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Film: Phenomena
Release date: 7th March 2011
Certificate: 18
Running time: 111 mins
Director: Dario Argento
Starring: Jennifer Connelly, Daria Nicolodi, Dalila Di Lazzaro, Patrick Bauchau, Donald Pleasence
Genre: Horror/Mystery/Thriller
Studio: Arrow
Format: DVD & Blu-ray
Country: Italy
Italian horror maestro Dario Argento follows a string of genre classics such as Suspiria, Deep Red and Tenebrae with 1985’s Phenomena. Originally released in America under the title Creepers, the film was heavily edited with almost 30 minutes cut. It is now finally released in full on Blu-ray for the first time.
A young Danish tourist is left behind in Switzerland after her bus leaves without her. Approaching a nearby house, she hears a banging from upstairs as she calls out for help. Someone has been chained to the wall of one of the bedrooms and is struggling to break free. As the girl searches the house for further signs of life, the shackles are torn free from the wall, as the girl is brutally murdered by a leather gloved killer.
Eight months later, Jennifer Corvino (Jennifer Connelly), the daughter of a well-known film star is escorted to her new school, a creepy international boarding school for girls, by Frau Brückner (Daria Nicolodi). Suffering from bouts of sleepwalking, she has an affinity with, and the ability to manipulate insects. Jennifer struggles to adapt to her new lifestyle, tormented by bullies and finding it hard to get on with her classmates and teachers, especially the stern head mistress.
After sleepwalking through the grounds of the school, Jennifer awakens to find herself on the roof, where she witnesses the murder of a student at the hands of a leather gloved killer. After fleeing into the local village, she soon becomes acquainted with entomologist Professor John McGregor (Donald Pleasance), who is capable of studying the insects found in decomposed body parts, and can use this information to ascertain the approximate time of death. He believes that between them, he and Jennifer can solve the riddle of the murders, and tasks her with tracking down the killer using a fly from a maggot found on one of the murdered student’s gloves, which leads Jennifer on an investigation that erupts in a crescendo of violence, as she discovers that she has nobody left who she can trust…
Dario Argento has created a unique fusion of the fantasy and giallo genres, which successfully combines a sense of mystery with supernatural horror. The main success of Phenomena is the performance from a 15-year-old Jennifer Connelly, who follows her exceptional performance in Sergio Leone’s classic Once Upon A Time in America with this. Connelly gives a fragile and inquisitive performance which works extremely well alongside the breathtaking, eerie cinematography by Romano Albani. Switzerland’s sweeping countryside proves to be an exceptionally creepy environment, and adds to the suspense of many sequences.
Likewise, horror veteran Donald Pleasance’s Scottish entomologist is a welcome addition to the cast, even though his bizarre Edinburgh accent leaves a lot to be desired. The wheelchair bound professor lends the film’s more ludicrous assertions a sense of grounding in reality, despite the fact that his assistant is a mischievous, razor wielding chimpanzee
Argento has once again chosen to collaborate with Goblin on the film’s score, this time adding tracks from Iron Maiden and Motörhead. Critically praised, but completely ineffective, Goblin’s score is all jazzy synth and inappropriately upbeat guitar tracks. The main grievance with the score (and the accompanying heavy metal tracks) is that it completely undermines any sense of intrigue and suspense created by the director. One scene in particular, where Jennifer’s roommate Sophie is dreaming that she is lost in an old abandoned house, is completely ruined by the inappropriate use of Iron Maiden’s ‘Flash Of The Blade’. It plays out like a low-budget music video as opposed to the carefully crafted, moody scene it was undoubtedly intended to be.
The film shines when it moves away from the surreal sleepwalking montages and dream sequences and focuses on the more palatable horror elements. Argento’s oeuvre contains some much better examples of giallo (see Profondo Rosso) than this, but there are some unique and exciting elements to the slasher side of this film. Sergio Stivaletti’s make-up and special effects used during the film’s more exciting scenes are exceptional, with the facially disfigured, grotesque monster-child’s demise at the hands (or teeth) of a few hundred thousand flies proving especially effective.
The plot is, at times, frustratingly slow and confusing, with holes appearing throughout. This lack of pace is thankfully alleviated towards the end, when the narrative is wrapped up in a tense and exhilarating final act.
