Dario Argento's family background

giallo fever asks:

"Dario Argento's mother Elda Luxardo is usually referred to as Brazilian. Her name, however, doesn't sound like it is a Portuguese one. So is she Brazilian-born from a family of Italian extraction? (There is an Italian maraschino drink called Luxardo, after the founder of the distillery which makes it; http://www.figuralminibottles.com/luxardo/luxardo.shtml)"

Ennio Morricone - "Like a Madrigal" (1971) - MP3

awcgfilmglog on "Four Flies on Grey Velvet." Includes a link to the Morricone music that accompanies the slow-mo automobile accident:

More Than Meets The Mogwai: Ennio Morricone - "Like a Madrigal" (1971): "Perhaps appropriating one of its title words into its method of (nonexistent) distribution, the film seems to exist solely as a popular item on the grey market of bootlegs. It's never officially been out on home video, as fifty percent of the home video rights are owned by Paramount, and they have little to no interest in making a deal for a proper DVD release. This is a question that is brought up ad nauseum to Argento, and his recent appearances in Toronto were no exception; the man really seems indifferent to the whole idea at this point, quite rightly figuring that his future films are much more important -- still, it would be nice to have this last piece of the 'Animal Trilogy' puzzle more readily available to his rabid fans."

Argento Q&A at Mother of Tears Premiere

San Francisco Bay Guardian on Mother of Tears

San Francisco Bay Guardian : Witch, please: "The big bananas in the horror bunch were Dario Argento's Mother of Tears, the long-awaited conclusion to his witch-happy Three Mothers trilogy, and George A. Romero's Diary of the Dead, hyped as the legendary zombie king's return to no-frills filmmaking. I also followed my thrill-sniffing snout to Spanish newcomer Juan Antonio Bayona's The Orphanage and the French Frontier(s), directed by Xavier Gens (whose Hollywood debut, video game–<\d>based Hitman, is currently trailered on Death Sentence). I'm a huge fan of Argento's gialli and flashy, trashy, blood-soaked horror epics — and while I'm aware of the argument that he hasn't made a great film since 1985's Phenomena, Mother of Tears offers vintage pleasures galore. You want a coherent story and subtle acting? Look elsewhere (perhaps to the ghostly, Guillermo del Toro–<\d>produced fable The Orphanage). Argento's tale starts with a cursed urn and snowballs into mad hysteria, grabbing a gold-toothed witch, Argento ex (and Mother star Asia Argento's real-life mother) Daria Nicolodi, a creepy monkey, and exorcist Udo Kier en route to a church-burningly ridiculous conclusion. In other words, I loved it."

Weinsteins Nab Dario Argento's Latest Gorefest - Cinematical

Weinsteins Nab Dario Argento's Latest Gorefest - Cinematical: "The Toronto International Film Festival ended Saturday, but the deals keep trickling in. The latest: The Weinstein Co. has picked up DVD rights to The Mother of Tears, the latest film by legendary Italian horror director Dario Argento. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film will be handled theatrically by Myriad Pictures, which produced it. The plan is to pop it into select theaters sometime early next year."

Argento's Third Mother finds distribution

BLOODY-DISGUSTING.COM: "Bloody-Disgusting learned exclusively this afternoon that Anchor Bay and the Weinstein Company are putting the finishing touches on co-acquiring Dario Argento's highly-anticipated 'Third Mother' film, The Mother of Tears (review), which played at this year's Midnight Madness section of the Toronto International Film Festival. This would be the third film acquired by The Weinstein's playing at this fest next to George A. Romero's Diary of the Dead and the French thriller Inside. No word on if the film is going theatrical and then to home video, we'll watch for the official announcement once the deal is signed. Click the title above for more on the film."

Asia Argento to star in "rule breaking" erotic-noir

Fresh Intelligence : Radar Online : Mark Cuban's Hipster Horror Show Mark Cuban Releases Hipster Horror, a Black Metal Viking Flick, and an Asia Argento Sex-Noir Tale: "Billionaire baseball investor and blogger Mark Cuban has teamed up with coproducer Todd Wagner to launch Magnet Films, a subsidiary of Magnolia Pictures, to realease 'rule-breaking' films. A preview of the slate, which was revealed Tuesday, promised an erotic-noir-thriller starring Asia Argento—as if there were any other kind starring Asia Argento—and a Viking movie with a 'black metal' soundtrack. As cool as those sound, we were most intrigued by the alternative backlash flick Murder Party, which tells the tale of 'a gang of deranged hipster artists'—again, are there any other kind?—who plan to lure a victim to their Brooklyn loft and ritually kill him as part of their performance art."

On Argento's "nonsensical" films

dreamingat24framespersecond sums up some the mixed reviews Mother of Tears has been receiving:

"What's funny to me is that reviewers have been criticizing it for its nonsensical plot, stilted acting, and cheesy dialogue, while extolling the virtues of Suspiria and Inferno. Um, those films also featured nonsensical plots, stilted acting, and cheesy dialogue. Of course, as any Argento fan will tell you, none of that matters. When you dream, your dreams are nonsensical, badly acted, and filled with inane dialogue as well. And no horror filmmaker has tapped more deeply into the world of dreams and the subconscious than Dario Argento."

