Why hasn't anyone mentioned the new Troy Howarth book about Dario Argento yet? To be bought at a vendor of choice with the best price These MM releases tend to be a bit expensive if you're not in the US. If you're familiar with mister Howarth's writing, you'll know what to expect. I really enjoyed his Bava book and the first two of his Giallo tomes, so I will be getting this as well. A scoop: "This book looks at the film career of Dario Argento, Italy's acknowledged master of horror and suspense, has made a career out of exploring the macabre poetry of images of violent death. He did not, however, set out to be a filmmaker. He established himself early on as a progressive voice in film criticism-lavishing praise on directors like Sergio Leone, who had yet to receive their due from the Italian critical establishment. His efforts attracted the attention of Leone himself, who invited the young critic to help develop the story for his next feature. The end result, Once Upon a Time in the West, is often cited as a masterpiece-and from there, Argento went on to enjoy success as a screenwriter before making the all-important switch to directing. His directorial debut, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, became a major hit and helped to popularize the floundering genre of Italian thrillers, also known as gialli. In the years since, Argento has established a high profile as one of Italian cinema's most commercially successful artists, earning a level of celebrity which is almost unheard of among film directors. His filmography includes such beloved gems as Deep Red, Suspiria, Inferno, and Phenomena, as well as more hotly-debated titles like The Stendhal Syndrome, The Phantom of the Opera, Sleepless, and Mother of Tears. Murder by Design: The Unsane Cinema of Dario Argento explores the full scope of his work as a writer, a producer, and a director. Lavishly illustrated and with newly conducted interviews with Dario Argento, as well as such colleagues as actress (and daughter) Fiore Argento, actress Sally Kirkland, actress Irene Miracle, composer Claudio Simonetti, and cinematographer Luciano Tovoli, the book provides a comprehensive overview of Argento's life, career, and rich cinematic legacy."
I don't get why there are 2 separate paperback versions with different UPC/ISBNs. What's the difference, one is just cheaper? It has the same dimensions and pages, and the Midnight Marquee website doesn't have any info. I'd get the hardback if it wasn't "Print on Demand" and so outrageously priced.
Wow, that is fucking lame. Unless the color version has thicker paper stock or something, I'll pass until it comes up on a sale.
Love Dario but I have yet to read Troy Howarth book on horror that feels like anything other than a bunch of public knowledge cobbled together. I'm spoiled by Stephen Thrower (Fulci, Franco) and Tim Lucas' Bava book, but still. I just cannot get suckered in again.
I tend to agree there. I enjoy his audio commentaries, but I read one of Howarth's books before and honestly wasn't all that impressed. I already own the Alan Jones book and Argento's own autobiography, so I'm hesitant to buy such an expensive book again unless it contains something really substantial.
It's definitely worth a read if you're a fan of the movies or even just as a general biography as he's had a pretty interesting life. There's not as much "behind the scenes" stuff about the movies as I thought there might be though, as it's about his whole life and the movies were of course only a part of that. For the "behind the scenes" type details it's worth getting "On Suspiria and Beyond: A conversation with cinematographer Luciano Tovoli", it has more technical details on stuff like that.
Yeah, I'd definitely agree with that. I ordered one of the autographed/numbered ones when it first came out. It was a fast and enjoyable read... but as far as learning a lot more about his actual movies there are ones out there that are go into far more detail and scrutinization of his works.
