Sigma Cinematografica Roma, 1982

starring: Anthony Francosia, John Saxon, Giuliano Gemma and Daria Nicolodi

written and directed by: Dario Argento

the plot: Famed mystery writer Peter Neal (Francosia) arrives in Rome to promote his latest book, “Tenebrae.” But a mysterious killer is stalking the streets of Rome and seems to be using Neal’s book as an inspiration. Even worse, the killer sends Neal deranged mementos from the scene of each killing. The tenacious Detective Giermani (Gemma) questions Neal, but comes up with nothing. As Neal makes the rounds at various talk shows and press conferences, the murders continue, and a chilling pattern emerges. The victims are all somehow connected to “Tenebrae,” prompting Neal’s agent Bullmer (Saxon) and his assistant (Nicolodi) to begin fearing for Neal’s life. For Giermani, long a fan of Neal’s novels, a solution remains elusive. As Neal prepares to leave Rome, the body count grows rapidly and Neal and his friends discover that the killer is closer than any of them realize.

why it’s good: After the success of “Suspiria” and “Inferno,” Dario Argento drifted away from convoluted supernatural stories to more standard, but not less thrilling, slasher-film fare. “Tenebrae” is certainly one of Argento’s easiest to understand films, with a fairly typical plot and the requisite twist ending. But Argento’s keen style makes even the most tired fare palatable and scary.

Light pastels and basic white color the film, a sharp contrast to the bloody red murders that permeate the movie. Also notable is a two-minute long continuous tracking shot that Argento uses to set up one of the film’s early murder scenes, a nice reminder that Argento is just as concerned with craftsmanship as he is with scaring the viewer. “Tenebrae” also boasts an awesome synth-driven score by three members of Goblin, the Italian prog-rock band that Argento collaborated with on “Suspiria” and the Italian cut of “Dawn of the Dead.” The music is a catchy bit of sinister pop-rock that, during one sequence, also furthers the film along.

why you should own it: “Tenebrae” is a classic giallo thriller and is a good buy for Argento fans. If you can, pick up Anchor Bay’s “Dario Argento Collection” edition of “Tenebrae,” which packages the film along with “Deep Red.” The disc features commentary by Argento, composer Claudio Simonetti and journalist Loris Curci.