Tenebre (1982)

Director:

Dario Argento

Writer:

Dario Argento

Release Date:

13 February 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Terror Beyond Belief

Plot:

An American writer in Rome is stalked by a serial killer bent on harassing him while killing all people associated with his work on his latest book.

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Murderer | Serial Killer | New York | Shoplifter

Cast

Anthony Franciosa	...	Peter Neal
Christian Borromeo	...	Gianni
Mirella D'Angelo	...	Tilde
Veronica Lario	...	Jane McKerrow
Ania Pieroni	...	Elsa Manni
Eva Robin's	...	Girl on Beach (as Eva Robins)
Carola Stagnaro	...	Detective Altieri
John Steiner	...	Christiano Berti
Lara Wendel	...	Maria Alboretto
John Saxon	...	Bullmer
Daria Nicolodi	...	Anne
Giuliano Gemma	...	Detective Germani
Isabella Amadeo	...	Bullmer's secretary
Mirella Banti	...	Marion
Ennio Girolami	...	Department Store Manager (as Enio Girolami)
Monica Maisani
Marino Masé	...	John
Fulvio Mingozzi	...	Alboretto, the porter
Gianpaolo Saccarola	...	Coroner
Ippolita Santarelli	...	Prostitute
Francesca Viscardi
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dario Argento	...	Narrator (Italian version) / Murderer's Hands (voice) (uncredited)
Lamberto Bava	...	Elevator Repairman #1 (uncredited)
Michele Soavi	...	Maria's Boyfriend / Man Walking with Girl on Beach (uncredited)

Directed by
Dario Argento

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Dario Argento

Produced by
Claudio Argento	....	producer
Salvatore Argento	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Massimo Morante		(as Simonetti-Morante-Pignatelli)
Fabio Pignatelli		(as Simonetti-Morante-Pignatelli)
Claudio Simonetti		(as Simonetti-Morante-Pignatelli)

Cinematography by
Luciano Tovoli

Film Editing by
Franco Fraticelli

Production Design by
Giuseppe Bassan

Set Decoration by
Tommaso Barbi
Maurizio Garrone

Costume Design by
Pierangelo Cicoletti
Franco Tomei

Makeup Department
Patrizia Corridoni	....	key hair stylist
Pierantonio Mecacci	....	makeup artist
Piero Mecacci	....	makeup artist (as Pierino Macacci)

Production Management
Cesare Jacolucci	....	production manager
Cesare Jacolucci	....	production supervisor
Giuseppe Mangogna	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Lamberto Bava	....	first assistant director
Michele Soavi	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Antonella Caputo	....	assistant production designer
Massimo Garrone	....	assistant set decorator
Osvaldo Monaco	....	property master
Giuseppe Pagnotta	....	property master
Cesare Piccini	....	assistant property master
Aldo Taloni	....	set dresser

Sound Department
Luciano Anzellotti	....	sound effects
Massimo Anzellotti	....	sound effects
Mario Dallimonti	....	sound
Giancarlo Laurenzi	....	boom operator
Romano Pampaloni	....	sound mixer

Special Effects by
Giovanni Corridori	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Francesco Bellomo	....	still photographer
Remo Cartocci	....	grip
Francesco Giulivi	....	gaffer
Roberto Marsigli	....	assistant camera
Mario Moreschini	....	key grip
Maurizio Piano	....	assistant camera
Giuseppe Tinelli	....	camera operator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Barbara Canevari	....	assistant costume designer
Vanda Caprioli	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Piero Bozza	....	assistant editor
Roberto Priori	....	assistant editor

Other crew
Ferdinando Caputo	....	production accountant
Diego Della Valle	....	shoemaker
Carlo Du Bois	....	production accountant
Enrico Lucherini	....	unit publicist
Saverio Mangogna	....	production secretary
Cesare Piccini	....	leather
Francesca Roberti	....	script supervisor
Pino Locchi	....	voice dubbing: Giuliano Gemma (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Sigma Cinematografica Roma

Distributors

• Titanus (1982) (Italy) (theatrical)
• 01 Distribution (2009) (Italy) (DVD) (PAL)
• Atlas Film Verleih (1984) (West Germany) (theatrical) (edited)
• Bedford Entertainment (1987) (USA) (theatrical) (edited) (dubbed)
• EL-KO Films (1988) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Nippon Herald Eiga (1983) (Japan) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (USA) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (USA) (VHS)
• Arrow Video (2011) (UK) (DVD) (blu-ray)
• Ascot Elite Home Entertainment (2012) (Germany) (DVD)
• Fox Hills Video (1987) (USA) (VHS)
• Future Film (2005) (Finland) (DVD)
• Imagica (2004) (Japan) (DVD) (new master)
• Schmalz-Schneider (2007) (Austria) (DVD) (as Illusions Unltd. Films)
• Sonet Video (????) (Sweden) (VHS)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2004) (Australia) (DVD)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2011) (Australia) (video) (VOD)

