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Dario Argento
Dario Argento is Italy's leading director of innovative surreal thriller and horror movies. The son of Salvatore Argento, one of the big movie producers of the 60's and 70's, and Elda Luxardo, the well-known photographer, he began his career as a film critic. Together with Bernardo Bertolucci he then worked as assistant scriptwriter to his great maestro, Sergio Leone, for whom he wrote the story for ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST (1968). In 1970, Argento made his directing debut with THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE. This was followed by CAT O' NINE TAILS (1971), and FOUR FLIES ON GREY VELVET (1972). This trilogy contributed to establishing Dario Argento as a recognized master of the thriller genre. In 1975, after a brief departure from his usual fare, during which he made LE CINQUE GIORNATE (THE 5 DAYS WAR) (1973), he returned to his own unique vision of horror, generating terror amongst movie audiences with DEEP RED, considered by many critics his masterpiece.
The year 1977 marked the release of SUSPIRIA, one of his best-loved films abroad. He then undertook work on the screenplay and post-production of George Romero's classic DAWN OF THE DEAD (1979). During the 80's Argento went on to tackle his supernatural thriller INFERNO (1980), followed by the sophisticated, disturbing TENEBRE (1983), and PHENOMENA, A Tale of Horror (1985). In 1987 Argento directed one of his most shocking movies, OPERA, set in Parma's Teatro Regio. In 1990, he moved to the U.S. where he worked with George Romero on TWO EVIL EYES, for which he wrote and directed the episode THE BLACK CAT. Argento directed TRAUMA in 1992, casting his young daughter Asia, for the first time, as leading actress. THE STENDHAL SYNDROME (1996) announced his return to working as director in Italy, followed by THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (1998), SLEEPLESS (2001) and THE CARD PLAYER (2004). Dario Argento also wrote the screenplay for Patroni Griffi's LOVE CIRCLE (1968). He produced two films directed by Lamberto Bava: DEMONS (1985) and DEMONS II (1986), as well as Michele Soavi's THE CHURCH (1989) and THE SECT (1991), and Sergio Stivaletti's M.D.C (THE WAX MASK) (1996).
Argento has also worked for television and he directed four short films for the 1972 series LA PORTA SUL BUIO.
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