In 1970, young first-time director Dario Argento (Deep Red, Suspiria) made his indelible mark on Italian cinema with The Bird with the Crystal Plumage a film which redefined the giallo' genre of murder-mystery thrillers and catapulted him to international stardom. Sam Dalmas (Tony Musante, We Own the Night), an American writer living in Rome, inadvertently witnesses a brutal attack on a woman (Eva Renzi, Funeral in Berlin) in a modern art gallery. Powerless to help, he grows increasingly obsessed with the incident. Convinced that something he saw that night holds the key to identifying the maniac terrorising Rome, he launches his own investigation parallel to that of the police, heedless of the danger to both himself and his girlfriend Giulia (Suzy Kendall, Spasmo) A staggeringly assured debut, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage establishes the key traits that would define Argento's filmography, including lavish visuals and a flare for wildly inventive, brutal scenes of violence. With sumptuous cinematography by Vittorio Storaro (Apocalypse Now) and a seductive score by legendary composer Ennio Morricone (Once Upon a Time in the West), this landmark film has never looked or sounded better in this new, 4K-restored limited edition from Arrow Video! LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS: Brand new 4K restoration of the film from the camera negative in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio, produced by Arrow Video exclusively for this release High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentations Original mono Italian and English soundtracks (lossless on the Blu-ray Disc) English subtitles for the Italian soundtrack Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for the English soundtrack New audio commentary by Troy Howarth, author of So Deadly, So Perverse: 50 Years of Italian Giallo Films The Power of Perception, a new visual essay on the cinema of Dario Argento by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, author of Devil's Advocates: Suspiria and Rape-Revenge Films: A Critical Study New analysis of the film by critic Kat Ellinger New interview with writer/director Dario Argento New interview with actor Gildo Di Marco (Garullo the pimp) Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Candice Tripp Double-sided fold-out poster featuring 6 Lobby Card reproductions Limited edition 60-page booklet illustrated by Matthew Griffin, featuring an appreciation of the film by Michael Mackenzie, and new writing by Howard Hughes and Jack Seabrook
Suzy Bannion (Jessica Harper) is an American ballet student travelling to Germany to study at an exclusive dance academy in the Black Forest. After one of the students and her friend are hideously murdered in the first of Argento's breath-catching set-piece killings Suzy discovers that the academy has a bizarre history and as the body count rises she gets involved in a hideous labyrinth of murder black magic and madness.
Terror Beyond Belief! A notorious horror classic returns in all its depraved glory. This infamous video nasty updated the classic Giallo blueprint for the gorified 80s courting controversy and drenching the viewer in crimson arterial spray. A razor-wielding psycho is stalking the horror writer Peter Neal in Rome to promote his latest work Tenebre. But the author isn’t the obsessive killer’s only target the beautiful women who surround him are doomed as one by one they fall victim to the murderer’s slashing blade… Will fiction and reality blur as fear and madness take hold? Watch in terror as by turns the cast fall victim to the sadistic imagination of Dario Argento Italy’s master of horror. Bonus Features: Newly remastered High Definition digital transfer of the film Presented in High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD Optional original English & Italian Mono Audio tracks (uncompressed PCM Mono 2.0 Audio on the Blu-ray) Optional English subtitles for Italian audio and English SDH subtitles for English audio for the deaf and hard of hearing Audio Commentary with authors and critics Kim Newman and Alan Jones Audio Commentary with Argento expert Thomas Rostock Introduction by star Daria Nicolodi The Unsane World of Tenebrae: An interview with director Dario Argento Screaming Queen! Daria Nicolodi remembers Tenebrae A Composition for Carnage: Composer Claudio Simonetti on Tenebrae Goblin: ‘Tenebrae’ and ‘Phenomena’ Live from the Glasgow Arches Brand new interview with Maitland McDonagh author of Broken Mirrors/Broken Minds: The Dark Dreams of Dario Argento Original Trailer Reversible Sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Gilles Vranckx Exclusive collector’s booklet featuring writing on the film by Alan Jones author of Profondo Argento an interview with cinematographer Luciano Tovoli and an appreciation of the film by director Peter Strickland illustrated with original posters and lobby cards
After several excursions into supernatural horror, Dario Argento returned to the homicidal frenzy that made his reputation with this mystery that plays more like a grown-up slasher movie than a detective thriller. Anthony Franciosa stars as Peter Neal, a best-selling horror novelist whose promotional tour in Italy takes a terrible turn when a mysterious killer recreates the brutal murders from his book with real-life victims. The first to die are so-called "deviants", Neal's own friends and finally there comes a promise that the author himself is next on the list. Columbo it ain't, but Argento has always been more concerned with style than story and his execution of the crimes is pure cinematic bravura. From the simple beauty of a straight razor shattering a light bulb (the camera catches the red-hot filament slowly blacking out) to an ambitious crane shot that creeps up and over the sides of a house under siege in a voyeuristic survey that would make Hitchcock proud, Argento turns the art of murder into a stylish spectacle. He even lets his kinkier side show with flashbacks of an adolescent boy and a teasing dominatrix in red stiletto heels that become a key motif of the film. The objects of Argento's homicidal tendencies are traditionally lovely, scantily clad Italian beauties, and with self-deprecating humour he even inserts a scene in which Neal is taken to task for the misogynist violence of his stories--an accusation Argento himself has weathered for years. --Sean Axmaker