Horror Year Book also notes of the critical reviews:

That basically sounds like every other good Argento film I have seen, so make no mistake- I am eagerly awaiting this.

San Francisco Bay Guardian reviews the Third Mother

San Francisco Bay Guardian: Northern Frights: "And yeah, since I know you wanna know, Mother of Tears is likewise certainly the greatest Argento film in a good while. I'm not saying it's a perfect film, but it has all the gnarly stuff you expect from the director of Suspiria, Inferno, Phenomena, and Tenebre: over-the-top occult themes, shrill acting (Asia Argento's the lead, and she turns it out), goth punk gangs of giggling witches, a plot that makes only sporadic sense, Udo Kier (as an exorcist!), a pounding electronic score, and, of course, eye gougings like they're going out of style. Thank goodness they never will."

Screen Daily reviews Mother of Tears

Screen Daily: " Mother of Tears works most effectively as an associative succession of startling imagery, its overtly sexual nature bound to cause equal amounts of discomfort and dread in the suggestible. By casting his daughter Asia Argento in the lead role, as a young art restorer trying to untangle her mysterious family history and comprehend her own unnatural abilities, Dario Argento intensifies the personal, almost autobiographical aspects of the three films. Asia is a rapturous, extraordinary presence who concentrates a work that lacks narrative cohesion."

Horror is the Future

Dreaming At 24 Frames Per Second: Quote: "'Horror is the future. And you cannot be afraid. You must push everything to the absolute limit or else life will be boring. People will be boring. Horror is like a serpent; always shedding its skin, always changing. And it will always come back. It can't be hidden away like the guilty secrets we try to keep in our subconscious.' - Dario Argento"

Asia Argento's The Heart is Deceitful Above all Things: Review

The Heart is Deceitful Above all Things - Movie reviews - Spout: "With Heart, Argento splits her time between acting and directing. This is a tall order for anyone. The film is based on the work of JT LeRoy and is suppose to be a biographical account of his tortured and turbulent youth. In reality JT LeRoy is a concoction of a New England couple hoping that the gimmick of a sexually confused white trash novelist would propel them into wealth. It worked, for a while. From scenes of sexual abuse and maternal abandonment Argento conveys the sickly feel of the novels and manages to coax bewilderment out of her youngest actor, Jimmy Bennett as Jeremiah. While her direction is adequate she brings a Gummo like quality to the role of Jeremiah’s reluctant mother Sarah. For someone who grew up in wealth, even wealth generated from Dario Argento’s giallo fantasies, it must be hard to channel someone like Sarah. Her struggle is evident as Sarah seems more like a Jerry Springer guest than the real deal. Perhaps Argento had too much to deal with and her acting suffered. It doesn’t ruin the film, but it isn’t a strong performance by any standard."

Discussion of Argento's Inferno

And Now the Screaming Starts: Movie: Bonfire of the Inanities.: "The flicks of Dario Argento, the legendary Italian horror director, seem to be an all or nothing proposition. His work is either utterly brilliant, such as the justly praised classic Susperia, or they are abysmal, such as the absurd and tedious Stendhal Syndrome. Unfortunately, Inferno, Argento's follow-up to Susperia and the second film in the Three Mothers trilogy, firmly belongs in the latter camp."

Village Voice on Mother of Tears

village voice > film > Toronto Film Fest: Having a Blast at the Toronto Film Festival by Nathan Lee: "And then there's Mother of Tears: The Third Mother, Italian horror maestro Dario Argento's concluding chapter of the trilogy that began with Suspiria (1977) and Inferno (1980). An instant cult classic and easily the most entertaining film of the festival to date—or maybe ever?—this orgy of crazed plotting, magnificently bad acting, cheap special effects, and priceless conviction meditates on the second fall of Rome (riots, road rage, mothers chucking babies off bridges), which antiquities restorer Asia Argento precipitates by releasing an ancient evil witch from an urn. Plus unholy monkeys, plus psychic lesbians, plus Japanese goth freakazoids, plus Udo Kier—and that's so not the half it, I can't even tell you."

Nashville Scene on Mother of Tears

Pith in the Wind--Nashville Scene Weblog: "I'll start with the bad news: I walked out of one of the movies I wanted to see most, Italian horror maestro Dario Argento's long-awaited Suspiria/Inferno follow-up Mother of Tears. (Sorry, Freddy Tiffany--but you might like it a lot more than I did.) Any hopes for a comeback were dashed by an opening salvo of cheapjack gore effects, Ed Wood-caliber dialogue and atrocious acting, without the stylistic elegance and flamboyance that were once Argento's saving grace. Argento has always lived or died by his setpieces: here, an early scene of a baby being tossed from a bridge convulsed the press corps with its Mattel-reject special effects. "

indieWIRE on Mother of Tears

indieWIRE:: "Argento, almost completely shifting genres, comes to TIFF's Midnight Madness with the third in his mother trilogy, 'The Mother of Tears,' a Ed Wood-esque send up of 70's horror that would make Paul Morrisey proud."

Top 20 Horror Babes

scaryrob MySpace Blog #7: Asia Argento.

