Animal Trilogy

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The Animal Trilogy consists of three consecutively released Italian giallo films by Dario Argento: The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970), The Cat o' Nine Tails (1971) and Four Flies on Grey Velvet (1972). The giallo trilogy has had an influence on horror films and murder mysteries made outside of Italy since the early seventies.

<i>Giallo</i> literature and film genre

Giallo is a 20th-century Italian genre of literature and film. Especially outside Italy, giallo refers specifically to a particular Italian thriller-horror genre that has mystery or detective elements and often contains slasher, crime fiction, psychological thriller, psychological horror, sexploitation, and, less frequently, supernatural horror elements. In Italy, the term generally denotes thrillers, typically of the crime fiction, mystery, and horror subgenres, regardless of the country of origin.

Dario Argento Italian film director, producer and screenwriter

Dario Argento is an Italian film director, producer, film critic and screenwriter. He is best known for his work in the horror film genre during the 1970s and 1980s, particularly in the subgenre known as giallo, and for his influence on modern horror films, which has led him to being referred to as the "Master of the Thrill" and the "Master of Horror".

<i>The Bird with the Crystal Plumage</i> 1970 film by Dario Argento

The Bird with the Crystal Plumage is a 1970 giallo film directed by Dario Argento, in his directorial debut. The film is considered a landmark in the Italian giallo genre. It is the first installment in the Animal Trilogy, and was followed by The Cat o' Nine Tails (1971) and Four Flies on Grey Velvet (1972).

Contents

The films are not connected to each other in any way and do not share characters or actors. The only connection they have is an animal in their title.

Films

The Bird with the Crystal Plumage

Dario Argento’s directorial debut is considered as a landmark in the Italian giallo genre that turned the giallo into a major cultural phenomenon. [1] That film, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage , was greatly influenced by Blood and Black Lace , and introduced a new level of stylish violence and suspense that helped redefine the genre. The film was a box office smash and was widely imitated. [2] Its success provoked a frenzy of Italian films with stylish, violent, and sexually provocative murder plots, (Argento alone made three more in the next five years) essentially cementing the genre in the public consciousness. In 1996, director Michele Soavi wrote, "there's no doubt that it was Mario Bava who started the "spaghetti thrillers" [but] Argento gave them a great boost, a turning point, a new style...'new clothes'. Mario had grown old and Dario made it his own genre... this had repercussions on genre cinema, which, thanks to Dario, was given a new lease on life." [3] The success of The Bird with the Crystal Plumage provoked a decade which saw multiple gialli produced every year. In English-language film circles, the term "giallo" gradually became synonymous with a heavy, theatrical and stylized visual element.

<i>Blood and Black Lace</i> 1964 film by Mario Bava

Blood and Black Lace is a 1964 giallo film directed by Mario Bava.

Michele Soavi Italian actor

Michele Soavi, sometimes known as Michael Soavi is an Italian filmmaker, actor, and screenwriter best known for his work in the horror film genre, working alongside directors like Dario Argento and Lucio Fulci.

Written by Argento, the film is an uncredited adaptation of Fredric Brown's novel The Screaming Mimi . It stars Tony Musante, Suzy Kendall and Enrico Maria Salerno.

Fredric Brown American novelist, short story author

Fredric Brown was an American science fiction and mystery writer. He is known for his use of humor and for his mastery of the "short short" form—stories of 1 to 3 pages, often with ingenious plotting devices and surprise endings. Humor and a somewhat postmodern outlook carried over into his novels as well. One of his stories, "Arena", is officially credited for an adaptation as an episode of the American television series Star Trek.

<i>The Screaming Mimi</i> (novel) book by Fredric Brown

The Screaming Mimi is a mystery novel by American writer Fredric Brown. It was first published in 1949.

Tony Musante American actor

Anthony Peter Musante Jr. was an American actor, best known for the TV series Toma.

It was placed 272nd in Empire magazine's "500 Greatest Movies of All Time" list. [4]

Upon its release the film was a huge box office hit, grossing 1,650,000,000 Italian lira (roughly about $1 million US), twice the production cost of $500,000. The film was also a success outside of Italy, gaining €1,366,884 admissions in Spain.

Box office place where tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event

A box office or ticket office is a place where tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through a hole in a wall or window, or at a wicket.

Italian lira currency

The lira was the currency of Italy between 1861 and 2002 and of the Albanian Kingdom between 1941 and 1943. Between 1999 and 2002, the Italian lira was officially a national subunit of the euro. However, cash payments could be made in lira only, as euro coins or notes were not yet available. The lira was also the currency of the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy between 1807 and 1814.

