MovieChat Forums > 4 mosche di velluto grigio (1972) Discussion > Anyone else with me on this? (Spoilers)

Anyone else with me on this? (Spoilers)

posted 16 years ago by jcremona
4 replies | jump to latest

I absolutely LOVED the eyeball machine part! WOW, I was starting to get the ho-hums about this film, but the last 30 minutes or so really redeemed the movie for me. Starting with the girl going down the stairs hitting her head on every step, then the eyeball machine, then the bullet time shot (Matrix Hello?). Argento really saved his good stuff for last here, as opposed to Bird with the Crystal Plumage, which contains one of the greatest opening set pieces ever put on film.

The only reason I would not give this movie higher marks is because of Mimsy Farmer - she was TERRIBLE (although I kinda liked her when she was really getting crazy) - maybe it was the dubbing. I'm not saying Michael Brandon was all that great, but his character kind of went together with that clueless acting ability.

BUT, when I saw that eyeball machine, I knew this was going to be a favorite!

By the way, why was Nina wearing a fly pendant? That was also so cool 'cause it was so odd!

[–] grantch 16 years ago

I LOVED Mimsy Farmer. In 1972 I saw both 4 Flies and Road to Salina on the big screen and literally was sstruck by her acting ability and looks. Everyone to their own taste. LOL. I suspect the pendant was for the then startling revelation ... the way it was handled visually caused everyone in the packed theater to gasp. (Remember, that was before CGI-filled flicks. 4 Flies was my favorite Argento film until years later I saw Deep Red. In the late '60's and early '70's there was a rush of thrillers, of which 4 Flies, The Mad Room, The House That Screamed (La Residencia), and Deep End (Jane Asher and John Moulder-Brown) IMHO were outstanding. I'd be curious as to your view on William Castle's Homicidal and Strait-Jacket which scared the hell out of me when I was a teen-ager. LOL.

[–] Mr_McLaurel 15 years ago

I agree with you 100%. There's some cool, almost avante-garde stuff in the beginning of the movie (I really like the maid's death scene), but it isn't until the end that the stops get pulled out. And the last scene gave me goosebumps!

What's the Spanish for drunken bum?

[–] asgard-5 14 years ago

The Robocop tv series ripped this one off with the eye analysis. Fulci ripped it off in his underrated Murderock. I like this movie a lot, and Mimsy Farmer is just the girl for an Argento movie. Still haven't seen it in English, so none of the performances seemed particularly bad. My guess is back then Dario only cared about how the Italian versions sound.

have a nice life!

[–] Kammurabi 13 years ago

I have another movie with that retinal image idea as well. Horror Express with Sir Chris Lee and Peter Cushing. I believe it may have been made a year after this one though.
I love that concept.

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