After making his inordinately stylish and often hilarious slasher film Stagefright, Dario Argento protégé Michele Soavi teamed up with the maestro for 1987’s The Church, a hallucinatory gothic concoction that was originally intended as the third entry in the Demons series before Lamberto Bava passed the directorial torch to Soavi. Although vastly different in tone and atmosphere than the Bava films, The Church still bears distinct traces of their core idea: Ravening demons are inadvertently let loose to run gruesomely amok within a confined space, in this instance a gothic cathedral located somewhere in Germany.
Where the Demons films take visual media as their primary mode of representation, Soavi and co-writers Argento and Franco Ferrini imbue The Church with a literary bent, which is apt for a story that centers around the interpretation of medieval texts. What’s more, the film overtly references works as disparate as M.R. James’s...
Where the Demons films take visual media as their primary mode of representation, Soavi and co-writers Argento and Franco Ferrini imbue The Church with a literary bent, which is apt for a story that centers around the interpretation of medieval texts. What’s more, the film overtly references works as disparate as M.R. James’s...
- 5/16/2024
- by Budd Wilkins
- Slant Magazine
With X, Ti West lovingly re-conjured the scuzzy spirit of ‘70s classics like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. With its surprise prequel Pearl, he dialled back to clock to early Technicolor game-changers like The Wizard Of Oz, taking the yellow brick road and painting it blood-red. And now, for his trilogy-capper MaXXXine, he’s heading into the 1980s – taking Mia Goth’s aspiring star Maxine and plunging her into the sinister, seductive world of Hollywood.
As well as taking audiences six years beyond the events of X, in which Goth’s Maxine was the sole survivor of the Farmer’s Daughter massacre, the ‘80s setting of MaXXXine is a major influence on how the film looks and feels. “A big part of the aesthetic of the movie is the shiny parts of Hollywood [versus] the seedy parts of Hollywood,” West tells Empire in the Deadpool & Wolverine issue. “The shiny type of movies that are made,...
As well as taking audiences six years beyond the events of X, in which Goth’s Maxine was the sole survivor of the Farmer’s Daughter massacre, the ‘80s setting of MaXXXine is a major influence on how the film looks and feels. “A big part of the aesthetic of the movie is the shiny parts of Hollywood [versus] the seedy parts of Hollywood,” West tells Empire in the Deadpool & Wolverine issue. “The shiny type of movies that are made,...
- 5/7/2024
- by Ben Travis
- Empire - Movies
For his second feature film—and first full collaboration with co-writer/producer/mentor Dario Argento—writer-director Michele Soavi unleashes a “mind-blowing” (Bloody Disgusting), “breathtaking” (Slant), “masterwork” (DVD Drive-In), now in Uhd for the first time ever: In a Gothic cathedral built on the mass grave of a Teutonic purge, an ancient discovery by the new librarian will release an unholy maelstrom of madness, violence, and demonic vengeance. Tomas Arana (The Sect), Feodor Chaliapin (Inferno), Hugh Quarshie (Nightbreed), Barbara Cupisti (Cemetery Man), and Asia Argento co-star in this Italian horror milestone co-written by Franco Ferrini (Phenomena), with a Soavi-approved 4K scan from the original negative and over three hours of special features—including new interviews with Soavi and Argento.
The Church is available on 4K Uhd on April 30.
Enter for your chance to win a 4K Uhd of The Church, courtesy of Severin Films. Three (3) winners will be selected at random.
The Church is available on 4K Uhd on April 30.
Enter for your chance to win a 4K Uhd of The Church, courtesy of Severin Films. Three (3) winners will be selected at random.
- 4/21/2024
- by Slant Staff
- Slant Magazine
Out this week in theaters is Radio Silence’s Abigail, a heist-turned-bloodbath when kidnappers realize the child ballerina they’ve snatched isn’t quite human. That the petite vampire is a ballerina feels apt. After all, the deceptive art form has a reputation for dainty elegance that belies the sheer grueling dedication of its performers, both physically and mentally.
Ballet requires a high level of dedication to practice and performance and frequently spills over into body horror through broken toenails, stress fractures, and overuse injuries. In other words, ballet is often a mix of pain and beauty, which means it pairs well with horror.
This week’s streaming picks are dedicated to ballerinas in horror.
These horror movies feature at least one ballerina tormented by her art form, highlighting the stark, beguiling contrast between beauty and horror. Here’s where you can stream them now.
For more Stay Home, Watch Horror picks,...
Ballet requires a high level of dedication to practice and performance and frequently spills over into body horror through broken toenails, stress fractures, and overuse injuries. In other words, ballet is often a mix of pain and beauty, which means it pairs well with horror.
This week’s streaming picks are dedicated to ballerinas in horror.
These horror movies feature at least one ballerina tormented by her art form, highlighting the stark, beguiling contrast between beauty and horror. Here’s where you can stream them now.
For more Stay Home, Watch Horror picks,...
- 4/15/2024
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
Welcome to this week’s review of Aew: Dynamite, which was broadcast from the Charleston Coliseum in Charleston, Wv. We’ve got Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, and Taz on commentary this week, so let’s get into the review!
Match #1: TNT Championship Match – Adam Copeland def. Penta El Zero Miedo The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Penta speared Copeland and then stuck him with a diving double foot stomp for a near fall. Penta El Zero Miedo hit Copeland with a clothesline, knocking Copeland to the arena floor. Copeland got back in the ring and Penta greeted him with a chop to Copeland’s chest. Copeland rallied back with flying head scissors. Copeland and Penta El Zero Miedo both had the same idea, fighting fire with fire, clubbing each other with lariats and then high boots. Penta El Zero Miedo had Copeland rocked after a sling blade. Penta flipped...
Match #1: TNT Championship Match – Adam Copeland def. Penta El Zero Miedo The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Penta speared Copeland and then stuck him with a diving double foot stomp for a near fall. Penta El Zero Miedo hit Copeland with a clothesline, knocking Copeland to the arena floor. Copeland got back in the ring and Penta greeted him with a chop to Copeland’s chest. Copeland rallied back with flying head scissors. Copeland and Penta El Zero Miedo both had the same idea, fighting fire with fire, clubbing each other with lariats and then high boots. Penta El Zero Miedo had Copeland rocked after a sling blade. Penta flipped...
- 4/12/2024
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
It’s no secret that horror too often elicits kneejerk reactions from narrow-minded critics who, for some reason or another, aren’t willing to give its particular brand of storytelling a fair shake. There are countless examples of films that have received lukewarm to scathing critiques from reviewers upon their release only to be embraced as classics years later, sometimes even by the same writers that originally did them dirty. Last House on the Left (1972), The Shining (1980) and, perhaps most famously, The Thing (1982) were all savaged for various reasons during their initial runs but are now not only thought of as staples of their genre but of cinema as a whole.
This was also the case for Mario Bava’s Blood and Black Lace (1964). Barely making a splash with audiences and critics alike when it was released in Italy 60 years ago this month, the picture’s impact would soon be gargantuan.
This was also the case for Mario Bava’s Blood and Black Lace (1964). Barely making a splash with audiences and critics alike when it was released in Italy 60 years ago this month, the picture’s impact would soon be gargantuan.
- 3/19/2024
- by Patrick Brennan
- bloody-disgusting.com
Stars: Lauren Lavera, Claudia Gerini, Giovanni Lombardo Radice, Linda Zampaglione, Yassine Fadel, Melanie Gaydos, Gianluigi Galvani, Courage Osabohine | Written by Federico Zampaglione, Stefano Masi | Directed by Federico Zampaglione
Lisa Gray, a budding art restorer who travels to the small Italian village of Sambuci just outside Rome to bring a medieval painting back to its former glory for a wealthy and titled client. Little does she know she is placing her life in danger from an evil curse and a monster born of myth and brutal pain.
I have been a fan of Federico Zampaglione’s genre work since I saw his film Shadow in 2009. Then came the original cut of Tulpa back at Frighfest 2012. It’s safe to say I was one of the Only people who reviewed that screening and that cut positively (and then went on to review the recut just as glowingly) and saw what Zampaglione was trying to achieve.
Lisa Gray, a budding art restorer who travels to the small Italian village of Sambuci just outside Rome to bring a medieval painting back to its former glory for a wealthy and titled client. Little does she know she is placing her life in danger from an evil curse and a monster born of myth and brutal pain.
