Deep Red (1975)

A jazz pianist and a wisecracking journalist are pulled into a complex web of mystery after the former witnesses the brutal murder of a psychic.

Director:

Dario Argento

Writers:

Dario Argento, Bernardino Zapponi

Stars:

David Hemmings, Daria Nicolodi, Gabriele Lavia

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
David Hemmings	...	Marcus Daly
Daria Nicolodi	...	Gianna Brezzi
Gabriele Lavia	...	Carlo
Macha Méril	...	Helga Ulmann
Eros Pagni	...	Supt. Calcabrini
Giuliana Calandra	...	Amanda Righetti
Piero Mazzinghi	...	Bardi
Glauco Mauri	...	Prof. Giordani
Clara Calamai	...	Marta
Aldo Bonamano	...	Carlo's Father
Liana Del Balzo	...	Elvira
Vittorio Fanfoni	...	Cop Taking Notes
Dante Fioretti	...	Police photographer
Geraldine Hooper	...	Massimo Ricci
Jacopo Mariani	...	Young Carlo (as Iacopo Mariani)

Storyline

A psychic who can read minds picks up the thoughts of a murderer in the audience and soon becomes a victim. An English pianist gets involved in solving the murders, but finds many of his avenues of inquiry cut off by new murders, and he begins to wonder how the murderer can track his movements so closely.

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Plot Keywords:

black gloved killer | giallo | color in title | slasher | brutality | 

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Taglines:

The maker of "SUSPIRIA" now takes you on a journey through the macabre, the bizarre. . . the unnatural.

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Genres:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian German

Release Date:

11 June 1976 (USA)

Also Known As:

Dripping Deep Red

Filming Locations:

Incir De Paolis Studios, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company Credits

Production Co:

Rizzoli Film, Seda Spettacoli

Technical Specs

Runtime:

127 min 101 min (R-rated) 105 min (export)

Sound Mix:

Mono 4-Track Stereo (Japan theatrical release)

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The role of Carlo's male transvestite lover, Massimo Ricci, was actually played by female actress Geraldine Hooper.

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Goofs

When Carlo is being dragged along by the truck, the wheels he is on are visible.

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Quotes

[back at the car with Marc]
Marcus Daly: What'd you do?
Olga: Nothing. Don't pay any attention; my father's just a little crazy.
[at Rodi's feet, a lizard with a pin through it's head, squirming on the ground]

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Crazy Credits

The opening credits are interrupted halfway through by a murder scene

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Alternate Versions

The English language "restored version" runs 126 minutes. The footage which wasn't in the original English language release is presented in Italian with English subtitles.

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Connections

Referenced in The New York Ripper (1982)

User Reviews

Classic Gialli with imaginatively staged killings by the master of horror

Italian cult director Dario Argento, master of arty gore, brings this eerie and stylish story plagued by depraved gore murders, it concerns about a composer(David Hemmings) who observes a chilling assassination of his neighbor, an Occultist-medium (Macha Meril). When he gets clues , the musician visits a woman and discovers that she has been cruelly killed , as well. The composer along with a reporter(Daria Nicolidi, wife to Argento and mother of Asia) start following the tracks on a strange mansion.Other key roles are his friend Carlo(Gabriele Lavia) and the psychic's assistant Doctor Giordini.

One of the best ¨Giallo¨with oneiric,effective esthetics packs lots of gore, guts and twists plots. This is a trademark terror work for the Horrormeister Argento with high tension quotient and equally high suspense by means of an ever-fluid camera that achieves colorful shots similarly to Giorgio De Chirico paintings. Noteworthy for intelligent edition work that tightens the mystery, glimmer use of color and distinctive utilization of shock images. Sometimes weak screenplay is added by nice but gory special effects by Carlo Rambaldi(ET).Screeching musical score by Goblin with stereophonic whispers combining to fortissimo soundtrack which help achieve incredible creepy moments.The terror pieces are well staged with eye-opening flair-play and contain obscure tracks to the denouement of the script.As trivia, Argento appears as murderer's hand. The motion picture is originally directed by Dario Argento, one of those film-makers(other examples are Mario Bava and Riccardo Freda ) who set off simple for frightening us to death. His period of biggest hits were the 70s when he directed the animals trilogy: ¨Four flies over gray velvet,The cat of nine tails, Bird with the crystal plumage¨, after he directed ¨Suspiria, Inferno, Tenebre¨ and of course ¨Deep red¨. This bloody fun plenty of graphic gore and weirdness may not be for all tastes but to be liked for Argento connoisseurs especially.