Asia in The Heart is Deceitful

Myspace.com Blogs:filmfanatix MySpace Blog: ".. THE HEART IS DECEITFUL ABOVE ALL THINGS i've always loved asia argento (as well as her papa). i think she's a great actress, however, i never thought she would have what it takes to be a great writer/director like her father. boy was i wrong. "

Giallo Title Generator

Myspace.com Blogs:nomo1521 MySpace Blog: "If you're not acquainted with Giallo, it's an Italian film genre that, at its most basic, might be defined as a stylized, operatic, sometimes brutal murder mystery/thriller; you can usually spot a Giallo via its melodramatic title (e.g., The House With Laughing Windows, Seven Blood Stained Orchids, Short Night of Glass Dolls, Don't Torture a Duckling, etc). It's much more than that, though. I recommend Wikipedia's entry on Giallo if you're inclined to know more. And if you want to know more than that, check out this fab blog, Giallo Fever, which is run by a PhD student in Scotland. "

A Doll's Head in a Glass Coffin

Directed by
Ovidio Massaprodussi

An elderly musician disappears. A blind woman investigates the disappearance. After discovering an old painting, she discovers that the presumed victim, the musician, is in fact a maniacal killer, and is still on the loose!

Vagrancyfilms on Mother of Tears

Myspace.com Blogs:vagrancyfilms MySpace Blog: " Never.. I mean N E V E R has there been an Argento film with such brutality.Hands down the goriest film he's ever made. Nothing is left to the imagination when it comes to killing in THE MOTHER OF TEARS. Each murder is graphically shown and for the most part incredibly realistic. Old school FX gags for the most part. No CG cop outs when it came to the slaughter scenes. "

Argento video tribute

Myspace.com Blogs:filamental_films MySpace Blog: "The second is a kind of tribute to the flamboyant visual style of Italian film director Dario Argento, edited together from startling clips from many of his best films, and set to The Goblins' infamous score to Argento's Suspiria. This was a editing exercise on my Moving Image degree course a few years ago. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqPnJYRXz0w "

Video of Argento/Romero Q&A at TIFF

Keith Uhlich on Mother of Tears

The House Next Door: "On the Circuit": Mother of Tears: "Both the body and the body politic are under attack in Mother of Tears: as Rome succumbs to Mater Lacrimarum's vampiric evil (she goes so far as to lap up the violence-strewn teardrops of her victims), Sarah finds herself the witness -- as a demon briefly glimpsed in the lens of a still-camera portends -- of more and more unsightly horrors. A zombie set aflame illuminates a digitally augmented path to Sarah's personal hell, a sequence capped off by an empowering moment of mother-daughter reconciliation/redemption. Sarah's unrefined ability to vanish into thin air is shown to be more of an exhaustive curse than an unchained blessing (it is here that Argento shows the up-close-and-personal price of being sight unseen). Dreams within dreams tease Sarah, at every possible turn, with the placating comforts of death -- by the time she reaches Mater Lacrimarum's haunted manor, which she tours in a single, glorious tracking shot, she walks with subdued defiance, as if anticipating and welcoming the inevitable."

MIDI version of Tenebrae theme

tom moody - MIDI Tenebrae theme: "Speaking of Dario Argento, a sprightly MIDI rendition of Claudio Simonetti's Tenebrae theme can be heard on this intro page for an Argento site."

Mother of Tears Review at Pop Journalism

POPJOURNALISM.CA | Pop News - Review: 'The Mother of Tears: The Third Mother': "In addition to lots of blood, Argento also enjoys filming beautiful, naked women, some of whom turn out to be lesbians. Thus, the evil witches appear to be crazed supermodels vying for each other’s attention. Of course, according to the just-turned 67-year-old director, “All witches are lesbians.” This is another of his trademarks. And although lesbianism in horror has been a target of ridicule since the 1970s (and rightly so), it is simply one of the things one comes to expect in an Argento production. To be fair, much of the dialogue could have been lifted from a porno, its delivery was often no better and the plot’s conclusion is a little anti-climactic. But it is still an Argento masterpiece. He delivers with a few big scares, several moments of suspense, a disembowelment and lots of gore. "

CHUD pans Mother of Tears

CHUD.com - Cinematic Happenings Under Development: "You can't go home again. I thought Dario Argento learned that in 1980 after making the laughably bad Inferno, ostensibly a sequel to his landmark Suspiria. But he's back again with the third part in this so-called trilogy. Taken as a whole, the three films bear little relation to one another. Inferno and Mother of Tears at least make a reasonable pair, as they're both terrible by any estimation."

The Italian Giallo Collection coming on DVD

New York Times Review: "A gaggle of the stylish, often bloody Italian horror movies known as giallo will arrive this fall. The pleasure of the genre lies less in the shocks than in the refreshing, disreputable air of Eurodecadence and the often luscious costumes and set designs. The greatest of the giallo filmmakers, Dario Argento, is represented by five releases. The opening attack in one of them, “The Bird With the Crystal Plumage” (1970) — shot in an all-white, glass-fronted modern art gallery standing like an electric cage in the dark Roman night — sets the chic, sleazy tone for what is to follow."

