Rock band drummer Roberto Tobias (Michael Brandon) decides to take matters into his own hands after being stalked by a mysterious man for days. Confronting the man in an empty opera house, a struggle ensues and Roberto accidentally stabs his stalker and kills him. In shock, he sees a masked person on the balcony, photographing the murder. In the days following, Roberto becomes increasingly paranoid that his actions are going to be found out and he tries to keep the truth from his wife Nina (Mimsy Farmer). Hiring a private investigator, Roberto is determined to find out who is tormenting him and put an end to it once and for all.
Originally released in Italy in 1971, ‘Four Flies on Grey Velvet’ is a film that hasn’t received the same kind of attention that Argento’s bigger films such as ‘Suspiria’ and ‘The Bird With the Crystal Plummage’ have. Featuring music by Ennio Morricone, the film is unmistakeably Argento, with his signature style and visual flair all over it. It epitomises the giallo genre, serving up a mystery buried under scary scenes and gory violence. It’s safe to say that the film is far weirder than a lot of Argento films, and it’s definitely on the sillier side of his output (at least for the time it was released).
The main mystery is a head-scratcher and honestly, I didn’t figure it out before the big reveal. Argento wrote the screenplay based on the story he crafted with Luigi Cozzi and Mario Foglietti, and the three of them create a colourful world with plenty of characters to suspect. From Roberto’s wife Nina to Nina’s cousin Dalia (Francine Racette) and the very quirk private detective Gianni Arrosio (Jean-Pierre Marielle), you spend most of the film trying to figure out who is tormenting Roberto. Along the way there are some fantastic sequences, including one that takes place in a park as a woman fights for her life.
As always with Argento films, there’s a wide range of acting ability amongst the cast and the dubbed voices of many of the cast can be distracting. The script is a little hokey in places with some unintentionally hilarious lines. Michael Brandon makes for a strong leading man, and he definitely carries the film but the rather unusual performance of Jean-Pierre Marielle adds plenty of comedy value to alleviate the impending dread that builds throughout the film.
This new edition of the film, released on 4K UHD and Blu-ray, is encoded from the 4K restoration of original camera and sound materials, supervised by Argento’s Director of Photography Luciano Tovoli. It’s the first time that the film has been made available the way that Argento intended it. Visually it looks absolutely stunning, even on the Blu-ray version. Argento’s penchant for bold colours is really brought to life on screen and the restoration is certainly worth seeing, especially if you’ve seen the film previously.
The Blu-ray release is packed with special features, making this a must for Argento fans. There are exclusive new interviews with Argento and lead actor Michsel Brandon, as well as interviews with writer and assistant director Luigi Cozzi. There’s an English TV spot for the film along with an alternate English opening and end credits, and English and Italian theatrical trailers. Finally, there’s a photo gallery and a reversible sleeve featuring different artwork.
‘Four Flies on Grey Velvet’ may not be top tier Argento but it’s an engaging giallo that will entertain and thrill. While things do get very silly by the end, and there are plenty of questionable decisions made by the characters, it’s the kind of film that you can lose yourself in for just over an hour and a half. Argento’s films are always worth a watch and this is one that deserves more credit than it’s received since its original release.
Cast: Michael Brandon, Mimsy Farmer, Jean-Pierre Marielle, Francine Racette Director: Dario Argento Certificate: 15 Duration: 103 mins Released by: Shameless Screen Entertainment Release date: 28th April 2025 Buy ‘Four Flies on Grey Velvet’ now
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