Unfortunately, the transfer does unfairly age the film by exacerbating some of the slightly dubious swarm effects and gives certain scenes a stark, hospital lighting feel, which does little to add to the suspense. Extras include a fifty-minute making-of documentary which traces the film’s production from inception and features many of the key players, including Argento himself, which gives an interesting insight into the director’s vision.
Phenomena is a mixed bag of excellent gore effects and some effective flourishes which are unfortunately hindered by the poor pacing and lamentable music. While by no means one of Argento’s strongest works, a strong cast and moments of genuinely squirm-inducing insect horror help to alleviate this from being an entirely unenjoyable experience. RB
Poor sleepwalking Jennifer Corvino (Connelly) doesn’t fit in at her boarding school, and her uncanny ability to control insects isn’t helping her popularity. With the aid of a local entomologist (Pleasence), can she use her psychic insect skills to find the killer who’s leaving her fellow pupils in bloody pieces?
Argento piles on the bloody kills and surreal nightmares as the deafening buzz of a million bugs shatters your eardrums in one of the most demented body-horror movies ever produced.
This high-definition transfer of the Italian cut of the film offers both the English and Italian stereo audio, with brand new subtitle translation for those watching in Italian. The package also includes a four panel reversible sleeve, featuring original and newly commissioned artwork; two sided fold out poster with new art work; and an exclusive collector’s booklet, featuring brand new writing on Phenomena by Alan Jones, author of Profondo Argento.
Film: Phenomena
Release date: 7th March 2011
Certificate: 18
Running time: 111 mins
Director: Dario Argento
Starring: Jennifer Connelly, Daria Nicolodi, Dalila Di Lazzaro, Patrick Bauchau, Donald Pleasence
Genre: Horror/Mystery/Thriller
Studio: Arrow
Format: DVD & Blu-ray
Country: Italy
Special Features:
•
‘Dario's Monkey Business: The Making of Phenomena’ - a 50-minute long documentary featuring interviews with key talent behind the film, including director Dario Argento, star Daria Nicolodi, underwater photographer Gianlorenzo Battaglia, and more
•
‘Music for Maggots’ - an Interview with composer with Claudio Simonetti
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‘Creepers for Creatures’ - Sergio Stivaletti Q&A sessions from Dublin and Edinburgh
Film: Deep Red
Release date: 3rd January 2011
Certificate: 18
Running time: 121 mins
Director: Dario Argento
Starring: David Hemmings, Daria Nicolodi, Gabriele Lavia, Macha Méril, Eros Pagni
Genre: Crime/Horror/Mystery/Thriller
Studio: Arrow
Format: DVD & Blu-ray
Country: Italy
Italian master Dario Argento weaves an intricate tale of mystery and brutal murder with 1975’s Deep Red (Profondo Rosso). Critically acclaimed but a financial disappointment, this giallo classic is widely considered to be one of Argento’s finest.
A Christmas scene accompanied by children’s music is shattered by a brutal murder. Many years later, a psychic medium named Helga Ulmann is brutally hacked to death after delivering a lecture on her abilities and identifying a murderer in the audience.
English jazz pianist Marcus Daly (David Hemmings) witnesses the murder from the street while attempting to coerce his drunken fellow musician Carlo (legendary playwright Gabriele Lavia) into giving up for the night. After an initial investigation at the scene of the crime, Daly is convinced that he (and the police) may have missed a vital clue which could lead to discovering the identity of the killer.
Daly takes it upon himself to solve the inevitable string of subsequent murders, enlisting the help of feisty journalist Gianna Brezzi (Daria Nicolodi, incidentally Argento’s real-life lover) and parapsychologist Professor Giordani (Glauco Mauri), while the body count rises and someone seems to be getting away with murder. This investigation leads him to the now dilapidated home from the film’s introduction, where he makes a gruesome discovery and begins to fear for his own life, as all those connected to the case fall victim to the psychotic killer, and it becomes apparent that someone is determined not to leave any witnesses…
Throughout the entire film, the brutal, graphic murders are performed from a first-person perspective, with only a pair of black leather gloved hands and a leather trench coat on show. Despite this, within the first twenty minutes of Deep Red, the viewer is shown the killer’s face; unquestionable evidence which could potentially ruin the masterfully crafted suspense of what is to follow. The mastery lies in the fact that the face is so cleverly hidden in plain sight that only on repeat viewings does it become clear that Argento has duped his audience with a simple illusion that relies only on forced perspective and camera trickery. This bravery and self-assuredness permeates the film, and leads the audience through a narrative that twists and turns, expertly utilising red herrings and moments of genuine terror that create an unsettling atmosphere which refuses to subside, even after the final credits have rolled.
