Overview

An in-depth look at the films of Dario Argento, Italy's acknowledged master of horror and suspense, has made a career out of exploring the macabre poetry of images of violent death. He did not, however, set out to be a filmmaker. He established himself early on as a progressive voice in film criticism-lavishing praise on directors like Sergio Leone, who had yet to receive their due from the Italian critical establishment. His efforts attracted the attention of Leone himself, who invited the young critic to help develop the story for his next feature. The end result, Once Upon a Time in the West, is often cited as a masterpiece-and from there, Argento went on to enjoy success as a screenwriter before making the all-important switch to directing. His directorial debut, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, became a major hit and helped to popularize the floundering genre of Italian thrillers, also known as gialli. In the years since, Argento has established a high profile as one of Italian cinema's most commercially successful artists, earning a level of celebrity which is almost unheard of among film directors. His filmography includes such beloved gems as Deep Red, Suspiria, Inferno, and Phenomena, as well as more hotly-debated titles like The Stendhal Syndrome, The Phantom of the Opera, Sleepless, and Mother of Tears. Murder by Design: The Unsane Cinema of Dario Argento explores the full scope of his work as a writer, a producer, and a director. Lavishly illustrated and with newly conducted interviews with Dario Argento, as well as such colleagues as actress (and daughter) Fiore Argento, actress Sally Kirkland, actress Irene Miracle, composer Claudio Simonetti, and cinematographer Luciano Tovoli, the book provides a comprehensive overview of Argento's life, career, and rich cinematic legacy.

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9781644301166

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Troy Howarth is a Rondo Award-nominated writer who specializes in European Cult cinema. His books include: The Haunted World of Mario Bava: Revised and Expanded Edition, Splintered Visions: Lucio Fulci and His Films, the three volume series So Deadly, So Perverse: 50 Years of Italian Giallo Films, Real Depravities: The Films of Klaus Kinski, Human Beasts: The Films of Paul Naschy, and Assault on the System: The Nonconformist Cinema of John Carpenter. He has also contributed audio commentaries, audio essays, and liner notes to over one hundred DVD and Blu-ray releases from the U.S., the U.K., and Germany. His books Human Beasts: The Films of Paul Naschy and the first volume of So Deadly, So Perverse, as well as his commentaries on the Arrow Video edition of Don't Torture a Duckling, the Blue Underground edition of Zombie, the Synapse edition of Suspiria, and the Scorpion Releasing edition of Assignment Terror were all nominated for Rondo Awards. He resides in Pennsylvania.

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