia, despite all of his movies with her being completely rotten.

[Rowland]

Connelly was in an Argento movie? Coool.
Yep. She likes to pretend she was never in it, which is funny given that it's better than most of her later work.

[Kurious Jorge v3.1]

Bird With Crystal Plumage - 60
Deep Red - 65
Suspiria - 89
Tenebre - 62
Phenomena - 74
Opera - 77