The Firelight Shocks DVD Review Section

Tenebrae Distributor: Sazuma Region: All Ratio: 1:85:1 Sound: Dolby Digital Stereo

Tenebrae marked Argento's eagerly anticipated return to giallo cinema (after the supernatural scares of Suspiria and Inferno) and proved to be the director's most controversial film. Bafflingly, the movie was prosecuted as a 'video nasty' in the UK (even in spite of a BBFC approved 'X' certificate) and met severe editing when it was released in the US by a typically bewildered distributor looking to try and Americanise the thing (and even re-titled it Unsane). Nevertheless, the movie was an enormous success in Italy and quickly grew a cult following in the UK and America. Watching Tenebrae once again proves that the movie is definitely a further feather in the cap of the hallowed director. This is a fiercely intelligent giallo, revealing Argento meditating upon his own brand of art and, within the framework of the film, teasing (some might even say answering) his own critics through the creation of author Peter Neal (Anthony Franciosca). Neal is the writer of giallo thrillers who is accused of misogyny by some feminists. Moreover, life begins to imitate art when a handful of attractive young women begin to meet especially brutal deaths (with the pages from Neals latest book stuffed into one girl's mouth). Neal has death threats posted to him and receives crank phone calls - all the while finding himself drawn into a real life whodunnit. Without wanting to give too much away - the end of Tenebrae is as theatrical as anything Argento has ever done (including the opening murder of Four Flies on Grey Velvet and the wonderful revealing of the killer in Opera). In fact, in retrospect - the finale of Tenebrae is quite reminiscent of the last fifteen minutes of Scream 2. However, Argento's ability to play with the audiences expectations and emotions has never been better and (unlike with such titles as Suspiria) it will probably take you more than one viewing to notice the big gaping plot holes. As you've no doubt guessed Tenebrae is essential viewing! Incidentally, the point in his career at which Argento finally disappeared up his own arse was possibly with the acclaimed louma crane sequence in this movie. Utterly pointless but truly exhilarating, the scene is nothing less than a testament to one of the film world's most inventive visual perfectionists. Shame about the crap dubbing though. This disc shows Tenebrae letterboxed at 1:85:1. My previous experience with the film has shown it framed at 1:66:1, but the ration on this disc looks correct. The picture quality is faultless and the rainstorms are beautifully rendered as are the gorgeous colour schemes and the bright vegetation inherent in many exterior sequences. Honestly, although I've not seen the Anchor Bay disc, it would be hard to imagine any version of Tenebrae looking better than this (and I've seen the movie on the big screen too). The Dolby Stereo soundtrack is equally wonderful.

EXTRAS: Biographies, a small selection of grainy deleted scenes (or alternative scenes as they really should be advertised) and a fantastic fifteen minute interview with Argento which provides more insight into the director than the short interview with him on Anchor Bay's Deep Red disc. Recorded in 1991, the interview sees the great man talking about his initial career as a critic and then as a scriptwriter on his friend Sergio Leone's excellent Once Upon a Time in the West. Argento then goes on to answer questions about misogyny, his upcoming Trauma (still entitled Aura's Enigma at this time) and George Romero. Furthermore, the four seconds clipped from the UK release are present, allowing you to see that infamous arm lopping in all its bloody detail.