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Rating: 
Summary: WARNING!!!! DVDS IN THIS SET ARE OF DIFFERING QUALITY!!!!!
Review: Although both of these movies are extremely good with INCREDIBLE MUSIC, please be advised that both dvds are not of the same quality! DEEP RED is the better of the two, with anamorphic widescreen (enhanced for widescreen TVs), while TENEBRE simply contains the "matted" widescreen version (typical Anchor Bay cheesiness). If you have a widescreen TV or one with a widescreen "squeeze", you may want to wait for newer editions to eventually come out. If both movies were anamorphic, I would rate this collection a perfect 5 stars. Another ANCHOR BAY/ARGENTO warning: Bird With the Crystal Plumage may not play in older or cheaper DVD players. Two friends and myself purchased this DVD and have experienced the movie "freezing" at the same spot (the best shot of the movie, no less, at the bottom of the stairs). In my experience (and on the DVD player at the store where I returned it) the DVD would not play past this point. I think many are defective! Let the buyer beware!
Rating: 
Summary: 2 Argento Classics For The Price of 1!
Review: Anchor Bay's Dario Argento Collection Volume 3 represents the best of the Italian Hitchcock's distinguished career in horror. First up, we have DEEP RED, his breakthrough. I love the way Argento throws a simple eyewitness (in this case, a Jazz pianist/music teacher) into the mystery. There is a detail of the murder that he witnesses that is like a splinter in his mind (a missing painting) and compels him to investigate the murder. First off, DEEP RED is brilliantly realized and scary in its structure and execution; even things that seem unrelated fit into the solution! I also enjoyed the scenes with David Hemmings (the pianist) and Daria Nicolodi (the reporter that is investigating the murder); not only do they have a terrific chemistry lacking in today's movies, but these moments actually allow you to relax and often laugh. Sure the language switches are annoying at first (at least subtitles are provided, and the original Italian dialogue track is included, in 5.1 no less), but at least it's uncut. DEEP RED (aka PROFUNDO ROSSO) is a definite must-watch!
TENEBRE is considered by some Argento fans to be his masterpiece, and it's easy to see why; I bet Stephen King has seen this movie and could relate to it. The title refers to a murder mystery novel that is a best-seller and is being promoted in Rome by its author, Peter Neal (Anthony Franciosa). Anyway, someone is on a murderous rampage seemingly inspired by the book (in fact, the first victim has the pages of the book stuffed in her mouth as she is knifed). TENEBRE is rich in symbolism and style; just check out that photography! The ending is one of the greatest horror movie endings of all time! And again, another great performance by Daria Nicolodi as the author's friend; John Saxon steals it as Neal's agent. You have got to see this movie, it will blow you away!
This limited edition 2-pack is the best way to own Dario Argento's greatest achievements! Both films are light years beyond any horror film made before, between, or after them. This is Dario Argento at his best; HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!
Rating:
Summary: lower the f***ing price
Review: i haven't seen these movies, but i am an argento fan and i read that these were good. but whoever is selling these is not going to get anyone to pay such a damn ridiculous price for something that is supposed to cost $30. very unreasonable pricing.
Rating:
Summary: Which of the two is best?
Review: Ive never met an Argento movie i didnt love and these two are no exception. Stylish and intense would describe them both. Called by some, the Italian Hitchcock, Argento is truly a master of the genre. The quality of both DVD's is great, with fantastic sound and picture quality. The musical score by Goblin is marvelous.
Rating:
Summary: Which of the two is best?
Review: Ive never met an Argento movie i didnt love and these two are no exception. Stylish and intense would describe them both. Called by some, the Italian Hitchcock, Argento is truly the master of the genre. The quality of both DVD's is great, with fantastic sound and picture quality. Goblin's musical score in Deep Red is marvelous.
Rating:
Summary: THANK YOU,AMAZON.COM!
Review: NO WORDS CAN ENOUGH DESCRIBE FANTASTIC CUSTOMER SERVICE OF AMAZON.COM.YOU CAN'T GO WRONG ORDERING THIS 2DVD WITH 2 LEGENDARY FILMS FROM AMAZON.COM.AGAIN,THANK YOU MY BELOVED SHOP,YOU ARE THE BEST,AND NOT ONLY IN THE NET!