Dario Argento interviewed at the 1990 Toronto Film Festival

First of a 4-part YouTube:

Mother of Tears Review at Salon.com

Salon.com: "'The Mother of Tears' revels in old-school sick violence, but watching the exuberant gorefest through your fingers is better than searching futilely for George Clooney's earlobe."

Argentos speak on Working Relationship

"Late Film: "Describing themselves as 'film buddies', the working relationship began in 1993 when Dario cast Asia in Trauma and has been going strong ever since. 'Maybe one film, but not continuously. All during life,' said Dario. Adds Asia, 'We're best friends in film. We work together really well. He Always encouraged me.' Asia's mother and Dario's ex-wire, Daria, aslo stars in Mother of Tears."

More short reviews of Argento's Mother of Tears

AGORAVOX - The Citizen Media: "Argento’s shlock opus, Mother of Tears, stretches credibility as even a Midnight Madness entry. The flick is the third part of the trilogy that started cult classic Suspiria and its follow-up Inferno, but the new film wallows in its own stupidity for enormous tracts of time between its explosions of admittedly tour-de-force gore. If you’ve ever wanted to see a mother throw her baby off a bridge, or witness the chaos that ensues when a woman is garrotted by her own intenstines, this is your film."

Flixer.com: I was fortunate enough to interview Italian horror legend Dario Argento a few hours before sitting down with his latest movie, Mother of Tears, and when I asked the director how his world premiere screening went down the night before, his face lit up. I'm paraphrasing here, but Mr. Argento said something very close to "An excellent audience. They were screaming, clapping and laughing at all the right spots." Flash forward to my press screening a few hours later and, yep, there was lots of appreciative laughter from the audience -- in between all the gasps, groans, shrieks, and walk-outs. (Yes, I counted at least a dozen walk-outs. I can only assume that these people know nothing about the graphic nature of Dario Argento's films.)


New York Press: Horror master Dario Argento no longer has any interest in placing quiet exposition into his films, as they did to raise the tension in his classic Suspira. Argento’s latest gore-fest is about as campy as they come (the latest Lohan vehicle notwithstanding). His daughter, Asia, plays a woman forced to save Rome from an onslaught of witches. The first act finds a minor character getting strangled to death by her own intestines. It’s all downhill from there (so to speak). After a certain point, Argento’s shamelessly absurd plot goes beyond merely being grotesque and just gets dull.


MIDNIGHT MADNESS at the Toronto International Film Festival: Within minutes of the introduction, you have a clear idea of what is to follow. This film has all the elements of a classic occult slasher flick : religious artifacts, an ancient legend, a girl who runs, a benevolent spirit, a malevolent monkey, lots of boobs and skin, sharp cutting tools, lots and lots of blood, and a lesbian love scene. And of course, it wouldn't be complete without over-the-top performances of everyone in front of the camera. So, you almost know where it is going before the plot really starts.

Asia Argento photo by Maurizio Fiorino. on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Asia Argento by Maurizio Fiorino. on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

summary of nude scenes in Mother of Tears

TIFF 2007: Mother of Tears at recapped: "In Mother of Tears: The Third Mother, Asia Argento (who was at the screening) only has one nude scene. Asia is shown taking a shower and we see a brief glimpse of her right breast only. Italian showgirl Moran Atias plays the Third Mother and has three nude scenes. In the first, we see Moran’s breasts and ass as she is shown nude during some ritual. Moran eventually puts on some talisman (aka ragged shirt) which is very short allowing us to see more glimpses of her ass. In the second, Moran is shown wearing a long black cloak with nothing on underneath. We see her right breast as the cloak opens up. The last nude scene is during the final battle. Moran is shown walking around nude, talking to her followers. We see more t&a and eventually full frontal as Moran turns around. Then Moran puts on the talisman again and we see some glimpses of her ass and bush as she continues to walk around. The talisman is eventually removed and we see more of Moran fully nude as she basically just runs around in panic before eventually dying. Valeria Cavalli and Silvia Rubino play lesbian lovers and have a topless makeout session in bed. Silvia remains topless while intruders torture and kill her. Many unnamed witches are also shown nude at various times in the movie."

The Bloody Beatroots and Asia Argento

BOULE A FACETTES - TON BALLON SERA MON BALLON: The Bloody Beetroots dans ta maison: "How can we have your productions? Are you gonna do an album ? At the moment the effort is going toward different directions. You can find us on blogs, 12” as well as on the digital “side” iTunes and Beatport. Often we craft promos for DJs only as we care about enacting something from the dancefloor as well as getting a feed-back.We are starting to launch a contest to give some more free sound to whom’s really following our path. There is a continuous demand for it, but we do not believe it is time to release an album yet. We are working into a featuring with Asia Argento, on the way for next winter. "

Highlights from the Argento Q&A

Movie Moxie: TIFF 07 Day 2 - Sept 7/07: " Dario Argento said that he didn't think that it would be a trilogy at first, and isn't entirely happy that it's complete as it was like a brother to him and now he is alone. Asia Argento is Dario's daughter and was born during Suspira, she likened the Mother's of the previous films to being her grandmothers and aunts in her life. Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni described working with Dario as quantum physical"

More brief Mother of Tears Reviews

filmexperience.blogspot.com: "...it's the first Argento since 1988's Opera that I can point to and say, "Yes! This works!" The script is as stupid as ever, but then people don't go to Argento for coherent plots; rather, they go for the man's facility with images and his breathtaking displays of violence. The Mother of Tears is a letdown only in the sense that it isn't really spiritual kin to its predecessors -- the poetic anti-logic that makes Suspiria feel like a fairy tale and Inferno like a nightmare ported straight from its creator's fevered brain is nowhere to be found here..."

