Director: Dario Argento
Synopsis: A British jazz musician in Italy witnesses the murder of a famous psychic through the window of her apartment. As more people start turning up dead, the musician teams with a reporter to solve the crime before the murderer gets him.
My take: I have seen this movie several times in the past, but I re-watched it to do this review and found myself not enjoying it as much as I used to. The major problem I had with it this time around were the lengthy, somewhat boring stretches between killings that mainly focus on the relationship of the musician and the reporter. While this provides a little humor and light-heartedness to a movie full of murder, it also makes the movie feel excessively long (this refers to the 126 minute version, I understand there are shorter versions that trim down the slow stuff). The things I have always loved about the movie are still there – the plot is one of Argento’s most coherent, the killings are great, and there are many wonderful visual moments throughout the film. And my favorite thing about it is the creepy way that you are shown the killer’s identity early on, where you might notice it on an almost subconscious level, but aren’t sure. It freaked me out the first time I saw the movie and it still freaks me out after multiple viewings. So, while the movie doesn’t work for me as well as it used to, it still has many strong points and is one of Argento’s better works.
Body count: 6 + a lizard + a bird
Best Death: So many to choose from, these are what really makes the movie –
• Throat impaled on broken glass
• Drowned in scalding, boiling hot water
• Dragged behind a garbage truck and then head run over
• Decapitated by an elevator
I can’t decide.
2 1/2 out of 4 Zombie Faces
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