27 out of 32 people found the following comment useful :- Don't we LOVE Argento?!, 20 March 2005
Author:
Coventry from the Draconian Swamp of Unholy Souls
One thing concerning this film should be made clear immediately,
otherwise several Dario Argento fans will risk being disappointed: "Do
you like Hitchcock" is a TV-movie and therefore not as outrageous
and/or shocking as we expect Argento films to be! Don't prepare
yourself to see another "Opera" or "Tenebre" in which repulsive gore
will burst from the screen or demented giallo plot-twists stun you
constantly! This is a decent, but overall ethically correct thriller,
in which the master's touch is only detected in details and style
aspects. This is by no means a bad film and please don't see this
warning as sign not to watch it, but I only want to prevent that people
will start making comments like "Dario Argento continues to lose his
touch" etc... As stated above, "Do you like Hitchcock" is the first in
a series of eight films produced by the Italian TV-station Rai Uno that
are meant to bring the ultimate tribute to Alfred "Master of Suspense"
Hitchcock. His classic titles will serve as pivot elements in newly
written thrillers, of which only the pilot film is directed by Dario
Argento. This general idea is terrific for a homage, I think, and
admirers of classic cinema will certainly enjoy the blend of all these
Hichcock highlights in modern settings.
Argento's film largely focuses on two Hitckcock milestones, namely
"Strangers on a Train" and "Read Window". Giulio is a young
film-student who occasionally watches his gorgeous neighbor girl across
the street with binoculars. He witnesses how she and her mother
regularly argue and when the mother is found murdered one morning,
Giulio becomes obsessed by figuring out who did it. He discovers that
the daughter recently made acquaintance with someone at the local
videostore. Giulio begins to suspect that the two persons agreed to
commit a murder for each other, just as it was the case in Hitchcocks's
"Strangers on a Train". It's really nice to see how Argento blends all
Hichcock references into one giant tribute. Aside from the two obvious
titles, there are multiple other, smaller references towards Hitchock's
oeuvre and, at times, you really do need to be a specialist to discover
them all. The story is compelling enough to keep you interested and
some really tense moments point out that Argento is still and will
always be a powerful director. For example, there's a sequence in
which the hero desperately tries to flee from the scene of a crime on a
scooter, but secondary influences, like the rainy weather or technical
difficulties, prevent him from getting away. Do not, repeat DO NOT,
watch this film in case you're searching for nasty gore! The few murder
scenes are, however, rather unsettling (and typically Argento!) but
they surely can't live up to most of the director's previous work. "Do
you like Hitchcock" is a worthwhile thriller and I personally rated it
higher than Dario's last film, "the Card Player".
11 out of 13 people found the following comment useful :- Playful and suspenseful homage to a great director by a great director, 22 August 2006
Author:
Bjorn (jbjorns) from Iceland
Giulio is a peeping Tom and lovely Sascha from across the street
catches his eye from time to time. At a local video store Giulio sees
Sascha and another girl discussing Hitchcock's film Strangers on a
Train and Sascha rents it. Later Sascha's mother is killed and Giulio
starts thinking about the plot from Strangers on a Train.
From his very first film Argento has been nicknamed "the Italian
Hitchcock" and many still refer to him as that. Although he heartily
disagrees with that assessment, Argento may have felt obliged to do a
direct homage to the old master at some point in his career. With the
help of his longtime script collaborator Franco Ferrini, Argento has
constructed a very clever "whodunnit" which successfully weaves
together elements from Hitchcock's Rear Window, Strangers on a Train,
Dial M. for Murder and Vertigo, and possibly a few others. The story is
surprisingly airtight considering the many films it's paying homage to.
No great loopholes to be found and although you know the old films by
heart, Do You Like Hitchcock? still manages to surprise up until the
end. It's no doubt great fun for a Hitchcock aficionado to spot all the
references, I particularly liked the Vertigo inspired ending.
Some Argento trademarks are present but on the whole it doesn't always
look like it's one of his films. It must be taken into consideration
that this is an Italian made for TV film and Argento reportedly had to
make it in a hurry and it's budget is lower than usual. The actors here
are actually pretty decent and the dubbing fares better here than in
Argento's The Card Player. No big names here but they do their jobs
well enough. The gore is on the light side, only one sequence has some
ick factor in it.
With all limitations in mind it's a wonder what Argento managed to
accomplish because Do You Like Hitchcock? is overall a suspenseful
homage that no doubt Hitchcock himself would have approved of.
