christopher-underwood I'm pretty sure I have never sen this before. I had a ropey video copy that I never got round to watching and later a DVD but still wasn't particularly drawn despite a certain fascination with the death's last image on the retina theory. With a new Blu-ray the time seemed right so in it went. It starts well enough and if we have seen many similar theatrical set ups from Argento, this may have been the first. But almost immediately a problem arises, Michael Brandon lacks presence and Mimsy Farmer plays it very flat indeed (in retrospect one realises this is because of what will be revealed about her) but it does not help. A scene with the maid in the park is very lacklustre until it leaps into life with a narrow passage way and cobwebs, although our interest in the maid is nil. There are flashes of style and glimmers that this might rise up but the writing is so uninteresting and then there are those Italian stereotypes and Argento's total inability to inject humour. I know that many Italian movies of this time would suddenly go all wobbly if there was a hairdresser or photographer or interior designer - you get my drift and the most awful camping about would ensue for a couple of minutes - here it seems interminable and completely spoils any build up in the very slender story. Having said all that, the final quarter of an hour is great. Mimsy comes alive and Argento shows just why he is so loved and how he would produce several masterpieces - just not this time around.

brefane Four Flies on Grey Velvet like most of Dario Argento's films is striking in its use of music, editing, and cinematography, but otherwise it is confusing, talky, aimless and slow moving. The main character played by a dull Michael Brandon responds to the situation he's got himself into with only mild concern and considerable stupidity. The actions of various supporting characters make little sense as well, and except for a few well-done Hitchcock-inspired scenes, the film is not gripping and you don't really care about the fate of its characters. It's rather unpleasant and pointless like the repeated shot of a beheading that foreshadows the film's arbitrary ending. The film contains a number of Argento's trademarks, but it lacks pace, and the plot lacks shape and cohesiveness. Like DePalma, Argento spends most of his energy on a few set pieces.

Lechuguilla A twenty-something rock musician named Roberto (Michael Brandon) finds himself being stalked by an old man. The two end up on-stage in an empty and very creepy theater at night. "What are you after man, what's your trip", asks Roberto. But unknown to Roberto, someone wearing a strange mask watches the drama from the balcony.And so begins another Dario Argento Italian whodunit, the plot of which includes a blackmailer, a cat, a gay private detective, and a slow-motion car crash. The film certainly looks good visually but suffers from a somewhat murky, hard to grasp story.The script's premise is weak, and the muddled plot structure helps not at all, possibly the result of poor editing. Some characters are really not needed. And the film's ending is disappointingly weak. In addition, the lab experiment using four flies is tenuous at best, but included I suppose in an effort to mesh the story with an animal metaphor.On the other hand, this film veritably oozes mystery and suspense. Many scenes foreshadow some ominous event, making the plot very scary, en route to the climax where the killer is identified.The non-script elements really rev-up the terror. Creepy sound effects in the dark, low light levels in interior scenes, close-up camera shots, and a haunting score combine in many sequences to create a stylistically frightening atmosphere.As with other Argento giallos, the story trends a little weak, but that is offset by terrific visuals, sound effects, and music. Overall however, "Four Flies On Grey Velvet", while good, fares mediocre relative to Argento's cinematic works of true genius.

morrison-dylan-fan After having been gripped by Dario Argentos stunning first film: The bird with the crystal plumage,I instantly went searching for his next film,which I found out was call The Cat 'O Nine Tails.Almost as soon as the DVD had landed in my post box,I rushed to watch it right away.Sadly,from about the 30 minute mark,I had to stop playing the film,due to the appalling sound,and the picture looking like someone had chucked a yellow (giallo!) can of paint over the film.Not giving up to easily on Argentos films,I went looking to find the film he had made after Cat,and happily this led me to finding a very good DVD,of this stunning, sadly forgotten film.The plot: After having finished a recording session with his band,drummer Roberto Tobias leaves the studio feeling pretty happy with how the sessions are going.Almost as soon as he has left the studio last few day.Aproching him,the stalker makes a run for it,which leads to him entering an empty theatre.When Roberto tries to confront the man about why he has been stalking him,the man suddenly pulls out a knife.During the struggle to free the knife from the stalker,Tobias ends up accidentally stabbing the man.As the blood pours out of the now deceased stalker,Roberto hears the click of a camera, hidden up at the podium of the stage.Tobias spots that there is a masked person,who is taking photos of him with the knife.Fearing that something very bad is happening,Roberto makes a run for it.Later on that night,whilst he is trying to peacefully sleep in his bed,with his girlfriend by his side Tobias experiences an extremely strange dream,which involves him being beheaded in a public execution.The next day Roberto decides to discuss the dream with some of his friends,who have come over to spend some time with the couple.Near the end of the night,Roberto gets in the mood of putting some music on for him and his friends.Just as he is about to finish getting the record out of the sleeve,the passport of the man he killed suddenly appears!.Later on in the night,Tobias suddenly gets a tight rope wrapped round his neck.Whilst he tries to free himself,the masked aslant steps out of the shadow to announce that,although they could kill him right now,it would really ruin all the "fun" that they went to put Roberto through.Fearing for his life,Roberto goes to meet an "adviser" who lives on the outskirts of the town called God (although God keeps pointing out that he would much prefer if people called him by his full name:Godfreey.)With Godfreeys help,Roberto gets in contact with a privet detective who feels that luck is now on his side,due to having failed to solve any of his last 80 cases!.As the detective starts digging round for the person that is trying to blackmail and terrorise Roberto,he begins to gather evidence that the killer might be closer to Roberto then any of them could have imagine.Although the detective himself does not realise that along with Roberto,the masked psycho is also spying on him.. View on the film:For the film,writers Dario Argento and Luigi Cozzi (with uncredited writing of the story also including Edgar Wallace and Mario Foglietti) brilliantly extend on all of the story element that were in Argentos first film,which helps to give the film a strong sense of a confident and natural progression.Right in the middle of the movies running time,Dario and the writers deliver a twist that almost everyone else would have kept to use as an ending.Instead,Dario smartly uses it to make everyone realise that no one is safe at all in the film,and it also helps to make the audience feel Robertos increased sense of paranoia and fear,as the masked murderer gets more aggressive in the attempts to terrorise him.One of the things that I was very surprised to discover with the films plot,was a very intriguing off-centre almost supernatural undertone to the film,With Dario smoothly inserting a character that he had left out for his adaptation of the Screaming Miiime (God) into this film,who seems to have a stunning amount of wide- ranging knowledge.Whilst the device that is used to unmasked the black mailer/serial killer is completely impossible to use in the "real" world,Argento is able to pull it off amazingly well.And he also uses the clue it discovers to really crank up the tension,and turn the ending of the film into an edge of the seat,thrilling Giallo.With the directing,Argento shows a stunning increased level of creativity with his camera moves and pace.Whilst some of the first-person murder scenes have a little bit of an "awkeward" feel to them,the short comings in those moments are easy to over look,due to a strong sense that Argento is really pushing himself,to try some very different things with this film.The other major thing that really surprised me about Darios directing, (along with an astonishingly filmed final scene) is that whilst he mostly used "basic" camera work for the investigation/talking scene in his first film.Here,he goes into the complete opposite direction,with a lot of the investigation scenes being filmed as tracking shots,which massively help to create a strong feeling of adrenalin- drenched tension,as Roberto has to constantly try to prepare himself for the masked black mailer/killers next horrific outburst.Final view on the film:A stunning Giallo with a fantastic twisting mystery and brilliantly creative directing from Argento