Tenebre

Starring:Isabella Amadeo, Mirella Banti, Christian Borromeo, Mirella D'Angelo, Anthony Franciosa, Giuliano Gemma, Ennio Girolami, Veronica Lario, Monica Maisani, Marino MasÃ©, Fulvio Mingozzi, Daria Nicolodi, Ania Pieroni, Eva Robins, Gianpaolo Saccarola, John Saxon, Carola Stagnaro, John Steiner, Lara Wendel
Studio: Anchor Bay
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

After several excursions into supernatural horror, Dario Argento returned to the homicidal frenzy that made his reputation with this mystery that plays more like a grown-up slasher movie than a detective thriller. Anthony Franciosa stars as Peter Neal, a bestselling horror novelist whose promotional tour in Italy takes a terrible turn when a mysterious killer re-creates the brutal murders from his book with real-life victims. The first to die are so-called "deviants," Neal's own friends, and finally there comes a promise that the author himself is next on the list. Columbo it ain't, but Argento has always been more concerned with style than story and his execution of the crimes is pure cinematic bravura. From the simple beauty of a straight razor shattering a light bulb (the camera catches the red-hot filament slowly blacking out) to an ambitious crane shot that creeps up and over the sides of a house under siege in a voyeuristic survey that would make Hitchcock proud, Argento turns the art of murder into a stylish spectacle. He even lets his kinkier side show with flashbacks of an adolescent boy and a teasing dominatrix in red stiletto heels that become a key motif of the film. The objects of Argento's homicidal tendencies are traditionally lovely, scantily clad Italian beauties, and with self-deprecating humor he even inserts a scene in which Neal is taken to task for the misogynist violence of his stories--an accusation Argento himself has weathered for years. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews:

I love giallo!.......2007-03-02

This movie got me into giallo flicks.The story blows anything Hitchcock did out of the water and the special effects are awesome.The goblin music is probably my favorite soundtrack for a horror movie ever.DARIO ARGENTO IS GOD!

even though its cut its still fun!.......2007-02-16

i love this movie but its not really a giallo but more like a slasher movie this was once banned in the uk so dont watch around grandma there are a lot of good death scenes an amazing soundtrack and beautiful (cut) camera angles

Tenebre.......2006-11-01

Tenebre is tied with suspiria as my favorite Argento film. Let me tell you why. First off, the cinematography and lighting is great. This movie is just as stylish as suspiria and rivals its cinematography and beautiful lighting techniques. Second, this is probably the best giallo ever. It really kept me guessing until the gruesome finale. You are constantly wondering who the killer is and what that girl in those flashbacks mean. Third, this is probably Argento's goriest. We have two throaght slashings, a stab in the neck, an axe in the head, an arm lopped off (creating the beautiful arm painting scene in which a woman's arm is lopped off and her blood continuisaly spews and eventually she squirts her blood onto a wall), an axe in the back, a pole through the stomach, and plenty of stabbings.
The movie is about a murder mystery writer who is finding out about murders based on those from his book Tenebrea(wich means darkness in Italy or something like that). The murders (and his past) cause the writer to spiral into insanity which you'll find out about at the end.
Tenebre is a truly awesome giallo as you can see. For those of you just tuning in to Argento I strongly recomend you see this or suspiria first. Do whatever you can to see this movie. Rent, buy it, steal it if you must!!!!!! It is truly a great movie. Kudos to Argento once again. Peace out:)

Triumphant return to Giallo for Argento!.......2006-06-23

Argento's return to giallo in 1982 after his two supernatural outings SUSPIRIA and INFERNO was triumphant one. By this point Argento was so well versed in the sub-genres conventions that TENBRE has an effortless feel about it, the sense that the director was hardly stretching his innumerable talents. The film has a nice allegorical feel in its exploration of the effects of violence in the media on people. In this case it is not a film, but a novel. Argento is clever to divert attention away from the medium of cinema. At the time of the films release just such arguments about violence were reaching an apex, especially in the UK where TENEBRE was actually banned due to its violent content and the influence such imagery might have.

From a visual perspective Argento goes to the extreme opposite of his previous two films, by presenting a bright and starkly lit world, this brightness is taken to its extremity when one character played by JOHN SAXON is stabbed to death in broad daylight. The film works well, because of a confusing narrative structure, which is punctuated by flashbacks, which is what one expects from a giallo. If it makes sense, then arguably it has failed. As usual the film is filled with tremendous set pieces, including an astonishing sequence where Argento shoots a house from every conceivable angle in one take. A scene which is disturbing because of the almost omnipotent quality of the gaze of the killer. The Rome location is evocative and surprising in the rather dour and dreary impression it gives.

