TRAILER
Secret Base Cinema presents
Dario Argento’s
PROFONDO ROSSO
(DEEP RED)
Exclusive Screening — one night only
Thursday Jan 26, 7 pm, Garfield Theatre
Tix $8 & $10 advance; $12 & $15 door.
From the master of Giallo cinema comes Dario Argento’s uncut signature work, DEEP RED, widely considered the best of the Giallo horror film art form. In Italian with English subs, rated “R” for graphic violence.
Known for depicting murder as performance art, Argento stresses aesthetics and striking visuals in this R-rated murder mystery/horror/thriller.
Technical and compositional mastery is evidenced by use of over-saturated colors, intense close-ups, unusual camera angles and chilling prog-rock soundtrack.
Fascinated with black gloves, masked villains, red herrings, and unusual modes of death, Argento (in the style of Hitchcock) skillfully uses anticipation to build tension and keep viewers on the edge of their seats.
Don’t know giallo from gelato? Not to worry, one need not be a cinephile to appreciate Argento’s DEEP RED, a horror fan’s delight.
Andy and Ian from Secret Base will lead the post-film discussion of their January selection. You won’t want to miss this classic murder horror thriller — get your tickets now.
WHAT, WHERE, WHEN
WHAT:
“PROFONDO ROSSO (DEEP RED)”
Director Dario Argento, Italy, 1975, 127 min, mystery/thriller/horror, in Italian with English subtitles, rated R for violence.
WHERE:
THE GARFIELD THEATRE, 719 Race St., Cincinnati, OH 45202.
Google Map … Garfield Parking Options
WHEN:
Thursday, January 26, 7:00 pm
TICKETS:
General Admission Tickets are $10 in advance, $15 at the door; Student Tickets are $8 in advance, $12 at the door; available online via the Tix Button (top of this webpage), and by phone at (859) 957-3456.
ADA ACCESS & SAFETY PROTOCOLS:
The Garfield is ADA accessible. ADA details and Covid-19 information can be found on the CWC Policies Page.
TERMS OF PURCHASE (In-Theatre):
Purchase of a ticket confirms acceptance by the purchaser that the presenter/host and their staff will not be liable for any loss, damage, action, claim, cost or expenses which may arise in the consequence of attendance at this event.
Purchaser declares that they will not attend unless in good health on the day of the event. Further, purchaser understands it is impossible to guarantee that they will not be exposed to Covid-19 and will attend at their own risk. No refunds, all sales are final.
WHAT IS GIALLO?
“Giallo,” named after the yellow covers of murder mystery novels written by international authors and published by Arnoldo Mondadori in Italy, was popularized in ’60s and ’70s cinema as a branch of the Thriller Genre.
Giallo films typically share several elements:
(1) American or British protagonists in Europe (usually Italy), who
(2) become embroiled in murder-mysteries,
(3) and end up pursued by black-gloved killers, as they
(4) conduct their own investigation because the police are too inept or oblivious.
Gialli movies (plural of Giallo) usually feature stylish, colorful set pieces. Learn more from Toni Stanger’s comprehensive illustrated history of Giallo cinema.
The written pulp fiction known as Giallo emerged in late-1920s Italy, and was later suppressed by the fascist regime. After WWII the yellow-cover murder mystery novels regained popularity and visibility. Learn more:
A brief history of Giallo Fiction and the Italian Anti-Detective Novel.
ABOUT THE FILM
~~~~~
More about Deep Red, without spoilers, from A. W. Kautzer, The Movie Aisle (edited for length and clarity):
“Argento has created an angry film with conflicting, almost contradictory viewpoints. Deep Red seems to want to focus on counterpoints: progressive vs. conservatism, feminism vs. masculinity, homosexuality vs. homophobia. All play out in the film in a very modern way.
“Argento shows the unfiltered bigotry of characters in stark contrast to the progressive forward-thinking ones. These counterpoints play out in the background, never really becoming plot points but rather adding to the ambiance of the piece.
“As directed by Argento the film is an amazing piece of horror mystery as there has been. The director’s camera constantly roving as the killer. Macro photography that details the killer’s charms and keepsakes.
