Dario Argento
Encyclopedia
Dario Argento is an Italian
film director
, producer
and screenwriter
. He is best known for his work in the horror film genre, particularly in the subgenre known as giallo
, and for his influence on modern horror
and slasher movies
.
, the son of film producer/executive Salvatore Argento and Brazil
ian-born photographer Elda Luxardo. He began his career in film as a critic, writing for various magazines while still attending high school.
Argento did not attend college, electing rather to take a job as a columnist at the newspaper Paese Sera. While working at the newspaper, Argento also began working as a screenwriter. His most notable work was for Sergio Leone
; he and Bernardo Bertolucci
collaborated on the story for the spaghetti western
classic Once Upon a Time in the West
. Soon after that film's 1969 release, Argento began working on his directorial debut, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage
, which was released in 1970 and was a major hit in Italy
.
Early in his directing career, Argento continued to concentrate largely on the giallo
genre (more precisely known as "thriller" in Italy, as the word "giallo"--Italian
for yellow-- usually refers to generic mystery
works). Although Mario Bava
created the first cinematic giallo
with 1964's Blood and Black Lace
, Argento further developed this style in his first three films.
Argento directed two additional successful thrillers, The Cat o' Nine Tails
(1971) and Four Flies on Grey Velvet
(1972). Along with The Bird with the Crystal Plumage
, these three films are frequently referred to as Argento's "animal trilogy". The director then turned his attention away from giallo movies, filming two Italian TV dramas and a period comedy (Five Days in Milan
) in 1973 before returning to thrillers with 1975's Deep Red
, frequently cited by many critics as the best giallo ever made. The film made Argento famous internationally, and inspired a number of other directors to work in the genre (John Carpenter
has frequently referred to the influence Argento's early work had on Halloween
).
Argento's next movie was Suspiria
(1977), a violent supernatural thriller. Lacking the constraints of the more conventional giallo subgenre, Suspiria is a semi-surreal work of art, where plot and character are secondary to sound and vision. Argento planned for Suspiria to be the first of a trilogy about "The Three Mothers", three ancient witches residing in three different modern cities. The second movie of the trilogy was 1980's Inferno
. The Mother of Tears (2007) belatedly concluded the trilogy.
In between the making of the first two "mothers", in 1978, Argento collaborated with George A. Romero
on Dawn of the Dead, earning a producer credit for the zombie
classic. Argento oversaw the European release of the film (where it was titled Zombi) which was much shorter and featured much more of the score written and performed by Goblin
.
After Inferno, Argento returned to the more conventional giallo style with Tenebrae
(1982). He then attempted to combine giallo and supernatural fantasy in Phenomena
, also known as Creepers (1985), which was one of Jennifer Connelly
's earliest movies. Phenomena also showed Argento's predilection for using new technology, as evidenced by the film's several prowling Steadicam
shots. Both films received a lukewarm reception upon their release (although each has been positively reappraised retrospectively).
Argento subsequently took a break from directing to write two screenplays for Mario Bava's son Lamberto Bava
, Dèmoni
(1985) and Dèmoni 2
(1986).
Opera
followed in 1987. Set in Parma
's Regio Theatre during a production of Verdi
's Macbeth
, the production was beset by real-life misfortunes that Argento suspected were caused by the supposed traditional "curse" on the Shakespearean play. Argento's father died during its production, Vanessa Redgrave
quit the project before filming began, he had problems working with his former long-time girlfriend and collaborator Daria Nicolodi
on-set, and the cast and crew were plagued by several minor accidents and mishaps.
His 1996 The Stendhal Syndrome
, in which a policewoman (played by Argento's daughter, Asia
) who suffers from Stendhal syndrome
is trapped by a serial killer
in an abandoned warehouse, was the first Italian film to use computer-generated imagery
(CGI). Moreover, the film's opening scene was shot in Florence
, at Italy's famed Uffizi Gallery. Argento is the only director ever granted permission to shoot there. The Stendhal Syndrome was distributed in the U.S.
by cult B-movie
distribution company Troma Entertainment
.
2004's The Card Player
, a giallo about a killer whose murders are conducted during Internet poker matches with the Rome police, earned a mixed reception: some fans appreciated the techno music score composed by ex-Goblin member Claudio Simonetti
, but felt the film was too mainstream, with little of Argento's usual flourish.
2005 saw the TV broadcast of Argento's Do You Like Hitchcock?
, in which the director paid homage to Alfred Hitchcock after decades of being compared to him by critics. Later that year, he directed a segment of Masters of Horror
, a Showtime television series called "Jenifer
". Soon afterwards, Argento directed an adaption of the F. Paul Wilson
short story "Pelts
" for season 2 of the same series.
Argento finished the final film of his Three Mothers trilogy, The Mother of Tears, which is set in Rome and centers on the titular "third mother", Mater Lacrimarum. Argento and Jace Anderson share writing credits for the film. Argento's daughter Asia
was cast as the lead player, along with her mother and frequent Argento collaborator Daria Nicolodi
in a supporting role. Udo Kier
, who appeared in Argento's Suspiria
, and Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni
, who appeared in three of his previous films, both have pivotal roles in the final Mothers chapter.