The key to the believability of the narrative is Hemmings’ performance as Marcus Daly, an Englishman living in Italy and working as a piano teacher. He is flawed, nervous and entirely emasculated by Gianna, none more so than in the scene where she continually beats him at arm wrestling, despite his accusations of false starts and cheating. While not quite the suave, archetypal noir hero, he does display elements of the characteristics associated with the genre, as does the narrative as a whole. One notable observation is that despite continually playing with a cigarette, he never actually lights one, or smokes, avoiding the smouldering, smoke encased image of a crime-solving noir protagonist, instead adding emphasis to his fidgety and anxious nature. During production, Hemmings was recovering from a broken heart following a messy divorce, drinking too much and constantly fighting with Argento, adding a sense of desperation and fragility to the performance.
The supporting cast are also excellent, particularly Daria Nicolodi as Gianni, offering a deep, layered performance which adds to the mystery of the piece (the audience is gently encouraged to think they have solved the case and that it is the nosey reporter who is the killer). Marcus’ gay friend Carlo (ably portrayed by Lavia) is another standout character, struggling with alcoholism and his sexuality, while heavily traumatized by past events.
The suspense created by the twisting narrative culminates in inventive and brutal killings, with excellent gore effects. One scene in particular, in which the killer catches up to one of the investigating team is wince-inducing in its brutality, but utilises absolute silence to allow the tension to build. From this silence, a terrifying human-sized doll, which makes Jigsaw’s dummy in the Saw franchise look like a Barbie doll, charges across the room toward the victim, both unexplainable and absolutely petrifying as it foreshadows the subsequent murder. The genius of the scene is most apparent in the use of sound (or lack thereof), but also in the unexpectedness of the doll’s appearance, bursting from a side door as the audience expects the killer to emerge. The fact that it remains unexplained only adds to the surreal, unsettling nature of the scene.
The film’s score is performed by Italian prog-rock band Goblin, who also scored Argento’s Suspiria. The score is arguably unfitting to the film, framing the action with inappropriate riffs and synthesised tunes that distract from the action and unfairly date the film. However, the soundtrack does add a sense of melancholy to the film that accurately mirrors the confusion and mistrust felt by the lead.
As with many Italian films of the era (see Lucio Fulci’s Zombi films among many others) the film was shot with a mixture of English and Italian actors, and is either overdubbed entirely in English or Italian, and subtitled accordingly. While this technique is distracting and adds an unnecessary sense of disjointedness to the work, it is unavoidable if a sense of consistency is to be achieved.
With Deep Red, Dario Argento has proven himself yet again to be the undisputed master of Italian horror cinema. The use of sleight of hand and misdirection to create a sense of mystery, coupled with some gory and brutally shocking scenes create a tension which is, at times, unsettling, with a twist in the final act that is impossible to see coming, but which remains coherent and logical. RB
Starring David Hemmings (Barbarella; Blowup) and Daria Nicolodi (Inferno, Phenomena; Tenebrae), Deep Red is, arguably, the ultimate ‘giallo’, a tense and unsettling psychological thriller packed with the kind of camerawork and cinematic set pieces that would become Argento’s trademark.
Flesh ripped clean from the bone…and the blood runs red… The bloody kills and red herrings come thick and fast as Dario Argento weaves a twisted web of sadistic intrigue in this classic giallo from the genre’s golden era.
A black-gloved killer hacks a psychic to death but there was a witness… Marcus Daly, an English pianist, rushes to the scene but he’s too late to save her. He sets out to solve the murder but at every turn the mysterious slayer strikes, cutting off each line of enquiry with acts of grisly violence, each more shocking than the last!
