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Tenebre

Tenebre

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Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Tenebre
Review: Being a self proclaimed 'huge Argento fiend', I found this movie to be amongst the absolute worst of his work. Don't get me wrong, it is watchable (although completely predictable from the outset) and does have some creepy Argento moments. It doesn't have much to offer in the way of what most look for in his films. I read that it was supposed to take on the look of a 'Columbo' type detective program, but it just doesn't work for me. Argentos' best work comes when it is dark and brooding. This movie becomes exactly what I hated about slasher flicks. And in reality, the main reason why I like his films is because he did something to the typical slasher genre and made it into art. Much like his mentor Leone did with the western. As a fan, it is indespensible of course. Maybe calling it his absolute worst is harsh, but in my opinion.....it is. For completists and fans of movies like "Dressed To Kill" only. Go after 'Suspiria' or 'Deep Red' if you are looking for a jump on point of Argentos work.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Most Complete version available
Review: Altough it is said to be uncut, Tenebre is still missing 9 minutes of footage as the the complete version is clocked at 110Min and the anchor bay edition is 101Min. This is Argento's masterpiece as many of his major themes come full circle in this excellent thriller. This is my favorite Argento flick along with Deep Red and Opera(which I can't wait when Anchor Bay releases a uncut version of that film). Hopefully one day Anchor Bay will revisit this film and release it in the full 110Min edition with the options of Italian with english subtitles and letterboxed.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: STYLISH YET STUPID
Review: Why does Anthony F. put his luggage down in the middle of nowhere while he takes a phone call?

Eh. Whatever I thought it was a sylish masterwork nonetheless.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: One of Argento's best
Review: If you're looking for typical teen slasher fare, then this is *not* the film for you, but if you're looking for a truly adult serial killer terror film, Tenebre is a masterpiece. Argento's virtuso filmmaking technique is used to great effect in this film, creating genuinely sinister and suspenseful atmosphere, with amazing, sometimes jaw-dropping camerawork, brutal but elegantly staged murders, and all in the service of a very clever and well-plotted mystery from Argento that kept me guessing right up until the end.

The music score by members of long-time Argento collaborators The Goblins is used very effectively, and Anthony Francisosa gives a fine performance in the lead, as an American writer in Rome, who becomes personally involved when the murders in his lastest novel start coming true.

Anchor Bay has done a superb job with this release; if you are still buying VHS like me, this is about as good as it gets. The picture and sound quality are excellent, the VHS is letterboxed in the film's proper 1.85:1 aspect ratio, and is presented unrated and uncut, as all Argento films should be.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Everything You'd Expect in an Argento Film!
Review: This has everything you'd expect in an Argento film: a wide range of acting quality, characters who say and do things that don't make sense considering their situations, a muddled mystery, great-looking women (i.e. victims), colorful and stylish photography, special makeup effects which are only sometimes effective, and great murder setpieces. I actually jumped twice which is two more times than when watching most recent horror movies. Somehow it all works out to an enjoyable DVD. Nice widescreen transfer, minimal extras.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: quality release of Argento's masterpiece
Review: While new-comers to Argento should check out AB's release of Deep Red first, this is one of Argento's finest and most accomplished thrillers and certainly more accessible than something like Inferno or Phenomena. The plot is deliberately - perhaps deceptively - simple; an American horror novellist arrives in Italy to promote his new book, but a series of homicides begin which seem to imitate the murders in his book. I wouldn't dream of giving away the ending but trust me - it's worth waiting for. While it doesn't quite have the visual beauty of Suspiria, or enough twists or interesting characters to put it in the leages of Deep Red or Bird with the Crystal Plumage, this film is far from his worst and worth buying if only for the marvellous presentation - a rare commentary from Argento and Simonetti and some other guy (a journalist I think), behind the scenes footage (quite short and lifted from Dario Argento's world of Horror, but a welcome addition nevertheless). Oh yes, and did I mention, it also contains the highest body count of any Argento film - and probably the bloodiest death (listen to Argento's commentary at this point - 'she's an artist, eh?. . . She's painting the walls with it! It's like she's saying "thank-you Dario, thank-you' - I love that guy.)