On 26 June 2009, Argento's latest movie Giallo
premiered at the Edinburgh Film Festival. The following month he announced that he had started working on the 3D
remake
of Profondo Rosso, but subsequently this project was shelved due to the failure of Giallo
in Italian cinemas. He then announced his decision to write a new screenplay. In 2011, Argento will produce the American remake of his cult film Suspiria
. On March 4, 2011, it was announced that Rutger Hauer had signed on to play Van Helsing
in Argento's Dracula 3D
which is scheduled to begin shooting in Budapest
later in the year.
English sound designer, writer and musician Heather Emmett published Sounds to Die For:Speaking the Language of Horror Film Sound, isbn 9780956302014, which includes the first in-depth study of the use of sound in Argento's films.
named Profondo Rosso, after his classic film Deep Red
. In the cellar is a collection from his movies. The store is managed by his long time collaborator and friend Luigi Cozzi
.
He has contributed in the development of the survival horror video game Dead Space
, and also in the dubbing of Dr. Kyne character in the Italian version of the game.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
, producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
and screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
. He is best known for his work in the horror film genre, particularly in the subgenre known as giallo
Giallo
Giallo is an Italian 20th century genre of literature and film, which in Italian indicates crime fiction and mystery. In the English language it refers to a genre similar to the French fantastique genre and includes elements of horror fiction and eroticism...
, and for his influence on modern horror
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
and slasher movies
Slasher film
A slasher film is a type of horror film typically involving a psychopathic killer stalking and killing a sequence of victims in a graphically violent manner, often with a cutting tool such as a knife or axe...
.
Life and career
Argento was born in RomeRome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, the son of film producer/executive Salvatore Argento and Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian-born photographer Elda Luxardo. He began his career in film as a critic, writing for various magazines while still attending high school.
Argento did not attend college, electing rather to take a job as a columnist at the newspaper Paese Sera. While working at the newspaper, Argento also began working as a screenwriter. His most notable work was for Sergio Leone
Sergio Leone
Sergio Leone was an Italian film director, producer and screenwriter most associated with the "Spaghetti Western" genre.Leone's film-making style includes juxtaposing extreme close-up shots with lengthy long shots...
; he and Bernardo Bertolucci
Bernardo Bertolucci
Bernardo Bertolucci is an Italian film director and screenwriter, whose films include The Conformist, Last Tango in Paris, 1900, The Last Emperor and The Dreamers...
collaborated on the story for the spaghetti western
Spaghetti Western
Spaghetti Western, also known as Italo-Western, is a nickname for a broad sub-genre of Western films that emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's unique and much copied film-making style and international box-office success, so named by American critics because most were produced and...
classic Once Upon a Time in the West
Once Upon a Time in the West
Once Upon a Time in the West is a 1968 Italian epic spaghetti western film directed by Sergio Leone for Paramount Pictures. It stars Henry Fonda cast against type as the villain, Charles Bronson as his nemesis, Jason Robards as a bandit, and Claudia Cardinale as a newly widowed homesteader with a...
. Soon after that film's 1969 release, Argento began working on his directorial debut, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage
The Bird with the Crystal Plumage
The Bird with the Crystal Plumage is a 1970 giallo suspense thriller directed by Dario Argento . The film is considered a landmark in the Italian giallo genre...
, which was released in 1970 and was a major hit in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
Early in his directing career, Argento continued to concentrate largely on the giallo
Giallo
Giallo is an Italian 20th century genre of literature and film, which in Italian indicates crime fiction and mystery. In the English language it refers to a genre similar to the French fantastique genre and includes elements of horror fiction and eroticism...
genre (more precisely known as "thriller" in Italy, as the word "giallo"--Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
for yellow-- usually refers to generic mystery
Mystery fiction
Mystery fiction is a loosely-defined term.1.It is often used as a synonym for detective fiction or crime fiction— in other words a novel or short story in which a detective investigates and solves a crime mystery. Sometimes mystery books are nonfiction...
works). Although Mario Bava
Mario Bava
Mario Bava was an Italian director, screenwriter, and cinematographer remembered as one of the greatest names from the "golden age" of Italian horror films.-Biography:Mario Bava was born in San Remo, Liguria, Italy...
created the first cinematic giallo
Giallo
Giallo is an Italian 20th century genre of literature and film, which in Italian indicates crime fiction and mystery. In the English language it refers to a genre similar to the French fantastique genre and includes elements of horror fiction and eroticism...
with 1964's Blood and Black Lace
Blood and Black Lace
Blood and Black Lace is a 1964 Italian thriller film directed by Mario Bava. Bava cowrote the screenplay with Giuseppe Barilla and Marcello Fondato. The film stars Cameron Mitchell and Eva Bartok...
, Argento further developed this style in his first three films.
Argento directed two additional successful thrillers, The Cat o' Nine Tails
The Cat o' Nine Tails
The Cat o' Nine Tails is a 1971 Italian giallo thriller film written and directed by Dario Argento; it was his second film as director....