A surreal masterpiece from Dario Argento with a pounding score from cult prog rockers Goblin, Deep Red will leave you battered and breathless!
Both the DVD and Blu-ray editions feature two versions of the film completely uncut for the first time in the UK; brand new transfer of the ‘director’s cut’ in high-definition (1080p); optional Dolby 5.1/stereo Italian audio and mono/stereo English audio; brand new transfer of the international theatrical cut; reversible sleeve with original and newly commissioned artwork; two-sided fold-out poster with new art work; exclusive collector’s booklet featuring brand new writing on Deep Red by Alan Jones, author of Profondo Argento.
Film: Deep Red
Release date: 3rd January 2011
Certificate: 18
Running time: 121 mins
Director: Dario Argento
Starring: David Hemmings, Daria Nicolodi, Gabriele Lavia, Macha Méril, Eros Pagni
Genre: Crime/Horror/Mystery/Thriller
Studio: Arrow
Format: DVD & Blu-ray
Country: Italy
Special Features:
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Introduction by composer Claudio Simonetti
•
Audio commentary with Argento expert Thomas Rostock
•
Rosso Recollections – Dario’s Deep Genius
•
Lady In Red: Daria Nicolodi remembers Profondo Rosso
•
Music To Murder For! - Claudio Simonetti on Deep Red
•
Original Italian trailer
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Original trailer
•
A tour of the Profondo Rosso (Deep Red) shop in Rome with long-time Argento collaborator Luigi Cozzi
This is an English-language release.
“Having already wowed horror fans with superlative releases of Day Of The Dead, Martin and City Of The Living Dead earlier this year, Arrow Video continues its commitment to presenting the ultimate, must-have editions of horror cinema’s greatest cult classics on DVD and Blu-ray with its forthcoming 30th Anniversary release of Dario Argento’s Inferno.”
Never before available on DVD or Blu-ray in the UK, this 30th Anniversary Edition features a brand new, restored, uncut version of the film, and comes complete with a host of unique and exclusive extras, many of which were specially commissioned for this release. Also included are four sleeve art options, a double-sided poster, an exclusive collector’s booklet written by Alan Jones (author of ‘Profondo Argento’) and six original poster art postcards.
Described by Argento as “a fairy tale designed for adults”, the second instalment of his ‘Three Mothers’ trilogy (and the follow up to his smash hit, Suspiria), Inferno was listed as one of the 50 Greatest Horror Movies Of All Time by Total Film.
The film’s surreal plot concerns a young poetess, Rose Elliot (Irene Miracle), whose research into the history of her New York apartment building and its possible connection to the legendary witches known as ‘The Three Mothers’ results in a series of bizarre murders, and a supernatural mystery of horrific proportions.
Disturbed by a frantic phone call from Rose, her brother Mark (Leigh McCloskey) immediately flies home to New York from his studies in Rome only to find Rose’s apartment empty and very few clues as to her whereabouts. As he investigates his sister’s disappearance, Mark unwittingly moves closer and closer to a terrifying encounter with an ancient, powerful evil.
“Starring Irene Miracle (Puppetmaster; Midnight Express), Daria Nicolodi (Phenomena; Tenebre), Leigh McCloskey (Dallas) and Ania Pieroni (Tenebre; The House By The Cemetery), boasting a truly bombastic score by Keith Emerson (of Emerson, Lake And Palmer fame) and featuring some of the most unforgettable images from any of Argento’s works, Inferno is a must-see for horror fans and an essential companion piece to Suspiria.”