“The work here still feels fresh almost forty-five years later. There is a sense of playful confidence to the work, a master knowing how an audience will react and subverting that. There is an ornateness to the set pieces that recalls Hitchcock but never feels like he’s aping the master’s style. In all Argento’s work, especially, Deep Red, he feels like he’s digested cinema and style and he’s truly processed it, to come up with his own style.
“Deep Red is the filmmaker at the top of his game before the dream logic took over his work. The story is still grounded in a world with normal conventions of the Giallo Film. To put a blunt point on the matter Deep Red is, in fact, the best “Giallo Film” ever produced. Its strict adherence to the rules and form of the genre brings something out in Argento’s direction and writing.
“There is a focus to Deep Red that isn’t present in his later work. The film is layered with subtext in a way that still works today. The direction is uniformly terrific, with as much style and thought given to even the smaller scenes that separates it from its peers.
“It is fitting that this earmarks the end of a moment in Argento’s career. He would return to Giallos of course. A year later in fact. But Suspiria is a new form of Giallo, with the adding of the supernatural element that is only hinted at and flirted with in Deep Red. Much of his later work (post-Suspiria) within Giallo becomes an outright nightmare, hinging on dream logic and the supernatural more than reality.
“Deep Red is one of the high-water marks of Dario Argento’s career and by default the Giallo genre itself. Story, performance, direction, and theme all collude to create a potent cinematic experience. If one has not seen Deep Red, you have missed out on not one of the great Giallo’s but one of the truly magnificent films ever produced.“
SYNOPSIS
Elegant visuals, a haunting score by Goblin, increasing suspense, a multitude of dead bodies and unrelenting twists underscore this remarkable film that influenced future generations of filmmakers.
In Rome a psychic medium (Macha Méril) is brutally murdered. British jazz pianist, band leader and university instructor Marcus Daly (David Hemmings) witnessed the murder and wants to solve the case.
Collaborating with him, in a fractious but blossoming relationship, is reporter Gianna Brezzi (Daria Nicolodi), who hopes for a big scoop by solving the murder.
When one of Marcus’s friends ends up murdered, the resourceful pair realize they must work quickly together to uncover the murderer’s identity or they could be the next victims.
NOTE: there are many lengthy synopses on the Internet, most containing spoilers.
Suggestion: DO NOT read the Internet synopses and spoilers. Instead, heighten your enjoyment of the twists and turns by watching the film unfold while attempting to solve the crime yourself.
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Dario Agrento was destined to have a career in cinema. Exposed to movies at an early age (his father Salvatore was a film producer), Dario started writing newspaper film reviews while in high school in Rome.
In his twenties during the ’60s he wrote several screenplays before collaborating with Sergio Leone and Bernardo Bertolucci on the screenplay for Once Upon A Time In The West.
In 1970 he wrote and directed L’Uccello dalla Piume di Cristallo (A Bird with Glass Feathers), his first giallo film. In the ’70s Argento reached the peak of his career with numerous releases, including Profondo Rosso (Deep Red).
Analysis of Argento and his films is widespread, and perhaps the best is this well-written study by Deanna Couras Goodson, told in two installments:
Dario Argento – The Hitchcock of Giallo, Part I.
Dario Argento – The Hitchcock of Giallo, Part II.
SIDEBAR: The contribution of three generations of Argentos in the Italian film industry was celebrated with a retrospective by the New York Museum of Arts and Design in 2012.
DRINKS & DINING
For CWC patrons, the Butcher and Barrel offers a 15% discount on your order, excluding alcohol; menu is on their website. Reservations are strongly recommended, especially if you are dining between a CWC double feature. You should present your online confirmation or ticket from the event, and let your server know if there are time constraints. The discount is valid only for the date of your ticket.
HOURS: MON-TUE, closed; WED-THS, 4-10 pm; FRI-SAT, 4-12 am; SUN, 4-10 pm. The kitchen closes one hour before the restaurant, every night. Hours and menu subject to change – check the website before booking. RESERVATIONS REQUESTED: 513-954-8974, thebutcherbarrel.com.
