Let's be realistic.

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

After watching countless horror movies, new and old, it cannot be denied that there are few titles that can "knock it out of the park." When I came across this title, and recognized Darios name attached to it, I knew it was going to be good. Rewind to 1985, to the horror film Phenemonia, aka Creepers ( I think its the United States release name for the film), and for years, I was convinced that this was the best horror movie I had ever seen in my lifetime. 10 years its senior, we have Deep Red, and while I am still convinced that Phenemonia is the undisputed champ of horror, Deep Red is an equally solid piece of work from this incredibly gifted and talented man. To be fair, Deep Red is not just a horror film. It mixes mystery, suspense, and an intense thriller atmosphere, not to mention just the right amount of drama, humor, and maybe even a little romance to it. Lushly detailed, the film centers on a man who has witnessed the murder of a woman from a higher story balcony, named Marcus, who is played by David Hemmings. She wasn't just any victim, she was a psychic. There will be more murders, the prime targets seem to be all female, but has Marcus added his name to the list, because he is a witness? Only time will tell, but time is running out, and its up to him to help solve and crack this case, before more blood is shed. While not perfect, its hard to find the flaws of Deep Red, as it is a hardcore, skillfully crafted classic that they just don't make anymore. Some scenes are violent, some scenes are eerie, and some are just flat out creepy. Let the viewer be warned, Dario Argento knows how to get inside your head, and that is exactly where he is burying this treasure.

A prime example of how superior direction can elevate a film to something greater than the sum of its parts. At its core, Deep Red plays with the same basic structure and themes as any other giallo film. But with Dario Argento at the helm, the familiar tropes rise to a new plane of vibrancy and vitality that few other directors in the genre are able to achieve. There's so much subtlety in the way Argento accomplishes this: the way he carefully stages and photographs his set pieces, the fluid movements of his camera, the Hitchcockian escalation of suspense, the occasionally bizarre and dream-like flourishes, the off-color use of music. Each plays a crucial role in breathing life into the film and differentiating it from the competition, and the result is a film which earns its reputation as one of the best in the genre. Unfortunately I do still have some nagging issues, mainly with the pacing and the length of the film. At times it does feel as if it could've been tightened up into a slightly more well-oiled machine. And of course there is some cheesiness and stilted acting here and there which is pretty much par for the course for the genre. But when the film is at its best, it is quite arresting and certainly offers some of the best thrills the genre has to offer. Definitely one I look forward to revisiting.Strong 4/5

I've not always been a huge fan Dario Argento, nor am I always a massive lover of Giallo's, but damnit if this ain't a great little piece of a Italian suspense cinema! The story is somewhat middling, as is most Argento plots (and let's be fair, most giallo plots), but it moves at a good enough clip, and I was never disinterested in it. The eye for artrsy that Argento would late use to unrestrained efforts with "Suspiria" can be seen to in great effect here! The lingering, beautiful shots of dolls, and disturbing array of other objects the killer keeps around are, are not only very pretty to look at, but also add a further feeling of unease from our mysterious killer. Is there any special meaning, or significance in shooting these objects the way he does? Nope! And honestly, it's an Argento picture, so who cares?! Goblin, in their first collaboration with the director, really hit it out of the park with this one. They are mostly considered with the fantastic score they delivered in Argento's follow up (the aforementioned "Suspiria") but their work here is really worth a mention as well. Pounding, electrifying, and giving great exuberance to the already colorful world Argento paints. It almost feels like it makes the colors even more bright, stunning you with what's on screen--really fantastic stuff. Absolutely check this film out if you're a fan of giallos, or Italian cinema as a whole. It moves with a better clip, and the mystery is easier to follow than a lot of the giallo fair, and on top of that, it's one of the more accessible Argento pictures. Watch it!

Following the brutal murder of a renowned psychic, a pianist witness teams up with a reporter to investigate the psychic's death but the twisting case provides plenty of clues with no connection to each other and they race to stop the killer before he strikes again.This here was one of the better gialli's ever made and one of Argento's strongest efforts. What really stands out here is that, like most gialli's of the time-period there's a great deal of effort paid to the strong story as it's one of the finest ever concocted in the genre. This is set-up from the beginning with the fantastic murder scene committed in shadows on a living room wall while an eerie lullaby plays out in the background, and then once the killings proper start this draws out plenty more to like within this. Following up the lullabye, they find the connection with the house and the shattered memories locked up in there and that leads to the connection with the children's drawings found at the elementary school and the struggle to piece all these together with the lone puzzle piece that he can remember from the initial attack he he witnessed. As always, we're given a clue to who the killer is, but the killer is always seen with such an item that using it as the definitive piece to prove the identity would be impossible. Giving only the traditional pair of black gloves, a brown jacket and blond hair, which are very common items or traits, are nearly impossible to use as evidence to name a killer, is a very rare and even completely refreshing thing to use as a manner of identification rather than either hardly seeing who it is or by not even showing them at all. All of this works incredibly well in leaving the film with a strong and engaging central mystery that comes across really well here and setting the stage for the centerpiece kill scenes that are known for the visually-creative methods of killing people. There's plenty to like about these graphic, brutal kills that manage to look stunningly beautiful as well as horribly graphic and brutal, which makes for a much better time here, and given that there's a slew of strong suspenseful stalking scenes scattered along the way there's plenty of stylish and impressive work here. Even the score is pretty creepy, and is one of Goblin's best, all making for a good time to hold out over the film's very few negatives. The one main thing negatively about this is it has a tendency to simply stop the plot altogether and concentrate on a particular character trait that doesn't need to be in the story. Here, it's at for having a middle act that is completely devoid of any activity. He really does nothing except simply have play the piano at odd intervals which has no tension, no suspense, hardly anything other than the typical penchant for filming boring scenes with odd shots and angles. Likewise, the one thing about the soundtrack was that it was used as a sound effect, popping out occasionally to surprise the viewer. It works well the first time, but grows repetitive and doesn't work as time goes on. Otherwise, this here is one of the genre's best efforts.Rated R: Graphic Violence, Brief Nudity, and Language.