The A.V. Club: "The Mother Of Tears (dir. Dario Argento): If you love horror, you have to have a special affection for Dario Argento; in his prime, with movies like Suspiria, Opera, and Deep Red, Argento was better than anyone at creating a heightened, colorful gothic atmosphere (always in glorious CinemaScope, to boot.) As a fan, you learned to live with the fact that Argento never really cared much about his oft-overdubbed Europudding cast or the cheesy, expository dialogue that came out of their months. These days, Argento is all cheese, no style."


aintitcool.com: There is a God. Or a Satan. Right now, I don't care which is responsible.

Dario's third Mother film didn't suck.

You have no idea how much I've been dreading seeing this movie. Dario's recent track record, everything post-Opera really, has been, umm, bad. Really bad. At times unwatchably bad. Even at his best Argento's movies have been more about spectacle than coherence, but stuff like Trauma and his version of Phantom couldn't even provide entertaining spectacles. And for him to try and follow up Suspiria and Inferno (my personal favorite Dario film) now, with his directorial powers fading... the possibilities for a soul-scarring disaster loomed large. Somehow, he pulled it out. Somehow, Mother of Tears did not suck.


jaredsapolin.blogspot.com: "The Mother of Tears (2007, Dario Argento) *1/2 A shame to see such an invigoratingly flamboyant sensibility wasted on such a relentlessly idiotic script. The camera ogling Asia's ripe sexiness and characters being disemboweled, then strangled with their innards, only get you so far. (Though hilarious Gregorian chants of 'Murder!' overwhelming the soundtrack at random do get you a little farther still.)"

Movie Martyr: Surely by the standards of Toronto's Midnight Madness audiences, a new film from horror maestro Dario Argento is an event of the highest order. Few venues anywhere could offer a group of genre fans so excited and so devoted, so the energy at the start of the show was electric. Dario Argento, and his daughter and leading lady Asia were both in attendance, which only contributed to excitement levels. She thanked her father for making her the freak she is. He, clearly in an emotional state, didn't have much to say, but when Midnight Madness programmer Colin Geddes let it slip that it was Dario's birthday, the crowd serenaded him with a rendition of "Happy Birthday"...

...Ultimately, enjoyment of Mother of Tears requires some degree of complicity in the director's game. This film is obviously not as classy as many of Argento's best. It rarely feels eerie, and instead goes for shocks. That shift might come as a letdown to a devoted few, but even they could never accuse Argento of doing things halfway here. He goes deliriously over the top and carries us with him."

the-inbetween.com: "Argento’s The Mother of Tears is a trainwreck. In the first few minutes of the film a woman gets gutted and then strangled by her own intestines. This is a promising start for a horror film! But, unfortunately, it’s all down hill from there (it wasn’t that high a hill to start with). Bad acting, bad script, no real “horror” and an ending so ridiculous that it could easily be mistaken for one long joke. It’s not. On top of everything it also comes across as overly misogynistic. Thumb down!"

cinecon.blogspot.com: "The coldly baroque, elegant style -- the garishly stylized color, the wind, the music -- that made Argento's SUSPIRIA one of the greatest horror movies ever is scarcely present here. Instead there's a lot of creative ways to draw blood --"

The Mother of Tears reviewed at Bloody Disgusting

The Mother of Tears (Third Mother) (TIFF) Movie Review - BLOODY-DISGUSTING.COM: "...Aside from those minor nitpicks, “The Mother Of Tears” is a very satisfying finale to the “Three Mothers” trilogy. Sure, it’s no “Suspiria” and frankly, nothing ever will be. If you can get over that fact, you will find yourself entertained by Argento’s delightfully deranged and energetic epic. It’s got brutal violence! Nudity! Lesbian sexuality! Lots of lesbians! Yes, it’s politically-incorrect. What more do you want in an Argento movie?! Did I forget to mention it has a pretty freaky monkey?"

Dario Argento shows off his little shop of horrors in BBC feature

Dumb reporter in this YouTube clip, but interesting to see Dario's shop (via Dammed Horror Critic):

Damned Horror Critic: Dario Argento Feature on the BBC: "The reporter in this piece comes off as a little ditsy, at times. For example, she refuses to shake Argento's hand, partly because, as a flourish, he usually films his own hands from a first person point of view, strangling or stabbing or doing something murderous. Still, it's interesting to watch this, partly because -- despite the short comings of the reporter -- the view does get some type of window into Argento. Plus, one gets to see his little shop of horrors, which, for horror fans, should be a tourist destination."

Risky Biz Blog: Seen around town: Part I

The Hollywood Reporter: Risky Biz Blog: Seen around town: Part I: "Director George A. Romero and his wife Christine chatting outside the Westin Harbour Castle Hotel, where Myriad Pictures was hosting a reception for Romero’s longtime friend Dario Argento’s latest film, “Mother of Tears.” The legendary Italian director’s final installment in his “Three Mothers” trilogy opened the festival’s Midnight Madness section, while Romero’s new film, “Diary of the Dead,” world premieres Saturday ..."

