Deep Red (1975)

[Neville]

Still on my discobering italian horros phase. After "Twitch of the dead nerve" I thought it was time to tackle something more serious, so I obtained a copy of one of Dario Argento's undisoputed masterpieces.  

A great movie. Now I start to understand why somebody on the board said "Twitch of the death nerve" wasn't exactly a giallo. This one is not that different from a newer Argento film I rented a while ago, "Sleepless", but it certainly is much, much better. This one follows the amateur investigation by an american musician (David Hemmings, of "Blow Up" fame) who while working on Italy accidentally witnesses a brutal murder.

Argento uses a highly-stilised camera work, staging every single scene with an amazing eye for settings and POVs. The different deaths or the murderer POVs that become the key scenes have to seen to be believed. The rest of scenes, despite some of them being obviously exposition or introducing more and more suspects (even a pre-teen girl!), also have a strange, almost detached feel.

The music by Goblin seems a strange decision, but you get used to it after a while. Same goes for the pacing and camera work, which is quite different from american movies, but the film is always cool and fascinating. It may be just style, but what a style!  

The version I got runs 1h 40 min, but I've heard there are longer cuts available.

[Mr_Vindictive]

Neville,

I haven't seen Deep Red in years, but I do remember it to be quite a good flick.  Glad you enjoyed it.

I really like Argento's decision to use Goblin's music in most of his films.  Although it may not seem to fit quite right in the film, it still adds a strange atmosphere to his films.  Their work in Suspiria is absolutely breathtaking.

[Neville]

Glad you mention that one. I plan to see "Suspiria" later this week, and I'm trying to obtain a copy of Mario Bava's "Black Sabath", which in my country is called "Mask of the Demon".

Do you know of other Argento films worth seing?

[Mr_Vindictive]

Suspiria is a masterpiece, probably my favorite of all of Argento's work.

Trauma is pretty good, as is Tenebre and Phenomena.  Four Evil eyes is another decent film that has his work and some work by George Romero, both stories based on some Poe works.

I think you'll be pleasently surprised by Black Sabbath.  That one is really something that needs to be seen.  My wife protested watching it a while back when it was on the Independent Film Channel due to the fact that it's in B&W.  We watched the first five minutes including the "mask" scene and she was drawn right in.  Amazing film.

[Gerry]

Skaboi wrote:

> Suspiria is a masterpiece, probably my favorite of all of
> Argento's work.

SUSPIRIA is excellent (terrifying!) and I really like the sequel in the "Three Mothers" Trilogy INFERNO.  TENEBRAE is very good as well.

> I think you'll be pleasently surprised by Black Sabbath.  That
> one is really something that needs to be seen.  My wife
> protested watching it a while back when it was on the
> Independent Film Channel due to the fact that it's in B&W.  We
> watched the first five minutes including the "mask" scene and
> she was drawn right in.  Amazing film.

I think you guys are mixing up BLACK SABBATH and BLACK SUNDAY.  The former is an anothology film directed by Bava and starring Boris Karloff in a wraparound sequence and the "Wurdelak" story (it's also in color).  The latter is a B&W Bava starring Barbara Steele and features the "mask" scene in question.

BLACK SABBATH:



BLACK SUNDAY

[Mr_Vindictive]

Thanks for the info Gerry, I was mixing the two up.  Black Sunday is the correct film.

[The Burgomaster]

Deep Red is one of my favorites (I love Dario Argento's films).  I have the restored version on DVD (that has a few scenes that were never dubbed into English, which is sort of strange when you are watching the movie).  Other Argento favorites are BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE, TENEBRAE, CAT 'O' NINE TAILS, SUSPIRIA, and PHENOMENA.

You might also want to check out KILL, BABY . . . KILL and BLOOD AND BLACK LACE, which are pretty good Italian flicks.

[Gerry]

The Burgomaster wrote:

> You might also want to check out KILL, BABY . . . KILL and
> BLOOD AND BLACK LACE, which are pretty good Italian flicks.

Both Mario Bava's.

[blkrider]

DEEP RED, SUSPIRIA, and TENEBRE are my favorite Argentos.  INFERNO is good but difficult.  I haven't seen the ones before DEEP RED, need to.  I haven't liked the more recent ones.

[Archivist]

I'm quite fond of the older giallo movies, but Deep Red is actually a bit too disturbing for me!  The murder scenes make my toes curl.

We are/were fortunate in Australia to have a wacky movie buff by the name of Des Mangan who worked with the multicultural tv station SBS, as he loved all manner of B-movies from Japanese weirdness like Guitar Wolf and Peach Hip Girl to spaghetti westerns and giallo.  Each week he'd introduce the 'Cult Movie of the Week', and Deep Red was one of them. Icky film.  Good, but icky.

~Archivist~

[StatCat]

I think Goblin's music totally fits into his movies and creates that weird mood he wants. Deep Red I'd put in my top 3 Italian horror films and my top 3 Dario films.