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Arrow Video FrightFest – Twenty Blood Years | Day Two – Argento on Fear, arthouse teenage angst and demonic lust
So its Day Two and the big star of the day was the legendary Dario Argento, who did a candid Q&A before a signing session for his autobiography, Dario Argento: Fear, which has been newly translated from Italian and given a slick makeover by FAB Press.
Alan Jones (Argento’s No.1 fan and long-time friend) moderated the 30-minute interview, which concentrated on the book and why Argento had decided now was the time to tell his story. Interestingly, Jones’ admitted that even though he’s a close friend of Argento’s, he learned so many new things while reading his autobiography, which covers many very personal recollections, including the Italian director’s close relationship with his photographer mother and traditionalist father, and his suicidal thoughts, which opens the book.
He also looks back at how he learned to become a film-maker not by attending film school, but by doing a Jean-Luc Godard – totally immersing himself in films (both good and bad) while studying in Paris – a time that he describes as ‘a marvellous moment in my life’. He also looks over his film career, which he also admits was quite difficult to do – even embarrassing at times. Jones ended the session by asking Argento what song would sum him up — and he got a huge round of applause and a hail of cheers when he said: My Way – the Sid Vicious version.
To pre-order the book direct from FAB Press: CLICK HERE
The queue at Cineworld Leicester Square for Dario’s signing
Now onto today’s screamings…
KNIVES AND SKIN
Just like Heathers and Dazed and Confused (two films that informs its DNA), this mystical Midwest coming-of-age drama from director Jennifer Reeder (making her feature debut) just may be a cult film in the making.
In rural Illinois, a drum majorette’s disappearance traumatises the small town residents as secrets are revealed, destroying some relationships and strengthening others. Three girls form a bond in the aftermath of the tragedy as everyone struggles with their own infidelities, dreams and family cruelties while the manhunt continues.
The FrightFest blurb describes it as ‘Sofia Coppola meets David Lynch on the set of High School Musical‘, and I tend to agree, but this teen noir fantasy stands on its own thanks to its gorgeous lighting (very giallo-esque) and costumes, and its astute feminist take on teenage angst, rage and disillusionment (as seen in the relationships between the awkward teens) and parental grief. I’m sure many may ask ‘What’s it about?’ and find it a tad pretentious (A cappella, anyone?) – but it so deserves several viewings to really get all the layered nuances. For me, it’s an assured debut with arthouse written all over it.
BLOOD & FLESH: THE REEL LIFE & GHASTLY DEATH OF AL ADAMSON
Director David Gregory tells the bizarre and grim demise of one of Hollywood’s exploitation bad boys. Check out my full review here.
PORNO
Abe (Evan Daves) is a pervert with a guilty conscience. Todd (Larry Saperstein) is his spaced out BFF and partner in crime. Chaz (Jillian Mueller) hides her feelings behind a thick layer of Goth eye liner. Ricky (Glenn Stott) is the star jock with a secret he dare not expose. And projectionist Metal Head Jeff (Robbie Tann) has turned to Jesus to stop smoking. What these employees could never have guessed is that the wholesome movie theatre they work at had a porno past. And when they uncover and screen one of the lurid films, they unwittingly unleash a sex demon (Katelyn Pearce)…
Director Keola Racela (making his feature debut here) has crafted a hugely enjoyable slice of 1980s-style horror (set in 1992) – that’s like an R-rated Scooby Doo meets Stranger Things fantasy adventure, but with a nod to Lamberto Bava’s Demons. This is probably the most perfect film for a film festival like FrightFest as its set entirely in a cinema (although a retro one not a gleaming multiplex) and the humour draws on our love of the horror genre. The characters – all outsiders with sexually repressed desires – are well-drawn, and effortlessly executed by the talented young cast. The blood and gore is on the right side of cheese and the irreverent script doesn’t hold back on making light of right-wing Christian American ideals (thank you!). My only issue is with the title, Porno, which is a bit of a misnomer as the sex film the kids watch actually looks like its been inspired by one of Kenneth Anger’s arthouse films – most specifically, 1969’s Invocation of My Demon Brother, as the film features a satanic ritual involving a demonic incantation (very much like Anger’s). But aside from that title, I’d gladly give this one repeated viewings.
Here’s a clip to whet your appetite.
