Dario Argento

[GarryCharles]

Has any one seen The Card Player yet. Have read some shitty reviews, but am a fan of Argentos work. Is it worth buying or would it be wiser to rent. :devil:

[spiritual boxer]

I'm also a big Argento fan, but let me warn you that the CARD PLAYER is not like any previous Argento films. This is a very sedated Argento film-the violence, gore, style, and camera work- that we all have come to love and expect in an Argento film is not present in this film; in other words, the material is very subdued, it is like if Argento had two personalities-one personality being a wuss, and the other personality is the Argento that we all love- now try to imagine that the wussy Argento slipped something into the drink of the old Argento, causing him to fall asleep, allowing the wussy to take over the director's seat, and that is what you get in regards to the feel and direction of the film. Even though, there are moments in the CARD PLAYER that I enjoyed; I must warn you that if you are heading into this movie expecting to watch a typical Argento film, then you will be let down, so I recommend that you rent first before you buy.

[GarryCharles]

Thank you for the words of wisdom.

Was a little dubious after having watched Sleepless, that seemed to have its good points, but seemed lacking. Let us hope that he finds the old magic and gives us something amazing next time. :devil:

[spiritual boxer]

I agree with you. I was a little let down when I first watched SLEEPLESS, but I still think that the film has some very redeemable qualities about it, but if I were to compare SLEEPLESS with THE CARD PLAYER, I think that SLEEPLESS is by far, the more superior of the two. I'm still waiting for him to finish his "Three Mothers Trilogy".

[Scott W. Davis]

It's in my Nicheflix queue. I've only hated one Argento film, PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, which at least had good art direction but nothing else. I'm such a fan that I'd probably watch two ours of Argento on the toilet if someone ripped a DVD of it.

[spiritual boxer]

Originally posted by Scott W. Davis@Apr 9 2005, 07:18 PM
It's in my Nicheflix queue. I've only hated one Argento film, PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, which at least had good art direction but nothing else. I'm such a fan that I'd probably watch two ours of Argento on the toilet if someone ripped a DVD of it.
Haha! I know what you mean about being a big fan of Argento. I agree that Argento's PHANTOM OF THE OPERA was pretty weak, but there were two things about the film that kept it in my thoughts. The first being maestro Morricone. I absolutely love Ennio Morricone, and consider him to be the greatest film composer to ever grace the movies. Secondly, I fucking love me some Asia Argento and can't believe that someone got a chance to soil her with his seed, lucky bastard!

[Supercool]

If you weren't told that this was an Argento movie before going into it, you'd be suprised to find out after. It plays like any number of David Fincher clones, without any of the flare or style you'd expect form Argento. A fairly youthful look to it, but little else. And, yes, the violence/gore is very subdued - no, lacking. Still, I enjoyed it quite a bit. Worth watching, but not worth putting at the top of your list. I'm happy I own it, because I know it'll be entertaining to watch again.

I watched SLEEPLESS just now. Great movie. The facial stabbing, damn, that was one of the most brutal looking things I've seen in a while. Oh, and the release I own comes with an Argento documentary on the second disc.

[spiritual boxer]

who knew that being stabbed in the face by a musical instrument would be some damn brutal. hahaha!

[Supercool]

Originally posted by spiritual boxer@Apr 18 2005, 11:49 PM
who knew that being stabbed in the face by a musical instrument would be some damn brutal. hahaha!
There were a few obvious prostetic (sp?) mock-ups in that movie... but that facial stabbing was so well done it hurt.

[spiritual boxer]

Originally posted by Supercool@Apr 19 2005, 11:37 AM
There were a few obvious prostetic (sp?) mock-ups in that movie... but that facial stabbing was so well done it hurt.
You could tell that the face was a mock-up, but I agree that the face stabbing was well done. I also liked that they kept referring back to that scene throughout the film. Awesome!

[Supercool]

I've only watched it the once, and I didn't do the usual slow-motion check of the kills (gosh, I am a horror nerd), but while I was watching it, I found that face stabbing to be thoroughly convincing.

[Supercool]

I don't want to go into the realm of 'whats your favourate Argento movie', so... What are some of your favourate Argento kills?

I want to mention one which doesn't get braught up much; the keyhole shooting in Opera. I just love that shot. The way you see the bullet going through the keyhole, and then the wide shot from behind. Where you see the woman falling back, and the phone exploding. Just magic.

[spiritual boxer]

Originally posted by Supercool@Apr 21 2005, 12:41 AM
I don't want to go into the realm of 'whats your favourate Argento movie', so... What are some of your favourate Argento kills?

I want to mention one which doesn't get braught up much; the keyhole shooting in Opera. I just love that shot. The way you see the bullet going through the keyhole, and then the wide shot from behind. Where you see the woman falling back, and the phone exploding. Just magic.
Yes the "Peephole" death scene. That is also one of my favorites. The combination of style, angles, direction, and slow motion helped make it one of the coolest Argento kills, and it was done by a gun. Some of my other favorite Argento kills would have to be:

- The neckalace/elevator decapitation scene in DEEP RED.
- The double kill in the beginning of SUSPIRIA where the girl gets stabbed in the
heart, then she was hung by the neck while falling of the roof, causing broken glass to fall onto her friends face.
- I enjoyed the killer's death scene towards the end of CAT O'NINE TAILS, simply because of the style (the killer trying to grab hold of the elevator line).
- I enjoyed the whole beginning of PHENOMENA where the stranded girl enters the house, and we see the chains on the wall breaking off.
- The ending of TENEBRE.
- Harvey Keitel's dream sequence from TWO EVIL EYES where he gets impaled through the ass.
- The relentless stabbing of the boyfriend from OPERA.