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Argento's true masterpice
Review: Absolutely marvelous! Featuring sophisticated, super-stylish cinematography, an engrossing plot, a hauntingly eerie score, and overly gratuitious gore, Tenebre is a must see for any true horror fan. Argento was inspired to write this after an obsessed Suspiria fan sent him a death threat, and the result is a raw, thoughtful piece of Italian horror. Once again, a trademark Argento killer with a predilection for black leather gloves is on the loose...inspired by murders from the protagonist's latest novel Tenebre. Of course, the movie is superbly shot and utilizes suspenseful vouyeristic angles. The music couldnt be more suitable, but the acting could have used some work. Among the most memorable scenes include flashbacks featuring real life transexual Eva Robins; these scenes are beautifully shot and quite vague until the end. Also this film contains the bloodiest axe murder i have ever seen in my eighteen years...it will send shivers down your spine! Granted, Tenebre is an extremely violent and gory film, but make no mistake; the kills are elegantly executed and done with such finesse that one almost forgets that murder is wrong. In comparison, over-top-gore films such as Dead Alive or Dawn of the Dead seem rather crass and childish. Though many consider Deep Red (an excellent film, by the way) to be Argento's masterpiece, I side with Tenebre. The pace is much, much quicker, the camera work is more complex, deaths are more dramatic, and the plot held my attention the whole way through. Deep Red (the full, uncut 126 minute version),with all due respect, suffers from pointless, lengthy dialogue and a few uneventful sequences..great ending though! If you have a choice, pick Tenebre. What Im trying to say is that Dario Argento is unequivocally the master of horror. Don't miss this one!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A gruesome thriller.
Review: It's good to finally see a decent copy of Tenebre(previously only available in a severely butchered form entitled Unsane) commercially available in the U.S.. It is a VERY violent film that may turn some people off. However, for those who like their horror wild, bloody, amd artistically directed, this is the film for you.

The story is well constructed and easily involves the viewer despite the fact that the visuals often overwhelm the plot details. Argento's flair for wringing menace out of ordinary things and situations is in evidence throughout. Danger and foreboding seem to lurk in every corner, threatening to leap out at any moment.

As usual, the film is a feast for the eyes and ears. The virtuoso camera work, rich colors, set designs, and excellent score by Goblin members Simonetti, Morante, and Pignatelli all work together to push this film into classic territory.

See this film!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: THIS IS WHERE "SCREAM" GOT ITS 'CREATIVE' IDEAS!
Review: If "SCREAM" SHOCKED YOU and kept you in suspense, than DON'T SEE THIS as it will surely KILL YOU! Dario Argento is at it again with brilliant gore murders and more suspense in one murder scene than all of "Scream" and "Urban Legend" combined! An author is stalked in Rome while a murderer is using the murders from his latest novel to kill off "degenerates". You will never guess who the killer is!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Agatha Christie Gone Mad
Review: When I first saw Tenebrae Ididn't know what I was to make of it. After all it opens with a shot of a book clearly written in Italian that is followed by a close up of the same book only this time in English.Dogdy. But as soon as the extremely infectious theme tune kicks in you know where you are. Cheese town. The main character Peter Neil , a writer whose thrillers are the inspiration for a series of murders, somehow makes you think that William Shatner somewhat under played Captain Kirk! There is so much to enjoy here :red herrings,bad clothes,gory murders,some extremely unnerving moments,hilarious bit parts(Johnny the PA is Fred from Scooby Doo made flesh!)and the sense that the director is trying to send you mad guessing who the murderer is.The whodunnit feel gives the impression this is what a modern Agatha Christie novel would be like.....if Miss Marple were to get an axe in the back come finale time.


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