The Cat o' Nine Tails

Although it is the middle entry in Argento's "Animal Trilogy", the titular "cat o' nine tails" does not directly refer to a literal cat, nor to a literal multi-tailed whip; rather, it refers to the number of leads that the protagonists follow in the attempt to solve a murder.

Cat o nine tails type of whip

The cat o' nine tails, commonly shortened to the cat, is a type of multi-tailed whip that originated as an implement for severe physical punishment, notably in the Royal Navy and Army of the United Kingdom, and also as a judicial punishment in Britain and some other countries.

The film stars James Franciscus, Karl Malden and Catherine Spaak. Though successful in Europe, it was dismissed in the United States.

Four Flies on Grey Velvet

The third chapter of the Animal Trilogy stars Michael Brandon, Mimsy Farmer and Jean-Pierre Marielle.

AllMovie gave the film a positive review, calling it "an unfortunately overlooked and hard-to-find choice nugget in his [Argento's] oeuvre". [5]

Deep Purple was considered for the score, but because of scheduling difficulties with the band the film was instead scored by world famous composer Ennio Morricone, who had previously worked on Argento's The Bird with the Crystal Plumage .

Music

The music for the trilogy was composed by Ennio Morricone.

Music has been cited as a key to the giallo film; writer Anne Billson explains, "The Giallo Sound is typically an intoxicating mix of groovy lounge music, nerve-jangling discord, and the sort of soothing lyricism that belies the fact that it's actually accompanying, say, a slow motion decapitation," (she cites as an example Ennio Morricone's score for 1971's Four Flies on Grey Velvet ).

Morricone had a major argument with Argento over some tracks Argento did not want in Four Flies on Grey Velvet . As a result, the director and Morricone would not work together again until 1996 with The Stendhal Syndrome , and the rock group Goblin would eventually become Argento's regular composers.

Related Research Articles

<i>Demons</i> (1985 film) 1985 Italian horror film directed by Lamberto Bava

Demons is a 1985 Italian horror film directed by Lamberto Bava and produced by Dario Argento, starring Urbano Barberini and Natasha Hovey. The screenplay was written by Bava, Argento, Franco Ferrini and Dardano Sacchetti, from a story by Sacchetti. Filming took place in Berlin and Rome.

<i>The Cat o Nine Tails</i> 1971 film by Dario Argento

The Cat o' Nine Tails is a 1971 giallo film written and directed by Dario Argento, adapted from a story by Dardano Sacchetti, Luigi Cozzi, and an uncredited Bryan Edgar Wallace. It stars Karl Malden, James Franciscus, and Catherine Spaak.

<i>Dario Argentos World of Horror</i> 1985 film by Michele Soavi

Il Mondo dell'orrore di Dario Argento is a 1985 Italian documentary film, which chronicles the career of the Italian horror and suspense movie director, Dario Argento. It was the directorial debut of Michele Soavi, who later went on to direct the cult classic Dellamorte Dellamore in 1994.

<i>Phenomena</i> (film) 1985 film by Dario Argento

Phenomena is a 1985 Italian horror giallo film directed by Dario Argento and starring Jennifer Connelly, Daria Nicolodi, and Donald Pleasence. Its plot focuses on a girl at a remote Swiss boarding school who discovers she has psychic powers that allow her to communicate with insects and uses them to pursue a serial killer who is butchering young women at and around the school.

<i>Tenebrae</i> (film) 1982 film by Dario Argento

Tenebrae is a 1982 Italian giallo film written and directed by Dario Argento. The film stars Anthony Franciosa as American author Peter Neal, who – while in Rome promoting his latest murder-mystery novel – becomes embroiled in the search for a serial killer who may have been inspired to kill by his novel. John Saxon and Daria Nicolodi co-star as Neal's agent and assistant, while Giuliano Gemma and Carola Stagnaro appear as detectives investigating the murders. John Steiner, Veronica Lario and Mirella D'Angelo also feature in minor roles. The film has been described as exploring themes of dualism and sexual aberration, and has strong metafictional elements; some commentators consider Tenebrae to be a direct reaction by Argento to criticism of his previous work, most especially his depictions of murders of beautiful women.

<i>Four Flies on Grey Velvet</i> 1971 film by Dario Argento

Four Flies on Grey Velvet is a 1971 Italian giallo film written and directed by Dario Argento, from a story by Luigi Cozzi. The film is the third in director Argento's "Animal Trilogy", having been preceded by The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970) and The Cat o' Nine Tails (1971).

<i>Opera</i> (film) 1987 Italian giallo horror film directed by Dario Argento

Opera is a 1987 Italian giallo film co-written and directed by Dario Argento, with music composed and performed by Brian Eno, Claudio Simonetti, and Bill Wyman. Starring Cristina Marsillach, Urbano Barberini, and Ian Charleson, the plot focuses on a young soprano (Marsillach) involved in a series of murders being committed inside an opera house by a masked assailant.

