A pianist and a journalist are drawn into a murder
investigation after a talented psychic is stabbed to death. HORROR
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Deep Red (1975)Directed by Dario Argento
Written by Dario Argento and Bernardino Zapponi Starring David Hemmings, Daria Nicolodi, Gabriele Lavia, Macha Méril, Clara Calamai, Glauco Mauri |
Dario Argento is the next Italian horror icon whose work I have to just drown myself in. After tackling the greatest hits of Lucio Fulci some time ago, I knew it was only a matter of time before I found myself once again embroiled in Italian giallo. Deep Red has its moments, and is a mostly intriguing murder mystery with some grisly bits of gore sprinkled throughout. But I won't lie. It's a bit of a drag. There's an entire five to ten minute sequence of our hero just climbing down the side of a house while Goblin goes bananas on the score. Tighten up the screws, and you've really got something here.
The real star of this film is the insanely good soundtrack by the prog rock band Goblin, who composed it in only ten days. That's remarkable, and if you want to hear what they sound like when they've got time to prep, go watch Suspiria. This film follows a pianist named Marcus (Hemmings) who witnesses the murder of a psychic and teams with a journalist named Gianna (Nicolodi) to solve the case. Marcus goes down a rabbit hole when he uncovers an old covered-up sin, leading to discovering the identity of the killer. Along the way, you get to see a woman get drowned in scalding hot water, a man get his jaw banged into furniture corners, and a brutal diamond necklace decapitation. Definitely some stuff to write home about. Deep Red is, for me anyway, only held back by its snail's pace. Once the kills happen, things pick up briefly, but they slow right back down again and again. Argento appreciated a slow burn, I get that. But sometimes a burn can be too slow. Apart from this, the film is a decent watch. |