Terror At The Opera Review

• 6th Apr 2011

Sometimes just referred to just as Opera which is, perhaps, a grander title (and its original) This is another Argento classic as a killer is on the lose at an opera house during a production of Macbeth.

The film had a decent sized budget, a good cast of Argento regulars (fans of the Demons films will recognise Urbanoo Barerini, Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni and, even director, Michele Soavi) and a decent script that was rich with all the goodies you’d expect from a great Argento film.

The plot details a female understudy for Lady Macbeth, Betty, who gets to take centre stage after the leading lady is involved in an accident. From the moment she shines on stage, her co-workers start to get picked off by an unknown assailant. Not only is the killer picking them off, but Betty is tied up with her eyes forced open with pins so that she has to watch the murders.

It’s a great sick hook that adds to some of Argento’s most tense murder scenes he’s ever filmed.  Eyes and eyewitnesses are quite the subject here as a further victim is shot in the eye through a keyhole and the murderer is exposed by having their own eye torn out by a flock of birds set loose on the opera crowd.

As well as Argento’s film-making style, it is the murder scenes that really stand out in this film. There are truly some wonderful looking scenes that make the makers of the Saw franchise look like bloody amateurs. Argento is no rush to get to the blood as he builds each set piece with atmosphere.

If you are unsure as to which are the great, which the mediocre and which are the best left Argento titles, file this one near the top. It’s beautifully orchestrated and simply a must have for any fan of horror, but the applause must go to all involved for their efforts.

Arrow Video’s release here comes with both the US and international versions. The US version is a bit shorter and has a slightly alternate ending (we recommend the international one for the sake of completion). Amazingly there are few extras here, I could be wrong but I’m pretty sure a previous release had a documentary as well as the soundtrack. Here however, there are a few basic extras, a music video, a kills compilation and the expected poster plus writing by critic and Dario Argento expert Alan Jones.

Steven Hurst