Tenebre (1982)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Dario Argento

Writer:

Dario Argento (writer)

Release Date:

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:

Writer | Rome | Police | Serial Killer | Novel

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		writer

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

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

Cinematography by
Luciano Tovoli

Film Editing by
Franco Fraticelli

Production Design by
Giuseppe Bassan

Set Decoration by
Tommaso Barbi
Maurizio Garrone
Aldo Taloni		(settings)

Costume Design by
Pierangelo Cicoletti
Carlo Palazzi
Franco Tomei

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

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

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

• Atlas Film Verleih (1984) (West Germany) (theatrical) (edited)
• Bedford Entertainment (1987) (USA) (theatrical) (as Unsane)
• Fox Hills Video (1987) (USA) (VHS)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2004) (Australia) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (USA) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (USA) (VHS)

Other Companies

• C.A.M.  soundtrack
• Fendi  furs

Also Known As:

Sotto gli occhi dell'assassino
Tenebrae
Under the Eyes of the Assassin
Unsane (USA)

Runtime:

110 min | USA:101 min (director's cut) | USA:91 min (edited version) | Italy:96 min (Director's Cut)

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M | New Zealand:R16 | West Germany:18 (cut) | Sweden:(Banned) | Italy:T (cut DVD version) | Argentina:X (original rating) | Argentina:18 (re-rating) | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | 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 (2005) (uncut) | Finland:K-18 (1988) (cut) | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Incir De Paolis Studios, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company:

Sigma Cinematografica Roma

Trivia:

The films poster shows an image of a woman with her throat cut. The UK release attempted to censor the violent image by placing a red bow around the neck in the image!

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: During the pre-credit sequence where the killer is reading the book. On long shots the writing is in Italian, but on the close up shots, its in English.

Quotes:

Peter Neal: I've been charged, I've tried building a plot the same way you have. I've tried to figure it out; but, I just have this hunch that something is missing, a tiny piece of the jigsaw. Somebody who should be dead is alive, or somebody who should be alive is already dead.
Detective Germani: Explain that.
Peter Neal: You know, there's a sentence in a Conan Doyle book, "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Devil's Muse (2007)

Soundtrack:

Take Me Tonight

Easily Argento's most violent giallo.

"Tenebre" stars Anthony Franciosa as a novelist Peter Neal who finds himself embroiled in a series of grisly murders,as one of his readers starts to imitate the killings in his latest novel Tenebrae.This Dario Argento's bloody thriller is full of startling plot twists and shocking bursts of gory violence.Plenty of serious shocks and a wonderful musical score by Goblin as well as incredibly gory finale that is among Argento's greatest sequences.As usual,there are some stylish killings,particularly a gruesome arm chopping near the end-definitely one of the bloodiest murder scenes I have ever seen.Argento uses some of the most vivid colors imaginable and like his 1977 effort "Suspiria",he uses these colors to enhance the atmosphere of the film.I'll end this review by saying that "Tenebre" is indeed excellent,thrilling,scary,well-acted and anything else I can think of-simply amazing if I have to say the least!Highly recommended.