Opera (1987) | CultFilms unleashes Dario Argento’s Grand Guignol horror in a new director-guided 2k restoration
Italy’s master of horror Dario Argento ushers in 2019 with this new restoration of his violent 1987 horror Opera, courtesy of CultFilms – the folks who brought us the stunning 4k restoration release of Suspiria.
When young understudy Betty (Cristina Marsillach) takes the lead role in a new operatic production of Verdi’s Macbeth, she soon attracts the attention of a knife-wielding psycho who forces her to watch – with eyes pinned open – as he brutally despatches her friends and colleagues with sadistic delight. Can Betty free herself from this unending nightmare or does a more terrifying fate await?
Co-starring Ian Charleson (Chariots of Fire) and Daria Nicolodi (Deep Red), Opera is a ravishing return to the giallo style Argento made his name with, awash with lavish bloodletting, black-gloved killers, soaring cinematography, and the director’s expressionistic Grand Guignol excess. Plus, an unforgettable score from Brian Eno, Bill Wyman, Claudio Simonetti and even opera legend Maria Callas herself.
CultFilms is proud to present Argento’s gore-soaked terror in a stunning 2K restoration, with colour regrading carried out under instruction from the maestro himself and in reference to his own, preferred, original cinema print. Opera is out now in a Region B/2 Dual Format edition (Blu-ray & DVD) with numbered vinyl case and on VOD from CultFilms.
SPECIAL FEATURES
• Aria of Fear: a brand new candid interview with director Dario Argento, revisiting his work from a fresh viewpoint
• Opera Backstage: a unique behind the scenes documentary about Dario Argento directing Opera
• Restoration featurette: from raw scan to the regraded, restored and reframed final vision
Order direct from CultFilms: bit.ly/2Aj8v2J
iTunes: apple.co/2QXlwUD
The Cat o’Nine Tails (1971) | Dario Argento’s stylish American-styled giallo gets a 4K upgrade
While I already have Arrow’s previous Blu-ray of Dario Argento’s 1971 giallo Cat o’Nine Tales (aka il gatto nove code), I couldn’t resist upgrading to this 4K restoration, which also includes newly translated English subtitles for the Italian soundtrack. Now all I need is a 4k smart TV and Blu-ray player to see it properly. But having looked at it on my current HD system, it looks and sounds terrific.
As for the extras, well they are all brand-new with none crossing over from the previous Arrow release. Here’s the low-down…
First up is the audio commentary from Alan Jones and Kim Newman. Jones, of course, is Argento’s number one fan who has become a close friend and written the definitive book(s) on the director, while Newman’s comprehensive film knowledge is truly enviable.
It’s fun and very insightful (film nerds like me will lap up the trivia, especially those related to the Turin film locations); and you’ll see Catherine Spaak’s costumes in a whole different light after listening to Jones views on Luca Sabetelli’s outré surreal outfits.
As for the featurettes, Nine Lives, comprises an exclusive 2017 interview with Dario Argento, who confirms Jones’ comments that the film was the least favourite of his canon, as he felt it ‘too American’.
The Writer o’ Many Tails has screenwriter Dardano Sacchetti discuss his career (over 34 minutes) which included an infamous row between him and Argento over the credit for the screenplay.
Child Star is another Arrow exclusive, an interview with the film’s Cinzia De Carolis, who played Karl Malden’s niece Lori and is today a well-respected voice dubber.
Being a huge fan of film locations, Giallo In Turin was the one that I watched first. Disappointingly, we don’t get the guided tour that I had imagined, instead production manager Angelo Iacono discusses his first meeting with Argento, before recalling his memories of the cast and crew.
A huge bonus is the inclusion of the Original Ending, in which the fates of Anna (Spaak) and Lori (De Carolis) are revealed. But wait! As the footage is now lost, we only get a visual storyboard alongside the English version of the last couple of pages of the script. But the money shot is a single German lobby card containing an actual still of the final scene. Yeah!
Now, as I have the rare movie tie-in novelisation (one of only two written by Paul J Gillette – the other was Play Misty for Me), I had hoped it would contain this version. Unfortunately, it deviates totally from both the original ending and the final cut ending.
With stylish new artwork by Candace Tripp, a limited edition booklet, lobby card repros and fold-out poster also included, this latest Argento release from Arrow is a keeper. Now, I just need that 4K kit.