I have been a fan of Federico Zampaglione’s genre work since I saw his film Shadow in 2009. Then came the original cut of Tulpa back at Frighfest 2012. It’s safe to say I was one of the Only people who reviewed that screening and that cut positively (and then went on to review the recut just as glowingly) and saw what Zampaglione was trying to achieve.
- 3/14/2024
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
When Italian horror comes to mind, it’s the unholy trifecta of Dario Argento, Lucio Fulci, and Mario and Lamberto Bava that dominate the discussion. However, Michele Soavi is another essential – albeit underrated – Italian horror savant from the ‘80s and ‘90s who cut his teeth as Argento and Fulci’s apprentice, before ascending to become their peer through formative films like StageFright and Dellamorte Dellamore (aka Cemetery Man). Soavi has a flair and appreciation for immersive and complex camera visuals, intimidating antagonists, and gruesome gore, all of which are on display in the director’s most polarizing film, The Church, which now celebrates its 35th anniversary.
This cinematic achievement began as Demons 3, the third film in Argento and Lamberto Bava’s popular supernatural horror series. However, the horror sequel soon pivoted into an original project early on in its production after Bava walked and Soavi took over and completely rewrote the script.
This cinematic achievement began as Demons 3, the third film in Argento and Lamberto Bava’s popular supernatural horror series. However, the horror sequel soon pivoted into an original project early on in its production after Bava walked and Soavi took over and completely rewrote the script.
- 3/8/2024
- by Daniel Kurland
- bloody-disgusting.com
Yakuza Wolf 1: I Perform Murder is a 1970s Japanese action film staring Sonny Chiba as Gosuke Himuro. The film is a rip of of Django which is a rip off of A Fistful Of Dollars which is a rip off of Yojimbo which is a licensed remake of The Glass Key (1942). Seeking revenge for his murdered father and kidnapped sister, Gosuke Himuro pits two rival Yakuza factions against each other. The filmmakers steal from other films with abandon. If it's not nailed to a solid slab of copyright law, it's filched. This is your intellectual property? You must have drooped it somewhere.
Yakuza Wolf opens with Gosuke Himuro performing a black gloved giallo murder of a couple in coitus. It could have come straight out of Bava's Blood And Black Lace. The colour palette is Argento. Chiba wears...
Yakuza Wolf opens with Gosuke Himuro performing a black gloved giallo murder of a couple in coitus. It could have come straight out of Bava's Blood And Black Lace. The colour palette is Argento. Chiba wears...
- 2/18/2024
- by Donald Munro
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Perhaps putting his Shia Labeouf-scripted Auschwitz film on hold––how you feel about that prospect is a fantastic Rorschach test––Abel Ferrara has a New Rose Hotel / Go Go Tales reunion in store. As his documentary Turn in the Wound debuts at the Berlinale, he’s well into development on American Nails, a gangster film that will star Willem Dafoe and Asia Argento and roll cameras this summer. [Variety]
Almost needless to say Ferrara wouldn’t, at this wild stage of his career, simply return to classic territory: as written by him and Rossella De Venuto, it retells Euripides’ Hippolytus “in a tale set in the gangster world of primal violence, power and revenge [that] pits Argento against the male-dominated remnants of power and entitlement, in the shadow of the Roman Empire in contemporary Italy.” Ferrara’s last time in Rome, Zeros and Ones, is among the wildest visions of the...
Almost needless to say Ferrara wouldn’t, at this wild stage of his career, simply return to classic territory: as written by him and Rossella De Venuto, it retells Euripides’ Hippolytus “in a tale set in the gangster world of primal violence, power and revenge [that] pits Argento against the male-dominated remnants of power and entitlement, in the shadow of the Roman Empire in contemporary Italy.” Ferrara’s last time in Rome, Zeros and Ones, is among the wildest visions of the...
- 2/17/2024
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
Abel Ferrara is set to begin production on his latest feature, “American Nails,” a modern gangster story inspired by ancient tragedy that stars Asia Argento and Willem Dafoe, Variety has learned.
According to the producers, “American Nails” charts “the rise and fall of this modern Phaedra, in a tale set in the gangster world of primal violence, power and revenge. This no-holds-barred retelling of Euripides’ masterpiece pits Argento against the male-dominated remnants of power and entitlement in contemporary Italy.”
Written by Ferrara and Rossella De Venuto, pic is produced by Diana Phillips and Philipp Kreuzer for Rimsky Productions and Maze Pictures. Production is set to begin in Italy this summer.
“American Nails” marks Dafoe’s eighth collaboration with Ferrara, including the 2014 Venice biopic “Pasolini,” 2019 Cannes Film Festival selection “Tommaso” and 2020 Berlinale entry “Siberia.” Coming off his acclaimed performance in Yorgos Lanthimos’ Oscar hopeful “Poor Things,” Dafoe will again team up...
According to the producers, “American Nails” charts “the rise and fall of this modern Phaedra, in a tale set in the gangster world of primal violence, power and revenge. This no-holds-barred retelling of Euripides’ masterpiece pits Argento against the male-dominated remnants of power and entitlement in contemporary Italy.”
Written by Ferrara and Rossella De Venuto, pic is produced by Diana Phillips and Philipp Kreuzer for Rimsky Productions and Maze Pictures. Production is set to begin in Italy this summer.
“American Nails” marks Dafoe’s eighth collaboration with Ferrara, including the 2014 Venice biopic “Pasolini,” 2019 Cannes Film Festival selection “Tommaso” and 2020 Berlinale entry “Siberia.” Coming off his acclaimed performance in Yorgos Lanthimos’ Oscar hopeful “Poor Things,” Dafoe will again team up...
- 2/17/2024
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, has landed rights to The Ascent, the debut novel of police officer and sergeant turned author Adam Plantinga, in a highly competitive situation.
Sources tell Deadline that a pair of prominent directors were taking meetings to set the book up at various studios before Universal stepped in with a preemptive bid and enlisted Davis Entertainment, its collaborator on shows like The Blacklist and The Equalizer, to executive produce the series adaptation. Usg’s Creative Acquisitions and IP Management team, led by Jordan Moblo, was instrumental in securing rights to the novel.
Garnering critical acclaim in its publication last month through Grand Central, The Ascent centers on Kurt Argento, an ex-Detroit street cop who can’t let injustice go — and has the fighting skills to back up his idealism. If he sees a young girl being dragged into an alley, he’s...
Sources tell Deadline that a pair of prominent directors were taking meetings to set the book up at various studios before Universal stepped in with a preemptive bid and enlisted Davis Entertainment, its collaborator on shows like The Blacklist and The Equalizer, to executive produce the series adaptation. Usg’s Creative Acquisitions and IP Management team, led by Jordan Moblo, was instrumental in securing rights to the novel.
Garnering critical acclaim in its publication last month through Grand Central, The Ascent centers on Kurt Argento, an ex-Detroit street cop who can’t let injustice go — and has the fighting skills to back up his idealism. If he sees a young girl being dragged into an alley, he’s...
- 2/13/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Featuring: Dario Argento, Marisa Casale, Fiore Argento, Cristina Marsillach, Michele Soavi, Lamberto Bava, Luigi Cozzi, Asia Argento | Written by Simone Scafidi, Giada Mazzoleni, Davide Pulici | Directed by Simone Scafidi
Dario Argento Panico takes its title from an old interview where he said he didn’t want to create a sense of fear in viewers, he wanted to go beyond it and leave them in a state of panic. Its form is also taken from its subject’s past, following him as he isolates himself in a hotel to finish his latest script, something he frequently did early in his career.
I’m not sure that you really can isolate yourself with a film crew looking over your shoulder, but director Simone Scafidi uses this to frame his questions for the interview portions of the film. We actually only see about three seconds of him writing, and are never told what script he’s finishing,...
Dario Argento Panico takes its title from an old interview where he said he didn’t want to create a sense of fear in viewers, he wanted to go beyond it and leave them in a state of panic. Its form is also taken from its subject’s past, following him as he isolates himself in a hotel to finish his latest script, something he frequently did early in his career.
I’m not sure that you really can isolate yourself with a film crew looking over your shoulder, but director Simone Scafidi uses this to frame his questions for the interview portions of the film. We actually only see about three seconds of him writing, and are never told what script he’s finishing,...
