’70s Argento at the Gene Siskel Film Center

January 8, 2023 by Jon Kitley in Movie Events and tagged Bird with the Crystal Plumage, Cat O'Nine Tails, Dario Argento, Deep Red, Four Flies on Grey Velvet, Gene Siskel Film Center, Italian horror, Suspiria, The Five Days | Leave a comment

If you’re a fan of Dario Argento, especially his early work, and live somewhat close to Chicago, you might want to check this out. Starting on Feb. 3rd, they will be screening Argento’s first 6 feature films over the course of 7 days. Below is the list of titles, dates, and times. If you haven’t had the chance to see these on a big screen, then now is your chance to knock out his early titles, which many would argue are his best, including the rare comedy he made, The Five Days, aka Five Days in Milan. For more details, you can go directly to the Gene Siskel site by clicking HERE.

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Book Review – Fear: The Autobiography of Dario Argento

October 3, 2019 by Jon Kitley in Reviews: Horror Reference Book and tagged Bird with the Crystal Plumage, Cat O'Nine Tails, Dario Argento, Deep Red, FAB Press, Fear: The Autobiography of Dark Argento, Four Flies on Grey Velvet, Opera, Prondo Rosso, Suspiria | Leave a comment

Fear: The Autobiography of Dario Argento
Published by FAB Press, 2019. 288 pages.
By Dario Argento

No matter what you have to say about Dario Argento, he is a powerful voice in cinema, with a staggering amount of pictures that will be discussed at length, at movie conventions and film schools alike, for many years to come. So when news of his autobiography, which was first published in Italy in 2014, was going to see its first English version thanks to FAB Press, I immediately pre-ordered a copy.

Autobiographies can be a bit tricky, especially coming from someone as high up as Argento is. Sometimes they can be very self-indulgent, filled with self-praise, or even though while entertaining, you question the legitimacy of some, if not all of the stories. So I went into this volume with a slight trepidation as to what I was going to get. What I did get was something that felt completely honest and written from the heart. If there is one thing that is filled within each and every page, it is passion. Even in the opening chapter, when he touches on his thoughts of suicide, you can tell he is not holding back with his stories. Continue reading →

Movie Review: Cat O’ Nine Tails

February 19, 2018 by Jon Kitley in Reviews: Movies and tagged Alan Jones, Arrow Video, Cat O'Nine Tails, Dario Argento, James Franciscus, Karl Malden, Kim Newman | Leave a comment

The Cat o’ Nine Tails (1971)
Directed Dario Argento
Starring James Franciscus, Karl Malden, Catherine Spaak, Pier Paolo Capponi, Horst Frank, Tino Carraro, Rada Rassimov, Aldo Reggiani, Carlo Alighiero

This has always been my favorite of Argento’s Animal Trilogy. Even though the reveal at the end of the film doesn’t have the big “It’s You!” payoff that a good thriller might have, this is a giallo after all so it comes down to many other things. But having a blind puzzle maker as one of the main protagonists is something that I’ve always thought was a cool idea, and Malden does an excellent job here.

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