If you want to see my thoughts on Arrow’s previous of the film… READ IT HERE
CultFilms’ Suspiria 4K Steelbook Ultra Blu-ray Dual Edition is going to be fan-tastic!
Back in 1977, Dario Argento unleashed Suspiria, his intoxicating brew of black magic and murder in which Phantom of the Paradise’s Jessica Harper played an American ballet student who uncovers a deadly cover of witches at a prestigious German dance academy, overseen by Dark Shadows‘ Joan Bennett as Madame Blanc and Eyes Without a Face‘s Alida Valli as the butch dance instructor Miss Tanner.
Saturated with an expressive colour palette, hyper-real art deco production design and a ground-breaking score by The Goblins (as they were credited then), and punctuated by shocking, but expertly staged, violence, Argento’s symphony of terror is, without doubt, his horror film opus and a masterpiece of the modern macabre.
Now turning 40, Suspiria has been given a 4K makeover. Over in the US, Synapse Films spent four years working on their 4k restoration that was made from the uncut 98-minute 35mm Italian camera negative (and was overseen by cinematographer Luciano Tovoli). They have now released it as a Special Edition Steelbook (read more here) producing 6000 units, with bags of extras.
Meanwhile, here in the UK, CultFilms are releasing their own restoration, which is set to be the most complete and original looking, finally doing justice to Argento’s vision. The new 4K scan was painstakingly restored by TLE Films in Germany with the film’s crucially distinct colour palette reinstated in accordance with Argento’s original Technicolor Dye Transfer specification, using period film materials as reference. The restorers also reinserted all the missing frames which had degraded badly or were simply lost over the years.
CultFilms have got a crowd-funding campaign up and running to get the film its official UK/European Ultra HD home entertainment release. It’s got just under two weeks left, and has already passed its initial target of £15,000, thanks to some 700+ backers, which means some great bonus extras will be added. And 100 of those initial backers also got the chance to get their copy signed Argento himself (alas now sold out). If you live in Europe, or anywhere that isn’t region A and you do not have a region free player, then this 4k UHD release is one to look out for. Plus, it will also include the Blu-ray and DVD (see below).
UPDATE: On 4 December 2017, CultFilms announced that their campaign closed, reaching an incredible £33,705, which guarantees the creation of a third disc, filled with those promised bonus extras.
I was lucky to see the 4k print (which is simply stunning) at the sold out London screening at the Barbican, with Argento introducing film and giving an illuminating Q&A afterwards. Now, I have seen Suspiria more times than I can remember, and in many formats – from scratchy 16mm and faded VHS to dodgy DVD and the fab HD release back in 2009. But it’s always great to learn something new – especially from the master himself. So, thanks to some intelligent questions from the audience, I discovered that his main inspiration came from Disney’s Snow White, both as a dark fairytale of female empowerment and because of the animated feature’s vibrant primary colours; and that he drew from his own nightmares, one of which became the vicious dog attack sequence.
He also worked alongside Goblin to create what has become an iconic horror score, and even introduced the bouzouki, a Greek musical instrument, to link with the ballet school’s Directress, Helena Markos, a Greek émigré who is ultimately revealed to be Mater Suspiriorum (the Mother of Sighs), the oldest and wisest of the Three Mothers.
The other interesting piece of trivia I discovered was that Jane Russell was in line for the role that eventually went to Joan Bennett, who got it only because she worked with Argento’s favourite director, Fritz Lang, and that she liked a drink or two. And, on a more personal side, Argento also said that he did not believe in magic, except as a narrative device in books and films; and that he had nothing to do with the poster design of the blood-splattered ballet dancer.
If you can’t wait to get your hands on the UK 4K edition, then CultFilms are releasing the Dual Format (Blu-ray/DVD) edition on 4 December, with the following extras…
• Dual format special edition: Blu-ray and DVD in a numbered, embossed slipcase
• New Extra: Long interview with Dario Argento
• New Extra: Exclusive Dario Argento Introduction of this new 4K restoration
• Audio commentary by critics Kim Newman and Alan Jones
• Fear at 400 Degrees: interview with Dario Argento and Claudio Simonetti
• Interview with Claudio Simonetti, Norman J Warren and Patricia McComack (Blu-ray only)
• New Extra: The 4K Restoration Process ‘utterly fascinating’
You can pre-order it now from CultFilms or Amazon.
