Inferno (1980)

Director:

Dario Argento

Writer:

Dario Argento (story)

Release Date:

2 April 1980 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

Terror that's hotter than hell!

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.

Plot Keywords:

House | Murder | Book | New York City | Evil

Cast

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)

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

Production Companies

• Produzioni Intersound

Distributors

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (1980) (USA) (theatrical) (dubbed)
• 20th Century Fox Italia (1980) (Italy) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox (1980) (Japan) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox of Germany (1980) (West Germany) (theatrical) (dubbed)
• In-Cine Distribuidora Cinematográfica S.A. (1980) (Spain) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment Japan (2007) (Japan) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2007) (Italy) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (USA) (VHS)
• Arrow Film Distributors (2010) (UK) (DVD)
• Arrow Film Distributors (2010) (UK) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Blue Underground (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Blue Underground (2011) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-Ray)
• Blue Underground (2011) (USA) (DVD) (special edition)
• CBS/Fox (1983) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• DMEG (2004) (Sweden) (VHS)
• Elite Entertainment (1995) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Fox Video (1996) (USA) (VHS)
• Future Film (2011) (Finland) (DVD)
• Key Video (video)
• Living Colour Entertainment (2010) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Mr. Horror Presents #20)
• Lumière Home Entertainment (2011) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Lumière Classics)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (2005) (Finland) (TV)
• Showtime (1980s) (Finland) (VHS)
• SubTV (2004) (Finland) (TV)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2010) (Australia) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Germano Natali

Other Companies

• Bixio C.E.M.S.A  music publisher
• Bulgari  jewelry
• Cinerex Associates, N.Y.  production services: USA
• E.C.E., Rome  technical equipment
• International Recordings  sound recording studios
• L.B.G. Artists  music publisher
• Lucherini-Ghergo  unit publicity
• Orchestra Sinfonica di Roma della RAI  orchestra
• Raphael Salato  footwear
• Studio Verzini  titles
• Trafalgar Recording Studios, Rome  music recording studios
• Unione Musicisti di Roma  orchestra

Also Known As:

Runtime:

107 min | Germany:106 min | Sweden:102 min (heavily cut)

Country:

Italy

Language:

English | Italian

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

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

Filming Locations:

Elios Studios, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company:

Produzioni Intersound

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.

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.

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.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Art & Alchemy with Leigh McCloskey (2011) (V)

Soundtrack:

Mater Tenebrarum

Atmospheric and visionary

'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.