Tenebre (1982)

Director:

Dario Argento

Writer:

Dario Argento (writer)

Release Date:

February 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Terror Beyond Belief

Plot:

An American writer in Rome is stalked by a serial killer bent on harassing him while killing all people associated with his work on his latest book.

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Death | Serial Killer | Police | Author

Cast

Anthony Franciosa	...	Peter Neal
Christian Borromeo	...	Gianni
Mirella D'Angelo	...	Tilde
Veronica Lario	...	Jane McKerrow
Ania Pieroni	...	Elsa Manni
Eva Robin's	...	Girl on Beach (as Eva Robins)
Carola Stagnaro	...	Detective Altieri
John Steiner	...	Christiano Berti
Lara Wendel	...	Maria Alboretto
John Saxon	...	Bullmer
Daria Nicolodi	...	Anne
Giuliano Gemma	...	Detective Germani
Isabella Amadeo	...	Bullmer's secretary
Mirella Banti	...	Marion
Ennio Girolami	...	Department Store Manager (as Enio Girolami)
Monica Maisani
Marino Masé	...	John
Fulvio Mingozzi	...	Alboretto, the porter
Gianpaolo Saccarola	...	Coroner
Ippolita Santarelli	...	Prostitute
Francesca Viscardi
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dario Argento	...	Narrator (Italian version) / Murderer's Hands (voice) (uncredited)
Lamberto Bava	...	Elevator Repairman #1 (uncredited)
Michele Soavi	...	Maria's Boyfriend / Man Walking with Girl on Beach (uncredited)

Directed by
Dario Argento

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Dario Argento		writer

Produced by
Claudio Argento	....	producer
Salvatore Argento	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Goblin		(as Simonetti-Morante-Pignatelli)
Massimo Morante
Fabio Pignatelli
Claudio Simonetti

Cinematography by
Luciano Tovoli

Film Editing by
Franco Fraticelli

Production Design by
Giuseppe Bassan

Set Decoration by
Tommaso Barbi
Maurizio Garrone
Aldo Taloni		(settings)

Costume Design by
Pierangelo Cicoletti
Carlo Palazzi
Franco Tomei

Makeup Department
Carboni	....	hair stylist
Patrizia Corridoni	....	key hair stylist
Pierantonio Mecacci	....	makeup artist
Piero Mecacci	....	makeup artist (as Pierino Macacci)
Rocchetti	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Cesare Jacolucci	....	production manager
Cesare Jacolucci	....	production supervisor
Giuseppe Mangogna	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Lamberto Bava	....	first assistant director
Michele Soavi	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Antonella Caputo	....	assistant production designer
Massimo Garrone	....	assistant set decorator
Osvaldo Monaco	....	property master
Giuseppe Pagnotta	....	property master
Cesare Piccini	....	assistant property master

Sound Department
Luciano Anzellotti	....	sound effects
Massimo Anzellotti	....	sound effects
Mario Dallimonti	....	sound
Giancarlo Laurenzi	....	boom operator
Romano Pampaloni	....	sound mixer

Special Effects by
Giovanni Corridori	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Francesco Bellomo	....	still photographer
Remo Cartocci	....	grip
Francesco Giulivi	....	gaffer
Roberto Marsigli	....	assistant camera
Mario Moreschini	....	key grip
Maurizio Piano	....	assistant camera
Giuseppe Tinelli	....	camera operator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Barbara Canevari	....	assistant costume designer
Vanda Caprioli	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Piero Bozza	....	assistant editor
Roberto Priori	....	assistant editor

Other crew
Ferdinando Caputo	....	production accountant
Diego Della Valle	....	shoemaker
Carlo Du Bois	....	production accountant
Enrico Lucherini	....	unit publicist
Saverio Mangogna	....	production secretary
Cesare Piccini	....	leather
Francesca Roberti	....	script supervisor
Pino Locchi	....	voice dubbing: Giuliano Gemma (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Sigma Cinematografica Roma

Distributors

• Atlas Film Verleih (1984) (West Germany) (theatrical) (edited)
• Bedford Entertainment (1987) (USA) (theatrical) (as Unsane)
• Fox Hills Video (1987) (USA) (VHS)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2004) (Australia) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (USA) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (USA) (VHS)
• Schmalz-Schneider (2007) (Austria) (DVD) (as Illusions Unltd. Films)

Other Companies

• C.A.M.  soundtrack
• Fendi  furs

Also Known As:

Sotto gli occhi dell'assassino
Tenebrae
Under the Eyes of the Assassin
Unsane (USA)

Runtime:

110 min | USA:91 min (edited version) | 101 min (director's cut)

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M | New Zealand:R16 | West Germany:18 (cut) | Sweden:(Banned) | Italy:T (edited TV version) | Argentina:X (original rating) | Argentina:18 (re-rating) | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Sweden:15 | Australia:R | Canada:R | France:-16 | Germany:16 (cut version: 2002) | Italy:VM18 | Spain:18 | UK:18 | USA:R | USA:Unrated (director's cut) | West Germany:(Banned) | Netherlands:12 (DVD rating) | Iceland:(Banned) | Finland:K-18 (2005) (uncut) | Finland:K-18 (1988) (cut) | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Incir De Paolis Studios, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company:

Sigma Cinematografica Roma

Trivia:

A sample of the film's theme song ('Tenebre') by Goblin appears in the songs 'Phantom' and 'Phantom pt.2' by French house duo Justice, on their album 'Cross' (2007).

Goofs:

Factual errors: On the telephone, the killer tells Peter Neal that "you wrote those words, page 46," but in fact the words quoted would have had to be on an odd-numbered page of the book TENEBRAE, given the placement of the text we see in the opening sequence.

Quotes:

Christiano Berti: [Just before he attacks Tild with a razor] Pervert... Filthy Slimy Pervert

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Haunting in Connecticut (2009)

Soundtrack:

Take Me Tonight

A top-notch giallo from the master of Italian horror, Dario Argento.

With its leather-gloved killer, amazing score, spectacular and innovative camera-work, and wonderfully gory murders, Tenebre delivers everything you could ask for in a giallo. Like many Italian murder mysteries, the story takes some swallowing, but if you can accept the convoluted plot, there's plenty of fun to be had.

Peter Neal (Anthony Franciosa) is a best-selling novelist who becomes involved in real life murder mystery when the victims of a razor-wielding killer are found with pages from his latest book stuffed in their mouths.

One of director Dario Argento's best movies, Tenebre is packed to the rafters with the kind of stuff that make good giallos such a trip to watch. As pretty girls are stalked and killed by a raspy-voiced maniac, the director offers genuine clues and red herrings aplenty, allowing the audience to have fun trying to figure out who the killer is. The movie's stunning cinematography is accompanied by one of Goblin's greatest scores, transforming what may have been mundane moments in the hands of a lesser director into pure works of art (in one amazing scene the camera simply prowls slowly around the outside of a building, but with Argento in control, it is simply breathtaking!).

Murder has never been so stylish, and even the most grisly deaths are stunningly captured. A particularly memorable moment has a young girl stumble into the house of the killer, before being chased through a garden; this scene is shot from the axe-wielding maniac's point of view, and is incredibly effective.

Fans of gore are also catered for with several gruesome murders, the best of which involves bucket-loads of arterial spray decorating most of a wall. Juicy!

Argento reveals the identity of the killer in a suitably silly finale (all gialli have them), before offing the murderer in a fittingly gruesome manner.

Check out Tenebre and witness one of the great works from one of Italian horror's finest.