The Cat O’Nine Tails (1971) | Dario Argento’s purr-fectly stylish whodunit
Following the success of his film debut The Bird With the Crystal Plumage, Dario Argento directed another puzzling-titled whodunit, The Cat O’ Nine Tails, starring Karl Malden (The Streets of San Francisco) and James Franciscus (Beneath the Planet of the Apes), which had its debut in West German cinemas on 15 July 1971.
Malden plays blind crossword puzzle expert Cookie, while Franciscus is wily reporter Carlo Giordani. The unlikely pair becomes amateur sleuths following a break-in at a pharmaceutical institute in Rome.
When doctors attached to the development of a revolutionary new drug start getting bumped off, Cookie and Giordani must solve nine leads (hence the film’s title) in order to unmask the killer. But their nosing around turns personal for Cookie, when the killer kidnaps his young niece.
While not one of Argento’s personal favourites, there’s much to enjoy thanks to Arrow’s new HD transfer. Retro fans will swoon over the production design (the marble hall of the lab and the rooftop bar are big highlights, and Franciscus’ wardrobe is so cool); while the colour and lighting is trademark Argento, all deep rich tones – like a chiaroscuro painting brought to life. Meanwhile, Ennio Morricone supplies another superb score, this time featuring a catchy discordant melody.
The story is classic murder mystery – but with a modern (read 1970s) twist. Instead of the beautiful blonde being fought over (although there is a beauty present in the shapely form of French star Catherine Spaak), it’s a male gigolo who takes centre stage when one of the doctors becomes a suspect. And it’s this gay storyline as much as the violence (the strangulation scene is particularly nasty) that originally got 20-minutes cut from earlier versions of the film. But here it is uncut and ready for a new audience, and you really don’t have to be dedicated to Argento to love this Cat.
Arrow Video released the film in 2012 on DVD and on Limited Edition Blu-ray featuring a new HD transfer of the film in 2013.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
- Brand new High Definition transfer of the film (1080p)
- Optional English & Italian Audio
- Original uncompressed Mono Audio
- Optional English subtitles
- Dario’s Murderous Moggy: Dario Argento Remembers The Cat O’ Nine Tails (1080p)
- Luigi Cozzi: Cat O’ Nine Tails in Reflection (1080p)
- Sergio Martino: The Art and Arteries of the Giallo (1080p)
- Original Italian Trailer
- Reversible sleeve with original Artwork by Rick Melton
NOTE: If you want to hear the English audio, select it first as the release defaults to the original Italian audio. Also, don’t watch the special features until you have seen the movie, as they give away the surprise ending (actually so does the cover art, but its still the coolest scene of the movie).
Dario Argento’s genre-busting psycho-thriller The Bird With the Crystal Plumage gets a 4k-restored release from Arrow
Back in 1970 Dario Argento’s directorial debut The Bird With The Crystal Plumage paved the way for a new wave of cinematic terror when the then 29-year-old auteur fused the traditional thriller and whodunit with shock and spectacle for the first time.
In this landmark giallo, Tony Musante (who would later find fame as Nino in TV’s Oz) plays Sam, an American writer living in Rome who witnesses an attempted murder in an art gallery. After a series of other attacks and attempts on the lives of Musante and his lover Julia (played by British scream queen Suzy Kendall), Sam suddenly finds himself the prime suspect. In a bid to clear his name, he sets out to track down the killer – who turns out to be… Well, that’s for you to find out.
It was actually Bernardo Bertolucci who started the ball rolling on this production when he originally thought to adapt Fredric Brown’s classic thriller The Screaming Mimi for the big screen. But he ended up handing the reins over to Argento who, along with the celebrated editor Franco Fraticelli, made it his own. The film’s success would cement Argento’s reputation as the Italian Hitchcock, as well as usher in a wave of blood and black lace genre films with crazier and crazier titles.
What makes Argento’s thriller so groundbreaking is the way he makes clever use of suspense devices, such as a screaming Kendall trapped in a room while the killer hacks away at the door (much copied in films like The Shining and Halloween). Vital to Argento’s vision is Franco Fraticelli’s sharp editing skills and the impressive visuals of cinematographer Vittorio Storaro (who would go on to win an Oscar for Apocalypse Now). Plus, there’s Ennio Morricone’s unforgettable score.
