Rating: Summary: Top Notch Review: As an avid fan of Argento's work I eagerly awaited the release of DEEP RED . Although the plot is a rework of THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMMAGE it is definitely enough to keep the veiwers attention . The video transfer itself is execellent and the sound is also execellent . The plot moves along at a decent pace , only one or two slow parts . The end of the film is quite clever for those who paid attention to the beginning of the movie . The additional footage (Dubbed in Italian) really completes the film , without them the movie makes less sense . Overall i would highly recommend this to anyone who has an interest in this type of movie
Rating: Summary: disappointed Review: I took home my copy of Deep Red with much anticipation, only to see my hopes dashed by the fact that this film does not deserve all the hype.Granted the cinematography is beautiful, the lighting and soundtrack really add to the tension in certain scenes but THIS FILM IS NOT SCARY. I am not implying that a film has to be scary to be good, but a film hyped as one of the best from "Italian Horror Meister" Dario Argento should be. Stick with The Exorcist,Blair Witch or even the Wicked witch of the west from "Wizard of Oz", she still scares me more than this.
Rating: Summary: Masterpiece? Um..sure Review: I must admit, after seeing Tenebre (a vastly superior film ,by the way) i was a bit disappointed by Deep Red aka Hatchet Murders, aka Profondo Rosso. Thanks to the good people at Anchor Bay entertainment, Deep Red was restored to its full uncensored, uncut glory ( well ok i could hear some of you begging to differ...so a few seconds of footage was missing...big deal). As gory or convoluted as it is, Deep Red just doesn't deserve be acclaimed as a "masterpiece", which it has been by so many. The acting is near atrocious accept for the effervescent performance of Daria Nicolodi who plays the co-protagonist reporter. Also, let me mention that the dialogue FREQUENTLY slides from English to Italian with English subtitles due to lost parts of the soundtrack...this gets pretty annoying plus they'll do it right in the middle of a conversation! Well thats nothing to cry about but does take away from the overall effect of the film. The music is superb as usual and the camera work is quite deft. Well..thats all the really good things i can say for the movie. The plot is indeed a twisted mess that leads to a genuinely suprising ending, but if you look REALLY carefully during Daly's visit to the late Helga's house in the beggining, youll catch a glimpse of the killer! Despite the wicked cool ending, the pace of this movie is so unbearable! I found myself sighing and laying my head down at some points. In its uncut version, the movie is nearly two hours...which adds up to a lot of talking and wandering about. The kills are surprisingly sparse yet horrifying...wait till you see what happens to poor Marco. Even by today's standards i wouldn't consider this movie "tame". Gory as they may be the murders aren't as brutal as that of Suspiria or stylish as in Tenebre. This was Argento's big return to the giallo genre, but believe me his later films are much better. Deep Red is certainly not Argento at his best, but certainly is a lot better than things other film makers are coming coming out with these days See this movie, if for nothing else, it's awesome ending and the beautiful Ms. Nicolodi.
Rating: Summary: Finally - a definite edition Review: The film: I know the word is worn-out, but this IS Argento's masterpiece. There's style to boot, great camerawork, a chilling, brillant music score by Goblin and some of the strangest colour-palettes that you've ever seen (only topped by Argento's Suspira). This is finally the complete version of the film, clocking in at a towering 126 minutes. Brace yourself for a haunting, sometimes very violent thriller. The filmmakers spent a lot of thought how to make the audience uncomfortable - and they succeed: Scenes like the one where a man gets his teeth crushed over a fireplace are surely not a pretty sight. If you are a sensitive person, skip this film, if you like well-made thrillers, watch it, if you're an Argento fan you probably own the DVD already, right? The DVD: Besides the original release, this may be the only chance to see the film in this pristine condition. Beautiful. Really beautiful. Adding to the joy are some excellent features, exclusively shot for the DVD and involving the maestro himself. Since he stopped directing "Maniac Cop"-movies, director William Lustig has made it the goal in his life to present all Argento films in their best possible condition in the US. Congratulations, Bill, keep going!
