DARIO ARGENTOSUSPIRIA, OPERA, PHENOMENAPerhaps the most famous of Italian giallo (or pulp horror) directors, Dario Argento has turned images of death and gore into works of art. Beginning his career as a writer, Argento contributed to the story of Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in the West along with director, Bernardo Bertolucci. In 1970, Argento directed his first film, the giallo mystery The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, which began a string of similar slasher films including The Cat o’Nine Tails and Deep Red. In 1977, Argento incorporated witchcraft and the occult into his best and most famous film, Suspiria. The film contains some of the most nightmarish and terrifying images in all of his films. One of the very last films shot on three-strip Technicolor, Suspiria includes scenes of women getting horribly killed by stained glass windows, rooms full of razor wire, and the traditional knife to the throat. While his films often lack in the story department, in fact most are almost laughably illogical, the detailed and inventive use of camera and choreography of the elaborate death scenes have made him a favorite among horror fans. The Day-Glo color palate of Suspiria alone makes him an interesting director, if not a perfect or refined one. While still directing today, Argento’s heyday was between 1970 and 1993, where he made 10 of the best examples of the giallo genre. See the full list HERE.
DARIO ARGENTOSUSPIRIA, OPERA, PHENOMENAPerhaps the most famous of Italian giallo (or pulp horror) directors, Dario Argento has turned images of death and gore into works of art. Beginning his career as a writer, Argento contributed to the story of Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in the West along with director, Bernardo Bertolucci. In 1970, Argento directed his first film, the giallo mystery The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, which began a string of similar slasher films including The Cat o’Nine Tails and Deep Red. In 1977, Argento incorporated witchcraft and the occult into his best and most famous film, Suspiria. The film contains some of the most nightmarish and terrifying images in all of his films. One of the very last films shot on three-strip Technicolor, Suspiria includes scenes of women getting horribly killed by stained glass windows, rooms full of razor wire, and the traditional knife to the throat. While his films often lack in the story department, in fact most are almost laughably illogical, the detailed and inventive use of camera and choreography of the elaborate death scenes have made him a favorite among horror fans. The Day-Glo color palate of Suspiria alone makes him an interesting director, if not a perfect or refined one. While still directing today, Argento’s heyday was between 1970 and 1993, where he made 10 of the best examples of the giallo genre.
Add DEEP RED and TENEBRAE to his notable films — these are my two favorites from him.