Back in 2011, Arrow released a High Definition restoration of Bird on Blu-ray (that was slightly grainier than Arrow’s previous releases, but still stunning) presented in the original Univisium aspect ratio, and had the audio defaulted to the original Italian (which I prefer over the English mono). It also included contributions from directors Luigi Cozzi and Sergio Martino, and a booklet written by Alan Jones.
For their stunning 4k-restored limited edition dual format release, Arrow have really gone to town. So pull on some leather gloves, pour yourself a J&B on the rocks and let the deadly games begin…
• 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 (this 30-minute monologue is a real treat and very instructive)
• 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
• 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
Phenomena (1985) | The definitive release of Dario Argento’s cult horror with a new 4k restoration
Before gaining fame battling David Bowie’s bewigged King Jareth in 1986’s Labyrinth, a 15-year-old Jennifer Connelly starred in Dario Argento’s bizarre and eccentric horror Phenomena.
Sent to a posh Swiss boarding school by her absent film star dad, Jennifer Corvino (Connelly) learns of a serial killer targeting young girls in the area. With the help of Donald Pleasence’s wheelchair-bound entomologist, Jennifer discovers she has special psychic powers and a natural affinity with insects. She then uses these skills to track down the killer.
This being an Argento film, much mayhem ensues with lashings of grisly decapitations and stabbings, swarms of insects, a razor-wielding chimp and that classic horror staple – a monster in the basement.
Argento’s cameras really soar to great heights here. Taking his cameras out of Rome’s studios for a change, he really goes to town on the beautiful Swiss landscapes (the film was shot around Appenzell and Canton St Gallen). Watching Arrow’s new 4k restoration on blu-ray is a real treat watching on a big screen as you find yourself yourself flying high above the alpines, like one of the winged beasties buzzing about.
As with all Argento films, music plays a huge role, from the incongruous (Iron Maiden’s Flash of the Blade bellowing out during one death scene really spoils the atmosphere) to the sublime, courtesy of Goblin of course (the scene in which Jennifer is led to the killer’s glove by a firefly is truly haunting). After Profundo Rosso and Suspiria, this is one of band’s best-ever Argento scores.
To be honest, I was never a big fan of Phenomena when I first saw it on VHS back in the late-1980s, as it was such a big departure from Argento’s previous supernatural shockers. But it is actually much better than I remembered. In fact, I now ‘get’ what Argento was aiming for – a modern-day Grimm’s fairytale, with just a dash of surreal slash and gore. It’s not perfect, but it’s brutally beautiful work of cinematic art just the same – and probably Argento’s last truly great film.
Back in 2011 Arrow released a box-set containing a superb HD transfer of the Italian cut featuring some missing English audio sections, along with a ‘making of’ documentary, an interview with composer with Claudio Simonetti, and a Q&A with special effects artist Sergio Stivaletti. Now they have set their sights on creating the definitive home entertainment release – and if you look at what’s in the box, it just well maybe so.
LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS:
DISC 1
• Brand new 4k restoration from the original camera negative (Arrow Video exclusive) of the 116-minute Italian version in High Definition Blu-ray (1080p)
• New hybrid English/Italian soundtrack 5.1 Surround/or Stereo with English subtitles
• New audio commentary by Troy Howarth, author of So Deadly, So Perverse: 50 Years of Italian Giallo Films
• Original Italian and English theatrical trailers
• Jennifer music video, directed by Dario Argento
• Rare Japanese vintage pressbook
DISC 2
• 110-minute international version in High Definition Blu-ray (1080p)
• The Three Sarcophagi: a new visual essay by Michael Mackenzie comparing the different cuts of Phenomena
DISC 3
• 83-minute Creepers cut on High Definition Blu-ray (1080p)
• Of Flies and Maggots: feature-length documentary (March 2017) including interviews with Dario Argento, actors Fiore Argento, Davide Marotta, Daria Nicolodi and Fiorenza Tessari, co-writer Franco Ferrini, cinematographer Romano Albani, production manager Angelo Jacono, assistant director Michele Soavi, special optical effects artist Luigi Cozzi, special makeup effects artist Sergio Stivaletti
PLUS:
• Remastered soundtrack CD featuring the complete Goblin instrumental soundtrack, plus four bonus tracks by Simon Boswell and Andi Sex Gang
• Limited edition 60-page booklet
Deep Red (1975) | Dario Argento’s quintessential giallo gets a luminous 4k restoration from Arrow
When it comes to my favourite Dario Argento films, in my cinematic eye, two stand out as supreme masterpieces: Suspiria, a bewitching blend of the surreal and the fantastique, and Deep Red, which must be THE quintessential giallo. But what makes the thriller so gripping to revisit time and time again – aside from the fact that it keeps getting re-released?
