Dario Argentoprovides a new 31-minute interview for this edition under the heading Crystal Nightmare. Argento talks specifically about this film and its production, from his script to the film’s multiple releases (its initial release didn’t do all that well after being buried by the studio). This being his first film all of the execs behind the film were unsure of him and he came close to being fired at least once. His inexperience also could make things tense when working with others as demonstrated in his story of suggesting to Ennio Morricone that he should listen to music samples to get an idea of the score he wanted (apparently Morricone wasn’t impressed by this suggestion). The film was mostly a learning experience, with Storaro helping him a lot along the way and that stigma of him being a newcomer more than likely led to the film being buried by the studio before being rediscovered. Argento isn’t the most energetic speaker but he manages to keep it engaging and he comes off very forthcoming. The wondrous score by Ennio Morricone only adds to one of the most acclaimed genre offerings of 1970. Take My Hand!: When Sam and Inspector Morosini are attempting to arrest Alberto, he falls out of the open window while fighting them. Sam and Morosini each grab one of his arms, but are not able to hold him and he falls to his death. Once More, with Clarity: You can clearly see that Monica is the one holding the knife if you know what you're looking for, but the scene likely goes by too fast the first time to notice. X 2160 resolution, darker (warmer skin tones) and richer with a towering bitrate - more than double that of

It also established the key traits that would define Argento’s filmography, including lavish visuals and a flare for wildly inventive, brutal scenes of violence. See his offering Tenebrae reviewed elsewhere if you want further proof. “Grows obsessed” Arrow ports over mostof the material from their previous Limited Edition Blu-ray, replacing a couple of things and adding on. In relation to disc content, Arrow doesport everything over. From the original Blu-ray review: Fold-out double-sided poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Obviously Creative In all this looks great, really exceeding my expectations and providing a significant improvement over Arrow's previous high-definition presentation.

Dario Argento's injection of high-style into the murder-mystery created a new genre (giallo) that was hugely successful and influential, inspiring American filmmakers such as Brian de Palma and Quentin Tarantino. Tony Musante stars as an American writer who witnesses a horrific murder, but is unable to glimpse the killer's face. As he becomes a target for the killer he decides to help the police with their investigation; all the time unable to pinpoint something unusual about the night of the murder that he can't recall. Argento's inexperience as director led him to nearly be fired and replaced by Lombardo mid-production, but thanks to his robust contract he was able to complete the film. [9] Though Dario Argento is credited as the film's sole writer, the story closely follows the 1949 pulp novel The Screaming Mimi by American writer Fredric Brown. Argento was initially exposed to the book by director Bernardo Bertolucci, who was considering purchasing the film rights. Among the changes Argento made to Brown's story were a change of location from Chicago to Rome, making the killer the wife of an art dealer rather than an exotic dancer, and having the artwork that triggers her be a painting rather than a statuette. [5] Brown's novel had previously been made into a Hollywood film, Screaming Mimi (1958), directed by Gerd Oswald. [6] Filming took place primarily on-location in Rome, mostly in the Flaminio quartiere. Studio scenes were shot at the INCIR De Paolis soundstages. The racecourse sequence was filmed at the Agnano Racecourse in Naples. Then we get a chance to hear from Dario's first DOP, Vittorio Storaro, in a 10-minute interview called Painting With Darkness, in which he discusses his techniques and innovations for the film. Quite honest about the importance of his role in the making of this, or any film, Storaro talks about his use of intense close-ups to harness the emotions and inner-workings of the characters during moments of high tension. Dario's love of POV shooting and the unusual angles that are incorporated are also looked at in a, sadly, all-too brief session.

IF YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE BEING FOLLOWED HOME FROM THE MOVIE, KEEP TELLING YOURSELF IT'S ALL IN YOUR MIND...NOW AVAILABLE IN 4K ULTRA HD! It doesn't look like Arrow has done any further restoration, not that it was really needed: a few minor tram lines and a few specs still show up, though they're a little more noticeable, probably due to the increased resolution. That said they're still very minor. VCI to release new U.S. BD of Bird with the Crystal Plumage in 2.35:1 [Storaro-proof]". avmaniacs.com . Retrieved 31 July 2012.

