Favorite Argento

[*veers*]

As we all know Dario Argento is a visual genius who ranks along side Hitchcock and Kubrick. But what's your favorite bit of visual genius that you would use to show someone who may doubt the truth. I would go for the Bullet through the peephole in Opera. How about you guys?

[TobyDammit]

The opening scene in susperia (sp?) Almost any scene in Inferno, not his best film but still visually stunning. ARGENTO RULES!

[Brock Landers]

I would have to say most of "Suspiria" and "Phenomena" are visually stunning. The rest of the films are appealing as well. Argento really has a flair with the camera, creating surreal landscapes that are very distinct to his style...I dig it...

Here's my top 5 Argento pics +1...I'm going to break tradition by not saying "Suspiria" as my #1 (although I want to say both "Tenebre" and "Suspiria"...I have my reasons.)

1. "Tenebre"
2. "Suspiria"
3. "Deep Red"
4. "Demons"
5. "Inferno"

plus...as honorary mention..."Phenomena".

[PanicTicks]

I'd show any doubters all of SUSPIRIA, which to me is far and away his best movie. The others are good as well, but mostly based on individual scenes, rather than the movies as a whole. The scenes I'd show:

1. TENEBRAE - Hated it until the last fifteen minutes. Went from a iffy movie with a horrible scipt to a bloodbath shocker that left me believing I hadn't become numb to violence.
2. INFERNO - Bored me more than it excited me, but I'll never forget how the fire got started. That was sick.
3. TRAUMA - Boring. Slow. But the twist at the end was something I didn't see coming and the fact that victims were decapitated while aware was cool.

Overall, Argento is great, more often than not, but outside of SUSPIRIA, I'd have to show such individual parts to doubters.



[This message has been edited by PanicTicks (edited 01-26-2001).]

[the night watchman]

I'm not a huge Argento fan, but I haven't seen all his stuff either, since I live in Craptown, USA, where movies have to live up to community standards. (Is there any question why Blockbuster thrives here?)

I have yet to see "Tenebre," "Phantom of the Opera," "Bird with the Crystal Plummage," and a host of others.

As for the work I have seen, "Inferno" takes the cake. It's a masterwork. "Susperia" is fun, looks great and has a fabulous soundtrack, but the finale a bit of a letdown. "Phenomena" is a dumb, dumb movie, but it ain't boring. (And it features Jennifer Connely in a nightgown for half its running time. Can't be bad.) I saw "Opera," and "Deep Red" a long time ago, and barely remember them. I'll have to pick them up again.

(Oops, Brock, I think Argento only produced "Demons." Didn't Mario Bava's son actually direct it?)

[Brock Landers]

You damn dirty ape! You got me...it was Lamberto Bava. When I thought up my list I was picturing my DVDs at home and the front covers of them and the "Demons" disc says Dario Argento on it...since he co-wrote and PRODUCED it. I am shamed. I will now perform sepaku. Goodbye world, you have been good to me. In Pace Requisat!

[ArgentoRules]

Of course I'll take the predictable route and say right away any and all scenes in Suspira...Inferno is great visually too, and the death scenes are more like "events" then anything else (as in all of Argento's movies), but Inferno was style over substance, but Argento style over substance!

[killtheearth]

I'd have to add to the list the scene in "Deep Red" in which the painting is being discovered from behind the wall. Not extremely over-the-top in the visuals department, but very effective in building Argento's trademark creepy, suspenseful atmosphere. Cheers!