Dario Argento and others thrillers/horror movies directors

[Master Ray]

Hi, Guillaume, sorry to take so long to get back to you...

My favourite De Palma moments... SPOILERS!!!!

The obvious one first... CARRIE.  Sissy Spacek gets chosen as the Prom Queen, she's so happy and then gets pigs blood dumped all over her... she then kills everyone in the room via telekenesis and split-screen cinema.  Love that final slow-motion shot of her leaving the on-fire hall...  20 minutes of cinematic excellence...

BLOW-OUT - Travolta makes a ****-up of everything and runs desperately to save Nancy Allen... he doesn't make a good job of it.  I still can't decide whether him dubbing her dying scream on that terrible film is an act of tribute (she said she wanted to be in the movies) or something deeply callous...

THE UNTOUCHABLES - a lot of people go for the train station sequence, but I prefer Sean Connery's death scene... you think he's pulled it off, but then gets machine-gunned to death... and then De Palma intercuts it with the opera singer in the clown suit whilst Connery bloodily crawls towards the thing that will incriminate Capone... love that scene.

THE FURY - Not a De Palma classic, but when Gillian escapes from the institute with her friend Hester in pursuit, with Peter watching... and then it all goes to shit with just a few gunshots.

MISSION TO MARS - I know you don't like this film, G, but the scene with Tim Robbins falling into the gravitational orbit of Mars (thus burning up horribly) whilst his friends try to save him is excellent.  They fall just short and when his wife tries to go the extra mile and what he does after that... I can't deny, that scene puts a tear in my eye.

CARLITOS WAY - Jesus, he's trying to get on that train with all those hitmen coming ater him?  One of the best scenes I've ever seen in my life!  So bloody tense!

my fave De Palma scenes ever...

 

[Guillaume]

I agree with all your scenes Master Ray!

"Blow out"'s ending is great, what a cynical final idea...poor John Travolta!

I also like "The Fury", the scene you choose and i tend to think it is an  underrated De Palma film.

"Mission to Mars"...maybe i'll give another chance to this film, this scene wasn't bad indeed, but the film was disappointing because of its screenplay and weak ending and opening.

"Carlito's way" is the last De Palma film i really liked, the ending chase was great..."You are so beautiful" from Joe Cocker sounds great, with this final shot, very melancholic.

There are also some effective scenes in "Dressed to kill", "Casualties of war" and "Obssession".

[Master Ray]

Shit, forgot 'Casualties Of War'!  I even picked up a cheap DVD of it a few months back and haven't gotten around to watching it yet!  I'll get back to you on that one.  Haven't seen 'Dressed To Kill' in many a year and I don't think I've ever caught 'Obsession'...

Don't go overboard on 'Mission To Mars'... the scene I mentioned is great but the rest of it... not so good. Worth a watch if it shows up on TV sometime.

Now, you mentioned John Carpenter... so many films that I love there!  I'm going to research a bit and I'll be back to you in the next few days...

[Guillaume]

Shit, forgot 'Casualties Of War'!  I even picked up a cheap DVD of it a few months back and haven't gotten around to watching it yet!  I'll get back to you on that one.  Haven't seen 'Dressed To Kill' in many a year and I don't think I've ever caught 'Obsession'...

"Obssession" is a beautiful looking picture, quite romantic.
"Casulaties of war" is one of De Palma's best film i think, but rather harrowing.
I also forgot "Body double", some good scenes in this one too.

Do you remember some others nice scenes i forgot in my Argento choices?
There are also some very good set-pieces in his first movie, the excellent "Bird with the crystal plumage".

John Carpenter, one of my fav directors indeed, i love his use of widescreen cinematography, very classy..."Christine", "The Fog", "Halloween" "The Thing", "Assault on precinct 13" are great!

[Guillaume]

DRACULA, Dario Argento's last film, is screening this week in Le Publicis, a cool theater of Paris (129, Avenue des Champs Elysées), and it is shown in 3D, English track with french subtitles.
So if you are in Paris this week or next week (last screening of the film will be next Tuesday), i recommend you the film...it's not Argento's best film by any means but it's a good little vampire movie if you like the old Hammer films, and the 3D works pretty well.

[Guillaume]

According to the last news Dario Argento is going to direct soon a new thriller from Hoffman's "The sandman" starring...Iggy Pop!

[Master Ray]

According to the last news Dario Argento is going to direct soon a new thriller from Hoffman's "The sandman" starring...Iggy Pop!

Bloody hell, G, I'd totally forgotten about this thread!   

Iggy in a DA movie... well, I'll give it a go!

[Master Ray]

Also, G, seeing as you've got me in an Argento kind of mood, here's some brilliant music from the PHEMONENA soundtrack...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zHq2MBtXS8

Damn, I would love to find a reasonably priced copy of this soundtrack...

[Guillaume]

OPERA is also available on Blu Ray this month...what an incredible film it is!

