Hump Day Posters: Tenebre (1982)

Movies I love: Tenebre (1982)

Tenebre (1982)

"The impulse had become irresistible. There was only one answer to the fury that tortured him. And so he committed his first act of murder. He had broken the most deep-rooted taboo, and found not guilt, not anxiety or fear, but freedom. Any humiliation which stood in his way could be swept aside by the simple act of annihilation: Murder."

If there was only one of Dario Argento's films I could take with me to a desert island this would be it. The first time I saw this it was under the name "Unsane" on VHS. I liked it but didn't know that the "Unsane" version is missing a bit of footage. Later I picked up the Anchor Bay VHS and then a few years ago the DVD release. There's that opening with the killer reading the passages from the novel. The insane tracking shot up and over a house, it's breathtaking and has to be one of his best moments. Then there's the insane murders. Especially that blood spurting ax to the arm towards the end of the film. The walls literary get painted with the red stuff. And of course that's the rocking score by a few of the former members of Goblin. Plus there's the always wonderful John Saxon and a great bit with his hat.