(1971) and Four Flies on Grey Velvet
Four Flies on Grey Velvet
Four Flies on Grey Velvet is a 1971 Italian mystery thriller film, directed by Dario Argento. The screenplay is also by Argento, from a story by him, Luigi Cozzi, Mario Foglietti and Bryan Edgar Wallace .-Plot:...
(1972). Along with The Bird with the Crystal Plumage
The Bird with the Crystal Plumage
The Bird with the Crystal Plumage is a 1970 giallo suspense thriller directed by Dario Argento . The film is considered a landmark in the Italian giallo genre...
, these three films are frequently referred to as Argento's "animal trilogy". The director then turned his attention away from giallo movies, filming two Italian TV dramas and a period comedy (Five Days in Milan
The Five Days
The Five Days is a 1973 film directed by Dario Argento. The Italian film was shot in Rome and Milan.-Reception:The Five Days was Dario Argento's first box office failure in Italy. Audiences were displeased with his change of genre, and the stylistic differences from his Animal Trilogy...
) in 1973 before returning to thrillers with 1975's Deep Red
Deep Red
Profondo Rosso is a 1975 giallo film directed and written by Dario Argento and co-written by Bernardino Zapponi. It was released on March 7, 1975 in Italy and June 11, 1976 in the United States. The film's score was composed and performed by Goblin...
, frequently cited by many critics as the best giallo ever made. The film made Argento famous internationally, and inspired a number of other directors to work in the genre (John Carpenter
John Carpenter
John Howard Carpenter is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, editor, composer, and occasional actor. Although Carpenter has worked in numerous film genres in his four-decade career, his name is most commonly associated with horror and science fiction.- Early life :Carpenter was born...
has frequently referred to the influence Argento's early work had on Halloween
Halloween (1978 film)
Halloween is a 1978 American independent horror film directed, produced, and scored by John Carpenter, co-written with Debra Hill, and starring Donald Pleasence and Jamie Lee Curtis in her film debut and the first installment in the Halloween franchise. The film is set in the fictional midwestern...
).
Argento's next movie was Suspiria
Suspiria
Suspiria is a 1977 Italian horror film directed by Dario Argento and co-written by Argento and Daria Nicolodi. The film follows an American ballet student who transfers to a prestigious dance academy in Germany, only to discover that it is controlled by a coven of witches. The film's score was...
(1977), a violent supernatural thriller. Lacking the constraints of the more conventional giallo subgenre, Suspiria is a semi-surreal work of art, where plot and character are secondary to sound and vision. Argento planned for Suspiria to be the first of a trilogy about "The Three Mothers", three ancient witches residing in three different modern cities. The second movie of the trilogy was 1980's Inferno
Inferno (1980 film)
Inferno is a 1980 Italian supernatural horror film written and directed by Dario Argento. The film stars Irene Miracle, Leigh McCloskey, Eleonora Giorgi, Daria Nicolodi, and Alida Valli. The cinematography was by Romano Albani, and Keith Emerson composed the film's thunderous musical score...
. The Mother of Tears (2007) belatedly concluded the trilogy.
In between the making of the first two "mothers", in 1978, Argento collaborated with George A. Romero
George A. Romero
George Andrew Romero is a Canadian-American film director, screenwriter and editor, best known for his gruesome and satirical horror films about a hypothetical zombie apocalypse. He is nicknamed "Godfather of all Zombies." -Life and career:...
on Dawn of the Dead, earning a producer credit for the zombie
Zombie
Zombie is a term used to denote an animated corpse brought back to life by mystical means such as witchcraft. The term is often figuratively applied to describe a hypnotized person bereft of consciousness and self-awareness, yet ambulant and able to respond to surrounding stimuli...
classic. Argento oversaw the European release of the film (where it was titled Zombi) which was much shorter and featured much more of the score written and performed by Goblin
Goblin (band)
Goblin are an Italian progressive rock band known for their soundtracks for Dario Argento films ....
.
After Inferno, Argento returned to the more conventional giallo style with Tenebrae
Tenebrae (film)
Tenebrae is a 1982 Italian horror thriller film written and directed by Dario Argento. The film stars Anthony Franciosa, John Saxon, and Daria Nicolodi...
(1982). He then attempted to combine giallo and supernatural fantasy in Phenomena
Phenomena (film)
Phenomena is a 1985 Italian horror film directed by Dario Argento. An edited version of the film was released in the United States under the title Creepers , the game called Clock_Tower_ that was released in 1995 for snes , was loosely based on Phenomena.Jennifer Connelly stars as a young girl who...
, also known as Creepers (1985), which was one of Jennifer Connelly
Jennifer Connelly
Jennifer Lynn Connelly is an American film actress, who began her career as a child model. She appeared in magazine, newspaper and television advertising, before making her motion picture debut in the 1984 crime film Once Upon a Time in America...
's earliest movies. Phenomena also showed Argento's predilection for using new technology, as evidenced by the film's several prowling Steadicam
Steadicam
A Steadicam is a stabilizing mount for a motion picture camera that mechanically isolates it from the operator's movement, allowing a smooth shot even when moving quickly over an uneven surface...
shots. Both films received a lukewarm reception upon their release (although each has been positively reappraised retrospectively).