Rating: Summary: You had to be there Review: I was living in Italy back in the Seventies, and I saw the original Profondo Rosso when it was first released. It was an instant hit: an exciting and terrifying paranormal thriller that set a new standard for gore, tense cinematography, and razor-edged soundtrack. Probably tame by today's cynical standards, but back then ... wow!
Rating: Summary: Argento is King Review: Italian horror is often an acquired taste, a good way to incliment yourself to the genera is the film "Deep Red". The director, Dario Argento, is a true master of the confused, gore-soaked plotline, and "Deep Red" succeeds in this respect in spades. This is a film, as is most Italian horror, that the jaded American film viewer should see, as it opens up new arenas of terror and a unique presentation of it's subject. Without a doubt, European horror is vastly different than the American counterpart. "Deep Red", at it's core, is a murder-mystery, as is most of Argento's films, and the story unfolds to reveal one macabre incident after another. The DVD presentation is interesting: in their quest to provide the most complete version possible, Anchor Bay has released the film uncut. This means that certain scenes are in Italian and or German with English subtitles. This is indicated on the box, (Except for the German part), but not indicated is the amazing frequency at which they occur. Some scenes begin in Italian and then slide into English....one second you are reading subtitles, the next the actors are speaking in English. This is not a criticism, but it is kind of weird, especially when the actors are in German and the subtitles are both Italian and English. The picture quality is excellent and the soundtrack by horror fave Goblin is spectacular, especially on a superior home theatre. If you are a fan of this kind of stuff, check it out. If you are not a fan, try Argento's "Phenomena", it is, in my opinion, a better introduction into this unique form of film.
Rating: Summary: BBBBAAAAAARRRRRFFFFFFF! Review: Hey, I read the reviews about this being "without a doubt Dario Argento's masterpiece." If this is his "masterpiece" I can safely say, without reservation, that you don't need to see any of his other movies. In fact, you don't need to see this one. It's a Grade B, 1970's Italian horror movie - period. If I can save just one person from seeing this, or any other of Argento's films, my life will have been productive. Story and acting bite - HARD. Ok, there were some good points - cinematography is very original in places, and the company that performed the DVD transfer did an outstanding job. But in the end, you can't make chicken salad out of chicken excrement.PASS THIS ONE BY!
Rating: Summary: Deep Red is no Suspiria Review: I've seen quite a bit of Euro-horror, and Deep Red is certainly one of the better films of the genre. Unlike Fulci (another favorite), Argento exercises just enough restraint, relying heavily on sound, atmosphere and slowly building tension--to call him a "slightly more gory Hitchcock" is fair. Deep Red has tension in spades. The film is gorgeously shot, with some nice panning camera angles, minimal, interesting soundtrack by the Goblins, a creepy, dreamy atmosphere and a nice detective/mystery element. Still, Deep Red is no Suspiria. The movie is a bit slow at points, the soundtrack is not nearly as jarring (the soundtrack to Suspiria might be the most legitimately frightening ever), and as pretty as the film is, it's not as otherworldly gorgeous as Argento's true masterpiece. A very worthy movie, certainly Argento's second best, but for the uninitiated, Suspiria is the best example of this excellent director's work.
Rating: Summary: Anchor Bay have saved this film! Review: There are numerous copies of Argento's films floating around video stores in Australia. Most of them are uncut but not in wide screen, and of very poor quality. I saw Deep Red a few years back and thought it was a great film, yet average when compared to Suspiria or Tenebre. Then I bought this film on DVD and realised that it is a masterpiece up there with anything Hitchcock, Lynch or Cronenberg have ever done. BUY THIS DVD!
Rating: Summary: Creepy and fascinating Review: Dario Argento's most widely-acclaimed giallo is not as gory as most (it's tame by today's standards) but was cut to ribbons when first released. Plot concerns a pianist (David Hemmings) who witnesses the murder of a psychic and slowly tries to fit things together himself. Dazzling array of visuals -- the title should be a hint! -- and a thorny plot with tons of dead ends and red herrings make for a very absorbing time. Fantastic use of widescreen and color; Goblin's loud, throbbing rock score also set a standard for future Argento productions. (Best moment: Hemmings finds the hidden mural in the "house of the screaming child".) Restored edition on DVD paves over some gaps in the soundtrack with Italian dialogue and electronic titles.
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