SO,LETS MOVE ON THIS 2 CLASSICS.TENEBRE - UNLIKE DEEP RED,THIS IS VERY BRIGHT GIALLO,YOU CAN SEE ALL PERFECT GORY MURDERS IN ALL THEIR GLORY,BUT IT DOES NOT SOFTENED THEIR IMPACT.CAMERA WORK IS,AGAIN,OF COURSE PERFECT,MUSIC IS FOR FIRST EXPERIENCE NOT SO GOOD,BUT WORKS IN FILM VERY GOOD.SO,IF YOU HAVE TASTE FOR PERFECT GORY GIALLO IN HIS FULL REMASTERED GLORY,YOU CAN'T GO WRONG WITH TENEBRE!
AND IF TENEBRE WASN'T ENOUGH,ON THE SECOND DISC IS DEEP RED - DARK,SCARY GIALLO,WITH REALLY BIG STORY,LEGENDARY MUSIC FROM GOBLINS,GOOD PERFORMANCES FROM ALL ACTORS,AND IN IT'S FULL,UNCUT 126 MIN.VERSION.
GO TO THE ROOTS,WATCH IT WITH PERFECT PICTURE AND SOUND,AND ENJOY IT'S BONUS MATERIALS,ALL FOM ANCHOR BAY ENTERTAIMENT!
THANK YOU,AMAZON.COM.BUY IT FOM AMAZON.COM NOW!!!
Rating:
Summary: A Double Dose of the Dying
Review: Normally I prefer to pick up movies in their own individual formats and avoid these dual releases. I never really liked the quality of many of the setups, with their cheap renditions of movie art and lame packaging to the sometimes lower quality of the product itself. Still, this was not the case in the Dario Argento Collections because, as others have testified, Anchor Bay's transfer was crisp and clean, certainly beat the older transferals I had seen. To add to this, I like the way the cover art gives a more modern depiction of both movies meshed into one, plus gives you the original art sampled on the inside.
As for the movies themselves:
Deep Red is a classic Italian suspense tale involving a witness overseeing a murder, rushing to the scene of the crime to help, and then finding himself ensnared in Argento's classical psychological/some physical torment web that engulfs both himself and the killer. There are a lot of layers circulating throughout the movie, giving it depth beyond the normal genre "slasher" flick. That said, its also one of the more gruesome films that Dario directed. With killings involving cleavers, oddly conceived decapitations, and other unique methods of murder that I won't mention for fear of spoiling them, it manages to keep the gore lover's attention without insulting them. With film restoration adding to the movie, you are given a clearer overall picture of what Argento wanted to present as well, despite language switches causing the need for subtitles throughout the movie.
Tenebrae is the story of the acclaimed novelist Peter Neal, whose works have obviously attracted much recognition. Currently we catch him in Rome, "doing the rounds" to promote his newest work, Tenebrae. Unfortunately for Neal, the novel has attracted a certain fan who is a bit more murderously influenced than most. Overall, I was impressed with this work because it operated off of story and not just gore. Tenebrae does have a few gruesome parts in it, mind you, but it also has a few points where the plot pivots on its heels. It manages to keep you wondering "who" without depriving you of the psychological torment that someone normally expects from Argento.
Both are nice pieces that seem to suit both Argento fans, newcomers, and even some critics alike. I recommend them highly.
Rating:
Summary: Bravo times two
Review: Starring David Hemmings (who recently passed away) and Dario's real life squeeze Daria Nicolodi, "Deep Red" continually reminded me of his first picture, "The Bird With the Crystal Plumage" because Argento presents us with essentially the same set up. This time around we have American jazz musician Marcus Daly (Hemmings) witnessing the gruesome murder of his psychic neighbor in an apartment building. Intrigued, Daly starts to investigate the crime and soon runs into a chatty Italian journalist named Gianna (Nicolodi). Predictably, he soon runs into trouble with the local cops and comes to suspect that the murderer is looking to have a good old face-to-face meeting with the man who witnessed his bloody work. Daly must attempt to put the pieces of the crime together if he wishes to save his life, a process that becomes problematic as he deals with the blundering interference of Gianna. You know Daly will solve the crime by identifying the killer, and you know Argento will take you on the most roundabout way to that end, but that doesn't lessen the fun in getting there. That creepy, abandoned house where Daly must go to discover vital clues to the killer's identity towards the end is only the last eerie set piece in a film loaded with them. I now understand why "Deep Red" is a cult classic and considered one of the premier giallo films.
