MovieChat Forums > 4 mosche di velluto grigio (1972) Discussion > No wonder they haven't bothered releasin...

No wonder they haven't bothered releasing it yet!

posted 17 years ago by sjmgen
21 replies | jump to latest

Just saw this on You Tube and wanted to say that this film together with Inferno, Cat O' Nine Tails, the recent travesties, Card Player and the Three Mothers films, much surely represent the nadir of Argento's Italian films?

It is laughably bad - inept acting, script and plot.

It is rare and will thankfully remain that way, mercifully so!

Argento went on to make the Five Days Of Milan. No wonder he gave up on giallo which had served him so well on his debut. The so-called Animal trilogy gets steadily worse as you progress through each film. He obviously needed some inspiration to get back to horror after this and a source of ideas.

Thankfully he got it: her name was Daria Nicolodi and without her, we wouldn't have had Deep Red or Suspiria.

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] sjmgen 17 years ago

Merrr? What's that?

No, I wasn't talking about acting to justify Nicolodi's position or tenure with Argento. I was talking about her presence as an inspiration and creative source of ideas. Without her, there would be no Susupiria or Deep Red. BTW, I do understand Argento in as much as it's possible to understand any of these plot-light "dream-like" fantasies he has produced but I'm not an Argento apologist either. Bad movies are simply that and do not justify the revisionist praise they inevitably seem to get heaped upon them when the "long lost masterpieces" eventually find a DVD outlet. Saying Argento has made some bad movies doesn't make me someone who doesn't understand them. Tenebrae, Deep Red, Suspiria, Phenomena and Stendhal Syndrome are all some of my favourites.

[–] megatosspot 17 years ago

They are rubbish too.

[–] zarch-3 16 years ago

Cannot agree with your assessment, 4 Flies has 70's cool written all over it

[–] 16 years ago

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[–] grantch 16 years ago

Maybe you had to be the right age and have seen 4 Flies in its movie house release. I saw it in a packed movie theater and the audience reaction was tremendous from the moment Brandon confronts his stalker in the theater and the light comes on in the balcony. Perhaps because we've seen so many slasher films in the 3+ decades since then, gore-jaded audiences can't recognize what a chilling thriller 4 Flies was ... and I swear no one suspected WHO the killer was and when Argento employed that revelatory shot showing you the source of the 4 flies, there was a gasp from most of the viewers. The confession and rationalization of the murderer left a stunned audience. Okay, maybe you had to be there but the flick is so early '70's cool, I am at a loss to understand how anyone can not love it. I'm really looking forward to having a 1st-class print of the movie to be able to show it off to friends who've never seen it. I also bought the German import which was the very best presentation I've seen, but I'm sure the authorized uncut upcoming DVD will be much more effective. Like most Argento gialli, 4 Flies is very dependent at drawing the viewers in with the pieces of a fantasy puzzle ... either you love Argento or you loathe his work. For me Argento movies have always been a lot of fun, even the poorer ones. 4 Flies on Grey Velvet is still entertaining to watch when you know what's going on. How I envy people who'll have the fun of trying to figure out the puzzle!

[–] Eumenides_0 15 years ago

What's a horizontal diopter shot?

This world is a comedy to those that think, a tragedy to those that feel.

[–] jameselliot-1 16 years ago

Overall, it's very slow moving and filled with bad comedic bits that seem to be filler to flesh out the running time. There is one "black comedy" scene that reminded me of The Loved One. There are some great shots but the murders aren't up to Argento's usual bravura style, established with Bird. The German high-speed camera scene at the end is nothing special. The story doesn't build to a satisfying climax...her condition comes out of nowhere and is not shocking or even interesting in its revelation. The non-rock pieces of music are brilliant. I think Four Flies' scarcity for more than 30 years gave it an overrated reputation. We give higher value to what is hard to obtain.

[–] 16 years ago

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[–] jameselliot-1 16 years ago

Hi Roegcamel, thanks for your well written points. I did want to enjoy Four Flies way back when. I've bought many Argento films on DVD (Favorites being Bird and Cat). I would have probably enjoyed it with a different lead actor. I've read that Terrence Stamp was on the initial list. That would have been a brilliant choice. Brandon is a solid actor working to this day but he is not a lead and cannot carry a film. I also felt the murders were good in their build-up but lacking in execution, pardon the expression. The climax with Mimsy Farmer's revelation and death was not a satisfying pay-off for me.

There are quite a few sub-Argento giallos from that time period that, to me, are more enjoyable: Death Walks In High Heels, What Are Those Strange Drops of Blood On Jennifer's Body and Next. Thanks, J.

[–] polysicsarebest 12 years ago

roegcamel, I want to say that I always look forward to your posts. Not to mention your name brings to mind PERFORMANCE -- and hell WHITES OF THE EYE -- which I appreciate too.
-
Shuji Terayama forever.

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] Klein_Returns 11 years ago

I would like to see that.

[–] TheHungryAndAngryShow 10 years ago

Personally this is one of my favorite Argento movies, along with Phenomena and Suspiria. I actually didn't know this one was rare, I've seen it in the theater at least two times, if not more. I love Argento for so many reasons, but when one of his movies is said and done, there is always something that keeps me from raving about it, whether it be the confusing plot or the ending. But this one is one that holds up all the way though, with good characters and great cinematography, and the acting is up to par. The soundtrack, both the rock music and otherwise were amazing, and I think the surprise ending is fun. Obviously this is a matter of opinion, but since I have seen pretty much every movie he has done in the theater at least until 1990 I think this is definitely one of his best.

[–] recklesscow 10 years ago

I agree with you, TheHungryAndAngryShow--this isn't my favorite Argento film, but it's in my top 5. I actually prefer it to Deep Red, as shocking as that may be for some to hear. I know Bird is usually considered his best in the animal trilogy, but I even like Cat more than it, which is odd considering Argento himself dislikes that film. I think his personal assessment of it is off. Argento's suspense and murder sequences got better with each subsequent film in that trilogy and both Cat and Flies have a certain vibe to them that is not unappealing. Suspiria, while a great film, is, in my opinion, overrated in his filmography, along with Deep Red. I think Tenebre is a better film than both of them.

[–] TheHungryAndAngryShow 10 years ago

I would have to say, if my memory serves me well, that this is in my Top 5 as well, with Phenomena and Suspiria. I know many people feel Suspiria is overrated, but as my first Argento and one that I think is as beautiful as a movie can be, I feel it was one of his best. I forget which others I feel that strongly towards, I just wish there wasn't always something in them that I found to take away from the overall rating of his films. This is one of the few that I feel has very few flaws in it.

[–] Rena_Mahone 9 years ago

It is laughably bad - inept acting, script and plot.

Agreed. Couldn't believe what I was seeing.  Absolutely inane from start to finish.

🐺 Boycott movies that involve real animal violence (& their directors) 🐾

[–] jdforyou1983 (1470) 4 years ago

I found it okay but it's the worse Argento I've seen

[–] agentalbert (3397) 2 years ago

There's surely worse than this. "Dracuala 3D" is far worse.