Argento subsequently took a break from directing to write two screenplays for Mario Bava's son Lamberto Bava
Lamberto Bava
Lamberto Bava is an Italian film director, specializing in horror and fantasy films.Bava was born in Rome, Italy, the son of cinematographer/director Mario Bava, and grandson of cameraman Eugenio Bava...
, Dèmoni
Demoni
Dèmoni is a 1985 Italian horror film directed by Lamberto Bava and produced by Dario Argento. The screenplay was written by Bava, Argento, Franco Ferrini, and Dardano Sacchetti, from a story by Sacchetti...
(1985) and Dèmoni 2
Demoni 2
Dèmoni 2 is a 1986 Italian horror film directed by Lamberto Bava and co-written and produced by Dario Argento. It is a sequel to Bava's 1985 film Dèmoni and stars David Edwin Knight, Nancy Brilli, Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni, as well as Argento's youngest daughter Asia Argento in her debut film...
(1986).
Opera
Opera (film)
Opera is a 1987 Italian giallo film written and directed by Dario Argento. The film stars Cristina Marsillach, Urbano Barberini, and Ian Charleson. Cinematography is done by Ronnie Taylor while Brian Eno and Claudio Simonetti composed the film's score. The film was released in the United States...
followed in 1987. Set in Parma
Parma
Parma is a city in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna famous for its ham, its cheese, its architecture and the fine countryside around it. This is the home of the University of Parma, one of the oldest universities in the world....
's Regio Theatre during a production of Verdi
Giuseppe Verdi
Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi was an Italian Romantic composer, mainly of opera. He was one of the most influential composers of the 19th century...
's Macbeth
Macbeth (opera)
Macbeth is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi, with an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave and additions by Andrea Maffei, based on Shakespeare's play of the same name...
, the production was beset by real-life misfortunes that Argento suspected were caused by the supposed traditional "curse" on the Shakespearean play. Argento's father died during its production, Vanessa Redgrave
Vanessa Redgrave
Vanessa Redgrave, CBE is an English actress of stage, screen and television, as well as a political activist.She rose to prominence in 1961 playing Rosalind in As You Like It with the Royal Shakespeare Company and has since made more than 35 appearances on London's West End and Broadway, winning...
quit the project before filming began, he had problems working with his former long-time girlfriend and collaborator Daria Nicolodi
Daria Nicolodi
Daria Nicolodi is an Italian actress and screenwriter.- Early life and career :Daria Nicolodi was born in Florence on June 19, 1950. Her father was a Florentine lawyer and her mother, Fulvia, was a scholar of ancient languages. Her maternal grandfather was composer Alfredo Casella...
on-set, and the cast and crew were plagued by several minor accidents and mishaps.
His 1996 The Stendhal Syndrome
The Stendhal Syndrome
The Stendhal Syndrome is 1996 Italian Horror film, written and directed by Dario Argento and starring his daughter Asia Argento. It was the first Italian film to use computer-generated imagery .. Stendhal Syndrome is a real syndrome, first diagnosed in Florence, Italy in 1982...
, in which a policewoman (played by Argento's daughter, Asia
Asia Argento
Aria Asia Anna Maria Vittoria Rossa Argento is an Italian actress, singer, model and director.-Family and early life:...
) who suffers from Stendhal syndrome
Stendhal syndrome
Stendhal syndrome, Stendhal's syndrome, hyperkulturemia, or Florence syndrome is a psychosomatic illness that causes rapid heartbeat, dizziness, fainting, confusion and even hallucinations when an individual is exposed to art, usually when the art is particularly beautiful or a large amount of art...
is trapped by a serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
in an abandoned warehouse, was the first Italian film to use computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
(CGI). Moreover, the film's opening scene was shot in Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
, at Italy's famed Uffizi Gallery. Argento is the only director ever granted permission to shoot there. The Stendhal Syndrome was distributed in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by cult B-movie
B-movie
A B movie is a low-budget commercial motion picture that is not definitively an arthouse or pornographic film. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified a film intended for distribution as the less-publicized, bottom half of a double feature....
distribution company Troma Entertainment
Troma Entertainment
Troma Entertainment is an American independent film production and distribution company founded by Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz in 1974.The company produces low-budget independent movies that play on 1950s horror with elements of farce...
.
2004's The Card Player
The Card Player
The Card Player is a 2004 horror-thriller directed by Dario Argento. The film stars Stefania Rocca and Liam Cunningham and marks Argento's second giallo feature of the decade . In its Italian Theatrical release it took in 2.926.000 Euro The film features a brief role for Fiore Argento, the...
, a giallo about a killer whose murders are conducted during Internet poker matches with the Rome police, earned a mixed reception: some fans appreciated the techno music score composed by ex-Goblin member Claudio Simonetti
Claudio Simonetti
Claudio Simonetti is an Italian composer who has specialized in the scores for Italian and American horror films since the 1970s.- Biography :...
, but felt the film was too mainstream, with little of Argento's usual flourish.
2005 saw the TV broadcast of Argento's Do You Like Hitchcock?
Do You Like Hitchcock?
Do You Like Hitchcock? is a 2005 television movie directed by Dario Argento. The film is a homage to the acclaimed thriller film director Alfred Hitchcock.-Plot:...