The gore here is standout stuff, and, let's face it, that's one thing we all want to see in an Argento film. There's a few stabbings, of course, but there are also scenes virtually insuring a good cringe or two. A face dunked in boiling water, a horrific death involving a head bashed against sharp furniture corners (!!), and a head crushed under a tire all take place in graphic, stomach churning close up. I noticed that Argento recycled a few of things seen here in "Sleepless," but that in no way mitigates the grisly effect of them in "Deep Red." Humorous scenes, such as Daly's attempts to adjust his body to the contours of Gianna's decrepit car, provide a necessary breather between gore sequences but the high sauce content in the movie still got under my skin. Moreover, Argento marries the atrocities with frequently clever clues that help move the plot along. For example, the scalding scene sees the victim using a finger to leave a message on the steamed up wall of the bathroom before death sets in. Obviously, for anyone to see the message again the bathroom must be filled with steam. Neat little tricks like this one make me want to hug Argento if I ever meet the guy because these flourishes make "Deep Red" light years better than most of the junk out there today.
I happen to think "Tenebrae" may well be the best Argento film I have seen, even better than his first wave of gialli. It's the story of Peter Neal (Anthony Franciosa), a popular writer of disturbing novels who travels to Italy to promote his latest thriller. Unfortunately for Neal, and more so for several other people, a killer decides to imitate the murders laid out in the author's most recent book. It isn't too long before the local police, in the form of Detective Germani (Giuliano Gemma), make the connection between the homicides and Neal's book. With his assistant Anna (Daria Nicolodi), book agent Bullmer (John Saxon), and a young man named Gianni (Christian Borromeo) standing by his side, the popular novelist soon joins the investigation into these grisly crimes. And grisly they are as only Dario Argento can make them. We see throat slashings, stabbings, a hand liberated from a wrist, and other gooey surprises shot in the sort of alarming, extreme close up that is a trademark of this director's brand of cinematic carnage. "Tenebrae" constitutes one of Argento's most disturbingly violent escapades into the giallo genre. It is, fortunately, one of his most coherent films as well.
Neal continues to promote his book even as he helps the police in the hunt for the killer. He faces a slew of protests about the supposedly misogynistic, ultra violent content of his novels from an angry female protestor and from a smarmy television critic on one of those face-to-face talk shows. Both of Neal's critics perish horribly soon after (surprise, surprise), thus throwing some suspicion on the author himself as a prime suspect. Of course, many others could very well be the ones putting on the black gloves. The only real clue we get from Argento, if you can call it that, is a weird flashback of a young woman tormenting a boy with her red-heeled shoes. As creepy carnival style music plays throughout the flashback, we then see the focus shift to the killer stepping out from behind a hedgerow to stab the woman. What this memory means, and why we see it from the perspective of the killer, soon emerges as "Tenebrae" draws to its ultra shocking conclusion. And the conclusion is shocking, containing some of the most graphic gore I've seen as well as a truly gasp worthy revelation I won't elaborate on here except to say other films ("Nightmares in a Damaged Brain" comes to mind) have used it to great effect. "Tenebrae" is a real treat for the horror fan.
What are you waiting for? If you haven't spent any time with Argento, these two films offer the perfect introduction for the curious beginner. Old timers will just enjoy seeing them again. You get a bunch of extras on both of these discs, including commentaries, trailer, behind the scenes stuff, interviews, stills, and bios. You've got your marching orders, soldier. Now get going!
Rating:
Summary: beautiful color to enrich a bloody classic
Review: The color saturation is the key element to enrich a beautifully mastered bloody classic. Years ago I saw the japanese import laser disk of Deep Red; a muddy, murky print with scratches to boot. This is actually the complete Italian version Profondo Rosso and it has never looked better. The mise-en-scene of Dario Argento's Giallo masterpeice is allowed to fully flower, and can now be completely appreciated as it was meant to be seen. A key scene where a man's head is crushed by an oncoming vehical can now be seen in all it's gory, visceral detail, and seems to jump out right into your lap with this compelling DVD edition. The extras are excellent. An informative 25th aniversary featurette, trailers, and interviews with Dario. An unforgettable film experience given its full power by gorgeous print quality.Tenebre is equally beautiful. The killer's flashback sequences come off particularly well. High contrast separates the red blood from background color, fully enriched by the print quality. The arm lopping scene, cut from all editions until now, will absolutely shock and amaze the viewer with its color contrast between the white wall and deep red gore. The informative 4 page booklet for Deep Red and the poster for Tenebre are very nice additions to two beaufully enriched classics, with many scenes thought lost, only to be seen on inferior bootleg copies. Thank you Anchor Bay for this definitive special edition.
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