Dario Argento

Any fans here of Italian horror movie director Dario Argento? If so, too bad. I tried getting into his stuff, but I just couldn't. The main reason I tried watching one of his movies was because I was reading an interview with the Konami development team that does the Silent Hill series, and the director said that one of the movies that inspired him when making SH was Dario Argento's Susperia. So, I pick up the DVD, since nowhere on Earth rents it. And, for the most part, the movie was ass. I mean, there WAS some good to it- the score, done by Itailan metal band Goblin, was really unique and effective in building a creepy atmosphere. Actually, if it wasn't for the soundtrack, the movie really wouldn't have been scary at all. Okay, and the murder in the beginning was good- so good, in fact, that it lulled me into thinking the rest of the movie would be just as good, but noooo. It turned out to be boring, cheesy, and Argento's habit of using weird lighting (night scenes were lit with either all red or blue or green lighting) made it look like a 70's porno movie. The rest of the murders were lame compared to the first one- try to watch the piano wire scene and not laugh at how completely goofy it is.

Still, the movie has a very young Udo "You bore me" Kier. Udo is god. That is all.

Still, I figured that Dario Argento couldn't have gotten the reputation he has as a "great horror director" without having actually made a good movie. I heard good things about another movie he made, Opera, and decided to give it a whirl. After all, Susperia had a couple of good points, I suppose...maybe the man had better luck with this one. Nope! Opera COMPLETELY SUCKED. Stupid-ass plot, stupid-ass murder scenes that all featured heavy metal music that turned them into 80's Twisted Sister videos, and the WORST ENDING TO A HORROR MOVIE OF ALL TIME. This wasn't funny bad, this was just bad. Avoid at all costs. Susperia is perhaps worth renting for the soundtrack alone (if it had a more traditional score that movie would be a total dud), but Opera is the celluloid version of diarrhea.

Still, the man has a hot daughter (Asia Argento, that chick that was in that turd XXX), so he has one saving grace. From what I've heard she's actually appeared in some of Diaro's Italian movies, doing nude sex scenes, no less, what a great father-daughter relationship. Oh, well. :)

Yeah, Asia is pretty hot.

In her directorial debut, "Scarlet Diva", she does several non-simulated sex scenes.

NON simulated...? :evil:

Yep.

Supposedly in the first scene of the movie, some black dude is banging her from behind. Later on she does a lesbo scene and some friends of hers go at it.

Already she's a better director than her father.

Yeah, every wannabe high-brow film "critiquerer" will tell you that Suspiria is a masterpiece, but thats just because so many of their ilk have decided to brand it an "classic" when in reality it is quite boring, and not the least bit frightening (tho the throat slash effect was pretty good) Next time someone calls Suspiria a masterpiece I'm going to do my own little horrorshow for them :evil:

Dolemite, I know exactly how you feel. I also tried numerous times to get into Argento, but cant. While his style and direction is good, I found most of his films that watched unbelievably boring. Even the murders didnt tickle my fancy or so to speak. The soundtracks and atmosphere might be creepy(at least in his earlier works in 70s and early 80s), but characters and plots are less than thrilling. I havent seen any of his latest efforts such as Phantom of the Opera, or Sleepless or Stedhal Syndrome, but Trauma was really awful.

His daughter though, is a different story. I havent seen any of her nude flicks, but she was ok in XXX(I did liked it :p), and I also recently seen her in French crime film, Red Siren(she played a cop).

As for my Italian horror director preferenses, I would go with Lucio Fulci and Michele Soavi instead. I find their film better than anything Argento(Fulci in gore department and Soavi in style/atmosphere).

Well, I can't say I agree at all.

Suspiria is the scariest movie I've ever watched. It just had a way of getting under my skin and staying there. Whether you like it or not 680x0 I definitely call it a masterpiece.

That said, there is an Argento film I like even more. Phenomena is one of the most delightfully bizarre movies I've ever seen. It just oozes style and originality and really delivers with a wonderfully absurd ending.

If you go into his films looking to pick them apart with a fine-toothed comb, you won't like them. Argento movies usually lack in the logic and continuity departments. For example, trying to explain the source of the red/green/blue lighting in Suspiria is pointless. You just have to look past that and accept that they exist. Then you can sit back and let the atmoshpere and all out creepiness suck you in. Dario is often quoted as saying he wants his movies to resemble "live action fairy tales", and in that regard he delivers quite triumphantly.

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Originally Posted by PBMaX

Well, I can't say I agree at all.

Suspiria is the scariest movie I've ever watched. It just had a way of getting under my skin and staying there. Whether you like it or not 680x0 I definitely call it a masterpiece.

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Well, if you liked it, that's cool. Still, if you thought a boring movie like Susperia was scary, I like to see what you think of a movie like The Thing. :)

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For example, trying to explain the source of the red/green/blue lighting in Suspiria is pointless. You just have to look past that and accept that they exist. Then you can sit back and let the atmoshpere and all out creepiness suck you in. Dario is often quoted as saying he wants his movies to resemble "live action fairy tales", and in that regard he delivers quite triumphantly.

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I wasn't trying to explain the source of the red/greed/blue lighting- the director choose to light those scenes that way, that's all. For me, it added to the cheese and took away from the sense of realism, making the movie seem more like a high school play. The most effective horror movies are ones that can make you feel like you can relate to what's going on on-screen, and I couldn't relate to a world that was lit like it was the Rock Horror Picture Show. That's just me, though. Like I said, Susperia does have its good points. Well, one or two, anyway. Remember, it DOES have Udo Keir, and Udo is THE MAN. ;)

Suspiria was just boring. When I'm not enjoying the movie, its atmosphere is not going to work on me. I didnt like the characters of it either. The sets, lighting and music were film highlights, but it just wasnt enough for me. Even presence of Udo Kier.

Scarrines is unique factor, and whats scary for you, may not be particulary scary to somebody else, or be not scary at all. Halloween for example is held as one of the greates horror films, and I could barely watch 20 minutes of it, before turning it off, because I was extremely bored by it. But Prince of Darkness(hated by many) on the other hand, freaks me out. Or take whole Blair Witch phenomena - all the impressed people proclaiming they never been this scared by a movie, and when me and DJ tried to watch it, it was nothing but a boring pseudo documentary about 3 morons lost in the woods, cursing and acting dumb.