Tenebre (1982)

Director:

Dario Argento

Writer:

Dario Argento

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 | Serial Killer | Shoplifter | Police | Lesbian

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

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

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

Cinematography by
Luciano Tovoli

Film Editing by
Franco Fraticelli

Production Design by
Giuseppe Bassan

Set Decoration by
Tommaso Barbi
Maurizio Garrone

Costume Design by
Pierangelo Cicoletti
Franco Tomei

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

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
Aldo Taloni	....	set dresser

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

• Titanus (1982) (Italy) (theatrical)
• 01 Distribution (2009) (Italy) (DVD) (PAL)
• Atlas Film Verleih (1984) (West Germany) (theatrical) (edited)
• Bedford Entertainment (1987) (USA) (theatrical) (edited)
• Nippon Herald Eiga (1983) (Japan) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (USA) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (USA) (VHS)
• Arrow Video (2011) (UK) (DVD) (blu-ray)
• Fox Hills Video (1987) (USA) (VHS)
• Imagica (2004) (Japan) (DVD) (new master)
• Schmalz-Schneider (2007) (Austria) (DVD) (as Illusions Unltd. Films)
• Sonet Video (????) (Sweden) (VHS)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2004) (Australia) (DVD)

Other Companies

• C.A.M.  soundtrack
• Fendi  furs
• Rocchetti e Carboni  wigs

Also Known As:

"Tenebrae" - , UK (imdb display title)
"Sotto gli occhi dell'assassino" -
"Tenebre" - USA (imdb display title)
"Under the Eyes of the Assassin" -
"Unsane" - USA (informal alternative title)
"Ölümün sesi" - Turkey (Turkish title) (video title)
"Bezumlje" - Serbia (imdb display title)
"Ciemnosci" - Poland (imdb display title)
"Pelkoa ei voi paeta" - Finland
"Placer del miedo" - Mexico (imdb display title)
"Skies" - Greece (DVD title)
"Ténèbres" - France
"Tenebre" - Finland (DVD box title)
"Tenebre" - Spain (imdb display title)
"Tenebre" - Hungary (imdb display title)
"Tenebre - Der kalte Hauch des Todes" - West Germany
"Tenebre: O paranoikos dolofonos" - Greece (transliterated ISO-LATIN-1 title)
"Tinieblas" - Argentina

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:VM14 (edited TV version) | Argentina:X (original rating) | Argentina:18 (re-rating) | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Sweden:15 | USA:X (original rating) | 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:

Director Dario Argento called star Anthony Franciosa one of the most difficult actors he's ever worked with.

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:

[First lines]
Narrator:"The impulse had become irresistible. There was only one answer to the fury that tortured him. And so he committed his first act of murder. He had broken the most deep-rooted taboo, and found not guilt, not anxiety or fear, but freedom. Any humiliation which stood in his way could be swept aside by the simple act of annihilation: Murder."

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)

Soundtrack:

Take Me Tonight

The essence of giallo

The Story: An American bestseller-author comes to Rome to promote his new book, "Tenebrae". Shortly before he arrives in Fiumicino, a murder series starts, young girls are slashed with an old rasor blade - their mouths stuffed with pages of "Tenebrae".

Police starts investigation (Giuliano "I only drink on duty" Gemma), with little luck - murdering continues. In fact, hardly anybody survives - but the characters don't die in vain: All murders are directed excellent - especially the one with the current Mrs. Silvio Berlusconi, Veronica Lario, who plays "painting" Jane.

Tenebre is pure giallo. A cold movie, shot almost entirely in daylight, in E.U.R. - a district in the south of Rome; modernistic, cool - and very stylish.

There are about 10 very well directed, esthetic murder scenes, which manage to fit a logical plot, well, at least for giallo-standards.

11 black gloves out of 10 - Tenebre is a must see, if you want to explore the Genre Giallo - start nowhere but here. And two thumbs up for the great ABE DVD Version!