Murder, mayhem and black-gloved killers were central to Argento’s early gialli, and it was with Bird, Cat and Flies, (aka the Animal Trilogy) that he brought stark terror to the genre and introduced the killer’s PoV stylistic device (which Carpenter copied in Halloween). But in Deep Red (aka Profondo Rosso), he did so much more. He fused his thriller with an arthouse kink and a surreal theatricality, with the highlight being an inspired homage to film noir in the recreation of Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks diner in a neon-lit Rome street where the first murder takes place (actually Turin’s Piazza CLN).
David Hemmings (who got the part because of his role in Antonioni’s Blow-Up) is Marcus Daly, an English jazz pianist based in Rome who witnesses the brutal slaying of a visiting European psychic. After he becomes front-page news thanks to Daria Nicolodi’s over-eager reporter Gianna, Daly starts his own investigation. But when incriminating evidence is left at the scene of another murder, Daly realises the killer is hot on his trail. It’s then a race against time to solve the mystery, which has links to a children’s lullaby and a deserted old mansion, before the killer strikes again…
Deep Red also saw Argento embracing elements horror and the supernatural for the first time, with the film’s most evocative scenes taking place inside a crumbling grand art nouveau mansion (actually the 1902 Villa Scott in Turin), set to the pulsating beats of Goblin’s landmark prog rock soundtrack, which became the benchmark for many of Argento’s subsequent film scores. Topping it all were the imaginatively staged murder set pieces, involving stabbing, scalding and being and bashed to a pulp, all domestic terrors that set the nerves on edge and made your skin crawl.
Now, while Argento certainly must be praised for the film’s visual style (and style is certainly the substance of Deep Red, which was the whole point), it’s the film’s script that brings it all together. And that’s down to Bernardino Zapponi, who was hired on the back of his work on Federico Fellini’s phantasmal Toby Dammit segment in Spirits of the Dead. One can only wonder what kind of film Deep Red would have been without Zapponi’s involvement as he is key to Argento’s ‘truly terrifying magnum opus’ (to borrow a quote from Argento expert Alan Jones).
THE ARROW 4K RELEASE
It was only back in 2011 that Arrow brought out a bloody gorgeous 2k restoration on Blu-ray and DVD, which blew my mind with its sharp picture and excellent sound. Now comes the 4k restoration, which totally trumps that release, ironing out much of the grain that I never knew was apparent in the earlier version until I did a comparison.
The 2011 release came with two uncut versions of the film; interviews with Argento, Nicolodi and Goblin composer Claudio Simonetti; and a commentary from Argento expert Thomas Rostock. These have all been replicated here, but with brand-new transfers of the directors cut and the export version. Another bonus is the inclusion of the film’s soundtrack featuring all 28 tracks that originally appeared on the 1996 Cinevox CD. Newly commissioned artwork has also been for the packaging, this time from Belgium artist Gilles Vranckx.
THE DIRECTOR’S CUT AUDIO
There’s a choice of Italian with English subtitles or a hybrid English/Italian audio track on the director’s cut, but my preference is for the hybrid version, as you get to hear David Hemmings and Daria Nicolodi in English. But the reinserted scenes that were originally left out of the export cut only have Italian audio. While this might make for a disconcerting experience, you do get more battle of the sexes interplay between Marcus and Gianna.
This must be one of Arrow’s fastest-selling releases ever, as it’s already sold out on their website and is currently changing hands for up to £90 online. So, if you are lucky to bag yourself a copy, then turn down the lights, turn up the volume, and let the screaming begin.
