PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Italian maestro Dario Argento, after experimenting with supernatural horror, returned to the genre he helped define with 1982’s Tenebrae. An admitted Itali-horror fanatic, I already owned this masterwork in two separate Blu-ray releases, Arrow UK and Synapse. However, with Synapse’s new 4K treatment, I was more than happy to revisit a beloved favorite.
Tenebrae Synopsis
“An American writer in Rome is stalked and harassed by a serial killer who is murdering everyone associated with his work on his latest book.”
Here’s a look at the trailer!
Possibly a reaction to accusations of misogyny in his previous work, as well as a response to senseless crime in Los Angeles, Tenebrae is a departure from Argento’s previous work in that it has a stark, cold quality visually, as opposed to the warm, bright colors of its predecessors. Tenebrae also stands as some of his most violent work (that arm hacking scene though…) that earned it the coveted “video nasty” title in the UK, and a delayed US release, heavily truncated and re-titled as Unsane.
Featuring stand-out performances from Anthony Franciosa (Death House), genre vet John Saxon (A Nightmare on Elm St.), and Argento’s muse and lover, the multi-talented Daria Nicolodi (Phenomena), Tenebrae weaves a more intense, gorier tale than that of the standard giallo, and gets into some uncharacteristically heavy themes of duality, and sexual deviance (among others), with Argento using subtle (and sometimes decidedly unsubtle) subtext to get his intended message across. A shocker ending, along with some convincing “red herrings”, hints at its classic Giallo pedigree, and makes for a satisfying, gripping watch.
But, the question on your mind, if you’re reading this, is: “is it worth the double dip on the 4K?”. The answer is a resounding “Yes, please!!”.
An absolutely stunning transfer makes Tenebrae look more gorgeous than even Argento himself likely envisioned. Sharp contrast, very black blacks, and the aforementioned stark, clinical look come off even more on the 4K disc. Tenebrae is presented here completely uncut, in both Italian and English language versions, and, for completists, the original Unsane end credits are included (if you’re feeling nostalgic for the VHS days).
The Synapse guys loaded up on the extras as well (and they’re identical to the included standard Blu), besides critical commentary, there’s a really well-done feature-length documentary on the history of Giallo, an Unsane featurette that has interviews with everyone, including composer (and legend) Claudio Simonetti and Lamberto Bava. Archival interviews with Argento, Nicolodi, and Simonetti are ported over from previous releases, and there are even trailers. The bar for extras is set really high here for any label planning a future release! And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that slick, incredible new artwork on the box and the slip from artist Nick Charge.
The ultimate release for an essential film in, not only Argento’s body of work, but also the giallo and slasher genres, Tenebrae has never looked better, and for those wanting to delve in further, there’s a wealth of information here to keep you up at night!
Synapse Films’ 4K Ultra HD Tenebrae set is available now from fine retailers.