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU WERE REALLY SCARED!!!? From Dario Argento, maestro of the macabre and the man behind some the greatest excursions in Italian horror (Suspiria, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage), comes Deep Red arguably the ultimate giallo movie. One night, musician Marcus Daly (David Hemmings, Blow Up), looking up from the street below, witnesses the brutal axe murder of a woman in her apartment. Racing to the scene, Marcus just manages to miss the perpetrator or does he? As he takes on the role of amateur sleuth, Marcus finds himself ensnared in a bizarre web of murder and mystery where nothing is what it seems Aided by a throbbing score from regular Argento-collaborators Goblin, Deep Red (aka Profondo Rosso and The Hatchet Murders) is a hallucinatory fever dream of a giallo punctuated by some of the most astonishing set-pieces the sub-genre has to offer.
Following the success of his debut feature, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, distributor Titanus tasked writer/director Dario Argento with delivering a follow-up in short order. The resulting film, granted a greatly enhanced budget and heralded in its US marketing campaign as nine times more suspenseful than its predecessor, was The Cat O' Nine Tails. When a break-in occurs at a secretive genetics institute, blind puzzle-maker Franco Arnò (Karl Malden, Patton, One-Eyed Jacks), who overheard an attempt to blackmail one of the institute's scientists shortly before the robbery, teams up with intrepid reporter Carlo Giordani (James Franciscus, Beneath the Planet of the Apes) to crack the case. But before long the bodies begin to pile up and the two amateur sleuths find their own lives imperilled in their search for the truth. And worse still, Lori (Cinzia De Carolis, Cannibal Apocalypse), Franco's young niece, may also be in the killer's sights
An American writer (Tony Musante - Toma TV series) traveling in Rome is the only witness to an attempted murder by a sinister figure in a raincoat and black leather gloves though he is powerless to do anything to stop them. With a feeling that something is not quite right about the scene he has witnessed and the police's inability to make any progress he launches his own personal investigation - and nearly loses his life in the process. While this modern day Jack-the-Ripper type is slithering through the dark byways of Rome slicing up pretty girls director Dario Argento is carving up the emotions of terrified viewers. Dark deeds are mixed with black comedy worthy of Hitchcock in a film of almost unbearable tension and nail-biting suspense.
Totally uncut for the first time ever! A retired detective Moretti (Max Von Sydow) is asked to assist in the investigation of a series of murders that bear all the signs of a case that he worked upon 17 years ago. The Dwarf Murders included the violent death of the mother of Giacomo (Stefano Dionisi) who's killer Moretti had promised to find. Giacomo returns to Torino and stays with his friend Lorenzo (Roberto Zibetti). When the killer strikes again Moretti finally decides to help and together with Giacomo starts to try and unravel the mystery thus fulfilling his promise from years before.
Their wildest dreams are your worst nightmares... Thirteen of the most acclaimed directors of horror and suspense have gathered from around the world to tell their darkest dreams in their own distinctive styles. Each film is a stand-alone exercise in horror made by the creative talent behind some of the most horrifying and groundbreaking cinema of all time... This first volume of Series 2 contains the following 7 films: Pelts (Dir. Dario Argento): Meatloaf stars as Jake a sleazy furrier whose obsession for a lesbian stripper named Shannon results in his attempting to make the finest fur ever for her to wear at an upcoming fur trade show. John Saxon (Tenebre) plays a trapper who comes through for Jake by setting traps in sacred raccoon territory to capture the most beautiful animals imaginable. However as these raccoons are magical guardians of a lost raccoon city they curse all associated with the deaths of their brethren with the desire to commit gory suicides using techniques employed in the manufacturing of fur coats. Pro-Life (Dir. John Carpenter): Fifteen-year old Angelique (Caitlin Wachs) Burcell has been raped by the devil and seeks an abortion at the local abortion clinic in this homage to Rosemary's Baby. Unfortunately her right wing Christian father Dwayne (Ron Perlman) is not only pro-life but also has a psychotic belief that she is about to birth God's child which justifies fighting his way into the clinic with guns to prevent Angelique's operation. Family (Dir. John Landis): A young married couple (Meredith Monroe and Matt Keeslar) move into a new home in a new city and find out that their neighbour (George Wendt) is not what he seems. Right To Die (Dir. Rob Schmidt): Martin Donovan is a philandering dentist whose wife is left disfigured and near death after a fiery car wreck. As a debate rages between Donovan his wife's family and various factions of the ""right to life"" community the wife's spirit wreaks gruesome vengeance on those seek to exploit her agony for their own purposes. The Screwfly Solution (Dir. John Dante): When a virus overcomes the male population and causes them to attack women scientists Jason Priestly and Elliott Gould struggle to find a solution. The situation rapids erupts into a global epidemic and Priestley's wife (Kerry Norton) must fend for herself and their daughter in a world that wants her dead at all costs. The Black Cat (Dir. Stuart Gordon): The great Edgar Allen Poe (Jeffrey Combs) is out of inspiration short on cash and is tormented by a black cat who will either destroy his sanity or spur him to write one of his greatest horror stories ever. Valerie On The Stairs (Dir. Mick Garris): A young writer moves into an apartment complex and whilst working on his novel he sees visions of a beautiful woman on the stairs. Who is she and what do the other tenants know about her?
