16 October 2024
Opera (1987)
107 min.
Directed by Dario Argento.
With Christina Marsillach, Ian Charlesson, Urbano Barberini, Daria Nicolodi, William McNamara, Coralina Cataldi Tassoni, Francesa Cassola, Antonella Vitale.
Argento's best latter day film is this spunky slasher.

A production of Guiseppe Verdi's opera Macbeth seems to be cursed, after the lead gets run over by a car.

Ah well, the show must go on. The new star, Betty (Christina Marsillach) is excited about the chance to prove herself vocally, and the opportunity to be in an acclaimed production of an operatic classic.

But her enthusiasm wanes significantly when a mad killer begins to terrorize the production! The brutal psycho tapes sewing pins under Betty's eyes to keep them open...while he heartlessly slashes his victims as she looks on...

Who is this nutjob, and what does he want?

Great Argento camerawork, including a horrifying scene in which the wonderful Daria Nicolodi is looking through a peephole and gets shot in the eye. (We follow the bullet all the way.)

Suffers only from poor dubbing (look for the original Italian language version), and the absence of music from goth rockers Goblin.

Also known as Terror at the Opera.

One of the director's last great moodpieces.

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