- 2/5/2024
- by Jim Morazzini
- Nerdly
No one envies the biographer to a truly great writer. But in “Dario Argento Panico,” director Simone Scafidi takes on a task even more daunting — profiling one of the best filmmakers to ever live in his own medium.
The two artists, forever bonded by an appreciation for the 83-year-old Italian’s otherworldly filmography, take turns illuminating the mystery behind giallo masterworks like “Deep Red” and “Suspiria” (1977) in Shudder’s essential and ethereal portrait. Astounding archival footage and insightful new interviews pay taut homage to Argento’s exacting style and near-impenetrable public persona, allowing the still-working cinematic legend to vivisect his life and legacy as others do the same. The result is an accessible yet effervescent retrospective on the auteur who has become synonymous with chiaroscuro nightmares: a tightly constructed character study that will initiate unfamiliar viewers with a thorough and thought-provoking primer, while simultaneously giving lifelong fans a better understanding...
The two artists, forever bonded by an appreciation for the 83-year-old Italian’s otherworldly filmography, take turns illuminating the mystery behind giallo masterworks like “Deep Red” and “Suspiria” (1977) in Shudder’s essential and ethereal portrait. Astounding archival footage and insightful new interviews pay taut homage to Argento’s exacting style and near-impenetrable public persona, allowing the still-working cinematic legend to vivisect his life and legacy as others do the same. The result is an accessible yet effervescent retrospective on the auteur who has become synonymous with chiaroscuro nightmares: a tightly constructed character study that will initiate unfamiliar viewers with a thorough and thought-provoking primer, while simultaneously giving lifelong fans a better understanding...
- 2/4/2024
- by Alison Foreman
- Indiewire
In the realm of Giallo films, Dario Argento is a celebrated figure. He’s one of the most influential directors of the Italian film industry, but his films have enchanted audiences worldwide and made a lot of cinephiles fall in love with the Italian Giallo films, such as Suspiria (1977), Deep Red (1975), Inferno (1980), and many more. Directed by Simone Scafidi, the Shudder documentary Dario Argento: Panico sheds light on this legendary filmmaker’s life and his extraordinary filmmaking style. Some of those closest to him like his sister, daughter, and ex-wife, as well as some globally acclaimed directors who had always looked up to his work, appeared in this film to share how Dario became an inspiration for the next generation.
The film opened with Dario Argento being interviewed and filmed in a hotel room, where he was supposed to write the screenplay for his next film. Initially a little bit hesitant to talk,...
The film opened with Dario Argento being interviewed and filmed in a hotel room, where he was supposed to write the screenplay for his next film. Initially a little bit hesitant to talk,...
- 2/2/2024
- by Poulami Nanda
- Film Fugitives
Plot: An in-depth look at famed Italian Horror director Dario Argento’s life and film career.
Review: There are few filmmakers that can be considered all-time greats, yet Dario Argento is most definitely one of them. From the films he’s made to the filmmakers he’s inspired, it’s evident that the world of horror would be very different without his presence. And Dario Argento Panico does a great job of proving why. A beautifully shot and all-encompassing retrospective provides a unique look at the auteur filmmaker. So if you’ve never experienced his work before then buckle up: you’re in for a ride.
While I was obviously familiar with the works of Argento, I wasn’t aware of his life. So I was consistently blown away by some of the revelations here. Dario having no prior experience before getting behind the camera for the first time is flabbergasting.
Review: There are few filmmakers that can be considered all-time greats, yet Dario Argento is most definitely one of them. From the films he’s made to the filmmakers he’s inspired, it’s evident that the world of horror would be very different without his presence. And Dario Argento Panico does a great job of proving why. A beautifully shot and all-encompassing retrospective provides a unique look at the auteur filmmaker. So if you’ve never experienced his work before then buckle up: you’re in for a ride.
While I was obviously familiar with the works of Argento, I wasn’t aware of his life. So I was consistently blown away by some of the revelations here. Dario having no prior experience before getting behind the camera for the first time is flabbergasting.
- 2/2/2024
- by Tyler Nichols
- JoBlo.com
After the cinematic doldrums of January, February brings surprisingly packed, varied offerings, from Oscar-contending international features to biographical documentaries of legendary film artists to some electrifying genre outings. Check out my picks to see below, and catch up with our Sundance coverage ahead of our Berlinale reviews here.
16. The Monk and the Gun (Pawo Choyning Dorji; Feb. 9)
Returning after his Oscar-nominated directorial debut Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom, Pawo Choyning Dorji’s Ifsn Advocate Award-shortlisted The Monk and the Gun premiered at Telluride and TIFF to much acclaim and will now be released this month. Selected by Bhutan as their Oscar entry, the heartwarming film is about an American in search of a long-lost, vintage gun in Bhutan as the country’s launching a democracy.
15. Ennio (Giuseppe Tornatore; Feb. 9)
The film world lost perhaps its most legendary musician when Ennio Morricone died at the age of 91 in July 2020. Cinema Paradiso director Giuseppe Tornatore,...
16. The Monk and the Gun (Pawo Choyning Dorji; Feb. 9)
Returning after his Oscar-nominated directorial debut Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom, Pawo Choyning Dorji’s Ifsn Advocate Award-shortlisted The Monk and the Gun premiered at Telluride and TIFF to much acclaim and will now be released this month. Selected by Bhutan as their Oscar entry, the heartwarming film is about an American in search of a long-lost, vintage gun in Bhutan as the country’s launching a democracy.
15. Ennio (Giuseppe Tornatore; Feb. 9)
The film world lost perhaps its most legendary musician when Ennio Morricone died at the age of 91 in July 2020. Cinema Paradiso director Giuseppe Tornatore,...
- 2/1/2024
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
There are really three Dario Argentos in Simone Scafidi’s new documentary, Dario Argento Panico, and together they form a kind of Unholy Trinity. There is Dario Argento the artist (Father)––passionate, industrious, destructive; Dario Argento the man (Son)––generous, bookish, vulnerable; and Dario Argento the cinematic style (Holy Spirit)––savage, operatic, phantasmagorical. And perhaps the most enjoyable––and certainly the most novel––part of Scafidi’s film is that he allows these three personas to co-exist, creating a disguised giallo whose central question is not “Who committed the murder?” but “Who is Dario Argento?”
Scafidi’s portrait of Argento the man is, for the most part, sympathetic and in many ways rather ordinary, though there are occasional flashes of insight. We hear about his life in Rome during World War II; about his relationship with his father, the producer Salvatore Argento; and about how he used to sit quietly...
Scafidi’s portrait of Argento the man is, for the most part, sympathetic and in many ways rather ordinary, though there are occasional flashes of insight. We hear about his life in Rome during World War II; about his relationship with his father, the producer Salvatore Argento; and about how he used to sit quietly...
- 1/31/2024
- by Oliver Weir
- The Film Stage
Guillermo del Toro, Nicolas Winding Refn and more sing the Italian director’s praises in this dexterous look back over his career – but his dark side still shines through
There’s a revealing moment at the end of this sturdy documentary about the Italian film-maker Dario Argento, when his daughter Asia remembers his state of mind when he came home from the David di Donatello awards, Italy’s version of the Oscars, in 2019. Over the course of his career – which is still ongoing – 84-year-old Argento had never won a David for any of his strange, unique films, such as Profondo Rosso (1975), Suspiria (1977) or Tenebre (1982) to name just three of his best known. But that year, the Italian Academy gave him a lifetime achievement award. Asia recalls that when they got back from the ceremony, he shrugged and said “sticazzi” – “who cares?”. He only really cares about the work itself, she explains,...
There’s a revealing moment at the end of this sturdy documentary about the Italian film-maker Dario Argento, when his daughter Asia remembers his state of mind when he came home from the David di Donatello awards, Italy’s version of the Oscars, in 2019. Over the course of his career – which is still ongoing – 84-year-old Argento had never won a David for any of his strange, unique films, such as Profondo Rosso (1975), Suspiria (1977) or Tenebre (1982) to name just three of his best known. But that year, the Italian Academy gave him a lifetime achievement award. Asia recalls that when they got back from the ceremony, he shrugged and said “sticazzi” – “who cares?”. He only really cares about the work itself, she explains,...
