Dario Argento and others thrillers/horror movies directors

[Guillaume]

Here's a special thread for one of my favorite director, the Maestro Dario Argento.
He's one of the most famous italian directors, hugely famous in his native country and well known in the rest of the world...a cult director among the cult directors!

Some love for Dario Argento (and his gorgeous talented daughter Asia) on this board?

Which are your favourite horror movies and horror & thrillers directors?

[Guillaume]

It's nice to meet people with similar interests!

For me, it's a toss-up between 'Suspiria' and 'Opera' as my fave Argento film, 'Phenomena' being a close third.  'Tenebrae' is probably in 4th place.  Good to see TSS getting some love, a really under-rated picture!

And for any NMA fans who also like horror films and have no idea what me and Guillaume are on about... investigate the works of Dario Argento.  Bloody great.

Indeed!

"The Stendhal Syndrome" is a major film of the 90's i think, and one of Dario Argento's best films, it's original, harsh and moving (i love the film's final shot, it's heartbreaking)...Asia Argento's performance is also great and brave and Ennio Morricone's soundtrack is hypnotic...i love the film's opening at the Firenze Gallery...incredible scene!

"Phenomena" is probably my favorite Argento film, i love the film's fairy tale vibe, the great use of Swiss landscape, the soundtrack (Iron Maiden! Motorhead! Goblin), the wind, the poetic mood and Jennifer Connelly's cute, angelic character.

"Suspiria" is incredible too...the use of colours, locations, space, music...incredible...a work of Art.

"Tenebre" is a great, fast paced giallo/thriller...again, full of memorable stylish scenes (the dog scene, the murders of the lesbians with this stunning crane shot around the flat, etc)

I"ve seen "Opera" on the big screen a few years ago and it is an incredible piece of film making, the use of Steadycam camera, the crane shot with the crows flying over the Opera House...wow! and the murders scenes are very creepy and sadistic.

"Deep red" (Argento's most praised thriller), "The Bird with the crystal plumage" and "4 flies on grey velvet" are are also very well crafter thrillers, with stunning direction and entertaining plots and suspens.

[Master Ray]

Aw, we've been chatting about this...

I'm someone who loves a good horror film, but pickings are slim nowadays.  Dario Argento is my favourite horror director of all time, although his recent work is a bit questionable (got GAILLO queu'd up on Netflix, but bad reviews keep me away from it... I'll get around to it one day...)

I love Argento's stuff because it is so grandiose, amazing set-pieces with fantastic music and photography... the horror movie as art, truly.

I also love the horror movies of Brian De Palma (The Fury, Carrie, Sisters, Dressed To Kill) for the same reasons...

As I said, I struggle to find decent horror pics nowadays, so any forgotten gems would be appreciated...

EDIT - You got back to me before I posted my reply!  Let me know what you think about De Palma!

[Guillaume]

Here's my Dario Argento blog, i have to update it but here are some screenshots of his works...you may not like horror movies and thrillers but in most of Dario's works you will always find a stunning use of cinematography, music, locations, etc:

http://darioargentofr.blogspot.fr/2009/09/1969-2009.html


And my Facebook page about Dario Argento and his works:

https://www.facebook.com/update_security_info.php?wizard=1#!/groups/43414802621/?fref=ts

[Guillaume]

As I said, I struggle to find decent horror pics nowadays, so any forgotten gems would be appreciated...

"Full Circle" is one of these "forgotten gems", if you haven't seen it yet 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkcSIp7D1nc&feature=g-upl


I have also a fondness for the moody aussie horror films from the 70's and early 80's, like "Next of Kin", "Picnic at Hanging Rock", "Long week end", "Razorback", "Harlequin", etc

Dario Argento is my favourite horror director of all time, although his recent work is a bit questionable (got GAILLO queu'd up on Netflix, but bad reviews keep me away from it... I'll get around to it one day...

If you're a "die hard" Argento fan like me, you can give a chance to "Giallo"!
It's an ok thriller, nothing great but not a disaster like many have claimed (IMO)...i like Adrien Brody's selfish, cold character in the film but it's a minor film in Argento's career.
The lesser Argento films are IMO "Phantom of the Opera" and "Sleepless" (in "Sleepless" i still love the opening train scene, the carpet crawl scene and the Goblin soundtrack, though)

Have you seen "Trauma", "The Card Player", "Do you like Hitchcock?" and "Dracula 3D"?
"Trauma" and "The Card Player" are a bit underrated i think, '...Hitchcock?" is a fun tv movie (i've just ordered the cd soundtrack) and i even quite liked "Dracula"...