Other Companies

• C.A.M.  soundtrack
• Fendi  furs
• Rocchetti e Carboni  wigs

Also Known As:

"Unsane" - USA (informal alternative title)
"Shadow" - Japan (English title) (imdb display title)

Runtime:

110 min | USA:91 min (edited version) | 101 min (director's cut)

Country:

Italy

Language:

English | Italian | Spanish

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:R | Canada:R | France:-16 | Germany:16 (cut version: 2002) | Italy:VM18 | Spain:18 | UK:18 | USA:R | USA:Unrated (director's cut) | West Germany:(Banned) | Netherlands:12 (DVD rating) | Iceland:(Banned) | Finland:K-18 (2001) (uncut) | Finland:K-18 (1988) (cut) | Germany:BPjM Restricted | Australia:M | New Zealand:R16 | West Germany:18 (cut) | Sweden:(Banned) | Italy:VM14 (edited TV version) | Argentina:X (original rating) | Argentina:18 (re-rating) | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Sweden:15 | USA:X (original rating) | Hong Kong:III | Italy:T (DVD rating) (cut)

Filming Locations:

Incir De Paolis Studios, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company:

Sigma Cinematografica Roma

Trivia:

Director trademark: [Dario Argento] Character recalls clues from memory.

Goofs:

Factual errors: On the telephone, the killer tells Peter Neal that "you wrote those words, page 46," but in fact the words quoted would have had to be on an odd-numbered page of the book TENEBRAE, given the placement of the text we see in the opening sequence.

Quotes:

[First lines]
Narrator:"The impulse had become irresistible. There was only one answer to the fury that tortured him. And so he committed his first act of murder. He had broken the most deep-rooted taboo, and found not guilt, not anxiety or fear, but freedom. Any humiliation which stood in his way could be swept aside by the simple act of annihilation: Murder."

Movie Connections:

Featured in Video Nasties: Moral Panic, Censorship & Videotape (2010) (V)

Soundtrack:

Take Me Tonight

Enjoyable murder mystery thriller.

After the opening credits the film starts in New York, as American author Peter Neal (Anthony Franciosa) cycles to JFK airport. He flies to Rome so he can promote his new murder mystery novel 'tenebrae'. Meanwhile in Rome a woman tries to steal a copy of the book from some shop and is caught. She convinces the security guard to let her off. But someone in the store is watching her and has seen whats happened. Back at her flat she is attacked, pages of the book 'tenebrae' are forced into her mouth and her throat is slashed with a straight razor, just like the one the killer uses in the book. The police head straight for Neal to question him, while there Neal receives a letter and phone call from the killer, from then on Neal is thrown in a complex mystery and plunged into the centre of a number of senseless, violent murders. Written and directed by the overrated Dario Argento this is definitely one of his best films. Stylishly filmed with visually pleasing photography, the stand out sequence being the murder of the two lesbians, the camera starts outside of a window looking in at one of the victims, it then moves up a level to another window, it moves across the side of the house to yet another window in which the second victim can be seen playing a record, then the camera moves up toward the roof, glides along it and back down the opposite side of the house from which it started to rest on the killers gloved hand breaking into the house. All in one smooth flowing shot, very impressive. Add to this lots of close ups, strange angles, free flowing camera movements and a nice color scheme, and we have a very good looking film. Acting is OK, most of the lead characters are a little bit bland. While the film does contain a nice amount of nudity, violence and gore it is perhaps a little more restrained than you might expect, except for a scene towards the end of the film where a woman has her arm chopped off with an axe, how much blood?! Having said that the murders are very well done, and Dario films them with style, like the rest of the film. Script wise, I liked the twists and turns but the reasons for some of them didn't make much sense. And one or two bits stray into silly horror film cliché, like the dog attacking the girl, my least favorite sequence in the film. Overall a very good horror mystery. Make sure you listen and pay attention otherwise you may miss some vital plot points, like it appears some of the people who have reviewed it on the IMDb did. One negative would be that once you have watch tenebrae once I don't think many people would be interested in watching it again, as once all the twists are revealed it loses its mystery and impact a little. Certainly worth a rent, recommended.