6. Terror At the Opera (1987)
Famous pervert, Dario Argento, directed some of the greatest classics in giallo history. While Suspiria is his most seen and perhaps his best giallo, Argento's Terror at the Opera matches and, at times, exceeds Suspiria's terrifying heights. The story (which bares more than a passing resemblance to Darren Aronofsky's the Black Swan) involves the trials of an insecure opera singer named Betty who suddenly finds herself the star of a production of Verdi's Macbeth after a mysterious car accident injures the lead. Unbeknownst to Betty, a psychopathic killer has grown obsessed with her and intends to murder those closest to her. As the film progresses, the murderer captures Betty on numerous occasions so he can force her to watch the slaughter by tying her up and taping pins beneath her eyelids to prevent her from shutting them. The killer's ability to appear anywhere and at any time makes the film a terrifying journey into insanity. For those looking for something deeper than your typical slasher-fare, Argento offers up a sly commentary on how peoples' voyeurism of cinematic violence can effect their mental state. However, Argento debatably loses sight of this theme at times and becomes overly-fixated on bloodletting (undermining the point he's trying to make) but Terror at the Opera is still a must for fans of terror and especially for fans of giallos.