IMDb > Inferno (1980)
Inferno
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany credits
Awards & Reviews
user reviewsexternal reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guidemessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsmemorable quotes
Did You Know?
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
box office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips

Inferno (1980) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (See all 14 | slideshow)

Overview

User Rating:
6.6/10   7,974 votes »
Your Rating:
Saving vote...
Deleting vote...
/10   (delete | history)
Sorry, there was a problem
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 51% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writer:
Dario Argento (story)
Contact:
View company contact information for Inferno on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
2 April 1980 (USA) See more »
Genre:
Tagline:
Terror that's hotter than hell! See more »
Plot:
An American college student in Rome and his sister in New York investigate a series of killings in both locations where their resident addresses are the domain of two covens of witches. Full summary » | Full synopsis »
Plot Keywords:
NewsDesk:
(72 articles)
Horror Bites Dissects This Year's SXSW Midnight Lineup
 (From MTV Movies Blog. 7 February 2013, 7:30 AM, PST)

Crash Course: Dario Argento
 (From FEARnet. 1 January 2013, 2:00 PM, PST)

Mark Kermode's DVD round-up
 (From The Guardian - Film News. 29 December 2012, 4:05 PM, PST)

User Reviews:
Atmospheric and visionary See more (106 total) »

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)
Leigh McCloskey ... Mark Elliot

Irene Miracle ... Rose Elliot
Eleonora Giorgi ... Sara
Daria Nicolodi ... Elise Stallone Van Adler
Sacha Pitoëff ... Kazanian (as Sacha Pitoeff)

Alida Valli ... Carol, the caretaker
Veronica Lazar ... The Nurse
Gabriele Lavia ... Carlo
Feodor Chaliapin Jr. ... Professor Arnold / Dr. Varelli (as Feodor Chaliapin)
Leopoldo Mastelloni ... John, the Butler
Ania Pieroni ... Musical Student
James Fleetwood ... Cook
Rosario Rigutini ... Man
Ryan Hilliard ... Shadow
Paolo Paoloni ... Music Teacher
Fulvio Mingozzi ... Cabdriver
Luigi Lodoli ... Bookbinder
Rodolfo Lodi ... Old Man
rest of cast listed alphabetically:

Dario Argento ... Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Gianni Macchia ... John (uncredited)
Create a character page for: ?

Directed by
Dario Argento 
 
Writing credits
Dario Argento (story and screenplay)

Produced by
Claudio Argento .... producer
Salvatore Argento .... executive producer
Guglielmo Garroni .... executive producer (as William Garroni)
 
Original Music by
Keith Emerson 
 
Cinematography by
Romano Albani 
 
Film Editing by
Franco Fraticelli 
 
Art Direction by
Giuseppe Bassan 
 
Set Decoration by
Francesco Cuppini 
Maurizio Garrone 
 
Costume Design by
Massimo Lentini 
 
Makeup Department
Luciana Maria Costanzi .... hair stylist
Giancarlo De Leonardis .... hair stylist
Pierantonio Mecacci .... makeup artist
 
Production Management
Andrew W. Garroni .... production manager
Angelo Iacono .... production manager (as Angelo Jacono)
Cesare Jacolucci .... unit manager
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Lamberto Bava .... assistant director
Andrea Piazzesi .... second assistant director
Mario Bava .... second unit director (uncredited)
Stephen A. Glanzrock .... second assistant director (uncredited)
 
Sound Department
Luciano Anzellotti .... sound effects
Massimo Anzellotti .... sound effects
Attilio Gizzi .... sound effects editor
Franco Groppioni .... sound engineer (as Francesco Groppioni)
Giancarlo Laurenzi .... boom operator
Romano Pampaloni .... sound mixer
 
Special Effects by
Germano Natali .... special effects
 
Visual Effects by
Mario Bava .... visual effects (uncredited)
 
Camera and Electrical Department
Alberto Altibrandi .... gaffer
Francesco Bellomo .... still photographer
Agostino Pascarella .... key grip
Idelmo Simonelli .... camera operator
Mario Bava .... camera operator (uncredited)
Mario Bava .... lighting technician (uncredited)
 
Music Department
Keith Emerson .... music arranger (as Emerson)
Godfrey Salmon .... conductor
Godfrey Salmon .... music arranger (as Salmon)
Godfrey Salmon .... orchestrator
 
Other crew
Gianlorenzo Battaglia .... underwater sequence (as Lorenzo Battaglia)
Solly V. Bianco .... production administrator
Serena Canevari .... script supervisor (as Maria Serena Canevari)
Anna Maria Galvinelli .... production assistant
Enrico Lucherini .... unit publicist
Saverio Mangogna .... production assistant
Michela Prodan .... production assistant
Roberto Chevalier .... voice dubbing: Italian dubbed version for Leigh McCloskey (uncredited)
Vittorio Di Prima .... voice dubbing: Italian dubbed version for Sacha Pitoëff (uncredited)
Vittoria Febbi .... voice dubbing: Italian dubbed version for Veronica Lazar (uncredited)
Franco Odoardi .... voice dubbing: Italian dubbed version for Feodor Chialiapin Jr. (uncredited)
Isabella Pasanisi .... voice dubbing: Italian dubbed version for Irene Miracle (uncredited)
 
