Seda Spettacoli (Italy): 6

Suspiria (1977), an Italian supernatural horror film, was directed by Dario Argento and co-written with Daria Nicolodi. The inspiration for the film partially came from Thomas De Quincey’s 1845 essay Suspiria de Profundis. Suzy Bannion, an American ballet student, arrives at the renowned Tanz Akademie in Freiburg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany during a heavy storm. As she approaches the school, she witnesses another student, Pat Hingle, fleeing in terror. However, Suzy is denied entry and must stay in town for the night. Meanwhile, Pat seeks refuge at her ...

Deep Red (1975) is an Italian giallo film directed by Dario Argento. The story takes place over the course of two decades, beginning with a tragic incident at a family Christmas in 1956. Flash forward to Turin in 1975, where parapsychology professor Giordani hosts a conference featuring psychic medium Helga Ulmann. During the event, Helga is suddenly overwhelmed by the ‘twisted, perverted, murderous’ thoughts of someone in the audience. After confiding in Giordani about her suspicions, Helga becomes a victim herself when she is killed in her apartment later that night by an unknown assailant. Jazz pianist ...

Dario Argento’s comedy-drama film, The Five Days of Milan (1973), takes place in bustling Milan during the anti-Austrian revolt of 1848. It follows the story of two unlikely companions, petty criminal Cainazzo and baker Romulus, who become caught up in the turbulent events of the time. Amidst a cast of idealists and patriots, including aristocrats, opportunistic individuals, bloodthirsty adventurers, and traitors, Romulus stands out as someone who instinctively understands the people’s point of view. Reluctantly swept up in the chaos and injustice around them, Cainazzo and Romulus are witnesses to history.

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 ...