Let me know what you think about De Palma!

I like some of his films from the 70's:

"The Fury", "Obssession", "Carrie", "Sisters", "Phantom of the Paradise"...also "Blow out" is very good, "Carlito's way" and "Casualties of War" too...De Palma films share with Argento's works some great set-pieces, stunning use of space, locations, cinematography, music...i tend to prefer Argento's works though, and i don't like too much De Palma's last films ("Passion", "Femme fatale", "Mission to Mars", etc)

[Master Ray]

Didn't like 'Phantom' but I do have a soft spot for 'Sleepless', pretty good film IMO... saw Trauma a long time ago (probably due a rewatch) but haven't seen the other ones you mentioned.

Is it just me or is it a bit odd about how happy he seems to be to film his (gorgeous, as you said) daughter Asia naked whenever she's in his films..?

IMO, the best horror films I've seen in the last few years seem to be coming out of your home country, France... 'Martyrs' totally blew me away, horrific and oddly moving in equal measures...

My fave horror film of the last ten years? 'Let The Right One In'.

[Shush]

My fave horror film of the last ten years? 'Let The Right One In'.

With you on that one mate, great film.

[Guillaume]

I do have a soft spot for 'Sleepless'

"Sleepless" is a bit a rehash of Argento's early thrillers or his "Greatest hits"...in this film i like some of the set-pieces, the soundtrack and Max Von Sydow's warm lead performance but i think the film brings nothing really fresh in Argento's career.
I can watch endlessly the opening train scene though, it's brillantly directed, edited and scored, very creepy and tense!:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLlAGImnnQA

haven't seen the other ones you mentioned.

"Trauma" will be available on Blu Ray soon, the uk dvd from Optimum is also pretty good...it's a "softer" film with less graphic violence than usual with Argento but i like its melancholic tone and Asia's performance in it.

"The Card Player" is a solid little thriller, like "Trauma" it isn't especially graphic but i like its cold sterile look and the lead performance from Stefania Rocca is great, one of my fav ladies in Argento's career...i think that it is Argento's most accomplished theatrical work from the 2000's.

"Do you like Hitchock?" is a fun nod to Hitchcock (and De Palma) works, it was made for italian and it has a light, enjoyable vibe...as usual, Argento makes some nice use of italian landscape.

"Dracula 3D" has been released in Italy a few months ago...it's not a major Argento film but i liked its school vibe with the cool locations, costumes, gorgeous ladies and nods to Mario Bava, Riccardo Freda and Jean Rollin works.

Is it just me or is it a bit odd about how happy he seems to be to film his (gorgeous, as you said) daughter Asia naked whenever she's in his films..?

Yeah it's a bit strange...though he used stunt double for some of the harrowing scenes in "the Stendhal syndrome" and Asia said that daddy Dario shot her naked scene in "Phantom" from another room...she and him even cried when they had to shoot this naked scene as written on the screenplay!
Argento's point of view about family (life!) in his works is often tormented and harsh, family in his films is the root of Evil, often!
I like the fact that Argento uses personal, autobiographical stuff in his films...the vegetarian and anorexic references in "Phenomena" and "Trauma" for example, the complicated family issues (Argento more than once killed his ex wife in his films!), the fan obssession at the core of "Tenebre"'s plot ( Argento wrote the screenplay of "tenebre" after a crazy fan threatened him to kill him!)

[Master Ray]

My fave horror film of the last ten years? 'Let The Right One In'.

With you on that one mate, great film.

Oddly, the US remake was pretty decent... if i hadn't seen the original, I'd have liked it a lot better...

[Guillaume]

IMO, the best horror films I've seen in the last few years seem to be coming out of your home country, France... 'Martyrs' totally blew me away, horrific and oddly moving in equal measures...

My fave horror film of the last ten years? 'Let The Right One In'.

I'm a bit mixed about the "french new wave" of horror films...often the screenplay are too weak and these films lack buget, i quite liked "Maléfique" (from director Eric Valette), "Dead end" and "Saint Ange" though.
I was a bit disappointed by "Martyrs" first time i saw it but i have to watch it again for a better opinion about it...the director of it Pascal Laugier is a HUGE fan of Dario Argento (especially his 70's works) and he even dedicated "Martyrs" to Dario Argento.
I'm less passionnate about the horror films from these last years but there are still some fine films here and there, unfortunately many of them are released direct to video!

