User reviews

It's safe to say this is far from argento's best work but certainly not his worst. One or two good kills and some decent cinematography. Plus the soundtrack is a good listen. Overall no classic but worth tracking down.

I have seen Occhiali neri last night at FEST - International Film Festival, Belgrade . It's a very strange Iittle thriller, very bizarre and very low budget. The plot is extremely silly, with water snakes and other over-the-top decisions, but that's Argento for you. We don't expect logic in his films. Do we? There is warmth in it as well, it's very character driven. It feels rushed in places and acting is so-so, but overall you should definitely see if you're Argento fan. It's his best since Nonhosonno, fast paced and never boring. And yes... it's very gory. The third act reminded me of the begining of Rob Zombie's Halloween 2, because it's basically a long chase scene in the countryside. The OST is great.

The past 15 years have been really hard on Dario Argento fans. Dracula 3-D & Giallo were the lowest of the low and Dark Glasses is a faint improvement. The biggest issue with recent Argento films seem to be the low budgets. It's not as if his early work was mega budgets but the past few movies he seems to be working from the biscuit tin. The style and flair that went with his earlier work is just not there any more. This movie has a nice soundtrack and is Argento all over however that appears to be the only thing remaining.

Ilenia Pastorelli is the lead role and it's not unfair to say she isn't the best actress in the world. Asia Argento is in this and is given nothing to do and makes you wonder if she would have been the lead if this movie was made in 2002 when Dario Argento wanted to film it.

The movie climaxes with a typical ridiculous killer reveal and goes full on Cujo remake. Anyone watching this would perceive this as someone doing a bad Argento movie and not the great man himself. People would be best off watching Deep Red again.

I've already seen this movie twice in a 3 days time.

The first time i mostly noticed what was NOT there:

• many choreographed murders
• the surprise/shock of finding out who the killer is
• the close ups of gloved hands and weapons to kill the victims

And in a Dario Argento's movie, for anyone familiar with his style, that is A LOT missing.

But the second view made me appreciate more the film in its own right to "exist".

I recognized in it the same sort of empathy towards the main character that i felt in Phenomena, Opera, Trauma.

Technically thumbs up for the score and cinematography.

Good performance from Asia Argento.

Nov 22

So here we have Dario Argentos latest film, with the english title of "Dark Glasses".

I has seen all the average reviews, so was pleasantly surprised to find it pretty decent and definitely above average.

Dario would of been 81/82 years old making this, and he has still got it, and hopefully will continue to make more.

I must confess i knew Asia Argento was in it, but it took me awhile to spot her.

Of course it isnt upto his great giallos of the 70s and 80s, but its worthy in this day and age.

I cant see me watching 40 or 50 times but i will watch it again.

Deserves a much better IMDB score.

7.5 from me.

This movie follows the style and the problems of the last films of the famous Italian director, the first ones were brilliant, and then a series of failures. The most astonishing thing is the terrible acting and the few ideas with an extremely simple plot, and easy to predict.

I don't know what the bad reviews are about. I was pleasantly surprised with this. I love horror but giallo isn't my favorite, although Suspiria is in my top 10. To me giallo is gore and bad character development. This had what was missing in most other Italian horror films that I couldn't seem to get into. Real human connection, but it was still an obvious Argento movie. I actually cared wether these people lived or died, the dog too. This was a great film from a great director who's grown with time. Stop living in the past. I look forward to his next, and if this is his last, it's a great movie to end on.

As a well-documented Dario Argento fanboy, I really rooted for the film to be on par with his 70s and early 80s cult classics. The opening sequences (and most of act one) were indeed made up of beautifully colour saturated- and uniquely constructed scenes; shot in an elevated 'Profondo rosso' style. However, the too thin storyline, lack of suspense and ridiculous snake- and mauling sequences did not work at all and merely made "Occhiali Neri' another Argento homage to his earlier work. It's worth watching solely as a beautifully shot example of classic (albeit toned down) Argento Giallo, which makes it still deserving of a 7/10.

Went into this with high hopes since it was Argento but unfortunately it is like recent disappointments from Argento which blotch his legendary name. The high points of this film is the extreme Argento gore we have come to all love. This does have some very interesting and unusual camera work and visuals. I wouldn't recommend going out and buying this unless you are an extreme Argento fan, I would wait until it goes on to some streaming site or The Horror Channel. I am still at a loss why this is advertised with They Live homages in the poster as it has nothing to do with They Live in the actual film.

That there would ever be an Argento "come back picture".

I'm not sure wtf happened. The world changed and he did, I guess. Either way, he's lost whatever it was that propelled him through the 70s and 80s with class and style.

Whatever.

Hard to believe that I keep watching his crap!

I found the film a little bit lacking. This is a slasher film and not Citizen Kane! Dario has done some great innovative stuff over the years and while this not being one of them I found it entertaining.

Occhiali neri begins with a promising entrée however goes blind with the progress. With It's extended chase and the stank killer apparently taking a breather during two thirds of it really was a drag.

However on the plus side Occhiali neri creates a sense of uniqueness with it's dialogues and character set up. It's blunt on the edges but when it cuts there's puddles of blood.

Occhiali neri is eerily fun but with a little bit of extra work it could have been a even superior creation. For the aforesaid newness in characters , the dialogues full of emotion and their sharp delivery deserves admiration.

As with most Argento films this one has a handful of plot holes. The actors are not that good. The scenery is a bit like in a TV movie. Nothing new for Argento fans so far.

Now the good things: the murder scenes are gruesome and the music terrorizes the viewer even more. The idea to have a buddy movie between a blind prostitute and a child orphan in a horror film is something refreshingly new. The dog scenes are great and the car driving action scenes are suspenseful. This is obviously one of his better films. Loved the cinematic experience, might watch it again.

