5. Opera (1987)
Insecure young opera singer Betty is thrust into the limelight when she is made the lead soprano in Verdi's Macbeth, after the original singer is injured in a car crash. A murder occurs in the theatre during her first performance. And subsequent murders occur - afflicting those involved with Betty in some way. Betty is forced by the murderer into watching the killings when the killer tapes needles below her eye so she is unable to blink and must therefore witness the murders. At her last performance in the opera, the killer is unveiled. I always thought that Lucio Fulci was the King of Italian Ocular Mayhem, but in Opera, Argento definitely takes that title with the eye pin scenes involving Betty. Many fans consider this to be Argento's last truly great film. It may be quite an implausible scenario, but it is a visual feast. The film is full of bloodiness and gore and it is genuinely suspenseful and creates a creepy atmosphere. Betty's background with her twisted sadomasochistic mother is very interesting and adds considerable depth to her character. The production values as per usual for Argento are utterly superb, as are the camera work and cinematography. A few steps short of brilliance.