Product: La Sindrome di Stendhal
Rating: 4.0
Impressive DVD of Argento's Thriller
Troma's DVD of "Stendhal Syndrome" is quite a nice package. Although there is some slight graininess and very minor artifacting during the film, the image actually looks really Nice, especially considering Troma put it out. I was very relieved it looks as good as it does. The film itself is better on a second viewing and, although it's not amongst Argento's best, it is definitely a superior thriller by the italian maestro. The excellent Ennio Morricone score is also a major plus. And Asia is quite effective as the young woman subject to the hallucinatory nightmarish condition brought on by works of art. A psycho rapist with a razor-blade smile is killing women in Italy and Asia's art-visions lead her into his clutches. Yes, this is the film where Argento filmed his own daughter's rape scene. Extras on the disc include two interviews with Dario (the Lloyd Kaufman one and another on the set of "Phantom" which is a lot more interesting) not to mention some "hidden" interview footage of Argento in Stockholm (accessed by hitting the "9" to get the razor blade). There's also an interview with Sergio Stivaletti and for some reason, there's an interview with Ruggero Deodato who discusses "Cannibal Holocaust" (don't really know why it's on this disc) The interview with Deodato has really bad translated subtitles....he talks and talks, but the subtitles are really basic and abbreviated. Better than nothing, I suppose. The film "bios" on Dario and Asia are simply filmographies (it amusingly lists "Four Patches on Grey Velvet" instead of "Flies"! ). The disc also contains all that superfluous Troma stuff (games - trivia - Troma tours- etc.). All in all, a great disc for Argento fans!