#29 - Four Flies on Grey Velvet (1971)
(dir. Dario Argento)
Roberto, a rock drummer, is being stalked by a strange man. One day after rehearsal he confronts the stranger and accidentally kills him in a brief scuffle. Unfortunately there was a witness, and Roberto finds himself the target of a blackmailer who begins killing his friends. Even worse, the killer seems to have total access to his home and may be someone very close to him.
This early giallo from Dario Argento is pretty solid, even if it's not on the same level as his other work from the '70s and '80s. He was such a talented director, and he makes great use of lighting and camera movements here to create some really visually impressive shots. Great music from Ennio Morricone too (RIP). Argento adds a touch of humor that I don't normally associate with his style - it's not a comedy by any stretch, but there are a couple of comic relief characters throughout the film.
What really holds this back from being a top-tier Argento film is that the resolution of the mystery is pretty dumb. It pulls a stupid "the last thing you see before you die is burned onto your retinas" thing, even though nothing in the film was leading up to that, and then Roberto figures out who the killer is because of a really lame clue. Other Argento classics from this time like Deep Red or The Bird With the Crystal Plumage have clever endings, and this feels really weak in comparison. Still, I enjoyed it and if you are also a fan of Dario Argento you'll probably enjoy it too.
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