- 1/31/2024
- by Leslie Felperin
- The Guardian - Film News
Shudder documentary restrospective Dario Argento Panico highlights the influential work of Giallo maestro Dario Argento, and it’s assembled a Murderers’ Row of talent discussing the filmmaker’s works. That includes Italian composer and Goblin founder Claudio Simonetti and acclaimed filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn.
In an exclusive clip below, Claudio Simonetti and Nicolas Winding Refn discuss Argento’s bloody Giallo film Tenebrae. Watch for insight on the film’s music and its enduring influence.
The documentary will arrive on Shudder on February 2, 2024.
The official Dario Argento Panico synopsis: “In the secluded ambiance of hotel rooms, Dario Argento crafted his greatest cinematic creations, seeking solace from the outside world to delve into his nightmares. Now, he finds himself in a hotel room to return to the very setting that ignited his creative fervor to conclude his latest script and participate in an intimate interview, all while being followed by a film...
In an exclusive clip below, Claudio Simonetti and Nicolas Winding Refn discuss Argento’s bloody Giallo film Tenebrae. Watch for insight on the film’s music and its enduring influence.
The documentary will arrive on Shudder on February 2, 2024.
The official Dario Argento Panico synopsis: “In the secluded ambiance of hotel rooms, Dario Argento crafted his greatest cinematic creations, seeking solace from the outside world to delve into his nightmares. Now, he finds himself in a hotel room to return to the very setting that ignited his creative fervor to conclude his latest script and participate in an intimate interview, all while being followed by a film...
- 1/30/2024
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
For a documentary about tension and fear, it’s ironic that Dario Argento Panico is anxious about how to best pay homage to the Italian auteur. Director Simone Scafidi initially presents the film as something of a remixed take on the filmography-appraisal documentary, especially as Argento makes his way to a hotel where he plans to hole up and write his next film. In this moment, it seems as if we’re about to spend the majority of Panico with Argento playing a version of himself in a mockumentary of sorts. But this, alas, is mostly a tease, as Panico eventually settles into a steady collage of talking-head interviews, albeit mostly engaging ones, rattling off recollections and appreciations of Argento’s work.
Panico neither caters to newcomers to Argento’s work nor preaches to the converted. Instead, Scafidi positions Argento as subject, prompting the auteur to reflect on aspects of...
Panico neither caters to newcomers to Argento’s work nor preaches to the converted. Instead, Scafidi positions Argento as subject, prompting the auteur to reflect on aspects of...
- 1/28/2024
- by Clayton Dillard
- Slant Magazine
"I do what I do because I want to be loved!" Shudder has revealed an official US trailer for the documentary film titled Dario Argento Panico (also called just Panico). "Experience the world of Dario Argento like never before." This originally premiered at the 2023 Venice Film Festival last year in the "Venice Classics" section. It is the first biopic doc ever dedicated to Argento. The film zooms in on titular Italian filmmaker Dario Argento as he finishes writing the script for his last feature in a hotel as a film crew shoots a movie about him. "It is an immersive deep dive into the creative process and life of Argento and features exclusive interviews with the legendary filmmaker and insight from other acclaimed directors like Gaspar Noé, Guillermo del Toro and Nicolas Winding Refn about his impact on the horror genre and generations of other directors." Argento is now 83 years...
- 1/5/2024
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Mario Bava, Lucio Fulci, or even Sergio Martino may pop into cinephile’s heads when thinking of Giallo’s greatest directors. But only one name is truly synonymous with the Italian sub-genre, and that’s Dario Argento. Don’t believe us? Maybe “Dario Argento Panico,” a new doc about the director that premieres on Shudder next month, will convince the uninitiated.
Read More: The 100 Most Anticipated Films Of 2024
Simone Scafidi‘s doc takes a retrospective look at Argento’s life and career, from his early days making classic Giallos like “The Girl Who Knew Too Much” to his aesthetically daring apex of “Suspiria,” “Inferno,” and “Tenebrae.” “Dario Argento Panico” features interview with Argento, his daughter Asia Argento, as well as filmmakers like Guillermo Del Toro, Gaspar Noé, and Nicolas Winding Refn, and screenwriter Franco Ferrini.
Continue reading ‘Dario Argento Panico’ Trailer: Doc About The Giallo Master Premieres On Shudder On February 2 at The Playlist.
Read More: The 100 Most Anticipated Films Of 2024
Simone Scafidi‘s doc takes a retrospective look at Argento’s life and career, from his early days making classic Giallos like “The Girl Who Knew Too Much” to his aesthetically daring apex of “Suspiria,” “Inferno,” and “Tenebrae.” “Dario Argento Panico” features interview with Argento, his daughter Asia Argento, as well as filmmakers like Guillermo Del Toro, Gaspar Noé, and Nicolas Winding Refn, and screenwriter Franco Ferrini.
Continue reading ‘Dario Argento Panico’ Trailer: Doc About The Giallo Master Premieres On Shudder On February 2 at The Playlist.
- 1/5/2024
- by Ned Booth
- The Playlist
Giallo Maestro Dario Argento will be featured in Dario Argento Panico, a documentary retrospective acquired by Shudder. A new trailer debuted today that teases the notable talking heads featured in the personal portrait of the acclaimed fimmaker.
The documentary will arrive on Shudder on February 2, 2024, after making its world premiere at the 2023 Venice Film Festival.
Watch the trailer and get a peek at the new poster, a fun nod to the yellow “giallo” translation, below.
The official Dario Argento Panico synopsis: “In the secluded ambiance of hotel rooms, Dario Argento crafted his greatest cinematic creations, seeking solace from the outside world to delve into his nightmares. Now, he finds himself in a hotel room to return to the very setting that ignited his creative fervor to conclude his latest script and participate in an intimate interview, all while being followed by a film crew documenting his life for a movie about his illustrious career.
The documentary will arrive on Shudder on February 2, 2024, after making its world premiere at the 2023 Venice Film Festival.
Watch the trailer and get a peek at the new poster, a fun nod to the yellow “giallo” translation, below.
The official Dario Argento Panico synopsis: “In the secluded ambiance of hotel rooms, Dario Argento crafted his greatest cinematic creations, seeking solace from the outside world to delve into his nightmares. Now, he finds himself in a hotel room to return to the very setting that ignited his creative fervor to conclude his latest script and participate in an intimate interview, all while being followed by a film crew documenting his life for a movie about his illustrious career.
- 1/4/2024
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
The JoBlo Original video covering Dawn of the Dead‘s physical media and digital releases was Written by Paul Bookstaber, Edited by Lance Vlcek, and Narrated by Kier Gomes.
Would it be a total buzz kill to find out one day, when you decide to open your streaming service and see some of your own digital copies gone in an instant? What if you didn’t have the chance to pick up a physical copy as backup, when it was put on store shelves at your local retailer months or years prior? Chances are, it’s happening much more frequently and that’s a sad, hard pill to swallow. As an avid film collector and movie junkie, I always preorder a steelbook of my favorite films that I need to obtain for my own volition, but it seems that window is getting much harder as well – thanks Best Buy for...
Would it be a total buzz kill to find out one day, when you decide to open your streaming service and see some of your own digital copies gone in an instant? What if you didn’t have the chance to pick up a physical copy as backup, when it was put on store shelves at your local retailer months or years prior? Chances are, it’s happening much more frequently and that’s a sad, hard pill to swallow. As an avid film collector and movie junkie, I always preorder a steelbook of my favorite films that I need to obtain for my own volition, but it seems that window is getting much harder as well – thanks Best Buy for...
- 12/19/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Genre icon Dario Argento is the focus on the documentary Dario Argento Panico, which had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival back in September – the same time we got our hands on the trailer embedded above. Today, Deadline reports that Dario Argento Panico has been acquired by the Shudder streaming service, and they’re planning to start streaming the in film the U.S., Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand on February 2nd.
Before we reach that date, the documentary is set to have its U.S. premiere at the IFC Center in New York during their theatrical retrospective Panic Attacks: The Films of Dario Argento, which is set to run from January 31st through February 8th.
Directed by Simone Scafidi and produced by Paguro Film, Dario Argento Panico is said to offer an insightful journey through the life and legacy of the legendary Italian filmmaker,...
Before we reach that date, the documentary is set to have its U.S. premiere at the IFC Center in New York during their theatrical retrospective Panic Attacks: The Films of Dario Argento, which is set to run from January 31st through February 8th.