Sadly the broader themes of the film are not dealt with in a particularly intelligent and sensitive way and half way through the film Argento loses patience and begins despatching cast members with clockwork regularity. Performances are above average for an Italian horror production as is the soundtrack. Considering the way Argento deteriorated as the 80's became the 90's, TENEBRE stands as one of the directors better films.

Slick, Violent & Suspenseful. One of Argento's Most Entertaining Films........2006-06-07

When Peter Neal (Anthony Franciosa), a popular horror novelist visits Rome to promote his latest best-seller "Tenebrae", he is suddenly thrust into a world of murder and mayhem when a psychopath goes on a killing spree and uses techniques described in his book. The killer seems to be on a mission, killing off people (mostly women) who are morally corrupt and are referred to by the killer as "deviants".

This blood-soaked, fast-moving Argento flick is not in the same classic level as his masterpiece "Suspiria" or even "Deep Red" but his fans seem to love it regardless. The film is not really a horror film but a sexually charged detective thriller with an attractive cast, solid acting (although some of the dubbing is pretty annoying), creative camera angles (typical in an Argento film) and lot's of blood (again, typical of an Argento film). Like Argento's other work, this film is visually stunning. The entire cast is made up of photogenic, elegant actors; Daria Nicolodi, Mirella D'Angelo, Anthony Franciosa, John Saxon, Ania Pieroni and a whole array of exotic European beauties. Argento also uses the color red effectively throughout this film; bright red lipstick, red stilettos, red cars, countless scenes of gleaming red blood. It takes someone like Dario Argento to make blood look so beautiful on screen.

This film was released in North America in a heavily edited form and under the insane title of "Unsane". I've never seen the edited version but apparently many scenes were cut in order for the film to get an "R" rating. "Tenebrae" may be violent but the violence itself is no more shocking then the numerous slasher films released from Hollywood throughout the decade so it's a mystery to me as to why this film was given this kind of treatment. It's a shame because not many people have been able to see this in its unedited form until it's DVD release.

"Tenebrae" boasts a strong cast, a great score (maybe a bit outdated but it's awesome nonetheless), a good story, and a great "twist" finale. Like Dario's other film's; "Deep Red", "Opera", "Phenomena", "Inferno" and the enigmatic "Suspiria", "Tenebrae" is eerily suspenseful, looks splendid and is a worthy addition to anyone's DVD collection. Unless of course, watching beautiful women get the "axe" by a homicidal maniac isn't exactly your cup of tea.

Highly recommended.

Average customer rating:

Way, Way too expensive!
WARNING!!!! DVDS IN THIS SET ARE OF DIFFERING QUALITY!!!!!
Bravo times two
lower the f***ing price
2 Argento Classics For The Price of 1!

Tenebre/Deep Red
Starring: Isabella Amadeo , Mirella Banti , Christian Borromeo , Mirella D'Angelo , and Anthony Franciosa
Manufacturer: Anchor Bay
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

( T ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Phenomena
Suspiria
Opera
Inferno
Demons/Demons 2

ASIN: B000059PQ4
Release Date: 2001-07-10

Customer Reviews:

Way, Way too expensive!.......2005-07-22

These movies might be good but I'll never know and neither will my friend who's a huge Argento fan. I was going to buy this for him for his birthday but no way can I drop 45 buck on this MFer. I'd swipe it up for 30 buck but 45 buck no way. Way way over priced.

WARNING!!!! DVDS IN THIS SET ARE OF DIFFERING QUALITY!!!!!.......2004-12-28

Although both of these movies are extremely good with INCREDIBLE MUSIC, please be advised that both dvds are not of the same quality! DEEP RED is the better of the two, with anamorphic widescreen (enhanced for widescreen TVs), while TENEBRE simply contains the "matted" widescreen version (typical Anchor Bay cheesiness). If you have a widescreen TV or one with a widescreen "squeeze", you may want to wait for newer editions to eventually come out. If both movies were anamorphic, I would rate this collection a perfect 5 stars. Another ANCHOR BAY/ARGENTO warning: Bird With the Crystal Plumage may not play in older or cheaper DVD players. Two friends and myself purchased this DVD and have experienced the movie "freezing" at the same spot (the best shot of the movie, no less, at the bottom of the stairs). In my experience (and on the DVD player at the store where I returned it) the DVD would not play past this point. I think many are defective! Let the buyer beware!