, in which the director paid homage to Alfred Hitchcock after decades of being compared to him by critics. Later that year, he directed a segment of Masters of Horror
Masters of Horror
Masters of Horror is an informal social group of international film writers and directors specializing in horror movies and an American television series created by director Mick Garris for the Showtime cable network.- Origin :...
, a Showtime television series called "Jenifer
Jenifer (Masters of Horror episode)
Jenifer is the fourth episode of the first season of Masters of Horror. It originally aired in North America on November 18, 2005. It was directed by Dario Argento, and written by and starring Steven Weber...
". Soon afterwards, Argento directed an adaption of the F. Paul Wilson
F. Paul Wilson
Francis Paul Wilson is an American author, primarily in the science fiction and horror genres. His debut novel was Healer . Wilson is also a part-time practicing family physician. He made his first sales in 1970 to Analog while still in medical school , and continued to write science fiction...
short story "Pelts
Pelts (Masters of Horror episode)
Pelts is the sixth episode of the second season of Masters of Horror, first aired December 1, 2006, based on a short story by F. Paul Wilson.-Plot:...
" for season 2 of the same series.
Argento finished the final film of his Three Mothers trilogy, The Mother of Tears, which is set in Rome and centers on the titular "third mother", Mater Lacrimarum. Argento and Jace Anderson share writing credits for the film. Argento's daughter Asia
Asia Argento
Aria Asia Anna Maria Vittoria Rossa Argento is an Italian actress, singer, model and director.-Family and early life:...
was cast as the lead player, along with her mother and frequent Argento collaborator Daria Nicolodi
Daria Nicolodi
Daria Nicolodi is an Italian actress and screenwriter.- Early life and career :Daria Nicolodi was born in Florence on June 19, 1950. Her father was a Florentine lawyer and her mother, Fulvia, was a scholar of ancient languages. Her maternal grandfather was composer Alfredo Casella...
in a supporting role. Udo Kier
Udo Kier
Udo Kier is a German actor, known primarily for his work in horror and exploitation movies.-Early life:...
, who appeared in Argento's Suspiria
Suspiria
Suspiria is a 1977 Italian horror film directed by Dario Argento and co-written by Argento and Daria Nicolodi. The film follows an American ballet student who transfers to a prestigious dance academy in Germany, only to discover that it is controlled by a coven of witches. The film's score was...
, and Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni
Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni
Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni is an American actress, musician, and artist.-Early life:She was born in Manhattan; she and her parents moved to Rome, Italy when she was four years old...
, who appeared in three of his previous films, both have pivotal roles in the final Mothers chapter.
On 26 June 2009, Argento's latest movie Giallo
Giallo (film)
- Plot :The film, set in Turin, Italy, follows French flight attendant Linda and Italian-American detective Enzo Avolfi, who team up to find Linda's younger sister Celine. Celine, a model, has been abducted by a serial killer. Known only as "Yellow" , he kidnaps beautiful foreign women in his...
premiered at the Edinburgh Film Festival. The following month he announced that he had started working on the 3D
3-D film
A 3-D film or S3D film is a motion picture that enhances the illusion of depth perception...
remake
Remake
A remake is a piece of media based primarily on an earlier work of the same medium.-Film:The term "remake" is generally used in reference to a movie which uses an earlier movie as the main source material, rather than in reference to a second, later movie based on the same source...
of Profondo Rosso, but subsequently this project was shelved due to the failure of Giallo
Giallo (film)
- Plot :The film, set in Turin, Italy, follows French flight attendant Linda and Italian-American detective Enzo Avolfi, who team up to find Linda's younger sister Celine. Celine, a model, has been abducted by a serial killer. Known only as "Yellow" , he kidnaps beautiful foreign women in his...
in Italian cinemas. He then announced his decision to write a new screenplay. In 2011, Argento will produce the American remake of his cult film Suspiria
Suspiria
Suspiria is a 1977 Italian horror film directed by Dario Argento and co-written by Argento and Daria Nicolodi. The film follows an American ballet student who transfers to a prestigious dance academy in Germany, only to discover that it is controlled by a coven of witches. The film's score was...
. On March 4, 2011, it was announced that Rutger Hauer had signed on to play Van Helsing
Van Helsing
Van Helsing is a 2004 American action horror film directed by Stephen Sommers. It stars Hugh Jackman as vigilante monster hunter Gabriel Van Helsing, and Kate Beckinsale...
in Argento's Dracula 3D
Dracula 3D
Dracula 3D is an upcoming horror film directed by Dario Argento with a screenplay by Argento, Enrique Cerezo, Stefano Piani, and Antonio Tentori. It will be Argento's first 3D film...
which is scheduled to begin shooting in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
later in the year.
Works and criticism on Argento
Maitland McDonagh wrote about Argento in Broken Mirrors/Broken Minds: The Dark Dreams of Dario Argento (1991). Argento is also mentioned in Art of Darkness, a collection of promotional stills, poster art and critical essays edited by Chris Gallant. British journalist Alan Jones published Profondo Argento, a compendium of set reports, interviews and biographical detail. A recent book by James Gracey, simply titled Dario Argento, provides fresh critical analysis and an exploration of Argento's far-reaching impact on modern horror cinema and popular culture.English sound designer, writer and musician Heather Emmett published Sounds to Die For:Speaking the Language of Horror Film Sound, isbn 9780956302014, which includes the first in-depth study of the use of sound in Argento's films.
