Greatest Dario Argento films (August 2013)
Argento was, for my money, one of the greatest horror film directors of all time. He was certainly one of the greatest Italian horror film directors of all time. He is an equal to Mario Bava in many ways. Although his films are notable for the gruesome violence within them, they are also works of art in their own right. Someone once said that any one frame of film from his films could be framed as individual pieces of artwork. I believe that this is the case. Even the violence has a certain lurid beauty to it in Argento's work. His main forte was giallo. These were murder mysteries where a murder has taken place and the protagonist has to try to find out who the murderer is. They are usually threatened by the killer themselves or are considered suspects themselves. It is always an unseen killer in disguise. The murders are usually done with sharp objects. In Argento's films, the murders are elaborate, dramatic set pieces. I believe that the influence of this can be seen in later slasher films such as A Nightmare on Elm Street. Some compare him to Fulci, but I believe a more apt comparison would be to Hitchcock.
10. Sleepless
9. Phenomenon
8. Cat O' Nine Tails
7. Four Flies on Grey Velvet
6. Tenebrae
5. Inferno
4. Terror at the Opera
3. Deep Red
2. Bird with the Crystal Plumage
1. Suspiria
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