Bravo times two.......2004-09-15

Starring David Hemmings (who recently passed away) and Dario's real life squeeze Daria Nicolodi, "Deep Red" continually reminded me of his first picture, "The Bird With the Crystal Plumage" because Argento presents us with essentially the same set up. This time around we have American jazz musician Marcus Daly (Hemmings) witnessing the gruesome murder of his psychic neighbor in an apartment building. Intrigued, Daly starts to investigate the crime and soon runs into a chatty Italian journalist named Gianna (Nicolodi). Predictably, he soon runs into trouble with the local cops and comes to suspect that the murderer is looking to have a good old face-to-face meeting with the man who witnessed his bloody work. Daly must attempt to put the pieces of the crime together if he wishes to save his life, a process that becomes problematic as he deals with the blundering interference of Gianna. You know Daly will solve the crime by identifying the killer, and you know Argento will take you on the most roundabout way to that end, but that doesn't lessen the fun in getting there. That creepy, abandoned house where Daly must go to discover vital clues to the killer's identity towards the end is only the last eerie set piece in a film loaded with them. I now understand why "Deep Red" is a cult classic and considered one of the premier giallo films.

The gore here is standout stuff, and, let's face it, that's one thing we all want to see in an Argento film. There's a few stabbings, of course, but there are also scenes virtually insuring a good cringe or two. A face dunked in boiling water, a horrific death involving a head bashed against sharp furniture corners (!!), and a head crushed under a tire all take place in graphic, stomach churning close up. I noticed that Argento recycled a few of things seen here in "Sleepless," but that in no way mitigates the grisly effect of them in "Deep Red." Humorous scenes, such as Daly's attempts to adjust his body to the contours of Gianna's decrepit car, provide a necessary breather between gore sequences but the high sauce content in the movie still got under my skin. Moreover, Argento marries the atrocities with frequently clever clues that help move the plot along. For example, the scalding scene sees the victim using a finger to leave a message on the steamed up wall of the bathroom before death sets in. Obviously, for anyone to see the message again the bathroom must be filled with steam. Neat little tricks like this one make me want to hug Argento if I ever meet the guy because these flourishes make "Deep Red" light years better than most of the junk out there today.

I happen to think "Tenebrae" may well be the best Argento film I have seen, even better than his first wave of gialli. It's the story of Peter Neal (Anthony Franciosa), a popular writer of disturbing novels who travels to Italy to promote his latest thriller. Unfortunately for Neal, and more so for several other people, a killer decides to imitate the murders laid out in the author's most recent book. It isn't too long before the local police, in the form of Detective Germani (Giuliano Gemma), make the connection between the homicides and Neal's book. With his assistant Anna (Daria Nicolodi), book agent Bullmer (John Saxon), and a young man named Gianni (Christian Borromeo) standing by his side, the popular novelist soon joins the investigation into these grisly crimes. And grisly they are as only Dario Argento can make them. We see throat slashings, stabbings, a hand liberated from a wrist, and other gooey surprises shot in the sort of alarming, extreme close up that is a trademark of this director's brand of cinematic carnage. "Tenebrae" constitutes one of Argento's most disturbingly violent escapades into the giallo genre. It is, fortunately, one of his most coherent films as well.

Neal continues to promote his book even as he helps the police in the hunt for the killer. He faces a slew of protests about the supposedly misogynistic, ultra violent content of his novels from an angry female protestor and from a smarmy television critic on one of those face-to-face talk shows. Both of Neal's critics perish horribly soon after (surprise, surprise), thus throwing some suspicion on the author himself as a prime suspect. Of course, many others could very well be the ones putting on the black gloves. The only real clue we get from Argento, if you can call it that, is a weird flashback of a young woman tormenting a boy with her red-heeled shoes. As creepy carnival style music plays throughout the flashback, we then see the focus shift to the killer stepping out from behind a hedgerow to stab the woman. What this memory means, and why we see it from the perspective of the killer, soon emerges as "Tenebrae" draws to its ultra shocking conclusion. And the conclusion is shocking, containing some of the most graphic gore I've seen as well as a truly gasp worthy revelation I won't elaborate on here except to say other films ("Nightmares in a Damaged Brain" comes to mind) have used it to great effect. "Tenebrae" is a real treat for the horror fan.

