September 7 - Dario Argento

Happy 80th Birthday, Dario Argento! Born today in 1940, this Italian film critic, screenwriter, producer and director is best known for his work in the horror film genre during the 1970s and 1980s. particularly in the subgenre known as giallo.  

He is also known for his influence on modern horror films, which has led him to being referred to as the "Master of the Thrill" and the "Master of Horror". 

Argento was the first-born son of famed Italian film producer Salvatore Argento and Brazilian fashion model and photographer Elda Luxardo.  

Argento recalls getting his ideas for filmmaking from his close-knit family from Italian folk tales told by his parents and other family members, including an aunt who told him frighting bedtime stories.  

Argento based most of his thriller movies on childhood trauma, yet his own--according to him--was a normal one. 

Along with tales spun by his aunt, Argento was impressed by stories from The Grimm Brothers, Hans Christian Andersen and Edgar Allan Poe. 

Argento began his career in film as a critic, writing for various magazines while still attending high school. Argento did not attend college, electing rather to take a job as a columnist at the newspaper Paese Sera. 

While working at the newspaper, Argento also began working as a screenwriter. His most notable work was for Italian film director, producer and screenwriter Sergio Leone.  

He and Italian director and screenwriter Bernardo Bertolucci collaborated on the story for Leone's epic 1968 Italian/American Spaghetti Western drama/action film 'C'era una volta il West' ('Once Upon a Time in the West'). 

Two years later, Argento began working on his directorial debut, and the first film of which he is also best known for writing and directing. 

This was the 1970 Italian/West German thriller/romance giallo film 'L'uccello dalle piume di cristallo' ('The Bird with the Crystal Plumage'). Argento's father had produced the film. 

It tells of American writer, Sam Dalmas (Tony Musante), who is living in Rome with his girlfriend, Julia (Suzy Kendall).  

While visiting an art gallery, Sam witnesses an unsuccessful murder attempt by a mysterious figure. 

As the assailant is believed to be an infamous serial killer, Sam quickly becomes a key witness in the ongoing police investigation.  

After he begins searching for clues that may help him identify the killer, Sam discovers that he may be the next intended victim. 

The film was originally cut by twenty seconds for its American release and received a 'GP' rating, though it was later re-classified as 'PG'. It has since been released in the United States uncut. 

'The Bird with the Crystal Plumage' is the first installment in Argento's Animal Trilogy. It was later followed by two other installments.  

These were the 1971 Italian/French/Weat German thriller/mystery giallo film 'Il gatto a nove code' ('The Cat o' Nine Tails') and the 1971 mystery/thriller giallo film '4 mosche di velluto grigio' ('Four Flies on Grey Velvet'). 

For the trilogy, Italian composer, orchestrator, conductor, and trumpet player Ennio Morricone provided the scores.  

Six years later, Argento co-wrote and the directed the second and final film of which he is best known. This was the 1977 Italian supernatural horror/mystery film 'Suspiria'.  

The film was produced by Italian film producer and screenwriter Claudio Argento. He is the younger brother of Dario. 

The film follows Suzy Bannon (Jessica Harper), who travels to Germany to attend ballet school. 

However, when she arrives in Freiburg, late on a stormy night, no one lets her in, and she sees Pat Hingle (Eva Axén), another student, fleeing from the school.  

When Pat reaches her apartment, she is murdered. The next day, Suzy is admitted to her new school, but has a difficult time settling in. She hears noises, and often feels ill. As more people die, Suzy uncovers the terrifying secret history of the place.

German actor and voice actor Udo Kier as Dr.Frank Mandel. However, he is dubbed by Frank von Kugelgen.     

'Suspiria' was based on English essayist Thomas De Quincy's 1845 novel Suspiria de profundis (a Latin phrase meaning "sighs from the depths"). The book is one of the best-known and most distinctive literary works. 

The film has become one of Argento's most successful feature films, receiving critical acclaim for its visual and stylistic flair, and use of vibrant colors.