Other work
He is involved in a horror memorabilia store located at Via dei Gracchi 260 in RomeRome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
named Profondo Rosso, after his classic film Deep Red
Deep Red
Profondo Rosso is a 1975 giallo film directed and written by Dario Argento and co-written by Bernardino Zapponi. It was released on March 7, 1975 in Italy and June 11, 1976 in the United States. The film's score was composed and performed by Goblin...
. In the cellar is a collection from his movies. The store is managed by his long time collaborator and friend Luigi Cozzi
Luigi Cozzi
Luigi Cozzi is an Italian movie director and screenwriter who directed mainly science fiction and horror films in the mid-1970s and throughout the 1980s...
.
He has contributed in the development of the survival horror video game Dead Space
Dead Space (video game)
Dead Space is a survival horror third-person shooter video game, developed by EA Redwood Shores for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The game was made available on Steam on October 20, 2008...
, and also in the dubbing of Dr. Kyne character in the Italian version of the game.
As director
- The Bird with the Crystal PlumageThe Bird with the Crystal PlumageThe Bird with the Crystal Plumage is a 1970 giallo suspense thriller directed by Dario Argento . The film is considered a landmark in the Italian giallo genre...
(L'uccello dalle piume di cristalloThe Bird with the Crystal PlumageThe Bird with the Crystal Plumage is a 1970 giallo suspense thriller directed by Dario Argento . The film is considered a landmark in the Italian giallo genre...
) (1970) (Also Writer) - The Cat o' Nine TailsThe Cat o' Nine TailsThe Cat o' Nine Tails is a 1971 Italian giallo thriller film written and directed by Dario Argento; it was his second film as director....
(Il gatto a nove codeThe Cat o' Nine TailsThe Cat o' Nine Tails is a 1971 Italian giallo thriller film written and directed by Dario Argento; it was his second film as director....
) (1971) (Also Writer) - Four Flies on Grey VelvetFour Flies on Grey VelvetFour Flies on Grey Velvet is a 1971 Italian mystery thriller film, directed by Dario Argento. The screenplay is also by Argento, from a story by him, Luigi Cozzi, Mario Foglietti and Bryan Edgar Wallace .-Plot:...
(4 mosche di velluto grigioFour Flies on Grey VelvetFour Flies on Grey Velvet is a 1971 Italian mystery thriller film, directed by Dario Argento. The screenplay is also by Argento, from a story by him, Luigi Cozzi, Mario Foglietti and Bryan Edgar Wallace .-Plot:...
) (1971) (Also Writer) - The Five DaysThe Five DaysThe Five Days is a 1973 film directed by Dario Argento. The Italian film was shot in Rome and Milan.-Reception:The Five Days was Dario Argento's first box office failure in Italy. Audiences were displeased with his change of genre, and the stylistic differences from his Animal Trilogy...
(Le cinque giornateThe Five DaysThe Five Days is a 1973 film directed by Dario Argento. The Italian film was shot in Rome and Milan.-Reception:The Five Days was Dario Argento's first box office failure in Italy. Audiences were displeased with his change of genre, and the stylistic differences from his Animal Trilogy...
) (1973) (Also Writer) - Door into DarknessDoor into DarknessDoor into Darkness was an Italian horror television series conceived by Dario Argento. It consisted of four one-hour episodes and played on the Italian station RAI.- The Neighbor :...
(TV Series, Episodes Testimone oculare, Il tram) (1973) (Also Writer, Producer) - Deep RedDeep RedProfondo Rosso is a 1975 giallo film directed and written by Dario Argento and co-written by Bernardino Zapponi. It was released on March 7, 1975 in Italy and June 11, 1976 in the United States. The film's score was composed and performed by Goblin...
(Profondo rossoDeep RedProfondo Rosso is a 1975 giallo film directed and written by Dario Argento and co-written by Bernardino Zapponi. It was released on March 7, 1975 in Italy and June 11, 1976 in the United States. The film's score was composed and performed by Goblin...
) (aka The Hatchet Murders) (1975) (Also Writer) - SuspiriaSuspiriaSuspiria is a 1977 Italian horror film directed by Dario Argento and co-written by Argento and Daria Nicolodi. The film follows an American ballet student who transfers to a prestigious dance academy in Germany, only to discover that it is controlled by a coven of witches. The film's score was...
(1977) (Also Writer) - InfernoInferno (1980 film)Inferno is a 1980 Italian supernatural horror film written and directed by Dario Argento. The film stars Irene Miracle, Leigh McCloskey, Eleonora Giorgi, Daria Nicolodi, and Alida Valli. The cinematography was by Romano Albani, and Keith Emerson composed the film's thunderous musical score...
(1980) (Also Writer) - TenebraeTenebrae (film)Tenebrae is a 1982 Italian horror thriller film written and directed by Dario Argento. The film stars Anthony Franciosa, John Saxon, and Daria Nicolodi...