What are you waiting for? If you haven't spent any time with Argento, these two films offer the perfect introduction for the curious beginner. Old timers will just enjoy seeing them again. You get a bunch of extras on both of these discs, including commentaries, trailer, behind the scenes stuff, interviews, stills, and bios. You've got your marching orders, soldier. Now get going!

lower the f***ing price.......2004-01-07

i haven't seen these movies, but i am an argento fan and i read that these were good. but whoever is selling these is not going to get anyone to pay such a damn ridiculous price for something that is supposed to cost $30. very unreasonable pricing.

2 Argento Classics For The Price of 1!.......2003-10-18

Anchor Bay's Dario Argento Collection Volume 3 represents the best of the Italian Hitchcock's distinguished career in horror. First up, we have DEEP RED, his breakthrough. I love the way Argento throws a simple eyewitness (in this case, a Jazz pianist/music teacher) into the mystery. There is a detail of the murder that he witnesses that is like a splinter in his mind (a missing painting) and compels him to investigate the murder. First off, DEEP RED is brilliantly realized and scary in its structure and execution; even things that seem unrelated fit into the solution! I also enjoyed the scenes with David Hemmings (the pianist) and Daria Nicolodi (the reporter that is investigating the murder); not only do they have a terrific chemistry lacking in today's movies, but these moments actually allow you to relax and often laugh. Sure the language switches are annoying at first (at least subtitles are provided, and the original Italian dialogue track is included, in 5.1 no less), but at least it's uncut. DEEP RED (aka PROFUNDO ROSSO) is a definite must-watch!
TENEBRE is considered by some Argento fans to be his masterpiece, and it's easy to see why; I bet Stephen King has seen this movie and could relate to it. The title refers to a murder mystery novel that is a best-seller and is being promoted in Rome by its author, Peter Neal (Anthony Franciosa). Anyway, someone is on a murderous rampage seemingly inspired by the book (in fact, the first victim has the pages of the book stuffed in her mouth as she is knifed). TENEBRE is rich in symbolism and style; just check out that photography! The ending is one of the greatest horror movie endings of all time! And again, another great performance by Daria Nicolodi as the author's friend; John Saxon steals it as Neal's agent. You have got to see this movie, it will blow you away!
This limited edition 2-pack is the best way to own Dario Argento's greatest achievements! Both films are light years beyond any horror film made before, between, or after them. This is Dario Argento at his best; HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!

Tenebrae Tenebre [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.0 Import - Australia ]

Average customer rating:

Tenebrae Tenebre [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.0 Import - Australia ]
Director: Dario Argento
Manufacturer: Umbrella Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Product Description

Australia released, PAL/Region 0 DVD: it WILL NOT play on standard US DVD player. You need multi-region PAL/NTSC DVD player to view it in USA/Canada. LANGUAGES: English (Dolby Digital 2.0), WIDESCREEN, SYNOPSIS: One of Dario Argento's best thrillers, this horror film has gone on to cult status due to its shocking style and twist-filled story. Available in America for many years in only a badly cut version titled Unsane, Tenebre tells the story of an American novelist (Anthony Franciosa) whose P.R. trip to Rome to promote his latest tome becomes tied to a series of slayings. The murders -- slashing, stabbing, axing, and strangling among them -- are enacted in a stylish manner that makes them all the more disturbing. Such startling visuals are the film's finest point, and credit goes to both Argento and cinematographer Luciano Tovoli for this aspect. One particularly strong shot has the killer putting out a bare light bulb by running a razor blade through it. Another great shot (later used on the U.S. video box cover) lingers on a murdered woman who is left with her head dangling through a shattered window pane. Most memorable is a sadistic flashback by the killer in which three youths hold him down while a woman forces her high heel into his mouth. The script is a simple murder-mystery that does a good job of throwing the audience off track and keeping things suspenseful as each potential suspect is knocked off. The film's final reel is easily one of the most brutal ever made and features a couple of great surprises. Performances are generally dull, but they don't take much away from the film's horror impact. The unmistakable score was performed by members of the group Goblin, who performed under their last names due to legal issues.
SPECIAL FEATURES: Uncut, Trailer(s), Scene Access, Interactive Menu, Featurette, Documentary, Commentary, Cast/Crew Interview(s), Alternative Footage,

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