8 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :- Entertaining, if slightly predictable, giallo, 13 January 2007
Author:
DVD_Connoisseur from England
Argento's made-for-television "Ti piace Hitchcock?" is an entertaining
giallo which pays tribute to the works of the old master.
A "Rear Window" for the noughties, Argento's offering delivers some
great moments and there are fleeting glimpses of the genius behind such
classics as "Deep Red" and "Tenebrae".
Elio Germano is excellent as the geeky voyeur who's nosiness leads him
into no end of trouble. His performance is believable and his character
is both likable and sympathetic.
While the violence has been toned down for this production, it's still
a very watchable tale.
10 out of 14 people found the following comment useful :- Entertaining TV-movie by Argento, 1 July 2005
Author:
SharkHunter from Sweden
Horror master Dario Argento's tribute to legendary filmmaker Alfred
Hitchcock is not nearly as gory or stylish as other Argento-flicks. But
why should it be? It's a tribute to Hitchcock and his movies weren't
bloody at all. The two movie it tributes the most is "Rear Window" and
"Strangers on a Train".
I'm a big fan of both Argento and Hitchcock so I was looking forward to
seeing it. I enjoyed it. Not exactly scary but it has some really
suspenseful scenes as well as some creepy murder scenes. The dubbing is
bad though. If you like Hitchcock and Argento you will probably be
entertained by this movie. It isn't as good as movies like "Suspiria"
or "Rear Window" though.
13 out of 20 people found the following comment useful :- What a great producer, 21 March 2005
Author:
Rabiddog from Belgium
Me and my girlfriend had the opportunity to watch Ti Piace Hitchcock at
the Brussels fantastic film festival last Saturday. He directed this
movie for the Italian television (RAI) and in mine opinion with
success.The movie was introduced to the crowd by the master of horror
himself.
The movie isn't as gory like the seventies eighties Argento movies but
it still contains a lot of suspense and the murder scene is in "Argento
style". If you are looking for a real gory giallo then you'll better
skip it. It's an Argento movie and expectations may be high but it's a
television movie and when you are an Argentofan you'll notice.
I'm really looking forward to his next movie.
greets
7 out of 9 people found the following comment useful :- In a traditional Movie sense, this movie is better than the long awaited "Card Player"., 19 August 2006
Author:
ProfundoVic from United States
It Would be ludicrous in a huge way to compare this film to any past
Argento works.Dario has sort of erased the formula board a little to
start fresh but yet amazingly DYLH is as old fashioned as a
thriller/murder mystery can get! All i was expecting from DYLH was a
good to average movie with at least some of the argento flair for the
visual, knowing this was a Euro made TV Movie if you will.It's a hell
of a lot more. Let's get back to basics though, movies must entertain
and a connection to the characters always helps, along with a memorable
soundtrack if possible. Oh and if it claims to be a thriller it must do
just that Thrill!!. I just described my feelings after watching "Do you
Love Hitchcock".In a traditional Movie sense, thriller or Giallo, this
movie is better than the long awaited "Card Player".Forget what you
hear from the alleged Argento experts there are none who could say this
and that or compare,just enjoy it thats the general idea! It could have
been called "Do you like Bava,Hitchcock and me,Dario Argento"? My
answer is a definite yes i do like. Dario uses his cinema style like a
weapon of mass destruction and was probably in a real good mood (you
can see it in the Extras) DA shows audiences once again why he is a
cult success, without all the benefits of huge sums of money for
budgets from large Movie studios. Dario, 64,has been at it since the
real good Hitchcock times,in the 60's.I want more of this style, much
more!!It's pure fun! Bravo Dario! An excellent addition to your great
body of work.Long Live Bava ,Hitchcock and shine on Dario!!
6 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :- I don't think any fan of Argento or Hitchcock should miss this., 18 April 2006
Author:
christopher-underwood from Greenwich - London
Most enjoyable and suspenseful tale, featuring in the main elements of
'Strangers On A Train' and 'Rear Window', but also making reference to
many of Hitchcock's movies. Much fun can be had spotting all the
amusing/effective references without the ongoing tale being spoiled.
There are at least two excellent sequences, one involving a moped and
the other a bath, but although the pace may be a little erratic, the
dialogue rather strange and the dubbing diabolical, this is as much fun
for us as it must have been for Mr Argento. I'm not one of those that
will talk of a 'return to form' because I'm just happy to enjoy what I
enjoy without harping back, but I don't think any fan of Argento or
Hitchcock should miss this.