Spaghetti Nightmares is a reference book on Italian horror films by Luca M. Palmerini and Gaetano Mistretta. The book consists mainly of interviews with major genre icons. The book was published in 1996.

<i>Sleepless</i> (2001 film) 2001 film by Dario Argento

Sleepless is a 2001 Italian giallo film directed by Dario Argento. The film stars Max von Sydow and Stefano Dionisi and marks Argento's return to the giallo subgenre. The film was another box office success when it opened in Italy, taking in over $5,019,733,505 lira by the end of its theatrical run.

<i>Black Belly of the Tarantula</i> 1971 film by Paolo Cavara

The Black Belly of the Tarantula is a 1971 Italian giallo film directed by Paolo Cavara. It is one of many Italian giallo films to be inspired by Dario Argento's successful debut thriller The Bird with the Crystal Plumage. The film was shot on location in Rome, Italy in 1970. It starred Giancarlo Giannini, Barbara Bouchet and Barbara Bach. Ennio Morricone did the music score for the film. Though fairly obscure for many years the film has recently made a comeback thanks to the rising fan base for the giallo genre. The film has gained much praise from the horror community, one writer at Horrorview.com cited it as the best giallo ever made. Blue Underground Entertainment released the film on DVD in 2006.

Bixio Music Group, a New York corporation, is the American branch of Gruppo Editoriale Bixio it:Gruppo Editoriale Bixio, or Bixio Publishing Group, the first Italian music publishing company. The Bixio Publishing Group, currently based in Rome, Italy, was established in Naples during the 1920s by composer Cesare Andrea Bixio. Bixio Music Group, an ASCAP member since 1992, was established to facilitate licensing of the Bixio Publishing Group catalogue that includes not only musical compositions but also sound recordings by related labels under the Group in the territories of North and South America.

<i>The Fifth Cord</i> 1971 film by Luigi Bazzoni

The Fifth Cord is a 1971 Italian giallo film directed by Luigi Bazzoni. The film's Italian title reprises Dario Argento's practice of using animals in the titles of his thriller films. The film is based on a novel with the same name by D.M. Devine.

<i>Sette scialli di seta gialla</i> 1972 film by Sergio Pastore

Sette scialli di seta gialla/ Seven Shawls of Yellow Silk is a 1972 Italian giallo film. It was directed by Sergio Pastore and written by Pastore, Alessandro Continenza and Giovanni Simonelli. Sette scialli di seta gialla stars Anthony Steffen, Sylva Koscina, Jeannette Len, Renato De Carmine, Giacomo Rossi-Stuart and Umberto Raho.

<i>Liguana dalla lingua di fuoco</i> 1971 film by Riccardo Freda

L'iguana dalla lingua di fuoco is a 1971 giallo film. It is directed by Riccardo Freda, who was unhappy with the film and had his name replaced with the pseudonym "Willy Pareto".

<i>Crime and Dissonance</i> 2005 compilation album by Ennio Morricone

Crime and Dissonance is a 2005 compilation album of Italian composer Ennio Morricone's film score work. Intended as a follow-up to two earlier Morricone compilations assembled by Dagored, the album was put together by Alan Bishop and released by Ipecac Recordings. Crime and Dissonance features work ranging from the later 1960s to the early 1980s, and contains scores taken from films of several different genres.

<i>I due gattoni a nove code... e mezza ad Amsterdam</i> 1972 film by Osvaldo Civirani

I due gattoni a nove code... e mezza ad Amsterdam is a 1972 Italian comedy film written and directed by Osvaldo Civirani. The title spoofs the Dario Argento's giallo The Cat o' Nine Tails.

References

  1. ↑ "L'uccello dalle piume di cristallo (The Bird With the Crystal Plumage) – Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved 29 July 2012.
  2. ↑ McDonagh, Maitland (March 22, 2010). Broken Mirrors/Broken Minds: The Dark Dreams of Dario Argento. University of Minnesota Press. p. 14. ISBN   081665607X.
  3. ↑ Soavi, Michele (1996). "Michele Soavi Interview". In Palmerini, Luca M.; Mistretta, Gaetano (eds.). Spaghetti Nightmares. Fantasma Books. p. 147. ISBN   0963498274.
  4. ↑ "Empire's 500 Greatest Movies Of All Time". emipreonline.com . Retrieved 31 July 2012.
  5. ↑ Buening, Michael. "Quattro Mosche di Velluto Grigio - Review - AllMovie". AllMovie . Retrieved 24 July 2012.
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