It’s time for the Four Flies On Grey Velvet blu-ray review, October means it’s the perfect time to take a look at some classic horror films. So you can expect more from Dario Argento.
If you love your horror then I suggest you make some time this October / Halloween to watch a few Argento films and here’s why. With his own distinct style Dario Argento films are continually finding new audiences thanks to DVD and now Blu-ray. This one has been re-mastered, so let’s take a look.
- Four Flies On Grey Velvet (1971)
- Genre: Horror, Thriller
- Directed By Dario Argento
- Written By Dario Argento
- Music By Ennio Morricone
- Cinematography By Franco Di Giacomo
- UK Film Rating 18
- Released By Shameless Screen Entertainment
- Starring Michael Brandon, Mimsy Farmer, Bud Spencer , Jean-Pierre Marielle
Plot
Drummer Roberto Tobias (Michael Brandon) finds himself being followed by a man in black coat, hat and sunglasses. One night after rehearsing with his band he decides he has had enough and chases after the man and confronts in a empty theatre. The man pulls a knife and in the struggle he is stabbed.
However the theatre is not entirely empty, in fact someone is up in the balcony area and has been taking pictures of the whole incident. Their identity is hidden by a bizarre smiling mask. The next morning Roberto sees news of the mans death in the newspaper.
From here on in some disturbing events take place involving someone entering his house and threatening him. Photos of the stabbing are placed in his house.
With plenty of potential suspects but no clear one emerging, Roberto is beginning to feel the mental torture. What do they want, it doesn’t seem like they want money.
Roberto turns to his friend Godfrey (Bud Spencer) for help but will it be too late…
I’ll let you discover that for yourself.
Acting
Michael Brandon plays the main character Roberto and is a good choice. A good fit for the film.
All the key characters do a good job I don’t have any real problems with any of the acting.
Direction / Style
Dario Argento again manages to create a very stylishly shot film set with that 1970s European vibe. His use of camera angles is perfect for the genre. One such camera shot that works well is filming over the shoulder or from the murders perspective. The person who is about to murdered sees the murdered. It’s a good way to build up the mystery to the identity of the killer.
Again as in The Cat O’Nine Tails Argento likes to give you many potential killers and only reveal it at the last possible moment.
This means during the film you may have identified the killer only to change your mind. It works very well.
You can see he must of been influenced by the likes of Hitchcock in terms of framing shots and camera work.
Music
The music once again comes from Ennio Morricone and like with Cat O’Nine Tails perfectly suits Argentos style.
Conclusion: Four Flies On Grey Velvet (1971) Film Review (1971)
Four Flies On Grey Velvet is the title and you may wonder what this relates to, don’t worry the connection is revealed in the film.
I heard in one of the interviews that Argento always came up with title first and then had to fit the story around to make some reference to it. He manages it here when it is revealed right before the end of the film.
The ending is well done bringing a reoccurring element throughout the film to a dramatic conclusion. Nicely done!
This is a film in which you could point of the absurdity of the situation Roberto finds himself and ask why doesn’t he just go the police.
However the way in which Argento constructs scenes and the world means it all comes together resulting in a terrifically stylish film.
I thoroughly enjoyed this film and would have no hesitation in recommending it. For fellow horror / thriller fans it’s a MUST SEE and for general film fans it’s a recommended watch.
So basically I think everyone should take a look!
If you’re a fan of Dario Argento take a look at these reviews:
Conclusion: Four Flies On Grey Velvet Blu-ray Review
This is the restored version and it’s a good job. For the most part it is excellent but like Cat O’Nine Tails occasionally there are drops in quality. To be honest though its way better than lots of other films that have allegedly been restored.
Towards the end the film has had some scenes added back in and there is no English audio, only subtitles. The picture and sound quality dips dramatically but is only for a few seconds.
On that point the Blu-ray gives you two versions, one is the normal version and one is with extra or extended scenes added back in.
These are not restored high quality scenes you will spot them from a mile away if you opt for that version, but they don’t add anything vital so I’d stick with the normal version.
Extras
- The Art Of Murder – Luigi Cozzi Interview
- English Trailer
- Italian Trailer
- Photo Gallery
- Alternative Credits
The interview with Luigi Cozzi is definitely worth watching. One thing of interest is when he points out a technical flaw in the film they were unable to remove. A frame line appears in the final scene due to the film gate slippage of the hi-speed camera they were using.
However due to the wonders of modern technology has now been removed in the restored Blu-ray version.
Four Flies On Grey Velvet (1971) blu-ray is available now from Amazon.
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Popcorn Cinema Rating:
Four Flies On Grey Velvet (1971)
MOVIE RATING: MUST SEE
BLU-RAY RATING: GOOD
POPCORN CINEMA: RECOMMENDED
Four Flies On Grey Velvet (1971) Film Trailer
For those of you yet to see the film I’ll leave you with a little taster with trailer…
Four Flies On Grey Velvet Blu-ray Review (1971) is just one of the Dario Argento films covered on the site.
Four Flies On Grey Velvet (1971) Blu-ray Review
Movie title: Four Flies On Grey Velvet (1971)
Duration: 102 mins
Director(s): Dario Argento
Actor(s): Michael Brandon, Mimsy Farmer, Bud Spencer, Jean-Pierre Marielle
Genre: Horror
- Movie Rating
- Blu-ray Rating
- Extras
Summary
Argento’s on top form again in this very stylish horror thriller!