[Guillaume]

My fave horror film of the last ten years? 'Let The Right One In'.

I haven't watched it yet but i've read only good things about it.

Have you seen the "Masters of Horror" tv series Master Ray?
Dario Argento's entry for the first season was really good, "Jenifer":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1NdLtWYBjE

Quite unusual for the Maestro but masterful, daring, shocking, funny, sexy, touching and well acted...i also recommend the Joe Dante episodes from both seasons, quite satirical and accomplished.

[Master Ray]

Great scene, G, but c'mon... 'I'm so scared, please help me, I think I'm going to be murdered' / 'OK, I'll protect you...' / 'Great... I'll just go back and get my bag...'

 

For my money, the first 13 minutes of Suspiria is the best scene Argento ever did.  Cinematic genius.

So, anyone other than me, G and Shush got anything to add?

[Guillaume]

Great scene, G, but c'mon... 'I'm so scared, please help me, I think I'm going to be murdered' / 'OK, I'll protect you...' / 'Great... I'll just go back and get my bag...'

 

Yeah and only three people in this night train!...Argento's screenplays are often implausible, he doesn't care about logic, what he wants to convey are visions, either beautiful or nightmarish.
These shots of the poor girl trapped and hidden between the carriage or the shots of her running like crazy through the train are memorable...the Goblin music is really effective too!

For my money, the first 13 minutes of Suspiria is the best scene Argento ever did.  Cinematic genius.

His most celebrated scene indeed!...the whole atmosphere of it, with the dazzling colours and music, the incredible locations...i love when Jessica Harper is at the airport with these creepy shots of the doors opening in front of her, also her taxi ride through the menacing city and forest is INCREDIBLE...what film making at display here!!!

Wich are your favorite scenes in Argento's films? You know, there are so many great set-pieces in his films (like De Palma's ones, i must agree)!!!


Here it is one of my very favourite in PHENOMENA, very moody scene with great music, shots and landscape:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-tR96-aeFc

Others:

-The opening scene of PHENOMENA, with Argento's older daughter (Fiore) lost in the valley and being chased and killed...the atmosphere here is incredible, with the wonderful landscape and the eerie music "Valley" from Bill Wyman and Terry Taylor.
I also love the sleepwalking scenes in "Phenomena", all the wandering bits in the Swiss landscape...incredible and beautiful

-the blind man and his dog scene in SUSPIRIA...i've seen this film on the big screen and it is an INCREDIBLE scene to experiment in theaters...the blind man lost in this HUGE place and the unexpected, ironic ending with the dog...wow!

- The girls sleeping in the "red room" in SUSPIRIA, while the old evil witch is sleeping behind them...it is so creepy...so many  great scenes in this film!

-The slow motion car crash at the end of 4 FLIES ON GREY VELVET...it's sad and strangely poetic at the same time, and Morricone's music is great.

-David Hemmings encountering the doomed house in DEEP RED...again great style in this scene and wonderful soundtrack.

-The underwater scene of INFERNO, and the evil "alchemist" bit with the girl lost in the library.

-The dog chase in TENEBRE...so creepy!!!

- first murder with the needles under the eyes in OPERA...also this incredible scene when the crows are flying over the Opera house.

-the opening scene of THE STENDHAL SYNDROME, with Asia suffering of the Stendhal syndrome in the Museum...again, incredible and enhanced by with wonderful soundtrack.

-The carpet shot in SLEEPLESS

- the lead character stalked in her house in THE CARD PLAYER, great use of shadows  in this scene...in the same film i also like the chase through the streets and alleys of Roma.

-in MOTHER OF TEARS i also like the taxi ride an especially the long steadycam shot near the end, tracking Asia through the witches's house...very moody. 

[Master Ray]

Wow, Guillaume, thats pretty much the definative list of Argento classic scenes... all brilliant.

Totally agree about the Phenomena scene you posted... haunting.

Seeing as you got all the good Argento scenes, allow me a little time to do the same in regards to De Palma... be back to you shortly.

[Guillaume]

Wow, Guillaume, thats pretty much the definative list of Argento classic scenes... all brilliant.

Totally agree about the Phenomena scene you posted... haunting.

Hi Master Ray,

I've just updated my Argento blog with a few screenshots of MOTHER OF TEARS, OPERA, THE CARD PLAYER, JENIFER and DRACULA 3D, let me know what you think of it... :

http://darioargentofr.blogspot.fr/

Can't wait for your De Palma's set-pieces choices!!