Skip to main content

Argento Book Update/Reviews

A few reviews of my book Dario Argento have been appearing in various magazines and websites over the past month... I just thought I'd post them here and keep track of what folks are saying about it. So far, so good - it has been garnering mainly quite positive feedback. Which is great! I'll add links to more reviews as they appear.

The first review of the book appeared on the Danish website Uncut. There's an English translation here... Reviewer Lars Gorzelak Pedersen said he 'devoured' the book and "it will be welcome from both experienced Argento enthusiasts as horror fans who just want to know what the hype is about, or who want to enrich their experience of the director's films with new perspectives." 

According to the latest FrightFest emagazine, 'Dario Argento' (Kamera Books) by James Gracey is not only "Well written and comprehensive," it is also "'An invaluable guide for die-hard fans and recent converts." Thanks to Stuart Barr for the kind words!

Jennie Kermode over at Eye for Film commented: "Sure to contain something new for even the most dedicated Argento fan [...] Gracey's book is the most thorough on the subject yet."

According to Horrorview the book is a "Meticulously detailed but vividly written piece of work."

Total Film's Jamie Russell claims it "Dismembers the director's body of work like one of his knife-wielding maniacs - and is bang up to date... A decent introduction."

The review from this month's Total Film
 A closer look


An article about the book and an interview with me in The Irish News


The review as it appears in this month's SFX - amongst other things they said it was "Low on buzz-words". I'll take it!

A closer look


Horrornews.net described it as "A roadmap for fans. Do yourself a favour, pick up this book, and let it guide you into the realms of an Italian Horror master."

According to the latest review over at Cinema Somnambulist, "Gracey approaches the material with energy and intelligence... You'll be dusting off your Dario Argento DVDs to reevaluate even the titles you didn't think you liked before."

Michael Mackenzie at Land of Whimsy claims it is "A study that is commendably even-handed in its approach... An excellent introduction to Argento - Gracey clearly knows his stuff, and a love of all things Argento shines through on each page."

Greg B. over at Cinesploitation reckons "the knowledge dropped by Gracey is impressive and very thorough. As someone who is not a fan of Argento, this book actually put a bug in my ear to check out his early work."

According to The Toxic Graveyard, "It’s incredible. The amount of detail, information and analysis is astounding. Beyond that the book is a treasure trove of info." 8/10

The review in issue 104 of Rue Morgue, notes: 'Dario Argento' by James Gracey is "Concise, well-written and researched... worthwhile offering that will no doubt please diehard Argentophiles, as well as those just discovering his savagely beautiful work."

According to horror website Benevolent Street 'Dario Argento' is "Highly recommended for fans, and for those seeking to learn a little more about his movies... Make sure to check it out."
Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

The Ash Tree

1975 Dir. Lawrence Gordon Clark Part of the BBC’s annual series A Ghost Story for Christmas , which ran from 1971 to 1978 and featured some of the small screen’s most chilling moments, The Ash Tree was the last of several MR James adaptations directed by Lawrence Gordon Clark. Written for television by David Rudkin, It stars Edward Petherbridge in the dual role of Sir Richard, an 18th century aristocrat who inherits the vast estate of his late uncle, and of Sir Matthew, his 17th century ancestor whose role in local witch trials, and the death of Ann Mothersole (Barbara Ewing), haunts Sir Richard.  With a slim running time (just over 30 minutes) The Ash Tree is one of the shortest entries in the series, but it is also one of the densest. The amount of detail and information packed in, without compromising or diluting the impact of the source material, is admirable. Clarke manages to convey events and flashbacks by utilising an interesting narrative structure and some ...
Read more

Mandrake (2022)

Mandrake tells of probation officer Cathy Madden (Deirdre Mullins), who is assigned to help with the rehabilitation of recently released ‘Bloody’ Mary Laidlaw (Derbhle Crotty), who had been incarcerated years prior for the murder of her abusive husband. Rumours have long swirled in the local area concerning Mary’s dabbling in witchcraft and involvement in cases of missing children. No sooner has she been released, than the bodies of several local children are found in the woods near her farmhouse. As Cathy and local police delve deeper, the veil between real and imagined starts to fray and Cathy is drawn into a dark world of occult ritualism and blood sacrifice. Directed by Lynne Davison and written by Matt Harvey, Mandrake is a delicious slice of witchy, Northern Irish folk horror, dripping with atmosphere and arcane lore. While Irish horror is having a moment right now, with acclaimed titles such as Aislinn Clarke’s Fréwaka and Kate Dolan’s You Are Not My Mother mining rich and cr...
Read more

Kensal Green Cemetery

During a recent visit to London, a friend and I decided to explore Kensal Green Cemetery in the west of the city. Founded as the General Cemetery of All Souls by barrister George Frederick Carden in 1833, Kensal Green was inspired by the garden-style cemetery of Pere-Lachaises in Paris. Comprised of 72 acres of beautiful grounds, it was not only the first commercial cemetery in London, but also the first of the ‘Magnificent Seven’ garden-style cemeteries established to house the dead of an ever-increasing population. Campaigners for burial reform were in favour of “detached cemeteries for the metropolis” and in 1832 Parliament passed a bill that led to the formation of the General Cemetery Company to oversee appropriate measures and procedures concerning “the interment of the dead.” The company purchased land for the establishment of Kensal Green in 1831 and held a competition in order to select an appropriate designer. Among the prerequisites in the brief provided to entrants, we...
Read more