Thanks
Mario Bava .... special thanks
 
Crew verified as complete


Production CompaniesDistributorsSpecial EffectsOther Companies
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
Runtime:
107 min | Germany:106 min | Sweden:102 min (heavily cut)
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 See more »
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Argentina:18 | Australia:R | Finland:K-16 (cut) (1986) | France:-16 | Italy:VM14 (re-rating) | Norway:18 | Sweden:15 (heavily cut) | USA:R | West Germany:18 (nf) | UK:18 (cut) | UK:X (cut) | Finland:K-18 (uncut) (2001) | Germany:BPjM Restricted | Iceland:16 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | South Korea:15 | Singapore:PG (video rating, cut) | UK:18 (re-rating, uncut) | Italy:VM18 (original rating) | Portugal:M/18 (original release) | New Zealand:R18 | Spain:18 | Singapore:M18 | Hong Kong:III

Did You Know?

Trivia:
For the scene where Kazanian carries the bag of 'cats' into Central Park a mechanical device was placed inside the bag to make it move, giving the impression that there were actually live animals inside.See more »
Goofs:
Continuity: Towards the beginning, when the character played by Irene Miracle is swimming through the lost cellar room, she clearly is not wearing a bra; however, a few minutes later, after surfacing and returning to the building lobby, you can see that a bra has magically appeared under her dress.See more »
Quotes:
Sara:Have you ever heard of the Three Sisters?
Carlo:You mean those black singers?
Sara:No, I'm talking about mythology.
Carlo:Hold on, if you're talking about spooks and stuff, I don't believe in any of that.
Sara:How can you be so sure?
Carlo:I don't believe in such things, that's all, and without any philosophical discussion.
Sara:Then what do you believe in?
Carlo:In whatever I can see and touch.
See more »
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Art & Alchemy with Leigh McCloskey (2011) (V)See more »
Soundtrack:
Mater TenebrarumSee more »

FAQ

What are the differences between the old British BBFC 18 Version and the Uncensored Version?
See more »
6 out of 8 people found the following review useful.
Atmospheric and visionary, 21 August 2002
Author: froboz from Uppsala, Sweden

'Inferno' is the kind of movie - like Gilliams 'Brazil' - where a few of us will leave the theater enriched by the experience, but there's also the sour-faced crowd dismissing it as the worst crap ever.

I came upon Argento's movies just recently, looking for good horror films. Now I've enjoyed Suspiria, Tenebre and Inferno. At first his original style came as a shock. I can understand those that, accustomed to hollywoodian narrative, find his movies to be full of faults. I wouldn't even recommend them if you're looking for 'ordinary', mainstream horror.

'Suspiria' reminded me of the 1933 'Vampyr' by danish director Carl Dreyer. 'Inferno' has echoes of German director Fritz Lang, for instance his 1933 The 'Testament of Doctor Mabuse'. Much of the Argento way of doing things has a silent movie era feel to it. The acting is visually exaggerated, and the dialogue is often wooden - the awful dubbing of english voices in the versions I saw added to this effect.

Argento makes different choices. The music, for instance, is not adding atmosphere as a soundtrack - it is a full frontal assault, meant to be noticed and impossible to ignore. The cinematic choices of camera angles, lightning and so on are stylish and unique in their unrelenting artistic ambition. I can't even begin to describe the style. Even if I mentioned Dreyer and Lang, Argento is more expressionist than impressionist, but for lack of good words I'll shut my mouth about this subject.

I have to defend Argento against the claims that 'Inferno' has an incoherent plot. It simply doesn't - the story is fairly straight and linear. The evil depicted is not rational, and we are often left in the dark as to the acts and motives of the evil forces. But this is part of the horror and suspense. I won't go into more details about the plot, as there are many excellent user comments here, and this is not really a review, just some comments.

Some parts of 'Inferno' are pure beauty - exact scenes, feeling more like a storyboard coming to life in the imagination than as a real movie. The design of the house of the second Mother is fascinating - modern and medieval at the same time.

Finally, some individual scenes are truly scaring, which is rare in horror movies - especially the underwater scene.







Was the above review useful to you?
See more (106 total) »

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Inferno (1980)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
EYES IN THE DARK gressos
the best line in the entire movie BhmnRhaps124
hot dog vendor? The_Great_Silence
Mark's 'change'? anawesomemoviefanatic
What's up with the hot dog vendor? RaidenPLS
the ending ernesti
See more »

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
Suspiria Deep Red A Bay of Blood Phenomena Opera
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
News articles IMDb Horror section IMDb Italy section

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Edit page' button will take you through a step-by-step process.