Dario Argento's birthday party

One hot birthday party - Reuters Blogs: "Celebrating a 67th birthday at a midnight showing of a blood and guts horror movie may not be most people’s cup of tea, but it was just fine for Italian director Dario Argento, who accepted best wishes at the Toronto screening of his new film “Mother of Tears, his long-awaited finaled to “The Three Mothers” trilogy. At the urging of festival programmer Colin Geddes, the raucous crowd sang “Happy Birthday” to the embarassed director, who says he doesn’t like watching movies with crowds, estimating perhaps this showing was the third time he had watched his film with people."

Mother review: Horrible, But Not Hostel

The Hot Blog: Horrible, But Not Hostel: "Dario Argento’s Mother of Tears is far more gross on the face of it (and the ass of it and the intestines of it and the brain of it, etc) than Eli Roth’s Hostel or Hostel 2. Like Hostel 2, there is naked woman on naked woman violence, there is blood everywhere, and there is cruelty aplenty. So why did I enjoy Mother of Tears so much while I was so deeply offended by H2?..."

Inside the TIFF Mother of Tears screening

TIFF 2007 BLOGS - Midnight Madness Blog - Opening Night Wrap-Up: "Shifting to the screening itself, the red carpet was fairly tame. While autograph hounds and journalists alike tried their hardest to get a piece of Asia, the one she listened to most was, of course, her father (Dario Argento, naturally)- who was eventually able to call her into a photo shoot with a simple 'Asia, andiamo!'"

Twitch Film Reviews THE MOTHER OF TEARS

Twitch Film Reviews THE MOTHER OF TEARS: "Where to start with the latest Dario Argento exercise in baroque phantasmagoria? This is the very-late-to-the-party conclusion of his “Three Mothers Trilogy” started in 1977 with the spectacular Suspiria. (Inferno was to follow 3 years later before a 27 year gap!) As painful as it is to write this, there is nothing on offer in Mother of Tears for folks outside of the cult-of-Argento or gore-hounds looking for a few inventive kills. This may very well be an indication that Argento’s brand of horror was of its time and place (the 1970s and 80s), and ill equipped to survive in the 21st Century. The old is not destined to be repurposed to the new. There is something tragic when the supposed return-to-form of one of the great masters comes off like an ill-conceived parody of his own work. "

Waiting for Mother of Tears at Midnight

National Post: Tiff--Chatter in the lines: " Last night the series kicked off at the Ryerson Theatre. Hundreds of devotees – some of whom had stood in line for hours to ensure prime seats - wound all the way down Gerrard Street, wrapping around the corner and continued down Church Street. They were all waiting to watch 'The Mother of Tears,' the final volume in Italian master of horror Dario Argento's Three Mothers trilogy, which began back in the 1970s."

The Mother of Tears: Report from Toronto

Midnight Madness: The Mother of Tears: "The Argento fans were out in force tonight, giving Dario a standing ovation as he took the stage, and singing Happy Birthday at 12:01 a.m. (September 7th is the director's birthday). Aside from the braintrusts at the Ryerson Theatre scheduling a fire drill for the film's midway point (!), Midnight Madness '07 kicked off without a hitch... unless you were watching the film."

Dario Argento biography at Filmbug

Dario Argento @ Filmbug

Brief Mother of Tears Review

Moviemartyr @ TIFF: Day 1 Grades: "The Mother of Tears (Dario Argento) 64 [The best thing Argento's done in years, which isn't saying much, this finds him sacrificing most of his artistic pretensions, and shifting into balls-out entertainment mode. The plot, which features Asia Argento as a reluctant white witch battling evil in a Rome gone mad, is clearly an excuse for a series of imaginative, gruesome set pieces. Extremely gory, and extremely fun (especially with the Midnight Madness crowd), it's closer to a return to form than I would have suspected.]"

Asia Argento photos: Entertainment Weekly

ru_glamour: Asia Argento Photos: Entertainment Weekly

Asia Argento - GQ Magazine Pictures

Asia Argento - GQ Magazine Pictures - The Bastardly

Review of Mother Of Tears

The Horror Blog: Review - Mother Of Tears: "It’s always difficult to disassemble and examine a Dario Argento film. Not unlike the riddles his characters encounter in his films, closer examination can reveal new insights and even the smallest newfound detail can affect your perception of his work. More than once I’ve revisited an Argento film and come away with an entirely different reaction from my first viewing. It’s why committing to a stance is so intimidating. The conclusion to the Three Mothers trilogy is so completely unlike the other two installments, and the majority of Argento’s work, that at times it seems to be a reaction to those earlier films, if not outright parody."

Happy Birthday, Dario Argento!

Happy Birthday, Dario Argento!

Congratulations to Mermaid Heather!

cattleworks: Congratulations to Mermaid Heather! Plus Project 365. (38/117): "She’s also augmented her reviews with tributes to individuals associated with scary cinema. So far, she’s worked up tributes to directors Dario Argento and Tobe Hooper, and also to horror icon Jamie Lee Curtis..."

the Asia thread

the Asia thread: "ASIA ARGENTO!!!! oh sweet jesus! some images may be NSFW k?"

