Movies
A pleasant rewatch, but not quite as good as the first time I watched it. It's still infinitely better than the remake, but somehow I had a bit more trouble getting past the overstated performances this time around. Goblin's score wasn't a complete success either, which made it more difficult to get wrapped up in the visual splendor on display. The cinematography is the main attraction here. The sets are extravagant, the colors are insane and each shot has been carefully set up. The soundtrack is just as outrageous but more dated. The horror elements are rather minimal though and the performances are absolutely grating. Still, if you love a colorful horror flick, Argento has you covered.Read all
The Bird with the Crystal Plumage
Dario Argento's first is a pretty standard Giallo. For its time, it must've been quite something else, but as someone who isn't a big fan of the genre, it's hardly a film that stands out. It does have that first-time director energy that makes it a tad easier to appreciate, other than that the name and poster are by far the most beautiful things about the film. The performances aren't too great, the murders are a little clunky and the story is simple (the twist included). It's typical genre fare, and while some of it is pretty stylized in its own particular way, it just doesn't gel with me. Fans of Argento and Giallo cinema should give it a go though, it's one of the better ones I've seen so far.Read all
Not a big fan of this Argento. It's not as outrageous or extravagant as Suspiria, which leaves a somewhat tepid mystery with terrible performances, distracting dubs, and a cheesy soundtrack. 90 minutes would've been more than enough, but somehow this film ended up being stretched beyond the 2-hour mark. The cinematography is somewhat interesting, but it's not very consistent. The actors are terrible, Goblin's soundtrack is ill-fitting and I didn't really care for the giallo elements. I just wasn't invested enough in the investigation, add to that the disappointing stylistic choices, and what's left is an overly long film with too much unrealized potential.Read all