Directed by Simone Scafidi and produced by Paguro Film, Dario Argento Panico is said to offer an insightful journey through the life and legacy of the legendary Italian filmmaker,...
- 12/19/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Of all the leading Italian horror filmmakers, including auteurs like Mario Bava and Lucio Fulci, Dario Argento is the most recognized and widely renowned. Per Deadline, the Giallo Maestro will be featured in Dario Argento Panico, a documentary retrospective acquired by Shudder.
The documentary will arrive on Shudder on February 2, 2024, after making its world premiere at the 2023 Venice Film Festival.
Dario Argento Panico follows “an insightful journey through the life and legacy of the legendary Italian filmmaker, revealing his profound impact on horror and his lasting influence on cinema. It was in the secluded ambience of hotel rooms that Argento crafted his greatest cinematic creations, seeking solace from the outside world to delve into his nightmares. Now, he finds himself in a hotel room to return to the very setting that ignited his creative fervor to conclude his latest script and participate in an intimate interview, all while being followed...
The documentary will arrive on Shudder on February 2, 2024, after making its world premiere at the 2023 Venice Film Festival.
Dario Argento Panico follows “an insightful journey through the life and legacy of the legendary Italian filmmaker, revealing his profound impact on horror and his lasting influence on cinema. It was in the secluded ambience of hotel rooms that Argento crafted his greatest cinematic creations, seeking solace from the outside world to delve into his nightmares. Now, he finds himself in a hotel room to return to the very setting that ignited his creative fervor to conclude his latest script and participate in an intimate interview, all while being followed...
- 12/19/2023
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
Dario Argento’s classic Phenomena has just landed on Screambox, courtesy of Synapse.
Also known as Creepers, the 1985 Giallo stars Jennifer Connelly and Halloween‘s Donald Pleasence.
Connelly portrays an American at a Swiss finishing school who calls on insects to help a paralyzed scientist (Pleasence) fight a monster.
Phenomena has been celebrated several times here on Bloody Disgusting, including a remembrance of Igna, the extremely smart chimpanzee owned by Pleasence’s character.
Other Argento classics on Screambox include Deep Red, Tenebrae, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, and The Wax Mask.
Screambox’s December has been jam-packed, including the goriest film you’ve never seen, Adam Chaplin, as well as the “Frankenstein”-inspired Santastein, body-swap thriller Devils, and Tobe Hooper’s Eaten Alive! Get all of the details here.
Start screaming now with Screambox on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Prime Video, Roku, YouTube TV, Samsung, Comcast, Cox, and Screambox.
Also known as Creepers, the 1985 Giallo stars Jennifer Connelly and Halloween‘s Donald Pleasence.
Connelly portrays an American at a Swiss finishing school who calls on insects to help a paralyzed scientist (Pleasence) fight a monster.
Phenomena has been celebrated several times here on Bloody Disgusting, including a remembrance of Igna, the extremely smart chimpanzee owned by Pleasence’s character.
Other Argento classics on Screambox include Deep Red, Tenebrae, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, and The Wax Mask.
Screambox’s December has been jam-packed, including the goriest film you’ve never seen, Adam Chaplin, as well as the “Frankenstein”-inspired Santastein, body-swap thriller Devils, and Tobe Hooper’s Eaten Alive! Get all of the details here.
Start screaming now with Screambox on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Prime Video, Roku, YouTube TV, Samsung, Comcast, Cox, and Screambox.
- 12/15/2023
- by Brad Miska
- bloody-disgusting.com
The Bloody Disgusting-powered Screambox is home to a variety of unique horror content, from originals and exclusives to cult classics and documentaries. With such a rapidly-growing library, there are many hidden gems waiting to be discovered.
Alongside exclusives like Secret Santa and Night of the Missing and such classics as Black Christmas and Silent Night, Deadly Night 2, here are five Christmas horror recommendations you can stream on Screambox right now.
Christmas Evil
Not to be confused with the innumerable Santa slashers, Christmas Evil (also known as You Better Watch Out) is tonally more in line with Taxi Driver than Silent Night, Deadly Night. Writer-director Lewis Jackson clearly had no interest in making a body count flick; instead, he explores the psyche of a mentally unstable man who happens to dress up as Santa and kill people. The low-budget grit adds to the dark atmosphere.
The 1980 film chronicles one man’s...
Alongside exclusives like Secret Santa and Night of the Missing and such classics as Black Christmas and Silent Night, Deadly Night 2, here are five Christmas horror recommendations you can stream on Screambox right now.
Christmas Evil
Not to be confused with the innumerable Santa slashers, Christmas Evil (also known as You Better Watch Out) is tonally more in line with Taxi Driver than Silent Night, Deadly Night. Writer-director Lewis Jackson clearly had no interest in making a body count flick; instead, he explores the psyche of a mentally unstable man who happens to dress up as Santa and kill people. The low-budget grit adds to the dark atmosphere.
The 1980 film chronicles one man’s...
- 12/13/2023
- by Alex DiVincenzo
- bloody-disgusting.com
Watching Santastein as part of this year's Popcorn Frights Film Festival felt like unwrapping a Christmas gift extra early this past summer, so I'm especially excited that Manuel Camilion and Benjamin Edelman's new holiday horror film is coming to Screambox on December 19th as part of their streaming lineup this month!
Below, you can check out the previous Santastein trailer and details on Screambox's December streaming lineup (which also includes Rare Exports), and in case you missed it, feel free to read my Popcorn Frights review of Santastein, which brings Santa Claus back to life with a blood-splattered vengeance!
Santastein synopsis: Max was only six years old when he accidentally burned Santa to a crisp on Christmas Eve. 12 years later, Max attempts to raise Santa from the dead in order to fix his past mistakes and restore the Christmas spirit. But he soon realizes that the creature he has...
Below, you can check out the previous Santastein trailer and details on Screambox's December streaming lineup (which also includes Rare Exports), and in case you missed it, feel free to read my Popcorn Frights review of Santastein, which brings Santa Claus back to life with a blood-splattered vengeance!
Santastein synopsis: Max was only six years old when he accidentally burned Santa to a crisp on Christmas Eve. 12 years later, Max attempts to raise Santa from the dead in order to fix his past mistakes and restore the Christmas spirit. But he soon realizes that the creature he has...
- 12/4/2023
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
More Dario Argento has just arrived on Screambox!
In addition to Deep Red and The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, Screambox is excited to now stream the new Synapse restoration of Argento’s giallo classic Tenebrae!
In the film…
An American writer in Rome is stalked and harassed by a serial killer who is murdering everyone associated with his work on his latest book.
Tenebrae stars A Nightmare on Elm Street‘s John Saxon with Anthony Franciosa, John Steiner, and Daria Nicolodi.
Also stream the documentary All the Colors of Giallo, featuring Dario Argento, Lamberto Bava, Barbara Bouchet, Luciano Ercoli, and others.
It’s also Black Friday, which means deals! New Screambox users can save 50% on an annual subscription for the rest of the month by signing up at http://bit.ly/SB50. That’s $29.99 — only $2.50/month — for full access to the Screambox library for a year!
The post ‘Tenebrae...
In addition to Deep Red and The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, Screambox is excited to now stream the new Synapse restoration of Argento’s giallo classic Tenebrae!
In the film…
An American writer in Rome is stalked and harassed by a serial killer who is murdering everyone associated with his work on his latest book.
Tenebrae stars A Nightmare on Elm Street‘s John Saxon with Anthony Franciosa, John Steiner, and Daria Nicolodi.
Also stream the documentary All the Colors of Giallo, featuring Dario Argento, Lamberto Bava, Barbara Bouchet, Luciano Ercoli, and others.
It’s also Black Friday, which means deals! New Screambox users can save 50% on an annual subscription for the rest of the month by signing up at http://bit.ly/SB50. That’s $29.99 — only $2.50/month — for full access to the Screambox library for a year!
The post ‘Tenebrae...
