Deep Red (1975)

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 HALLOWEEN REVIEWS 2024

Director: Dario Argento

Writers: Dario Argento and Bernardino Zapponi

Stars: David Hemmings, Daria Nicolodi, Gabriele Lavia, Macha Meril, Eros Pagni, Giuliana Calandra, Piero Mazzinghi, Glauco Mauri



A piano player (David Hemmings) becomes obsessed with solving the murder of a psychic who lived in his building.

 


This beloved production from Dario Argento, which is pretty much universally hailed as a masterpiece of giallo, went right by me.

 


I can’t deny that there are many beautifully composed shots and some genuinely creepy images, but it suffers greatly in the areas of plot, pacing, and performance.

 


There are many, many tedious scenes of characters stalking through rooms and hallways, looking for something or dreading something, which is absolutely not suspenseful, especially when the jarring music of Italian rockers Goblin comes crashing in.

 


I won’t write off giallo completely, but it’s not a well that I will be dipping into often.

 


Now that I think about it, I saw a giallo called What Have You Done to Solange? that I enjoyed quite a bit more than Deep Red.



























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