(aka Unsane) (1982) (Also Writer) - PhenomenaPhenomena (film)Phenomena is a 1985 Italian horror film directed by Dario Argento. An edited version of the film was released in the United States under the title Creepers , the game called Clock_Tower_ that was released in 1995 for snes , was loosely based on Phenomena.Jennifer Connelly stars as a young girl who...
(aka Creepers) (1985) (Also Writer, Producer) - OperaOpera (film)Opera is a 1987 Italian giallo film written and directed by Dario Argento. The film stars Cristina Marsillach, Urbano Barberini, and Ian Charleson. Cinematography is done by Ronnie Taylor while Brian Eno and Claudio Simonetti composed the film's score. The film was released in the United States...
(aka Terror at the Opera) (1987) (Also Writer, Producer) - Two Evil EyesTwo Evil EyesTwo Evil Eyes is a 1990 double feature horror film written and directed by the Italian Dario Argento and the American George A. Romero. The two had previously worked together on the immensely popular Dawn of the Dead in 1978.-Overview:...
(Due occhi diaboliciTwo Evil EyesTwo Evil Eyes is a 1990 double feature horror film written and directed by the Italian Dario Argento and the American George A. Romero. The two had previously worked together on the immensely popular Dawn of the Dead in 1978.-Overview:...
) (Segment, The Black Cat) (1990) (Also Writer, Executive Producer) - TraumaTrauma (1993 film)Trauma is a 1993 film directed by Dario Argento who also co-wrote the screenplay. The film can be described as a giallo, that is a film with influences from the horror, mystery, and thriller genres.-Plot synopsis:...
(1993) (Also Writer, Producer) - The Stendhal SyndromeThe Stendhal SyndromeThe Stendhal Syndrome is 1996 Italian Horror film, written and directed by Dario Argento and starring his daughter Asia Argento. It was the first Italian film to use computer-generated imagery .. Stendhal Syndrome is a real syndrome, first diagnosed in Florence, Italy in 1982...
(La sindrome di StendhalThe Stendhal SyndromeThe Stendhal Syndrome is 1996 Italian Horror film, written and directed by Dario Argento and starring his daughter Asia Argento. It was the first Italian film to use computer-generated imagery .. Stendhal Syndrome is a real syndrome, first diagnosed in Florence, Italy in 1982...
) (1996) (Also Writer, Producer) - The Phantom of the OperaThe Phantom of the Opera (1998 film)The Phantom of the Opera is a 1998 Italian horror film directed by Dario Argento, adapted from the novel Le Fantôme de l'Opéra by Gaston Leroux. However, there are many differences between the book and the movie.- Plot :In Paris 1877, rats save an abandoned baby in a basket and raise him in the...
(Il fantasma dell'operaThe Phantom of the Opera (1998 film)The Phantom of the Opera is a 1998 Italian horror film directed by Dario Argento, adapted from the novel Le Fantôme de l'Opéra by Gaston Leroux. However, there are many differences between the book and the movie.- Plot :In Paris 1877, rats save an abandoned baby in a basket and raise him in the...
) (1998) (Also Writer) - SleeplessSleepless (2001 film)Sleepless is a 2001 horror film by Dario Argento. The film stars Max von Sydow and Stefano Dionisi and marks Argento's return to the giallo subgenre...
(Non ho sonnoSleepless (2001 film)Sleepless is a 2001 horror film by Dario Argento. The film stars Max von Sydow and Stefano Dionisi and marks Argento's return to the giallo subgenre...
) (2001) (Also Writer, Producer) - The Card PlayerThe Card PlayerThe Card Player is a 2004 horror-thriller directed by Dario Argento. The film stars Stefania Rocca and Liam Cunningham and marks Argento's second giallo feature of the decade . In its Italian Theatrical release it took in 2.926.000 Euro The film features a brief role for Fiore Argento, the...
(Il cartaioThe Card PlayerThe Card Player is a 2004 horror-thriller directed by Dario Argento. The film stars Stefania Rocca and Liam Cunningham and marks Argento's second giallo feature of the decade . In its Italian Theatrical release it took in 2.926.000 Euro The film features a brief role for Fiore Argento, the...
) (2004) (Also Writer, Producer) - Do You Like Hitchcock?Do You Like Hitchcock?Do You Like Hitchcock? is a 2005 television movie directed by Dario Argento. The film is a homage to the acclaimed thriller film director Alfred Hitchcock.-Plot:...
(Ti piace Hitchcock?Do You Like Hitchcock?Do You Like Hitchcock? is a 2005 television movie directed by Dario Argento. The film is a homage to the acclaimed thriller film director Alfred Hitchcock.-Plot:...
) (2005) (Also Writer) - Masters of HorrorMasters of HorrorMasters of Horror is an informal social group of international film writers and directors specializing in horror movies and an American television series created by director Mick Garris for the Showtime cable network.- Origin :...
(TV Series, Episode JeniferJenifer (Masters of Horror episode)Jenifer is the fourth episode of the first season of Masters of Horror. It originally aired in North America on November 18, 2005. It was directed by Dario Argento, and written by and starring Steven Weber...
