8. Four Flies On Grey Velvet (1971)
Roberto is a drummer in a rock band who is being followed by a strange man. He confronts this man in an abandoned theatre about why he is following him. The man pleads innocence but pulls out a switchblade. In a melee, Roberto accidentally kills him. There is a further complication. A weird masked man was high up in the theatre taking incriminating photos of the murder. Roberto gets the hell out of the theatre, but in the following days receives the dead man's ID in the post. He realises that the masked man has no intention of going to the police and only wants to toy with him and drive him crazy. One of the more obscure Argento films, Four Flies on Grey Velvet is quite an experimental film as Argento was still finding his feet as a director. Some of it doesn't work - such as the attempt to inject humour into the proceedings. I'm sorry Mr Argento, but comedy is not your forte! The film is more atmospheric than gory. It boasts a nice score from Ennio Morricone but the plot is weak. There are few possible killer candidates, not enough twisting of the storyline and a lack of red herrings. Argento experiments with the film techniques that would later bring him great acclaim. The film is very enjoyable despite its flaws. It is not edge of the seat scary, but it works as a stylish thriller