I re-watched recently on Blu Ray DEEP RED (this film is legend!), THE CARD PLAYER (my favourite Argento theatrical film of the 21st century, the lead actress is great), MOTHER OF TEARS (despite the flaws it's great fun) and GIALLO (an ok thriller)...
Dario is a guest of the Locarno Film Festival (Swiss) next month to host screenings of THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE and some short features he directed...i would like to be there

[Guillaume]

Also, G, seeing as you've got me in an Argento kind of mood, here's some brilliant music from the PHEMONENA soundtrack...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zHq2MBtXS8

Damn, I would love to find a reasonably priced copy of this soundtrack...

It's an excellent soundtrack, isn't it?
My favourite track is "Valley", the one from Bill "Rolling Stones" Wyman and Terry Taylor though:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEPe2GUIOOw

This track is the one opening the movie...pure mood..."Phenomena" is still my fav Argento film i think for the wonderful visuals, locations and landscape, crazy fairy tale mood, soundtrack and Jennifer Connelly's angelic presence!

[Master Ray]

I got hold of the dvd re-release of OPERA a few months ago... terrific movie.

Been watching a couple of Lucio Fulci (spelling?) movies lately... where do you stand on those?

Love ZOMBIE FLESHEATERS and THE BEYOND, not too keen on CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD or HOUSE BY THE CEMETARY and THE NEW YORK RIPPER was awful...

[Guillaume]

I got hold of the dvd re-release of OPERA a few months ago... terrific movie.

The camerawork in this film is dazzling...this picture of the needles under the eyes is incredibly powerful!
What do you think of the ending of the film (with its nod to PHENOMENA)?

SPOILERS

Betty the lead character in the grass, talking to the lizard...
is she crazy like her mother was? or is it an "happy ending"?
Weird ambiguous ending, and poetic.

Been watching a couple of Lucio Fulci (spelling?) movies lately... where do you stand on those?

THE BEYOND is very good, probably Fulci's best horror movie...the ending in "the beyond" is esepcially striking, unforgettable.
I also like DON'T TORTURE A DUCKLING, his strange Western FOUR OF THE APOCALYPSE and i quite like THE NEW YORK RIPPER, HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY, VOICES FROM BEYOND and THE DEVIL'S HONEY...but i haven't seen all his film, far from it (he directed 50 films!)
If you like italian directors like Argento and Fulci, i guess you must like Mario Bava and Michele Soavi, or am i wrong?

[Master Ray]

OK, G, just got off Amazon after buying WHITE DOG on you recommendation... if I don't like it, you owe me... 

The ending of OPERA... personally, I could go either way on that one... I'm not someone who insists on a firm ending to a film, especially when you're dealing with a director like Mr Argento... heck, you ever tried to make any sense out of INFERNO..? 

As far as the two other directors you mentioned, I'm afraid I'm not all that familiar with Mr Bava, but Mr Soavi... STAGE FRIGHT and THE CHURCH were films I liked a lot, although I haven't seen them in a good long while, and DELLAMORTE DELLAMORTE / CEMETARY MAN... shit, that film was just insane... also, wasn't Mr Soavi the guy in the mask in DEMONS?  Love that one, insane hardcore horror shit... 

I'm wondering if all the other NMA fans on this forum are reading this and saying 'WTF are these guys going on about???'   

[Guillaume]

heck, you ever tried to make any sense out of INFERNO..? 

 

"Inferno" is surely Argento's weirdest movie ever but what a trip...fascinating journey through labyrinthic locations and beautiful surreal colours...
Have you seen some Argento's films on the big screen Master Ray?
I would love to catch theatrical screenings of "Inferno", "Phenomena", "The Stendhal Syndrome", etc
I was lucky to catch screenings of "Suspiria" and "Opera" and they were gorgeous and impressive on the big screen!!

Mr Soavi... STAGE FRIGHT and THE CHURCH were films I liked a lot, although I haven't seen them in a good long while, and DELLAMORTE DELLAMORTE / CEMETARY MAN... shit, that film was just insane... also, wasn't Mr Soavi the guy in the mask in DEMONS?  Love that one, insane hardcore horror shit... 

I like very much STAGE FRIGHT (i even pre-ordered the Blu Ray which will be available in September )! Great creepy mood, the last half hour, the showdown between the killer (the howl mask is genius!) and the last survivor is especially great!

THE CHURCH is a bit uneven but it has some beautiful scenes and visuals...very moody...THE SECT (LA SETTA) is another good Soavi film, it's a bit like ROSEMARY'S BABY but told in an italian, crazy way!...underrated.
One of the last Soavi works for the big screen was the nasty and dark ARRIVEDERCI AMORE CIAO, a good "noir" film but my favourite Soavi film is DELLAMORTE DELLAMORE though...it's one of my favourite films of the 90's, period!
And Soavi was indeed the guy in the opening subway scene of DEMONS
I've rewatched DEMONS on dvd a few weeks ago, it's a bit silly but great fun.

I'm wondering if all the other NMA fans on this forum are reading this and saying 'WTF are these guys going on about???'   

i thought about this too, ha ha!
Let's hope that at least a few members reading this thread will be curious to give a chance to some of our favourite directors

[Guillaume]