A Celebration Of Dario Argento: PHENOMENA & INFERNO: UNCUT!
Plus: Interview with Dario, when he directed a fashion show(!), trailers and a documentary about him. The maestro of shock and suspense!
Click here for the celebration of Dario Argento!
I had the opportunity to spend the day with Dario Argento, photo by Patrice Hawkes-Reed
LET’S TALK ABOUT YOUR WORK WITH SERGIO LEONE.
I learned much from him. I worked as a writer with BERNARDO BERTOLUCCI on ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST and other films. Sergio was a great director. He almost never gave his actors hand holding scene direction that bad actors demand.You got a general idea of the character and the camera did the rest. He taught me that the camera became your eye. You see the scene and the people in it and examine the frame. He taught me to use the camera as my eye.
I want to see everything in the picture. If there is a desk, I want to see what’s on it. Everything in the shot must have a purpose, so I want to see it. (Dario rises from his chair and motions around the room). Some people would focus in on the actor but look around this room. The table, the chairs, the things on the table. I let the camera take all that in. I learned that from Sergio Leone. My time working with him was very good.
HOW DID YOU GET TO GO FROM SCREENWRITING TO DIRECTING?
Believe it or not, when I did the script to THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE, I wrote that I was to be the director on the first page. No one questioned it! I was glad I wrote that down! In those days it was easier to do than now. Now it’s more difficult.
DID YOU ENJOY DOING YOUR FIRST FILM?
No. I had hired an actor, Tony Muscante, who seemed pleasant to begin with, but I hated working with him. He was trained in theatre and would be waiting to ask me questions every day. I hated it. We didn’t get along. Difficult. Very difficult. Why am I doing this or that. All the time. (Dario rolls his eyes) After a time I hated going to the set. I wanted the film to be over. He still works in theatre.
YOU HAVE OFTEN COMPARED FILMMAKING WITH GOING TO WAR, AND WAR CHANGES PEOPLE. WHICH FILM HAD THE MOST IMPACT ON YOUR LIFE?
SUSPIRIA.
Without question. When I finished the film I bought a gun and went to a hotel room for 2 or 3 days. I thought about killing myself.
BUT THAT’S CONSIDERED YOUR GREATEST FILM!
Some call it my masterpiece. My wife walked out on me and the set of the film the first day. It was all down hill from there. Troubles. Troubles from complicated shots, troubles in my life.
If I had to do it all over again I wouldn’t do it. Every film has an impact, every project. SUSPIRIA was a disaster until it reached the screen. (Laughter). Maybe because it was about witches! When I finished it I wanted to die. I was never so depressed in my life. I sat in the hotel room alone. Trying to decide.
HOW DID YOU COME OUT OF IT?
I don’t know. It just passed.
DID YOU MEET ANY WITCHES AS A RESULT OF THE FILM?
No. Never have. I’ve met people who say they have studied it or claimed to be witches, but I’ve met no one with supernatural abilities or powers. I’d like to. (Laughter)
IF YOU WERE TOLD THAT YOU COULD DO A FILM AS EXPERIMENTAL AND GROUND- BREAKING AS SUSPIRIA AGAIN, BUT THAT YOU’D HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE PAIN AGAIN...
I wouldn’t do it! No. (Laughter) No, never. Every film or creative project influences your life. SUSPIRIA was devastating.
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Dario with his daughter and actress Asia.
I SAW A FASHION SHOW YOU DID FOR THE HOUSE OF KRIZIA.
Oh my God-how did you see that? Where?
VHS bootleg.
(Laughter) YOU ARE THE FIRST AMERICAN I’VE MET WHO KNOWS ABOUT THAT.
WHAT IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE ITALIAN FASHION INDUSTRY?
No relation really. I wanted to experiment. The models usually come out and walk around. Then they leave. I wanted to tell a story. Covering morning, noon and night.
It was on Italian television. Then it was cut and shown as a five minute commercial. The audience went crazy and gave me a standing ovation. Articles in the fashion magazines and newspapers. Then they went right back to the runway walk. (Laughter)
IT WAS A SCARY SHOW WITH RAIN AND LIGHTENING. IT WAS WONDERFUL.
I cast the models from schools. I told them I did not want professional models, because they look too aloof and try not to show emotion. So I cast every person in the show. I think it scared the regular models. (Laughter) They were afraid actors might replace them!
It took a week to cast, but only three days to rehearse and do. Most runway shows take a day to put together. I think it shows. (Laughter)
YOUR FASHION SENSE IS RARELY MENTIONED.
It is part of seeing everything in the shot. The table, the clothes, everything is part of the total.
.I KNOW JENNIFER CONNALLY WAS IN ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST AS A CHILD, A FILM YOU COLLABORATED WITH BERTOLUCCI ON. THEN SHE SHOWED UP YEARS LATER IN PHENOMENA , I REALLY THINK SHE IS A STRONG PRESENCE.
Yes. I enjoyed working with her. She was good in Career Opportunities and The Rocketeer, but the movies weren’t so good. She’s a pleasure to work with.
SHE HAS DEVELOPED A TERRIFIC BODY OVER THE YEARS AS WELL.(Laughter) Uh, yes. She is my daughter’s age!
I CAN SPOT BEAUTY AND TALENT AND THEY BOTH HAVE IT.
(laughter) I believe you.
Sometime after my day with Dario I cast Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni in my play ED WOOD’S THE BRIDE AND THE BEAST. I had 3 plays running at 3 theaters at the same time! Over the run of the play about 90 people flew in from Italy to see her- my little play added to Chicago tourism! You can see her in DEMONS 2, OPERA, MOTHER OF TEARS, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA and many other movies. I showed her a Betty Boop cartoon and she nailed it for the play. (Poster art by Brian Thomas)
Here’s a fact you might not know, Dario does many of the kills in his movies!
My writings are now in the collection of Columbia University in NYC. The small theater scene did not survive Covid, but for decades original theatre thrived in Chicago and was a swell party. That people knew me more around the world than in Chicago was something I am still proud of.
Click this link for: PHENOMENA, DARIO ARGENTO AN EYE FOR HORROR, DARIO’S FASHION SHOW and INFERNO:
Click here for a celebration of Dario Argento
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The Chicago Psychotronic Film Society which begat The Global Psychotronic Film Society is quite a party. From it's earliest days with guests JOHN CLEESE, ROBERT DeNIRO, BILL MURRAY (our first dues paid member), DAN AYKROYD, SYDNEY POLLACK, RUSS MEYER, CLIVE BARKER, JOHN DUGAN, PENN AND TELLER, KENNETH ANGER, DARIO ARGENTO and many more there was nothing like it on earth. People travelled from all over the world to attend our parties or host them and none of the celebrities were paid to be at the events.
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