Film: Inferno
Release date: 13th September 2010
Certificate: 18
Running time: 102 mins
Director: Dario Argento
Starring: Irene Miracle, Daria Nicolodi, Leigh McCloskey, Ania Pieroni
Genre: Mystery/Horror
Studio: Arrow
Format: DVD & Blu-ray
Country: Italy
DVD Special Features:
•
Introduction by star Daria Nicolodi
•
Dario’s Inferno featurette
•
Acting In Hot Water – an interview with Daria Nicolodi
•
The Other Mother: Making The Black Cat – director Luigi Cozzi discusses his rarely seen, totally unofficial 1989 ‘sequel’ to Inferno
•
X Marks The Spot – Argento Remembers Bava (Easter Egg) - Dario Argento and Lamberto Bava discuss Inferno
•
Dario Argento: An Eye For Horror – documentary on Argento’s career narrated by Mark Kermode, and including interviews with George A. Romero, John Carpenter and others
•
The complete Dario Argento trailer gallery
Additional Blu-ray Special Features:
•
Q&A with star Irene Miracle, composer Keith Emerson and author Tim Lucas filmed at LA’s New Beverly Cinema in 2009
Film: Suspiria
Release date: 18th January 2010
Certificate: 18
Running time: 98 mins
Director: Dario Argento
Starring: Jessica Harper, Stefania Casini, Alida Valli, Joan Bennett, Miguel Bose
Genre: Horror/Mystery
Studio: Nouveaux
Format: DVD
Country: Italy
In European cinema, the name Dario Argento means as much to movie lovers as the name Alfred Hitchcock does to British moviegoers. In many respects, Suspiria is regarded by fans and critics alike as a renowned and heavily influential artist at the top of his game.
Suzy Bannion is an American ballet student who finds a placement at the famous Madame Blanc's respected ballet school in Freiburg, Germany. She arrives late at night in the midst of a storm and witnesses one of the students leaving the school in a state of hysteria. The girl’s screams are inaudible in the noise of the storm, and Suzy watches as she disappears into the neighbouring woods. The heroine is refused entrance to the building by an unidentified voice after ringing the doorbell, and returns the following morning to be greeted by hospitable and welcoming staff that show no hint of anything untoward.
As her first few days at the school pass, she and fellow student Sara become disturbed by a series of disappearances and unexplainable phenomenon. Maggots fall from the ceiling, footsteps are heard late at night, and the staff begin to represent a more ominous presence within the film’s narrative. The two girls attempt to explore and to discover what is really at the centre of the school and, furthermore, who it was that Suzy saw the night she arrived.
As the protagonist learns more and more about the history behind the school from a friend of Sara’s, they become embroiled in a tangle of questions regarding witches, magic and the occult…
One of the ways in which the film is most highly regarded is in terms of its aesthetic. The world Argento creates is of vibrant blues, reds, and greens, juxtaposed with skewed shadows and contrasting light. Long, empty corridors and fast paced shots confront the viewer and create an atmosphere which is both exhilarating and unnerving.
It is appropriate that the story is set in Germany, as Suspiria is heavily influenced by fairytale imagery and, in particular, the story of Snow White And The Seven Dwarves. The vision the film creates is often Baroque in style, yet it borrows heavily from the aesthetic of early German Expressionist films and folklore symbols, such as wicked witches and frightening ogres.
The gore, as you would expect, is at times incredibly graphic, and both blood and red wine are used in the film frequently, often displacing a startling white background. The first fifteen minutes of the film are particularly terrifying, as one of Argento’s most infamous murder sequences opens Suspiria with a stern indication of things to come. Often shots are epic in their symmetry and grandeur. The ballet school is presented as an almost labyrinthine structure of doorways and secret rooms, and shots are masterfully framed.
The soundtrack is provided by Goblin, who performed the music for George A. Romero’s Dawn Of The Dead. Argento has worked with Goblin for years, and their disturbing score is a crescendo of moans and chanting which works superbly well with the on screen suspense.
The acting appears at times slightly off, but this more often has to do with the dubbing of the audio soundtrack than the competence of the actors. Certainly the dialogue is engaging and continues to provide the film with a fast pace during slower scenes. Occasionally, however, the language and social colloquialisms can appear slightly dated, but the somewhat unusual nature of the characters and the way they are portrayed makes it stand out from the majority of the films in the genre. It also adds to the overwhelming feeling of unease, as the characters often appear disturbingly unfamiliar. The nature of the film is elegant and dreamlike, while at the same time increasingly unsettling.
Japanese horror films are increasingly point towards Argento’s influence. It is a testament to the director that filmmakers turn time and time again to his films for inspiration - Suspiria his most often parodied work.
A nightmarish and unsettling vision, the dream like quality of which is compounded with an expressionistic display of startling colours and sharp imagery. IT
