Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    Nostalgia Central
    • Home
    • Blog
      • Lists
    • Television
      • TV by Decade
        • TV – 1950s
        • TV – 1960s
        • TV – 1970s
        • TV – 1980s
        • TV – 1990s
      • Comedy
      • Drama
      • Kids TV
      • Variety
      • News & Sport
      • Advertisements
    • Music
      • Music by Decade
        • Music – 1950s
        • Music – 1960s
        • Music – 1970s
        • Music – 1980s
        • Music – 1990s
      • Artists – A to K
        • Artists – A
        • Artists – B
        • Artists – C
        • Artists – D
        • Artists – E
        • Artists – F
        • Artists – G
        • Artists – H
        • Artists – I
        • Artists – J
        • Artists – K
      • Artists – L to Z
        • Artists – L
        • Artists – M
        • Artists – N
        • Artists – O
        • Artists – P
        • Artists – Q
        • Artists – R
        • Artists – S
        • Artists – T
        • Artists – U
        • Artists – V
        • Artists – W
        • Artists – X
        • Artists – Y
        • Artists – Z
      • Artists – 0 to 9
      • Genres
      • Music on Film & TV
      • One-Hit Wonders
      • Playlists
      • Online Radio
    • Movies
      • Movies by Decade
        • Movies – 1950s
        • Movies – 1960s
        • Movies – 1970s
        • Movies – 1980s
        • Movies – 1990s
      • Movies – 0 to 9
      • Movies – A to K
        • Movies – A
        • Movies – B
        • Movies – C
        • Movies – D
        • Movies – E
        • Movies – F
        • Movies – G
        • Movies – H
        • Movies – I
        • Movies – J
        • Movies – K
      • Movies – L to Z
        • Movies – L
        • Movies – M
        • Movies – N
        • Movies – O
        • Movies – P
        • Movies – Q
        • Movies – R
        • Movies – S
        • Movies – T
        • Movies – U
        • Movies – V
        • Movies – W
        • Movies – X
        • Movies – Y
        • Movies – Z
    • Pop Culture
      • Fads
      • Toys & Games
      • Fashion
      • Decor
      • Food & Drink
      • People
      • Technology
      • Transport
    • Social History
      • 1950s Year by Year
      • 1960s Year by Year
      • 1970s Year by Year
      • 1980s Year by Year
      • 1990s Year by Year
      • Events
    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Movies»Movies by Decade»Movies - 1980s
    Movies - 1980s Movies - O 2 Mins Read

    Opera (1987)

    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email

    When diva Mara Cecova (a role originally intended for Vanessa Redgrave then rewritten to be shot largely from a Steadicam POV) literally breaks a leg, understudy Betty (Cristina Marsillach) is thrust onto the stage for the opening night’s performance of Verdi’s Macbeth.

    Betty is a hit but also gains the attention of a psychotic fan who starts gorily murdering members of the production while forcing Betty to watch by taping needles under her eyes to keep her from closing them.

    Suspects include sadistic director Marco (Ian Charleson), his model girlfriend Marion (Antonella Vitale, Argento’s girlfriend at the time), wardrobe mistress Giulia (Coralina Cataldi Tassoni), and Betty’s own agent Mira (Daria Nicolodi) but even Inspector Santini (Urbano Barberini) is a little bit off.

    As the body count builds, Marco comes up with a very theatrical way of exposing the murderer (who has also run afoul of the live ravens used in the production) and the closing night promises to be memorable.

    Dario Argento’s camera is on full charge here: it slithers, glides, skids and-in one outrageous sequence- pulls a 1,800-degree spin around an opera house from a raven’s POV.

    This is Argento’s most propulsive horror, a roller coaster into the depths of hell so startling that you can even forgive the needlessly tacked-on ending.

    Betty
    Cristina Marsillach
    Marco
    Ian Charleson
    Inspector Alan Santini
    Urbano Barberini
    Mira
    Daria Nicolodi
    Giulia
    Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni
    Marion
    Antonella Vitale
    Stefano
    William McNamara
    Signora Albertini
    Barbara Cupisti
    Baddini
    Antonino Iuorio
    Alma’s mother
    Carola Stagnaro
    Alma
    Francesca Cassola
    Maurizio, the raven trainer
    Maurizio Garrone
    Maria, the assistant director
    Cristina Giachino
    Miro
    György Gyõriványi

    Director
    Dario Argento

    Related Posts

    • Steaming (1985)
      Steaming (1985)
      Steaming surrounds a women's bath-house and the fight to maintain it…
    • Operation Bullshine (1959)
      Operation Bullshine (1959)
      Assigned to an all-women anti-aircraft ATS (Auxiliary Territorial Service) unit…
    • Bloody Kids (1980)
      Bloody Kids (1980)
      Two 11-year-old friends - the manipulative Leo (Richard Thomas) and…
    • Fantasy Man (1984)
      Fantasy Man (1984)
      Perhaps Fantasy Man is a comedy. It's hard to tell. Perhaps…
    • Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover, The (1989)
      Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover, The (1989)
      Iconoclastic filmmaker Peter Greenaway outdoes himself with this darkly humorous…
    • Consuming Passions (1988)
      Consuming Passions (1988)
      Based on a play by Michael Palin and Terry Jones,…
    • Betty Blue (37°2 le matin) (1986)
      Betty Blue (37°2 le matin) (1986)
      If you have ever loved someone with great intensity -…
    • Didn't You Kill My Brother? (1988)
      Didn't You Kill My Brother? (1988)
      Carl Moss (Alexei Sayle) leaves prison where he has taken…

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticleSqueeze, The (1977)
    Next Article Swimmer, The (1968)

    Comments are closed.

    Follow us
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • Instagram
    You May Also Like
    • Once a Thief
      1 9 9 7 – 1 9 9 8 (Canada) 23 x 60 minute episodes Movie […]
    • Polyester Shirts
      The Tony Manero strut was virtually impossible without a slick […]
    • Walrus and the Carpenter, The
      1 9 6 5 (UK) 6 x 30 minute episodes Ex-seaman Luther Flannery […]
    • Dr Finlay’s Casebook
      1 9 6 2 – 1 9 7 1 (UK) 200 x 50 minute episodes The […]
    • Omega Factor, The
      1 9 7 9 (UK) 10 x 50 minute episodes Tom Crane (James Hazeldine) […]
    • Bagdad Cafe (1988)
      Bagdad Cafe was the first American film made by German director […]
    Twitter Feed
    Please note


    Nostalgia Central covers the period 1950 to 1999 and contains some words and references which reflect the attitudes of those times and which may be considered culturally sensitive, offensive or inappropriate today.
    Popular Tags
    1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1975 1976 Action Figures Amicus Arcade games Australia Beach movies Beatles Blaxploitation Board games Britpop Canada Crime Disco Disney Doo-Wop Elvis Presley Girl groups Glam Goth Hammer Heavy Metal Irwin Allen Labels Merseybeat Mod revival Motown New Romantic New Wave NWOBHM Oi! One-hit wonders Power Pop Pub rock Punk Radio Scotland Ska Soul music Surf music
    Search Nostalgia Central
    Copyright © 1998, 2022 Nostalgia Central
    • About
    • Contact
    • FAQ

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.