- 11/24/2023
- by Brad Miska
- bloody-disgusting.com
by Cláudio Alves
Back when Luca Guadagnino first announced his plans to remake Suspiria, many were skeptical – me included. Why would we need a new take on the material when Argento's 1977 classic is such a candy-colored masterpiece? It turns out that Guadagnino was idiosyncratic enough to get away with it, proposing such a distinct vision that comparing it to the other movie feels beside the point. Hence, when the director told the world he'd helm a Scarface remake from a Coen Bros. script, the consensus was more hopeful than before. Well, that picture is officially off of Guadagnino's schedule, joining the ranks of many a dropped project…...
Back when Luca Guadagnino first announced his plans to remake Suspiria, many were skeptical – me included. Why would we need a new take on the material when Argento's 1977 classic is such a candy-colored masterpiece? It turns out that Guadagnino was idiosyncratic enough to get away with it, proposing such a distinct vision that comparing it to the other movie feels beside the point. Hence, when the director told the world he'd helm a Scarface remake from a Coen Bros. script, the consensus was more hopeful than before. Well, that picture is officially off of Guadagnino's schedule, joining the ranks of many a dropped project…...
- 11/11/2023
- by Cláudio Alves
- FilmExperience
In less than a week our amigos y familia at Morbido will be hosting the sixteenth edition of their famed genre film festival. This year genre icons Eli Roth and Ted Raimi will be attending the festival to present their films, Thanksgiving and Failure! respectively. Festival alumni Gigi Saul Guerrero will be in town to present V/H/S/85 and LG White will be back to present her doc, Tripping the Dark Fantastic, the documentary about composer Simon Boswell with performance footage and interviews with the likes of Argento and Jorodowsky. Carlota Pereda's new film, The Chapel, is a must-see part of the program as is Demian Rugna's When Evil Lurks. Don't miss Weston Razooli's Riddle of Fire either. Morbido Film Fest Celebrates 16 years...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 10/25/2023
- Screen Anarchy
Regal Cinemas is bringing Dawn of the Dead back to theaters for one night only on October 27th in celebration of the horror classic’s 45th anniversary.
George A. Romero’s 1978 film — a sequel of sorts to his 1968 project Night of the Living Dead — stars David Emge, Ken Foree, Scott Reiniger, and Gaylen Ross as survivors of a zombie outbreak who take refuge in a suburban shopping mall while mass hysteria wreaks havoc on their town. While in production, the project caught the attention of fellow horror filmmaker Dario Argento who agreed to co-finance the film in exchange for distribution rights in his home country of Italy. Having recently come to international acclaim with his magnum opus Suspiria, Argento’s co-sign on Dawn of the Dead also helped propel Romero’s success.
Dawn of the Dead was controversial upon its release for its use of violence and gore, though it...
George A. Romero’s 1978 film — a sequel of sorts to his 1968 project Night of the Living Dead — stars David Emge, Ken Foree, Scott Reiniger, and Gaylen Ross as survivors of a zombie outbreak who take refuge in a suburban shopping mall while mass hysteria wreaks havoc on their town. While in production, the project caught the attention of fellow horror filmmaker Dario Argento who agreed to co-finance the film in exchange for distribution rights in his home country of Italy. Having recently come to international acclaim with his magnum opus Suspiria, Argento’s co-sign on Dawn of the Dead also helped propel Romero’s success.
Dawn of the Dead was controversial upon its release for its use of violence and gore, though it...
- 10/17/2023
- by Abby Jones
- Consequence - Film News
“Tonight we have special news for you: we closed all the exits. You can’t escape,” Claudio Simonetti deadpanned in his Italian accent to the enthusiastic crowd at the Somerville Theatre in Somerville, Massachusetts on October 3. Clad in something like a ringmaster jacket over a Deadpool T-shirt, a smile beamed across the maestro’s face.
The audience erupted into laughter chased by cheers, as they knew they were about to experience something special: the 1985 cult classic Demons on the big screen with a live score performed by Claudio Simonetti’s Goblin, a modern tribute to the prolific Italian prog-rock composers Goblin fronted by the founding keyboardist.
Produced by Italian master of horror Dario Argento — for whom Goblin had previously composed several scores — Demons is directed by Lamberto Bava from a script written by Bava, Argento, Dardano Sacchetti (The Beyond), and Franco Ferrini (Phenomena). The plot finds attendees at a mysterious...
The audience erupted into laughter chased by cheers, as they knew they were about to experience something special: the 1985 cult classic Demons on the big screen with a live score performed by Claudio Simonetti’s Goblin, a modern tribute to the prolific Italian prog-rock composers Goblin fronted by the founding keyboardist.
Produced by Italian master of horror Dario Argento — for whom Goblin had previously composed several scores — Demons is directed by Lamberto Bava from a script written by Bava, Argento, Dardano Sacchetti (The Beyond), and Franco Ferrini (Phenomena). The plot finds attendees at a mysterious...
- 10/9/2023
- by Alex DiVincenzo
- bloody-disgusting.com
Stars: Luba Hansen, Daniel Johnson, Scott Gaver, Jesse L. Green, Steve Delgado, Michelle Gernon, Corey Taylor, Cortney Costanzo, Melissa Miller, Nina Rose | Written and Directed by Dustin Ferguson, Brad Twig, George James Fraser, Joe Lujan
Opening with a scene featuring a homeless guy seemingly psychically willed to upchuck his own intestines by a skull-faced silent killer, it’s safe to say American Terror Tales 2 gets off to an auspicious start. What follows is an anthology that features three unconnected stories in a film that touches upon some genre stand-bys, delivering some grisly, gory fearful fun.
The opener House of Profane (not to be confused with the long-gestating The Profane Exhibit) continues on from that opener and tells the story of a group of “teens” who decide to put each other to the test by spending the night in a house owned by someone called Skullface. Now I wouldn’t want...
Opening with a scene featuring a homeless guy seemingly psychically willed to upchuck his own intestines by a skull-faced silent killer, it’s safe to say American Terror Tales 2 gets off to an auspicious start. What follows is an anthology that features three unconnected stories in a film that touches upon some genre stand-bys, delivering some grisly, gory fearful fun.
The opener House of Profane (not to be confused with the long-gestating The Profane Exhibit) continues on from that opener and tells the story of a group of “teens” who decide to put each other to the test by spending the night in a house owned by someone called Skullface. Now I wouldn’t want...
- 9/27/2023
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
After the lackluster reception of Inferno, the second entry in his supernaturally inclined Three Mothers trilogy, Dario Argento pivoted back to the giallo genre that he’d helped put on the world-cinema map with the release of The Bird with the Crystal Plumage back in 1970. Not content to merely “return to form,” and plagued by some personal demons of his own, Argento unleashed the supreme meta-giallo Tenebrae, an endlessly reflexive murder mystery about the solving of murder mysteries.
The notion that Tenebrae is primarily concerned with the conditions of its own making is signaled straight away. The first thing we see is a copy of a book also called Tenebrae. A voiceover narrator declaims a passage that describes murder as a liberating, creative act. What’s more, the scene introduces two of the most elemental bits of giallo iconography: the black gloves worn by the killer and a shiny cutthroat razor.
The notion that Tenebrae is primarily concerned with the conditions of its own making is signaled straight away. The first thing we see is a copy of a book also called Tenebrae. A voiceover narrator declaims a passage that describes murder as a liberating, creative act. What’s more, the scene introduces two of the most elemental bits of giallo iconography: the black gloves worn by the killer and a shiny cutthroat razor.
- 9/26/2023
- by Budd Wilkins
- Slant Magazine
Warning: This article contains movie spoilers.
“You’re like one of those brainwashed missionaries,” Georgia Eyers’ character Lara fumes to her husband Ron (Dan Ewing). Her remark cuts deep into Ron’s faith. But he never wavers. He doubles down on his delusions, even if they harm those he loves. The conversation, during which Lara convulses and seemingly switches personalities, brings up questions about blind religion, science, and mental health. Throughout Godless: The Eastfield Exorcism, director Nick Kozakis confronts extremism and how it so easily spreads like a contagion.
Set in 1994, the film takes place in Eastfield, Australia and follows Lara and Ron as they contend with Lara’s ailing mental health and Ron’s belief that it’s a spiritual matter. Lara has been found more than once dancing naked on the front lawn. She’s been hallucinating, mostly images of a horned beast with scaly, fiery-red skin. While...