It is also acclaimed for its score provided bythe Italian progressive rich band Goblin. They frequently collaborate with Argento, who also co-wrote the music for 'Suspiria'. 

'Suspiria' is the first of the trilogy Argento refers to as The Three Mothers. 

The other two installments include the 1980 Italian supernatural horror/mystery splatter film 'Inferno' and the belated 2007 Italian-American supernatural horror film 'La terza madre' ('Mother of Tears'). 

Goblin's other more notable work with Argento include his 1975 Italian horror/mystery giallo film 'Profondo Rosso' ('Deep Red', also known as 'The Hatchet Murders'). 

This was the film that eventually made Argento famous internationally, and inspired a number of other directors to work in the genre. 

This included John Carpenter, who has frequently referred to the influence Argento's early work had on 'Halloween'.

The following year after the release of 'Suspiria', Argento co-wrote the music for George A. Romero's 1978 American/Italian independent horror/zombie film 'Dawn of the Dead'. This was alongside Goblin. 

In the mid-2000s, Argento directed an episode of the American anthology television series Masters of Horror (2005–2007). This was the fifty-eight-minute drama/thriller "Jenifer" (S01E04), airing on November 18, 2005. 

In the late 2010s, Italian film director, producer, and screenwriter Luca Guadagnino ('Call Me by Your Name') helmed the 2018 American supernatural horror/fantasy film 'Suspiria', a remake of Argento's titular film.  

The American screenplay is based off of the original script Argento wrote with Italian actress and screenwriter Daria Nicolodi. 

On a budget of $20 million, 'Suspiria' only earned back $7.7 million at the box office. It currently holds a rating of 66% on Rotten Tomatoes, as opposed to the original film's 93% rating.  

The critical responses were notably polarized upon its release. American film critic and journalist Peter Travers of Rolling Stone stressed that "polarizing" served as "too tame a word" to describe the reactions to the film.  

American film critic and columnist Justin Chang of the Los Angeles Times said: "Guadagnino, who has said he wanted to remake Suspiria since he first saw it more than 30 years ago, signals both his reverence and his seriousness by departing from it in every way imaginable — visually, sonically, dramatically, emotionally."

Of Argento's two daughters, the most notable is the second. This is Italian actress, director, and singer Asia Argento.

She has had roles in several of her father's features, and achieved mainstream success with appearances in 'XXX' (2002), Romero's 'Land of the Dead' (2005) and Sofia Coppola's ('Lost in Translation') 'Marie Antionette' (2006). 

The trademarks in Argento's films include closeups of eyes, (frequently that of the killer), and that the main character is usually involved in an "artistic" profession, like writing or music and that all narration in his films is his own voice. 

Also, whenever a male murderer's hands are shown, (especially in scenes killing women), Argento uses his own hands. 

His protagonists are usually American or English foreigners somewhere in Europe who witness a violent crime at the beginning of the film and proceed to be threatened by and try to foil the villains. 

Argento frequently shoots his films in Turin, and also frequently uses a Steadicam. 

His scripts often contain some kind of strange scientific or medical factoid. His main characters are frequently people with an artistic profession, such as music, literature and theatre. 

The closing credits of all his films begin with the caption "You have been watching" followed by the movie's title. 

Although, to the uninitiated, the frequently used analogy "the Italian Hitchcock" may offer a quick and tidy summation of Argento's enduring career, this overused comparison ultimately fails to give Argento due credit for his undeniable originality and natural talent as a filmmaker.

One of a handful of quotes from Argento is "If you don't like my movies, don't watch them."

The often disturbing and horrific films of Argento possess a transcendent visual beauty. 

In addition, he carries the flame for such Italian cinematic legends as Italian filmmaker Mario Bava ('Black Sunday'). 

Combined with Argento's talent for weaving supremely menacing mysteries to create waking celluloid nightmares, he allows them to burn into the audience's psyche. 

Also known as Sirio Bernadotte, Argento has been active from 1966–present. 

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