Generally regarded as one of Italian horror maestro Dario Argento's finest films the terrifying Tenebrae marked the director's return to the giallo genre in which he first made his name after making two supernatural themed films Suspiria (1977) and Inferno (1980). Banned on video in the UK until 1999 when it was released in a cut form Tenebrae is now being released on DVD in its rarely seen uncensored version for the first time in the UK. Shortly after American mystery-thriller novelist Peter Neal arrives in Rome to promote his new book (the Tenebrae of the title) an attractive young woman is murdered by a razor-wielding maniac who stuffs pages of Neal's latest novel into the mouth of his victim before slashing her throat. So begins a bizarre series of horrific murders the details of which strangely resemble the fictional murders in Neal's book. Baffled by the killings the local police believe the author may hold the key to solving the case and turn to him for help. Circumstances change however when Neal himself begins to receive death threats from the killer. Speaking about Tenebrae Argento said it was his intention to put on film a gory rollercoasterfull of fast and furious murders. There is no question about whether or not he succeeded. As well as being a superbly orchestrated and inventive suspense thriller Tenebrae is a shockingly horrific orgy of graphic violence set to a pounding score by Argento regulars Goblin and beautifully shot by Suspiria cinematographer Lucio Tovoli. The film is a perfect showcase for Argento's inimitable trademark visual style
Lamberto Bava and Dario Argento bring you THE Gonzo Horror movies of the 1980s! With Demons, a frenzied slice of gore heavy shock cinema that gives up on logic and instead assaults the screen with a riot of X-Rated violence, face chewing Zombies and pounding Heavy Metal. In a mysterious cinema, an audience are watching a brutal horror flick when the horror rips out of the screen, unleashing a swarm of slathering Demons who are intent on spreading their evil plague across the globe.In Demons 2 the TV brings Hell direct to your Living Room. Out of the dark Forbidden Zone, the world's ugliest zombies are causing carnage in an apartment block, eating the residents and spreading their deadly plague. This Italian splatter classic will leave you in fear of turning on the Television...Time to tool up and take no prisoners... The Demons are coming!
Written and Directed by Dario Argento and starring his daughter, Asia Argento. This horror thriller tells the story about a young woman escapes from a psychiatric clinic and meets a young man who wants to help. She is caught and returned to her parents, who are soon beheaded by a garrotting stranger making the rounds about town, apparently striking only when it rains. The orphaned young woman and her new lover launch their own investigation and are endangered when a link is discovered with the victims and a particular operation performed years before.
An English jazz pianist living in Rome witnesses the brutal hatchet murder of a renowned psychic and is quickly drawn into the savage crime. With the help of a tenacious female reporter the pair track a twisted trail of deranged clues and relentless violence towards a shocking climax that has ripped screams from the throats of audiences for more than 25 years! Widely considered by both fans and critics alike to be Dario Argento's true masterpiece.
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 genres 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! Special Feature:Includes a tour of the Profondo Ross shop with long time Argento Collaborator Luigi Cozzi and a bookelt by Argento biographer Alan Jones!