Dario Argento’s Deep Red gets a limited edition 4k restoration release exclusively from Arrow Video
Dario Argento’s 1975 giallo masterpiece, Deep Red (aka Profondo Rosso/The Hatchet Murders) is getting amust-have release from Arrow Video. Limited to 5000 copies, this 3-disc box-set includes the new 4k transfer of both the international cut and the director’s cut, plus a mausoleum’s worth of bonus content, alongside the complete 28-track original soundtrack recording, an exclusive booklet, a postcard set, and artwork by Gilles Vranckx. Here are the full specs. My review will follow shortly…
3-DISC LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS
• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation of two versions of the film
• Original Italian soundtrack in DTS-HD MA mono 1.0 and lossless DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio, and original English soundtrack in DTS-HD MA mono 1.0
• English subtitles for the Italian soundtrack
• Optional English subtitles for the English soundtrack
• Limited Edition Soundtrack CD
• 6 x postcard-sized lobby card reproductions
• Reversible fold out poster featuring two original artworks
• Reversible sleeve featuring artwork by Gilles Vranckx
• Collector’s booklet featuring new writing by Italian Giallo Film writer Mikel J Koven and archive piece by Alan Jones (who did the definitive book on Argento)
DEEP RED: ORIGINAL VERSION (BLU-RAY DISC 1)
• Brand new restoration from a 4K scan of the original negative
• Isolated Score in Stereo 2.0
• Audio Commentary with Argento expert Thomas Rostock
• Introduction to the film by Claudio Simonetti
• Profondo Giallo: Visual essay by Michael Mackenzie
• Rosso Recollections: Dario Argento’s Deep Genius: A look at the giallo’s creation by the director himself
• The Lady in Red: Daria Nicolodi on Profondo Rosso
• Music to Murder For! Claudio Simonetti on Deep Red
• Profondo Rosso: From Celluloid to Shop – a tour of Luigi Cozzi’s Profondo Rosso shop in Rome
• Italian Trailer
DEEP RED: EXPORT VERSION (BLU-RAY DISC 2) [LIMITED EDITION EXCLUSIVE]
• Brand new restoration from a 4K scan of the original negative
• US Theatrical Trailer
PROFONDO ROSSO: THE COMPLETE ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK RECORDING (CD DISC 3) [LIMITED EDITION EXCLUSIVE]
• 28-track CD featuring Goblin’s entire Deep Red film score
Grand Piano (2013) | Elijah Wood is under threat in a stylish Hitchcock-styled Speed in a concert hall thrill ride
PLAY OR DIE
Five years after his epic failure trying to play the impossible piece, La Cinquette, brilliant classical pianist Tom Selznik (Elijah Wood) prepares to return to the spotlight playing on his late mentor’s prized Bösendorfer piano at a packed Chicago concert hall. Already crippled with stage fright, Tom’s performance takes a sinister turn when he discovers a threatening note on his music sheet: ‘Play one wrong note and you die’. Through an earpiece, an unseen sniper (John Cusack) tells him that his wife Emma (Kerry Bishé) will be shot if he attempts to raise the alarm. Now Tom must give the performance of a lifetime just to survive!
SPEED SET IN A CONCERT HALL
Drawing its inspiration from Alfred Hitchcock’s The Man Who Knew Too Much, this fast-paced thriller from Spanish director Eugenio Mira and the producers of Buried is a stylish 90-minute symphony of suspense. Imagine Speed set in a concert hall and you’ll get the picture.
Mira deftly employs mise-en-scène, which Hitchcock used to great effect in Rope, to draw you into his tensely structured thriller (we never stray from Tom’s point-of-view, which only makes us suspicious of all the other characters) and imbues the film with an epic old Hollywood quality with some sweeping crane shots of the majestic concert hall and big close-ups of Elijah Wood’s sweaty brow, glaring eyes and frantic fingering of the ivories (Wood actually played the piece btw). There’s also a nod to giallo and Dario Argento, with one particularly nasty scene involving someone’s neck being sliced while a violin is struck.
While Wood’s pianist is forced to play a flawless performance, the film is not without its flaws: the time on the clock remains at 9:43 when Tom leaves the stage to retrieve a mobile from his dressing room then returns; no one in the orchestra thinks its odd Tom is talking to himself while playing, and a scene in which he has the chance to tell Emma what’s happening but doesn’t is very clumsy.
There’s also some wholly ridiculous moments; especially in the film’s climax in which John Cusack’s villainous sniper finally makes his entrance (I’d had forgotten he was even in the film) and gives chase to Tom on a gangway when his plans are revealed (it all has to do with a complex lock inside the piano). But like the impossible La Cinquette, this is a complex, crazy concept to pull off perfectly without a Hitch(cock). In the end, Grand Piano is a winning guilty pleasure thrill ride.
Grand Piano is released through Icon Film Distribution in the UK, and screens on Sky Premiere from Friday 5 June 2015
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