“You’re like one of those brainwashed missionaries,” Georgia Eyers’ character Lara fumes to her husband Ron (Dan Ewing). Her remark cuts deep into Ron’s faith. But he never wavers. He doubles down on his delusions, even if they harm those he loves. The conversation, during which Lara convulses and seemingly switches personalities, brings up questions about blind religion, science, and mental health. Throughout Godless: The Eastfield Exorcism, director Nick Kozakis confronts extremism and how it so easily spreads like a contagion.
Set in 1994, the film takes place in Eastfield, Australia and follows Lara and Ron as they contend with Lara’s ailing mental health and Ron’s belief that it’s a spiritual matter. Lara has been found more than once dancing naked on the front lawn. She’s been hallucinating, mostly images of a horned beast with scaly, fiery-red skin. While...
- 9/26/2023
- by Bee Delores
- bloody-disgusting.com
Claudio Simonetti’s Goblin — founding keyboardist Claudio Simonetti’s modern manifestation of prolific Italian prog-rock composers Goblin — hits the road today to perform a live score to Demons followed by a set of other classic Goblin tracks across North America.
“Normally I play the same films, like Deep Red and Suspiria,” Simonetti tells me. “I have seen Demons with the actors at conventions, and I think that people love this film. It’s a cult film. I said, ‘Why don’t we try to do Demons live?’ It’s the first time. I never did it before. We have had a lot of rehearsals this summer.”
Originally, Simonetti wanted to do a Dawn of the Dead tour in celebration of the film’s 45th anniversary. “It’s one of my favorites, of course, but we are having some troubles with the producer for the rights to play the score live.
“Normally I play the same films, like Deep Red and Suspiria,” Simonetti tells me. “I have seen Demons with the actors at conventions, and I think that people love this film. It’s a cult film. I said, ‘Why don’t we try to do Demons live?’ It’s the first time. I never did it before. We have had a lot of rehearsals this summer.”
Originally, Simonetti wanted to do a Dawn of the Dead tour in celebration of the film’s 45th anniversary. “It’s one of my favorites, of course, but we are having some troubles with the producer for the rights to play the score live.
- 9/26/2023
- by Alex DiVincenzo
- bloody-disgusting.com
After helping to pioneer Italy’s budding giallo genre throughout the 1970s with influential titles like The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, The Cat o’ Nine Tails, Four Flies on Grey Velvet, and Deep Red, Dario Argento took a brief sabbatical from the lurid thrillers to explore supernatural elements in Suspiria and Inferno. When the latter failed at the box office, he made a triumphant return to gialli in 1982 with Tenebrae (sometimes spelled Tenebre; originally released in the US as Unsane).
While his American contemporaries were trying to come up with inventive instruments of death to propel slasher films, Argento was designing more lavish ways to film his kill scenes. Suspiria remains his crowning achievement, but Tenebrae finds the filmmaker bringing his honed visual panache to the giallo sandbox in which he made a name for himself. The result stands not only as one of Argento’s strongest efforts but also a landmark giallo work.
While his American contemporaries were trying to come up with inventive instruments of death to propel slasher films, Argento was designing more lavish ways to film his kill scenes. Suspiria remains his crowning achievement, but Tenebrae finds the filmmaker bringing his honed visual panache to the giallo sandbox in which he made a name for himself. The result stands not only as one of Argento’s strongest efforts but also a landmark giallo work.
- 9/26/2023
- by Alex DiVincenzo
- bloody-disgusting.com
Genre icon Dario Argento is the focus on the documentary Dario Argento Panico, which is having its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival – and with that premiere to take place this Saturday, September 2nd, a trailer for the documentary has arrived online! You can check it out in the embed above.
Directed by Simone Scafidi and produced by Paguro Film, Dario Argento Panico is said to be an immersive deep dive into the creative process and life of Argento. It features exclusive interviews with the legendary filmmaker and insight from other acclaimed directors like Gaspar Noé, Guillermo del Toro and Nicolas Winding Refn about his impact on the horror genre and generations of other directors.
Fiore Argento, Asia Argento, Vittorio Cecchi Gori, Lamberto Bava, Luigi Cozzi, Michele Soavi, Claudio Simonetti, Marisa Casale, Cristina Marsillach, Floriana Argento, Franco Ferrini, and of course Dario Argento himself also appear in the documentary.
Directed by Simone Scafidi and produced by Paguro Film, Dario Argento Panico is said to be an immersive deep dive into the creative process and life of Argento. It features exclusive interviews with the legendary filmmaker and insight from other acclaimed directors like Gaspar Noé, Guillermo del Toro and Nicolas Winding Refn about his impact on the horror genre and generations of other directors.
Fiore Argento, Asia Argento, Vittorio Cecchi Gori, Lamberto Bava, Luigi Cozzi, Michele Soavi, Claudio Simonetti, Marisa Casale, Cristina Marsillach, Floriana Argento, Franco Ferrini, and of course Dario Argento himself also appear in the documentary.
- 9/1/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Italian master of horror Dario Argento gets the documentary spotlight with Dario Argento Panico, a brand new doc that’s set to world premiere at the Venice Film Festival.
Directed by Simone Scafidi, Dario Argento Panico zooms in on Argento as he finishes writing the script for his last feature in a hotel as a film crew shoots a movie about him.
The official press details preview, “It is an immersive deep dive into the creative process and life of Argento and features exclusive interviews with the legendary filmmaker and insight from other acclaimed directors like Gaspar Noé, Guillermo del Toro and Nicolas Winding Refn about his impact on the horror genre and generations of other directors.”
Watch the official trailer for Dario Argento Panico below and expect a release date soon.
Simone Scafidi previously directed Fulci for Fake, which shines the spotlight on another master of Italian horror: Lucio Fulci.
Directed by Simone Scafidi, Dario Argento Panico zooms in on Argento as he finishes writing the script for his last feature in a hotel as a film crew shoots a movie about him.
The official press details preview, “It is an immersive deep dive into the creative process and life of Argento and features exclusive interviews with the legendary filmmaker and insight from other acclaimed directors like Gaspar Noé, Guillermo del Toro and Nicolas Winding Refn about his impact on the horror genre and generations of other directors.”
Watch the official trailer for Dario Argento Panico below and expect a release date soon.
Simone Scafidi previously directed Fulci for Fake, which shines the spotlight on another master of Italian horror: Lucio Fulci.
- 9/1/2023
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
"Dario Argento is fear!" Italian master of horror / giallo filmmaker Dario Argento finally gets the biopic documentary treatment. Premiering at the 2023 Venice Film Festival underway now in the "Venice Classics" section is Dario Argento Panico (also known as just Panico), a new documentary by filmmaker Simone Scafidi. The first biopic dedicated to Argento. The film zooms in on titular Italian filmmaker Dario Argento as he finishes writing the script for his last feature in a hotel as a film crew shoots a movie about him. "It is an immersive deep dive into the creative process and life of Argento and features exclusive interviews with the legendary filmmaker and insight from other acclaimed directors like Gaspar Noé, Guillermo del Toro and Nicolas Winding Refn about his impact on the horror genre and generations of other directors." Argento is currently 82 years old and continues to make films - Dark Glasses was out last year.
- 9/1/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Simone Scafidi’s documentary is an immersive deep dive into the creative process and life of Argento.
Mediawan Rights has unveiled the first trailer for Simone Scafidi’s documentary Dario Argento Panico ahead of the film’s world premiere in Venice Classics on Saturday (September 2).
The film zooms in on titular Italian filmmaker Dario Argento as he finishes writing the script for his last feature in a hotel as a film crew shoots a movie about him.
Produced by UK-based Paguro Film, the documentary has already been sold to horror streamer Shudder for the US, UK, Canada, Latin America, Spain,...
Mediawan Rights has unveiled the first trailer for Simone Scafidi’s documentary Dario Argento Panico ahead of the film’s world premiere in Venice Classics on Saturday (September 2).
The film zooms in on titular Italian filmmaker Dario Argento as he finishes writing the script for his last feature in a hotel as a film crew shoots a movie about him.
Produced by UK-based Paguro Film, the documentary has already been sold to horror streamer Shudder for the US, UK, Canada, Latin America, Spain,...
- 9/1/2023
- by Rebecca Leffler
- ScreenDaily
Plot: Jonny Baptiste is a reckless teen sent to live with her estranged Aunt Hildie. On her 18th birthday, she experiences a radical metamorphosis: a family spell that redefines her called Forevering. When several teen girls go missing at her new school, a mythically feral Jonny goes after the Perpetrator.