Music - awesome. Photography - decent.

Everything else - lame.

Still better then Argento's Dracula, though.

All in all - for diehard Argento fans only.

Americans like to say they like Giallo, mainly because they know what an influence on the slasher film those films had. But really, other than a sampling of Bava, Argento, and Fulci, and only them because they saw their other work, it hasn't been a huge sell in the states.

But if you've watched enough of it, Dark Glasses fits right in with say Knife of Ice, or the Killer Reserved Nine Seats.

Is it Argento's finest hour? If you expected an 82-year-old man to make a film partially funded by the Italian public broadcasting system and with only an hour and 25 minutes to work with that would top Suspiria...... I just don't know what to tell you.

If you wanted to watch a master filmmaker make a relatively safe and standard enjoyable Giallo film, this has got you covered.

Not even watchble. I think Dario Argento should stop to make this rubbish.

Framing is even worst than his old movies, and also old in stile Dialogues are not even close to be acceptable. A teen can write better.

Actors ...no way...

No comments.

I was totally expecting to be let down, to the point that I almost didn't watch this. I'm glad I did. While it's never going to be mentioned in the same sentence as the classics from his prime, Dark Glasses is quite good. Most of Argento's hallmarks are there: Some graphic violence, a smidge of gratuitous nudity, dream logic craziness (water snake attack!) and something which is not an Argento hallmark; actual character development. What it lacks, unfortunately, are those insane Argento camera angles. A legitimate gripe but, not unforgivable. The last film Argento made that was remotely watchable was Mother of Tears. Dark Glasses is substantially better. If, at 82 years old, this is Argento's last film, it's not a bad note to go out on at all. 8 out of 10. Recommended.

I'm a Indian & admire Dario Argento's earlier works which were flag beares for gialo films. The latest addition of the master of horror get some of it right but the plot seems very thin. The colour grading is all good & makes it's atmospheric but story has many plot holes. The killer does not seems to facinate the audience & the face reveal is done quiet early for the story. The acting seems to be quiet ridiculous to me me even though the main lead has an artistic body to display. The movie is a small budget movie & is quite evident from the beginning. The movie ain't that bad, give it a watch without any expectations & you'll enjoy it.

Did not get the reason for a master like Dario to get in such a no sense movie. No plot, terrible acting, low quality music, irrealistic and casual events. Why such an artistic suicide???

Argento's first film in 10 years, based on a script written 20 years ago, has arrived to steal 90 min and your love of Giallos away from you.

This Giallo wouldn't even be worth commenting on, except of course that it was directed by Dario Argento.

An intriguing opening scene set up goes nowhere, least of which anywhere interesting, thanks to a stale script, purportedly sitting on the shelf for 20 years.

Argento doesn't help matters. Missing are his visual style and flair for storytelling that made so many Argento films classics of the genre-and might have made Dark Glasses at least visually appealing.

I'm just back from beautiful Milano where I finally could put my hands on a DVD copy (no BluRay in shops so far, even in the director's own country!) of Dario Argento's latest effort: Occhiali Neri aka Dark Glasses.

I was a huge fan of his cinema, at least until Stendhal Syndrome (1996). Since, his films were for me at best lazy attempts to perpetuate the Giallo genre (NonHoSonno for instance) and I almost gave up all hopes.

Then came La Terza Madre (disastrous... but somehow entertaining!) and his own version of Dracula; believe it or not, and even if flawed from start to finish with horrendous CGI effects nobody needs, I actually liked it a lot more than his previous misfires. Especially the very dusty Hammer tone of the whole thing (and Rutger too, of course).

I was surprised when I first heard of his new film Dark Glasses which was part of the selection of this year's Berlinale. Even more when first voices raised to praise this movie: Argento made a new film, and a good one too again, was it truly conceivable, even possible??

Then I saw the user's rate and reviews here: WOW! What a contrast.

After having seen Dark Glasses (need some?), I would like to know from you guys: Why soooo much HATE? What is the point of writing here that Dario directed only one good movie in his whole career (Suspiria, hum, really?) and despise his entire career in a row: Frustration or ignorance? Maybe both: Even if you can't see (lol...) the point of the Giallo genre and hate maybe all his previous efforts, WTF is wrong with you? Why do you need to disgust other (younger) potential viewers/cinephiles? Is the actual CGI-overkill cinematographic feast feeding from your eyes and generating some kind of weird ultimate brain cancer? Maybe so... I only can suggest that you stay far away from Italian films, it seems hopeless for you!

OF COURSE Argento's Dark Glasses isn't a new masterpiece. Of course the whole thing is flawed (especially the script's plot holes and the killer in itself), but there are also PLENTY of JOYS here: At first, the actors are GOOD (even Asia Argento which is unrecognisable), the direction is energetic (the chase sequences) and visually compelling (even if HD is a poor support), the atmosphere is great etc... Then it is a kind of twin brother to Aura's Enigma (Trauma) which I'm very fond of: indeed, Dario has NEVER had compassion for his female leading roles, except in both movies. Even if the whole plot isn't full of twists and climaxes, this story is somehow compelling and original for the Maestro.

At least, believe me: This is NOT A GIALLO!

Just imagine one second that the whole story is a metaphor for Diana's (half ways) "transformation" or even redemption... The film make sense, especially when you listen a bit more carefully to the meaning of the "solar eclipse" shown during the introduction.

So even if there are a lot of (minor) flaws here, and even if it isn't Dario's return "at his best" (hey, give the man a break, he is 80 years "young" now!), WHAT DID YOU EXPECT??? Instead of a miracle, just enjoy this good synthesis of his career: It's much MUCH more worth your time than David Cronenberg's WTF Crimes of the Future, believe me!