Twitch - The Abandoned Interview - Identity Horror, Midnight Madness and More!

Twitch - The Abandoned Interview - Identity Horror, Midnight Madness and More!: "Dark atmosphere and nightmarishly styled settings that feel eerily similar to the grim haunted house that Dario Argento created in ”Deep Red” fill the frame through most of its running time. If you need a fresh breath of air with horror then this movie is your ticket."

Olmi, Costanzo, Lucchetti and Dario Argento Italian filmmakers talk about movies

Tandem - Online magazine: Olmi, Costanzo, Lucchetti and Dario Argento: Italian filmmakers talk about movies at Toronto International Film Festival: "The Italians are coming, though they’re pretty tired from having brought their films to the Venice film festival as well. While not an impressive list, the filmmakers that are representing the Made in Italy are respectable enough — Ermanno Olmi, Saverio Costanzo, Daniele Lucchetti — with even a cult figure among them — Dario Argento."

On DVD: The Stendhal Syndrome (1995) Review

On DVD: The Stendhal Syndrome (1995): Review at Pop Matters:

"...Dealing with a subject described as “art enchantment” - a surreal fugue state where individuals feel emotionally overwhelmed and personally connected to paintings, sculptures, and other aesthetic works – this ‘Stendhal Syndrome’ seemed to be the perfect idea for a film. Of course, it would take some tricky special effects to realize his goal, and Argento needed an actress he could trust to take on the grueling, slightly gratuitous lead. He envisioned a woman who was young enough to play the ingénue, sturdy enough to pass for a cop, and complex enough to handle the several personality changes that occurred throughout. Even worse, this performer would have to lay herself bare during a trio of tawdry rape scenes. With an air of oddness that only Freud could successfully decipher, Argento flummoxed convention and hired his 21 year old daughter Asia. Long a fixture in the film world, this would be her most demanding role to date..."

MARIE ANTOINETTE: A Two-hour Fashion Show Without Heart

Cyber Hermit: MARIE ANTOINETTE: A Two-hour Fashion Show Without Heart: "So much potential is wasted in this film. The talents of Kirsten Dunst, Judy Davis, Rose Byrne and Asia Argento are simply thrown away by a lifeless script. "

Daydream Nation: The Suspiria Version

PORT - Portland art news reviews: "Another must-see exhibition is PICA artist-in-residence Arnold J. Kemp's Daydream Nation (The Suspiria Version). Daydream Nation is an ongoing project exploring the psychic and political possibilities of abstraction, which is commonly (mis)understood as an artistic refuge from social concern. The Suspiria Version is inspired by horror master Dario Argento's film of the same name, in which a young American becomes trapped in a waking nightmare. This exhibition is on view at PNCA through September 29. "

Giallo Classics

blog.myspace.com/katekeen: "* BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE 4 *DEEP RED 5 Wonderful, Fantastic, and Perfect! There is not much more I cant say about this captivating movie. Although, I find it so good, not much Giallo can match it, so you may be spoiled by it. David Hemmings is great, a little chubby! and funny enough, rumor has it Dario Argento made him lose 15 lbs for the role. "

Mother of Tears Poster - HorrorMovies.ca

Mother of Tears Poster - HorrorMovies.ca: "Hot off the heels of posting the Mother of Tears Trailer we now have the poster. The trailer kind of irked me but the poster does look super cool. This is the final chapter in Dario Argentos horror trilogy."

Un Film Di Dario Argento

Angry Robots: It took me a long time to like Argento. See, when you’re a kid, you want, well, horror in your horror films. You know–vicious, terrible, unrelenting violence. But Argento’s films are more about tension and mood and visual style, and while he doesn’t skimp on the blood (when the time is right), his films aren’t traditional American slash-fests, and that can be off-putting for a bloodthirsty teenager....

...Anyway, if you’d like to meet the man, he’ll be appearing at the Rue Morgue Festival of Fear this year (which it looks like I’ll be missing for the second year in a row–but I’ll hopefully catch him at TIFF a couple weeks later). Oh, and in September Yo La Tengo will host a screening of Argento’s Four Flies on Grey Velvet here in Austin as part of the Alamo’s “Cinema Under the Influence” series.

Italy's finest visit Toronto

Sault Ste. Marie Arts and Entertainment Pages on SooToday.com: "FILM ITALIA ************************ A showcase of new Italian cinema at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival Film Italia is pleased to return to the Toronto International Film Festival with a delegation of influential filmmakers and producers representing six feature films from Italy."

Dario Argento, Stuart Gordon share flair for scare - USATODAY.com

Dario Argento, Stuart Gordon share flair for scare - USATODAY.com: "George A. Romero, the dean of the walking dead, is just one of a trio of much-admired masters of scare fare at Midnight Madness this year, which programmer Colin Geddes declares as 'a total big deal.' Joining Romero is Dario Argento, who partnered with him on 1978's Dawn of the Dead. The Italian maestro of the macabre's Mother of Tears kicks off the fest's night-owl lineup on Thursday, a day before he turns 67."