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Eye Scream: Averted when Giulia tries to stab and misses the killer peeping through the hole on her door. It looks terrific in its HD glory, and thanks to a twist in the final minutes, you may get the urge to watch the whole thing again from a different perspective. Off with His Head!: The killer tries to chop Sam's head off, but misses because an old woman passing by warns him. Arrow Video upgrades their 2017 Blu-ray edition for Dario Argento's The Bird with the Crystal Plumageto 4K UHD, presenting the film in full 2160p/24hz resolution with Dolby Vision in its original aspect ratio of 2.35:1 on a triple-layer UHDdisc. Arrow is reusing their 4K restoration they alsoused for their prior Blu-ray edition, which in turn was sourced from the 35mm 2-perf Techniscopenegative.

It must be said, however, that whatever misgivings this final rant has, the overall cluster of interviews are well worth the effort. I'd love to have heard from Tony Musante, though. L'uccello dalle piume di cristallo (The Bird With the Crystal Plumage) – Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved 26 September 2022. A co-production of Italy and West Germany, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage is the first in what has been called his thematic "Animal Trilogy", along with Argento's next two gialli, The Cat o' Nine Tails (1971) and Four Flies on Grey Velvet (1972). [3] Argento's screenplay borrows liberally from Fredric Brown's 1949 novel The Screaming Mimi, [4] which had a previously been made into a 1958 American film.In the end, all the computers and fancy gadgets fail where good old-fashioned sleuthing works, and Argento successfully thwarts our assumptions with a genuinely surprising reveal that is arguably ahead of its time. For fans both of the Italian filmmaker and the giallo genre in general, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage displays many of the visual tropes that would become commonplace in the following years, particularly the highly stylized and beautifully elaborate portraits of violence that come across as pieces of art, similar to the painting in the film. Working with acclaimed cinematographer Vittorio Storaro, Argento designs strangely fascinating imagery bathed in ironically flamboyant colors that sharply contrast a character's surroundings, and they are complemented by the tensely haunting music of Ennio Morricone. It's a captivating manipulation of the senses notably demonstrating Argento's craftmanship. Argento initially had no intention of directing the film, but after several directors including Duccio Tessari and Terence Young turned it down, Argento decided to make it himself, and got his father Salvatore to produce. [9] He and his assistant Aldo Lado heavily rewrote the script during filming, so that it became less and less directly tied to Brown's novel. [9] Casting [ edit ] The Power of Perception, a visual essay on the cinema of Dario Argento by Alexanda Heller-Nicholas, author of Devil's Advocates: Suspiria and The Giallo Canvas: Art, Excess and Horror Cinema, reflecting on the recurring theme of perception and the role of art in Argento's filmography

Audio commentary by Troy Howarth, author of So Deadly, So Perverse: 50 Years of Italian Giallo Films Suzy was far better in Assault, which was released a year after The Bird with the Crystal Plumage). Rear Window" Witness: Sam is trapped between the glass doors when he witnesses the murder attempt on the girl. Argento cast American actor Tony Musante in the lead role, after he had previously starred in Metti, una sera a cena. According to Argento, their relationship was a tense one, as Mustante's method acting sensibilities clashed with Argento's technical directing style. Koven, Mikel J. (2006). La Dolce Morte: Vernacular Cinema and the Italian Giallo Film (e-booked.). The Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-5870-1.Ebert, Roger (14 October 1970). "Bird with Crystal Plumage". Chicago Sun-Times . Retrieved 29 July 2012. Blue Underground have provided the same quartet of interviews that graced their Special Edition SD release. First up is a surprisingly decent session with Dario Argento, himself, entitled Out Of The Shadows. Notoriously uncomfortable and laborious when it comes to such things as discussing his own work on-camera, the filmmaker actually comes over quite well this time out, no doubt because of his evident pride at what he accomplished on his fledgling directorial mission. He describes the less-than-overjoyed reaction he gained from Morricone when he provided the musical genius with ideas of how he thought the score should sound, and he manages to answer the question that both Alan Jones and Kim Newman posed when commentating on the movie - about whether or not a real camera was dropped from a sixth floor window to obtain that incredible swift-descent shot. The interview lasts for 18 minutes. The score for The Bird with the Crystal Plummage was composed by Ennio Morricone, [10] his first for a giallo film and his first of five collaborations with Argento.