Deep Red

The fifth feature from iconic director Dario Argento mixes murder, psychodrama, and high style to create a trademark giallo, a distinctive brand of Italian horror that emphasizes lurid spectacle and stylized direction. David Hemmings stars as Marcus Daly, an American jazz pianist living in Rome, who witnesses a bloody killing. An obsessed Daly teams with reporter Gianna Brezzi (Daria Nicolodi) to follow clues that finally lead to an abandoned house with a legacy of violence. While the story itself is somewhat thin, Argento's skill with color, unsettling imagery, eerie atmosphere, and precision in detailing the mechanics of murder make Deep Red a fascinating, if not particularly scary, film. While some horror movie specialists rate this 1975 production as Argento's masterpiece, this is still more for dedicated genre buffs than general film fans. Combining the uncut Italian original with a new and shorter English version (both editions are available separately on DVD), Blu-ray extras include interviews with Argento (and other crew members), and music videos. Recommended. (S. Axmaker) [Blu-ray Review—Apr. 3, 2018—Arrow, 2 discs, 107 min., not rated, Blu-ray: $49.95—Making its debut on Blu-ray, 1977’s Deep Red features an excellent transfer with the choice of a DTS-HD mono soundtrack or a remix of the Italian soundtrack in DTS-HD 5.1. Extras include two versions of the film, audio commentary by filmmaker and Dario Argento expert Thomas Rostock, an introduction to the film by Claudio Simonetti of Goblin, a 'Profondo Giallo' visual essay by filmmaker Michael Mackenzie (33 min.), 'The Lady in Red' interview with costar Daria Nicolodi (19 min.), the production featurettes 'Profondo Rosso: From Celluloid to Shop' (15 min.), 'Music to Murder For!' (14 min.), and 'Rosso Recollections' with director Dario Argento (13 min.), lobby card reproductions, and a booklet. Bottom line: an excellent edition of this fine giallo classic.]