) (2005) - Masters of HorrorMasters of HorrorMasters of Horror is an informal social group of international film writers and directors specializing in horror movies and an American television series created by director Mick Garris for the Showtime cable network.- Origin :...
(TV Series, Episode PeltsPelts (Masters of Horror episode)Pelts is the sixth episode of the second season of Masters of Horror, first aired December 1, 2006, based on a short story by F. Paul Wilson.-Plot:...
) (2006) - The Mother of Tears (2007) (Also Writer, Producer)
- GialloGiallo (film)- Plot :The film, set in Turin, Italy, follows French flight attendant Linda and Italian-American detective Enzo Avolfi, who team up to find Linda's younger sister Celine. Celine, a model, has been abducted by a serial killer. Known only as "Yellow" , he kidnaps beautiful foreign women in his...
(2009) (Also Writer) - Dracula 3DDracula 3DDracula 3D is an upcoming horror film directed by Dario Argento with a screenplay by Argento, Enrique Cerezo, Stefano Piani, and Antonio Tentori. It will be Argento's first 3D film...
(2012) (Also co-writer)
As writer (not director)
- Scusi, Lei è favorevole o contrario? (1967)
- Every Man Is My Enemy Qualcuno ha tradito (1967)
- Heroes Never Die (Les Héros ne Meurent Jamais) (1968)
- Once Upon a Time in the WestOnce Upon a Time in the WestOnce Upon a Time in the West is a 1968 Italian epic spaghetti western film directed by Sergio Leone for Paramount Pictures. It stars Henry Fonda cast against type as the villain, Charles Bronson as his nemesis, Jason Robards as a bandit, and Claudia Cardinale as a newly widowed homesteader with a...
(C'era una volta il West) (1968) (Story) - Today It's Me... Tomorrow It's You! (Oggi a me... domani a te!) (1968)
- Comandamenti per un Gangster (1968)
- CommandosCommandosCommandos is a stealth-oriented real-time tactics game series, available for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. The game is set in the Second World War and follows the escapades of a fictional British Commandos section. It leans heavily on historical events during WWII to carry the plot...
(1968) - La Rivoluzione sessuale (The Sexual Revolution) (1968)
- Cemetery Without Crosses (Une Corde, un Colt) (1969)
- Love Circle (Metti una sera a cenaMetti una sera a cenaMetti una sera a cena is a 1969 Italian drama film directed by Giuseppe Patroni Griffi. It was entered into the 1969 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* Jean-Louis Trintignant - Michele* Lino Capolicchio - Ric* Tony Musante - Max* Florinda Bolkan - Nina...
) (aka One Night at Dinner) (1969) - Probabilità Zero (1969)
- Legion of the Damned (La legione dei dannati) (aka Battle of the Commandos) (1969)
- The Five Man ArmyThe Five Man ArmyThe Five Man Army is an Italian zapata spaghetti western film taking place during the Mexican Revolution.The film was directed by Don Taylor and featured a script by a young Dario Argento. Starring as a group of five men enlisted to rob a train containing a shipment of gold were Peter Graves,...
(Un esercito di cinque uomini) (1969) - Season of the Senses (La stagione dei sensi) (1969)
- Man Called Amen (Così sia) (1972)
- DemonsDemoniDèmoni is a 1985 Italian horror film directed by Lamberto Bava and produced by Dario Argento. The screenplay was written by Bava, Argento, Franco Ferrini, and Dardano Sacchetti, from a story by Sacchetti...
(Dèmoni) (1985) (Also Producer) - Demons 2Demoni 2Dèmoni 2 is a 1986 Italian horror film directed by Lamberto Bava and co-written and produced by Dario Argento. It is a sequel to Bava's 1985 film Dèmoni and stars David Edwin Knight, Nancy Brilli, Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni, as well as Argento's youngest daughter Asia Argento in her debut film...
(Demoni 2) (1986) (Also Producer) - The ChurchThe Church (film)The Church is a 1989 Italian horror film written and produced by Dario Argento and directed by Michele Soavi. The film stars Hugh Quarshie, Tomas Arana, Barbara Cupisti, Asia Argento, Feodor Chaliapin, Jr., and Giovanni Lombardo Radice...
(La Chiesa) (aka Demons 3) (1989) (Also Producer) - The Sect (La setta) (aka Demons 4) (1991) (Also Producer)
- The Wax Mask (M.D.C. – Maschera di cera) (1997) (Story) (Also Producer)
As producer (neither writer nor director)
- Door into DarknessDoor into DarknessDoor into Darkness was an Italian horror television series conceived by Dario Argento. It consisted of four one-hour episodes and played on the Italian station RAI.- The Neighbor :...
(Episode La bambola) (1973) - Dawn of the Dead (Zombi) (1978)
- Turno di Notte (TV Series) (1987)
- Scarlet DivaScarlet DivaScarlet Diva is a 2000 Italian movie by actress and first time director and writer Asia Argento.The film won a Williamsburg Brooklyn Film Festival Award for Best New Director, which actually tied with two other films.-Plot summary:...
(2000)