As I've numerous times, I am a degenerate for Dario Argento. He is, when he's on, the Italian Hitchcock. With this film, released during what I consider to be his golden age, he proves it yet again. Enjoy.
[Reprinted from Eric's Myspace page, Sept 6th, 2009]
I am a huge fan of Dario Argento's work. He is a master of the giallo, the Italian horror/thriller film. His 1978 masterpiece Susperia will go down as one of the greatest horror films of all time(though in all honesty, it's not quite as good as its hype).
With 1982's Tenebre, Mr. Argento pulls out a Hitchcock-style mystery in which an American writer flys over to Rome to promote his new book, oddly titled Tenebre. While there, a series of gruesome murders take place straight out his novel and its up to him and a local detective to solve the whodunit.
There are many surprises in this film and you have to pay close attention, otherwise you will get lost. The ending has plenty of twist to keep the jaded horror fan such as myself guessing. In the pantheon of Mr. Argento's work, Tenebre ranks up there with Deep Red and Susperia as classics to be viewed.
2 comments:
While the "spurting stump" scene is one of the best gore bits ever I just had a hard time following the story. Unlike yourself the film displays the qualities of Argento I just came to not enjoy, and that is incomparable ability to weave an incomprehensible story out of the simplest of premises.
The score by Goblin is great though.
Bill
Oh, this is one of Dario's best....
I totally agree with your review!
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