Review: Female empowerment has never been as prevalent in horror as it has been over the last twenty years. With women shifting from victims and buxom eye candy to protagonists and heroic final girls, horror has experimented more and more with the ideas of gender, race, and sexuality than ever before. Jennifer Reeder’s new film, Perpetrator, takes on all these concepts along with a dash of pitch-black humor in a film almost beyond categorization. Drawing influences from Clueless and Heathers to Society and Suspiria, Reeder’s latest film is an interesting blend of ideas that do not come together in the end,...
Review: Female empowerment has never been as prevalent in horror as it has been over the last twenty years. With women shifting from victims and buxom eye candy to protagonists and heroic final girls, horror has experimented more and more with the ideas of gender, race, and sexuality than ever before. Jennifer Reeder’s new film, Perpetrator, takes on all these concepts along with a dash of pitch-black humor in a film almost beyond categorization. Drawing influences from Clueless and Heathers to Society and Suspiria, Reeder’s latest film is an interesting blend of ideas that do not come together in the end,...
- 8/30/2023
- by Alex Maidy
- JoBlo.com
Convinced she has only one more day to live, Françoise and her friend run away from their convent boarding school and hitch a lift to a party in a vast chateau in the middle of the woods. Here, amid decadence and occultist dalliances, she encounters various lost souls, including a sullen party guest who claims to be a vampire, as she struggles with fiery, prophetic visions and a sense that time is running out.
Set in 1967, La Morsure is a melancholy and mesmerising period piece, with notes of Rollin, Breillat, Argento and Hadzihalilovic. There are also echoes of Poe’s The Masque of the Red Death, as Françoise (Léonie Dahan-Lamort) finds herself among a throng of revellers, none of whom appear to share her feelings of impending doom. Writer-director Romain de Saint-Blanquat sets the story in an in-between space, reflecting the threshold Françoise stands upon, but despite her intentions, seems.
Set in 1967, La Morsure is a melancholy and mesmerising period piece, with notes of Rollin, Breillat, Argento and Hadzihalilovic. There are also echoes of Poe’s The Masque of the Red Death, as Françoise (Léonie Dahan-Lamort) finds herself among a throng of revellers, none of whom appear to share her feelings of impending doom. Writer-director Romain de Saint-Blanquat sets the story in an in-between space, reflecting the threshold Françoise stands upon, but despite her intentions, seems.
- 8/27/2023
- by James Gracey
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Are you ready to dive into the lurid world of essential Giallo horror movies, filled with garish murders, striking visuals, and twisting plots?
Born in the ’60s and thriving throughout the ’70s, Giallo takes its name from the Italian word for “yellow,” a nod to the cheap, pulpy mystery novels with yellow covers that inspired the genre. Characterized by elaborate set pieces, vivid colors, and convoluted plot twists, Giallo films are as intellectual as they are visceral. Renowned directors like Dario Argento and Mario Bava helped define the genre with their visual flair and innovative storytelling.
So grab your black leather gloves and let’s uncover 13 essential Giallo horror movies that will carve their way into your psyche.
Cineriz 1. Deep Red (1975)
In 1975, Dario Argento’s Deep Red captivated audiences with its masterful blend of suspense and horror. This enigmatic Giallo film tells the gripping story of Marcus Daly, a music...
Born in the ’60s and thriving throughout the ’70s, Giallo takes its name from the Italian word for “yellow,” a nod to the cheap, pulpy mystery novels with yellow covers that inspired the genre. Characterized by elaborate set pieces, vivid colors, and convoluted plot twists, Giallo films are as intellectual as they are visceral. Renowned directors like Dario Argento and Mario Bava helped define the genre with their visual flair and innovative storytelling.
So grab your black leather gloves and let’s uncover 13 essential Giallo horror movies that will carve their way into your psyche.
Cineriz 1. Deep Red (1975)
In 1975, Dario Argento’s Deep Red captivated audiences with its masterful blend of suspense and horror. This enigmatic Giallo film tells the gripping story of Marcus Daly, a music...
- 8/17/2023
- by Jonathan Dehaan
Tenebrae and Black Circle - Synapse Films Delivers Terrifying Sci-Fi Horror and Dark, Grisly Giallo in September: "On September 5th, acclaimed Spanish horror director Adrian Garcia Bogliano’s Black Circle comes to Blu-ray in an impressive edition that includes its original soundtrack on CD.
When sisters Celeste and Isa play a mysterious vinyl record from the 1970s, neither had any idea what they would unlock. They soon discover that the record, meant to induce calmness, created duplicates of themselves. As their doppelgängers grow in strength their only hope lies in finding the hypnotist who created the recording years ago. Featuring a mesmerizing score by Rickard Gramfors and a haunting performance by Christina Lindberg (Thriller: A Cruel Picture), Black Circle is a film you won’t soon forget.
The Blu-ray edition includes the original motion picture soundtrack on an included CD; an audio commentary with director Adrian Garcia Bogliano; the original...
When sisters Celeste and Isa play a mysterious vinyl record from the 1970s, neither had any idea what they would unlock. They soon discover that the record, meant to induce calmness, created duplicates of themselves. As their doppelgängers grow in strength their only hope lies in finding the hypnotist who created the recording years ago. Featuring a mesmerizing score by Rickard Gramfors and a haunting performance by Christina Lindberg (Thriller: A Cruel Picture), Black Circle is a film you won’t soon forget.
The Blu-ray edition includes the original motion picture soundtrack on an included CD; an audio commentary with director Adrian Garcia Bogliano; the original...
- 8/10/2023
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
‘Dario Argento Panico’ will premiere in Venice Classics.
Mediawan Rights, the sales arm of European content group Mediawan, has boarded Simone Scafidi’s documentary Dario Argento Panico ahead of the film’s Venice Classics premiere as it continues to ramp up its documentary slate.
The film follows the legendary Italian filmmaker as he finishes the script for his final film in a hotel alongside a crew shooting a movie about him.
It has already been sold to horror streamer Shudder for the US, UK, Canada, Latin America, Spain, Portugal and Australia and to distributor Non-Stop for Scandinavia. It will be released in Italy via Plaion.
Mediawan Rights, the sales arm of European content group Mediawan, has boarded Simone Scafidi’s documentary Dario Argento Panico ahead of the film’s Venice Classics premiere as it continues to ramp up its documentary slate.
The film follows the legendary Italian filmmaker as he finishes the script for his final film in a hotel alongside a crew shooting a movie about him.
It has already been sold to horror streamer Shudder for the US, UK, Canada, Latin America, Spain, Portugal and Australia and to distributor Non-Stop for Scandinavia. It will be released in Italy via Plaion.
- 7/27/2023
- by Rebecca Leffler
- ScreenDaily
Welcome to the Ghostface Glossary, a guide to every horror reference and nod throughout all six films in the Scream franchise thus far. Click the link to see previous articles.
After a lot of pausing, rewinding, and zooming in, as well as researching, we’re catching all of the many horror-specific references Williamson, Craven, and Co. included in this beloved postmodern slasher franchise. If we’ve forgotten any glaring ones, kindly let us know.
“Who gives a fuck about movies?!”
“Forget about the movies— the movies don’t matter.” Jason Voorhees, Patrick Bateman, Frank Zito. Now Ghostface. New York City may be the most exciting city in the world, but it can also be one of the scariest, and it was only a matter of time before Scream migrated from sleepy Woodsboro to the East Coast, giving much-needed kinetic energy and gritty set pieces to the long-running, postmodern slasher franchise.
After a lot of pausing, rewinding, and zooming in, as well as researching, we’re catching all of the many horror-specific references Williamson, Craven, and Co. included in this beloved postmodern slasher franchise. If we’ve forgotten any glaring ones, kindly let us know.
“Who gives a fuck about movies?!”
“Forget about the movies— the movies don’t matter.” Jason Voorhees, Patrick Bateman, Frank Zito. Now Ghostface. New York City may be the most exciting city in the world, but it can also be one of the scariest, and it was only a matter of time before Scream migrated from sleepy Woodsboro to the East Coast, giving much-needed kinetic energy and gritty set pieces to the long-running, postmodern slasher franchise.
- 7/17/2023
- by Julieann Stipidis
- bloody-disgusting.com
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