Italian horror maestro Dario Argento made his name by turning homicide into modern art with a cinematic flourish, but with Phenomena he takes his stylish mayhem in new directions. The film opens with the dreamy grace of a fairy tale: a young girl wandering the green meadows of Switzerland and discovering a gingerbread house, wherein lives a monster more modern than mythic, a psychopathic maniac who plunges the picture into a lush nightmare. Jennifer (Jennifer Connelly in her first starring role), a gifted young girl at a Swiss school, has a psychic link to the insect world and develops a connection with the killer through midnight sleepwalks. With the help of a lonely, wheelchair-bound entomologist (genre stalwart Donald Pleasence, who inflects his sonorous tenor with a gentle Scottish burr) she turns telekinetic detective, which only draws her closer to the killer's lair. The densely plotted story becomes muddled at times (this is the busiest film in Argento's oeuvre) but the lyrical cinematography and gorgeous nocturnal imagery--dreamy sleepwalks, nightmarish murders, hideous horrors that emerge in the dark of night--take on a poetic elegance not seen in his previous work, providing the tale with a kind of dream logic. This is a slasher film reborn as an exquisitely grim fantasy: Jennifer in Argentoland. --Sean Axmaker
The story involves a rock drummer who accidentally kills a man and is drawn into a web of murder by a masked assassin who appears to have a vendetta against him.
Caught between the truth and a murderer's Hand! A break in at a genetics lab leads to a spiralling vortex of bloody murder in The Cat O' Nine Tails, Dario Argento's 70s Giallo classic. Strange circumstances surrounding the crime pique the interest of a journalist and a blind crossword compiler whose sharp ears have overheard talk of blackmail. However, all the would be investigators soon regret the help they gave as scientists die in front of speeding trains and photographers are viciously slain while others fall to their screaming deaths down elevator shafts in this surreal and nightmarish thriller from one of the acknowledged masters of Italian horror. As the body count increases, will no one escape the sting of The Cat O' Nine Tails? Special Features: Brand new High Definition transfer of the film (1080p) Optional English and Italian Audio Original uncompressed Mono Audio Optional English subtitles Dario's Murderous Moggy: Director Dario Argento remembers The Cat O' Nine Tails Sergio Martino: The Art and Arteries of the Giallo Cat O' Nine Tails in Reflection, an interview with long-time Argento collaborator Luigi Cozzi Original Italian Trailer Reversible sleeve with original and newly commissioned artwork by Rick Melton Exclusive collector's booklet featuring brand new writing by Alan Jones, author of 'Profondo Argento'
Two of Horror's greatest directors DARIO ARGENTO and GEORGE A. ROMERO join forces for Two Evil Eyes... 'Two Evil Eyes' (aka Due Occhi Diobolici) brings together two of the horror genre's greatest directors George A. Romero and Dario Argento to remake two Edgar Allan Poe tales previously brought to the big screen by B-movie maestro Roger Corman in his 1962 film 'Tales Of Terror'. Directed by Romero The Facts In The Case Of M. Valdemar tells the story of a scheming cheating wife (Adrienne Barbeau) who convinces her psychiatrist lover (Ramy Zada) to hypnotise her dying husband (Bingo O'Malley) in order to get him to sign his fortune over to her. When the husband dies while still under hypnosis he finds himself caught in a limbo between the worlds of the living and the dead and hungry for revenge. In The Black Cat directed by Argento Harvey Keitel plays Roderick Usher a feline-hating Weegee-like forensic photographer who naturally specialises in shooting pictures of death and murder scenes. When his wife Annabel (Madeleine Potter) brings home a stray cat Usher wastes no time in disposing of the animal. Unfortunately the cat refuses to stay dead prompting Usher's terrifying murderous descent into madness. Starring genre movie favourites Adrienne Barbeau Tom Atkins Bingo O'Malley and E.G. Marshall alongside Harvey Keitel Sally Kirkland Kim Hunter Martin Balsam and John Amos the movie also marks the feature film debut of a young Julie Benz. Featuring plenty of bloody mayhem to please the gore-hounds courtesy of special make-up effects wizards Tom Savini (Dawn Of The Dead Creepshow Day Of The Dead) and John Vulich (Day Of The Dead TV's Buffy The Vampire Slayer) and set to a suitably chilling score by Pino Donaggio (Carrie Dressed To Kill The Howling) 'Two Evil Eyes' is an essential addition to every horror aficionado's collection!
Policewoman Anna Mari plays a dangerous game with a serial killer: if she loses she will be forced to watch the murderer take another victim...
Two of the high-priests of horror directors George A. Romero (Night of the Living Dead Monkey Shines) and Dario Argento (Tenebre Phenomena) each pay tribute to Edgar Allan Poe with screen adaptions of the master's most terrifying tales from the dark side. Romero's shock-filled story (The Facts in the Case of Mr. Valdemar) centres on a greedy young wife's bid to trick her dying husband out of his millions and the terror that is unleashed when mysterious beings take possession of the old man's body. The inspiration for Argento's blood-curdling tale is Poe's The Black Cat. Skilfully grafting in chilling scenes from several of Poe's other classic stories Argento's trip into terror tells of a man's cruel obsession with his wife's cat that finally drives him to murder of the most gruesome kind.
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