Chained to the Cinematheque: 25 Best Non-English language films: "23. Suspiria (Dario Argento, 1977) 24. All About My Mother (Pedro Almod�var, 1999) 25. Pierrot le fou (Jean-Luc Godard, 1965)"

EXCL: Dario Argento Interview - ShockTillYouDrop.com

EXCL: Dario Argento Interview - ShockTillYouDrop.com: "Even with the noticeable onset of a cold, Argento was kind enough to grant ShockTillYouDrop.com some time to sit down and talk about 'Tears' at the Rue Morgue Festival of Fear. A gaunt but animated creature, he wears slacks, a dark zip-up sweater and collared shirt. During our all-too-brief conversation, his English delves into mere sounds and hand gestures to evoke a feeling..."

The Envelope.com: Argento is man of the witching hour

The Envelope.com: Argento is man of the witching hour: "When 'Mother of Tears: The Third Mother' has its world premiere Thursday as the opening night film of the Midnight Madness section at the Toronto International Film Festival -- the same slot that unleashed 'Borat' last year -- it will complete a trilogy of films that stretches back some 30 years for Italian director Dario Argento."

Sturgell - Cradle Of Filth Frontman Working With Dario Argento - MOG

"The English extreme metal outfit Cradle Of Filth’s vocalist/frontman Dani Filth recently recorded vocals for the theme song to Dario Argento’s latest horror/suspense opus “Mother of Tears: The Third Mother”. The song, entitled “(She’s) The Mother of Tears” was composed by Claudio Simonetti. Simonetti, considered by some to be a living legend among horror film scores composures, is also noted for penning music to such classics as “Dawn of the Dead”, “Suspiria”, “Phenomena” and several episodes of the popular series “Masters of Horror”..." Link

Film Experience Blog: Look What the Link Dragged In

Brieuc 75 [in French] likes Olivier Assayas' Boarding Gate. Here's the poster (right) starring the reliably naughty Asia Argento..." Link

Chuck's Weird World: Remake?

"'Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!', originally starring Tura Satana, or Varla in 1965, could be made into a porno directed towards a female audience. The sultry Italian actress, ASIA ARGENTO wants to have a turn on the other side of the camera; 'I want to make a porn remake of 'Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!'' Just over 30 years old and a great fighting spirit, Argento remains a fascinating artist with a future even more promising than any lame-ass young American actress of the moment...." Link

Deb's Blog: Boarding Gate

"Movie with Asia Argento. She's rebellious, in love, and manipulated. You know you're going to get some extreme-attitude sex..." Link

Suspiria Trailer

"When I was 9 or 10 years old, my dad and I were up late one Saturday night, and there happened to be a massive amount of shampoo commercials airing at the time. The following trailer for Dario Argento's SUSPIRIA came on and scared the both of us right off the couch!!! I remember this woman turning more quickly than she does in the trailer's opening bit, so perhaps we were both half asleep when we saw this..."...Link

Spaghetti Nightmares

"I've owned this book for a few months and finally decided to start reading it. It's very good, and has many candid interviews with people who were involved with Italian horror cinema. So far I have read the interviews of: Dario Argento Claudio Argento Luigi Cozzi Lamberto Bava Ruggero Deodato and Lucio Fulci. That's only in the first quarter of the book!"...Link

Twitch - Dario Argento Contest Winners

"Our giveaway contest for two autographed original The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970) French lobbycards by the man himself, Dario Argento has come to a close!"...Link

Asia Argento - Celebrity Porn

"Asia Argento has always come across as a nasty little whore, and these pictures of her in the Italian version of GQ magazine help prove that fucking point..." Link:

Asia Argento Picture

Mundo Proprio Link

Asia Argento Wants To Make A Porn Film - Starpulse News Blog

Italian actress Asia Argento dreams of making a porn film for women. The star, who has played a string of provocative roles in movies like Marie Antoinette and The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things, had big plans to become an adult film director." Link

Twitch - High Quality US Trailer For Argento’s THE THIRD MOTHER Arrives

There’s been a bad cam version of this floating around for a while but Movies For The Masses have gotten their mitts on a good, clean, high quality, non-bootleg version of the US trailer for Dario Argento’s Toronto-bound The Third Mother. This should be all fans need to know...." Link:

Crime Scene Part One: Mother of Tears Clip Online

"After 20 years in the wilderness, Dario Argento comes home, finishing the third and final chapter his 'Three Mothers' cycle with The Mother of Tears. The series started 31 years ago with his most successful film, Suspira, and its little-seen but no less wonderful spiritual sequel, Inferno..." Link

Funny and Creepy

"Dario Argento was funny but kind of creepy at the same time. He's just a wacky Italian guy with bad English skills. His Q&A session was almost unbearable but later they teamed him up with George Romero and then it got a little better. He had the balls to ask Romero what his beliefs are. Apparently Romero's an athiest :)"...Link:

Movieforum: TIFF 2007 Most Anticipated: Dario Argento's "Mother Of Tears"

Great news for fans of one of the horror genre's true visionaries: Dario Argento, the Italian master of trippy, often gore-soaked fantasias, will premiere his long-awaited"Mother Of Tears" (La Terza Madre) as part of the Midnight Madness program at the upcoming Toronto International Film Festival....Link