What sets Opera apart from other Argento films in the 1970s and 1980s was that it had a very cruel streak to it. Most of his films have intricate death scenes but there is always something overly lovable in the movie to soften some of the rawness, in Phenomena there's the monkey, Deep Red: Daria Nicolodi and her junk car, but that was missing from Opera. Some could say that, the lead, Betty was the cute factor but I don't think it offsets the cruelty. This isn't a complaint, by any means.

One thing I would complain about is the ending, I can't say I'm a fan of the final 10 minutes. I find the final scene to be completely…

Dario Argento shows, relatively uncharacteristically, an unbridled nihilistic savagery in this ultra-visceral giallo.

Opera gives off an unshakeable feeling of anger from Argento. The heavy metal cutting through the grandiose score of opera and classical music with pure malice as the black leather gloves stab incessantly and indiscriminately. Argento's camerawork emulates the ravens, swooping and circling and tying you into place, forcing you to take in the brutality. Absolutely vicious from Argento, who usually adorns his murder in stylish appeal.

The anger is somewhat manifested through Ian Charleson's character, Marco. A horror director, often labelled a sadist and a one-trick pony and implied to be the murderer. The malicious ripping of flesh in the depraved acts of violence exposing blood,…

GIALLOTHON: Film 1 of 4

"Good luck, little snake."

I've had Opera on my watchlist for a long time, but have never found the right circumstances to watch it. The Egyptian programmed it and they had an uncut print.

Cristina Marsillach was great as the lead: Betty. She looked a ton like Irène Jacob that I was fascinated throughout the film, convinced that they must somehow be related.

I could see how this highly influenced Paul Verhoeven's Elle. The cinematography from Ronnie Taylor was also gorgeous: especially the pull-away shots with Giulia the costume designer (Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni) trying to repair a dress.

Also, I love Betty's relaxation tape that she listens to. I could definitely use it.

All in all,…

Dare I say it - there are parts in Opera that almost surpass the technical and artistic brilliance of Suspiria.

Purposefully excluding the saturated hues that bled through the screen of that violent fairytale, precisely a decade later, Argento’s style still remains as opulent as ever, only this time, exercising a more vicious edge to his creation through a passion for perverse torture and death metal. Side-smirkingly set in a location where drama and tragedy collide, the magic of this mystery is only heightened by the hollow acoustics that fill each dark corner of the theatre; a place where blood-curdling screams are drowned-out by the art of performance unfolding centre stage. Casting an ensemble of jet-black crows to monitor the fog-laden wings,…

This film is Argento's last great masterpiece. An all out assault on the senses akin to earlier works such as Suspiria but also completely different. Opera is Argento doubling down on style; fluid visuals mixing it up with story ideas borrowed from Gaston Leroux and superb sound from Claudio Simonetti. The central theme of the victim having pins put under her eyes to force her to watch was apparently born from Argento's dislike of viewers looking away during his films violent moments. It is a striking image. I'm always a bit on the fence about the heavy metal during some of the deaths scenes but I do think it works in context and helps to establish the film's robust attitude…

"I'm exactly like my mother" - Betty, going through a mood
2 Minutes Later
"I'm nothing like my mother!" Betty, going through a mood

- Dario Argento Ranked: boxd.it/30KqM
- Daily Horror Hunt #12 (June 2019): boxd.it/2XMsk
Day 19. Yay!! Watch a movie starring Daria Nicolodi (b. June 19, 1950).

Thanks Argento! Now I'm scared of peepholes.

In Opera, "A young opperata is stalked by a deranged fan bent on killing the people associated with her to claim her for himself." I just quoted the description because most of Argento's films have a basic premise and then feel like improvised horror (but good) even though I know that's not exactly how it's done.

This movie looks great. I love how…

Holy shit Dario man, this film! A whirling black raven-winged POV bullet through the back of the brain exploding onto the retina in a paroxysm of colour! I'm not gonna say it's more of a beautifully deranged nightmare than Phenomena, but it's in the same Speedballpark. There's a giddiness to the neon-lit visuals, the highly strung music (a heady mix of opera and heavy metal), badly dubbed, frequently bizarre dialogue, and the restless camera, roving and gliding and looping through complete 360s like a stoned bird, that actually makes you feel high. It had me shaking my head in disbelief and grinning for most of its run time!

It's a giallo at heart, but in the same way a seasoned…

Part of HOOPT🚨BER 7.0: “Stay Inside (the Salt Circle)!” challenge.
16/31
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"Opera" is Dario Argento's ninth horror mystery and is considered by many to be his last great movie before he started shoving his creepy daughter down his fans' throats from the 90s onwards.
Unlike Argento's other giallos, "Opera" leans a little more towards the theatrical horrors of "Suspiria" and "Inferno" but without so much surreal appeal and supernatural elements.

The investigative aspect is almost non-existent since the characters never react realistically to events. Some sequences have a dreamlike atmosphere that suggests a psychological solution to the mystery but which is gradually abandoned to give way to a typical and predictable outcome.

The epilogue is completely unnecessary and makes…

“I think it's unwise to use movies as a guide for reality.”

Take a drink every time the movie uses a tracking shot.

The technical aspect of the movie is stunning. The camera is alive, constantly zooming, tracking, twisting, and observing. There are so many captivating shots throughout, it warrants a viewing on it alone. Things like the camera “thumping” as we hear her heartbeat show why Dario Argento is so influential. The camera was more of a main character than the actual lead.

Speaking of her, she really dragged this down for me. She is the epitome of the “stupid horror victim” stereotype. She constantly makes questionable choices, like not reporting a murder because she just wanted to forget…

Widely considered one of Argentos last good films Opera finds itself as a decent entry in the giallo subgenre. One can't help that once you've seen one giallo Argento film you've seen them all which is kind of the case with Opera.

A few interesting twists on the subgenre particularly the way the killer forces the "final girl" to watch him kill his victims, as seen on the poster. The film sort of loses a bit of sanity in the last act where you can't help chuckle and the suspension of belief.

The kills in Argento films are usually a big draw and this isn't as inventive as some of the previous Argento giallo films unfortunately. However it does stand…