Editor Reviews:

Product Description:
An english jazz pianist living in rome witnesses the brutal hatchet murder of a renowned psychic. With the help of a tenacious female reporter the pair track a twisted trail of deranged clues & relentless violence towards a shocking climax. Studio: Wea-des Moines Video Release Date: 02/27/2007 Run time: 126 minutes Rating: Nr

Amazon.com:
Considered by many to be Dario Argento's first masterpiece, Deep Red recalls his first hit, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage. British star David Hemmings (Blow-Up) plays an American jazz pianist who witnesses a brutal, bloody murder from afar and turns detective to find the killer. Kooky Italian journalist Daria Nicolodi (Argento's wife and cowriter on Suspiria) joins him as comic relief and tepid romantic interest, but the real costar is Argento's high style: gliding camera, razor-sharp editing, and gorgeous but gruesome set pieces. The story is convoluted, to say the least--plotting was never Argento's strong suit and the unnecessary exposition often drags the film down--but his vivid, horrific imagery is perfect for a thriller driven by haunting memories. Deep Red was originally released in the U.S. in a severely cut version retitled The Hatchet Murders (odd since the killer uses a butcher's knife). Producer Bill Lustig has restored the film to its original two-hour-plus running time, though some scenes exist only with Italian-language soundtracks (which are subtitled). It's a bit jarring at first (it makes for an unintended joke when a man suddenly checks his hearing aid after a language switch), but it's the only way to see Argento's original cut. There's also a brief 25th anniversary documentary with Argento and cowriter Bernardino Zapponi, and the DVD offers a choice of English and Italian language versions. --Sean Axmaker

Rating : - 4.5-A classic example of 70's Giallo from Italian horror maestro (drums roll)...... Dario Argento
This is one unique movie. I'm slowly becoming a fan Argento and this is so far my favorite of his films, though it should be noted that I have not yet seen all his films. There's so much visual style one can't help but be swept along. The story is also quite good which is not the case for some of his films. There are several gory scenes which are masterfully well done and the film's atmosphere is eerie and solid throughout. Argento is aided heavily by Goblin's music which is really good particularly in "Suspira".

In here we have David Hemmings plays a jazz musician who witnesses a murder and starts investigating the crime himself. A little bit of Hitchcock here but Argento creates a unique style that's all his. Basically that's a murder mystery with a touch of gore in it. I would not call this movie a horror film, it's more like a thriller. Argento has fun with the audience, involving them in the same dilemma that's facing the film's main character. The answer to the riddle may be locked in your head, you may already have seen the solution but yet you don't know the answer.

It is a very clever movie, especially the part where Hemmings discovers who the murderer is. Although there are scenes that some people may find boring, sure there is alot more talk than the killer's violent actions but I found nearly every scene to be interesting for we gradually begin to learn about the killer.

I have read that Argento left this genre for the most part after this film and concentrated on horror, like in Suspiria and Tenebre, which are both good films. However, Deep Red is a masterfully constructed film, full of visual delight, suspense, gore and a good comedy sequences I have yet seen in an Argento film. I would also think that this movie would be a good place to start with if you want to check out the maestros films. Highly recommended.