7 out of 10 people found the following comment useful :- Minor but entertaining Argento, 1 July 2005
Author:
jangu from Stockholm, Sweden
Make no mistake, this is a made-for-TV movie so don't expect the usual
Argento-gore and a lot of stylized violence. If that's what you're
looking for, look somewhere else!
It also shows sometimes that he is working in another medium
(television), style-wise. But apart from that, this is a playful and
lightweight homage to Alfred Hitchcock, that works fairly well within
the constrains of the medium.
It has a sympathetic lead in Elio Germano (but the female are more
formulaic) and most actors are a lot better that what is common in an
Argento-movie. The beginning of the movie is very well set-up when you
get a peak into several apartments a la "Rear window". The script is
full of references to different Hitchcock-movies, but there are also
nods towards Brian dePalma and...Dario Argento himself! There are
scenes that seems to have been lifted more or less intact from his
other creations like "Deep red", "Opera" and "Inferno". But this is not
necessarily a negative thing since all this is mostly woven into the
plot with a lot of skill. There is only one murder (but two death
scenes), but it is quite violent and the scene leading up to it is very
suspenseful. The final 10 minutes are also edge-of-your-seat material.
Also worth mentioning is the nice cinematography by Fasano (especially
the shots at night are very nice to look at). And the score by Pino
Dinaggio is absolutely top-notch! It's certainly a lot better than the
anonymous music he put together for Dario in "Trauma" and might remind
you of his work for Brian de Palma.
But some things don't work, for instance the scene where our "hero"
breaks his leg. It is too drawn out even though it's suspenseful in the
beginning. The pace flags occasionally and is generally erratic. And
even if the climax is exciting, I cannot shake of a feeling that it
could have been even better with a tighter script. It seems that
Argento/Ferrini lost interest somehow in their intriguing little tale
of terror. And finally, the usual quibble when it comes to an Argento
film...the dubbing is sometimes truly bad, at best it's acceptable. And
note that I saw the Italian version! God only knows why italians often
prefer to dub instead of using the original sound?!
But all in all, a very decent outing by Mr Argento. It certainly
doesn't top "Suspiria", "Inferno", "Deep red" or his other masterpieces
(it doesn't even top the underrated "Trauma" which is resembles
sometimes), but it is absolutely one of the best things he's done since
"Opera".
3 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :- Do You Like Hitchcock?, 28 September 2006
Author:
Scarecrow-88 from United States
*** This comment may contain spoilers ***
A young film student named Giulio(Elio Germano), with a classic
unhinged case of "peeping tom" disease, believes a woman named
Sasha(Elisabetta Rocchetti) that he spies on from across the street
may've formed a "Strangers on a Train" partnership with another young
woman, Federica(Chiara Conti). His belief only heightens when Sasha's
overbearing(..but wealthy!!white flag, maybe?)mother is viciously
murdered. His increased desire to find out if what he believes is true,
Giulio will inevitably face possible harm or worse death. Yet, he
continues on to find a killer..
Marginal Argento effort doesn't come anywhere near his greater gialli,
and is surprisingly predictable. It's underwhelmingly non-violent(only
one death, believe it or not), and has very little in the way of
thrills. It does have some nudity and Argento's camera longingly
strokes their flesh, but it is more to do with Giulio's lifestyle and
obsession for spying on them. That may be one of a few true
characterizations of Giulio for he pretty much spies on someone the
entire picture and is lucky to escape several near moments of real
danger(..even as a child, as Argento opens the film, he narrowly
escapes spying on two older women slicing a bird).
The homage to Hitchcock is a wonderful reason to watch the film and
Argento also has moments of praise for Fritz Lang, David Lynch, &
"Nosferatu." He often shows Giulio visiting a video store so that is
kind of cool to see Argento even given himself the treatment(check out
the poster of his recent "The Card Player"), and has him researching
several films. You always feel, though, that Hitchcock is to be praised
in this film and "Rear Window" especially gets a lot of love.
If you want Argento with bite..look elsewhere. This is an uninspired
thriller which does have good pacing even if the ending is lackluster.
