Animal Trilogy (1970 - 1972): 3

The film Four Flies on Grey Velvet (1971) is a classic giallo written and directed by Dario Argento. Roberto Tobias, a talented drummer, finds himself being pursued by an unknown person. In a moment of bravery, he confronts his follower only to unintentionally harm him in the process. As this unfolds, someone lurking in the shadows takes pictures of the event. The days that follow are filled with threatening letters accusing Roberto of killing Carlo Marosi. Later that night, while at home, Roberto is jumped by the same masked culprit who warns him that they’re not done with him yet before rendering him ...

The Cat o’ Nine Tails (1971), an English-language Italian film by Dario Argento, follows the investigation of a mysterious break-in at the Terzi Medical Institute. Despite not taking anything, the perpetrator kills one of the doctors, Calabresi, who had knowledge about the incident. The victim’s fiancée, Bianca Merusi, is told about this by Calabresi before his untimely death at the hands of the thief. A photojournalist captures the moment but misses capturing the killer. Reporter Carlo Giordani, who has been covering the story since its start, publishes an article on Calabresi’s demise and includes ...

The giallo film, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970), marks Dario Argento’s directorial debut. It follows Sam Dalmas, an American writer on holiday in Rome with his English model girlfriend, Julia, in an attempt to overcome writer’s block before their impending return to the United States. During a walk home one evening, Sam witnesses a woman being assaulted by a figure dressed in black raincoat and gloves within an art gallery. He tries to intervene but becomes trapped between the gallery’s glass doors as the attacker flees. Monica Ranieri, wife of the gallery owner Alberto Ranieri, survives the ...