From: wildman@athena.mit.edu (Timothy Worsley)
Subject: Re: DARIO ARGENTO
Reply-To: eprice@sql.sybase.com
Organization: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1992 01:59:27 GMT

In article <16849834A.PETERC@YaleVM.YCC.Yale.Edu>
PETERC@YaleVM.YCC.Yale.Edu (Peter Correnty) writes:

[I wrote:]
>>(eg, you say Suspiria was 97m, cut to 92m.  THe Video Movie Guide says
>>it's 97m -- the US video release.  McDonagh's filmography says it is
>>100m.  But on the laserdisc one of the trailers says something like
>>"The only thing scarier than the last 12 minutes of Suspiria are the
>>first 92" which would make 104m!)

It occurred to me later that this probably measnt the whole thing was
92 minutes...  BTW, I checked the laserdisc and it says 98m on the
back.  But that might include the trailers... ?

>Sorry, I left out the sources.  There are actually very many.  The
>Video Watchdog has done a piece on Argento, but not in his magazine.
>He used to write for Gorezone.  Also, Phil Hardy's Horror Reference
>Book was also a source.  Fangoria, Mike Weldon of Psychotronic Video,
>Argento interviews in many magazines like European Trash Cinema,
>Dario Argento's World of Horrors documentary, Screen World are most of
>the sources I used.  Remember, too, that the running times of uncut
>versions vary by country.  For example, when SUSPIRIA "came" to the US,
>it's running time (not sped up) was 97 minutes.  Once it reached the
>censors, they did their thing and cut it to 92 mins.  That's not
>saying that SUSPIRIA did not run for 100 minutes in Italy, for example.
>The ads for SUSPIRIA here in the US claimed "The only thing more
>terrifying than the first 80 mintues are the last 12!"  There was
>probably an ad the claimed 90 minutes, as well.

Again, from Fabio Giovannini's book on Argento, on page 97 there is a
picture of the American (or at least *an* American) poster for
SUSPIRIA and the text is "The Only Thing More Terrifying Than The Last
12 Minutes of This Film Are The First 92".

>Re: THE DEVIL'S DAUGHTER, it is already on video.  I think you
>should be able to find it pretty easily.  He directed it ... I'm
>almost positive.

I don't think so.  I got a response from someone in Finland (there
seem to be lots of Argento fans in Finland!) that this is another name
for THE SECT, directed by Michele Soavi, and prodcued by Argento.

>I believe the title of the sequel to THE CHURCH is THE SECT.  Last
>I read, it was completed and due for distribution here in the US.

Hmm.

>I bought uncut Argento films from Domovideo 2 or 3 years ago.  I
>found their address in one of the Gorezone issues.  I remember they
>were in New York (not New York City) and the videos were $29.95,
>COD.  I will investigate for you.

Thanks!  I've looked in the list of video distributors in the
Phantom's book, and scanned a couple of magazines.  But I've yet to
come up with an address or phone number.  So any pointers would be
greatly appreciated!

>Eccentri-Cinema is in Connecticut.  I will get the address for you.
>Their catalog is excellent.  They carry nearly impossible to find
>titles like Italy's AMUCK!, THE TOUCH OF SATAN (weird 70s witch
>tale), PANIC IN YEAR ZERO with Ray Milland, all of Barbara Steele's
>horror films, Chinese rarities, uncut Argento and Mario Bava, etc.

Great!

Thanks, Pete!

Random Argento trivia:

PROFONDO ROSSO [DEEP RED] was released as SUSPIRIA PART 2 in Japan
because of the success of SUSPIRIA.  The poster art for SUSPIRIA in
Japan is very nice, infinitely superior to the lame poster for the
American release.  (there's a picture on Giovannini's book, page 100)

TENEBRE was called SHADOW in Japan, a much more sensible title than
UNSANE...

For your perusal, here are all the timings given in Giovannini's book
(note: if anyone is unsure about the American title, check my initial
long posting which gives lots of titles for each film):

L'uccello: 96m
Il gatto: 112m
Quattro mosche: 105m
Le cinque giornate: 100m
Profondo Rosso: 123m
Susiria: [time not given]
Inferno: 100m
Tenebre: 110m
Phenomena: 109m

(And just for the hell of it, Zombi -- the Italian title for Romero's
Dawn of the Dead -- is listed as 119m; I seem to remember a small
thread about the difference between Romero's and Argento's cuts so
perhaps this will be of interest to some.)

I've compiled a list with everyone's opinions on running times
(PeterC, Fabio Giovannini, Maitland McDonagh, Maltin, Video Movie
Guide -- that's it so far).  Lots of disagreements.  I'd like to see a
definitive answer on this issue; obviously I'm working on it...

I don't know if this topic is frequent enough to be on a FAQ list
somewhere (an alt.cult-movies FAQ would be a good thing in my
opinion), but it's hard enough to answer that I think there would be
value in such a thing.  Any opinions or advice or help would be
appreciated!

-Ed, eprice@sql.sybase.com
(not Tim, wildman@...)

PS Just watched DEMONS 2 today (produced and co-written by Argento,
and with Asia Argento, directed by L Bava).  Mildly amusing (I liked
the opening shot, but most of it wasn't so inspiring).