4 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :- Not the top-notch Argento of old, but still pretty good stuff, 20 August 2006
Author:
TheatreX from Louisville, KY
This begins rather promisingly with a young boy spying on two women in
a forest and following them back to an old house where he witnesses
them doing things to a chicken that are perhaps above and beyond the
call of duty for merely preparing it for dinner, after which they chase
him through the woods threatening to kill him. Fast forward 15 years
and we find our young hero Julio still has the knack for being nosy,
and we find ourselves in rather a Rear Window-type setting of two
apartment buildings that face each other. Of course Julio's been spying
on the most attractive of the tenants, and she lives with her mother,
at least until her mother gets killed. Of course Julio is playing
super-sleuth at this point and nosing around. As he pokes and pries he
becomes more and more embroiled in the mystery, of course. This is a
great little homage to Hitchcock and there are bits and pieces and
themes from Hitchcock's movies strewn throughout this whole production,
so if you DO like Hitchock you'll definitely get a kick out of that. I
know I did. This is by no means as gruesome as some of Argento's
previous outings but it was made for Italian TV so that might have
something to do with it. If you like Argento & Hitchcock, you'll
definitely enjoy this, it's not up to some of Argento's previous work
but it's a great little flick and well worth seeing. 8 out of 10.
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27 out of 32 people found the following comment useful :-

Don't we LOVE Argento?!, 20 March 2005
Author: Coventry from the Draconian Swamp of Unholy Souls
One thing concerning this film should be made clear immediately, otherwise several Dario Argento fans will risk being disappointed: "Do you like Hitchcock" is a TV-movie and therefore not as outrageous and/or shocking as we expect Argento films to be! Don't prepare yourself to see another "Opera" or "Tenebre" in which repulsive gore will burst from the screen or demented giallo plot-twists stun you constantly! This is a decent, but overall ethically correct thriller, in which the master's touch is only detected in details and style aspects. This is by no means a bad film and please don't see this warning as sign not to watch it, but I only want to prevent that people will start making comments like "Dario Argento continues to lose his touch" etc... As stated above, "Do you like Hitchcock" is the first in a series of eight films produced by the Italian TV-station Rai Uno that are meant to bring the ultimate tribute to Alfred "Master of Suspense" Hitchcock. His classic titles will serve as pivot elements in newly written thrillers, of which only the pilot film is directed by Dario Argento. This general idea is terrific for a homage, I think, and admirers of classic cinema will certainly enjoy the blend of all these Hichcock highlights in modern settings.
Argento's film largely focuses on two Hitckcock milestones, namely "Strangers on a Train" and "Read Window". Giulio is a young film-student who occasionally watches his gorgeous neighbor girl across the street with binoculars. He witnesses how she and her mother regularly argue and when the mother is found murdered one morning, Giulio becomes obsessed by figuring out who did it. He discovers that the daughter recently made acquaintance with someone at the local videostore. Giulio begins to suspect that the two persons agreed to commit a murder for each other, just as it was the case in Hitchcocks's "Strangers on a Train". It's really nice to see how Argento blends all Hichcock references into one giant tribute. Aside from the two obvious titles, there are multiple other, smaller references towards Hitchock's oeuvre and, at times, you really do need to be a specialist to discover them all. The story is compelling enough to keep you interested and some really tense moments point out that Argento is still and will always be a powerful director. For example, there's a sequence in which the hero desperately tries to flee from the scene of a crime on a scooter, but secondary influences, like the rainy weather or technical difficulties, prevent him from getting away. Do not, repeat DO NOT, watch this film in case you're searching for nasty gore! The few murder scenes are, however, rather unsettling (and typically Argento!) but they surely can't live up to most of the director's previous work. "Do you like Hitchcock" is a worthwhile thriller and I personally rated it higher than Dario's last film, "the Card Player".
11 out of 13 people found the following comment useful :-

Playful and suspenseful homage to a great director by a great director, 22 August 2006
Author: Bjorn (jbjorns) from Iceland
Giulio is a peeping Tom and lovely Sascha from across the street catches his eye from time to time. At a local video store Giulio sees Sascha and another girl discussing Hitchcock's film Strangers on a Train and Sascha rents it. Later Sascha's mother is killed and Giulio starts thinking about the plot from Strangers on a Train.
From his very first film Argento has been nicknamed "the Italian Hitchcock" and many still refer to him as that. Although he heartily disagrees with that assessment, Argento may have felt obliged to do a direct homage to the old master at some point in his career. With the help of his longtime script collaborator Franco Ferrini, Argento has constructed a very clever "whodunnit" which successfully weaves together elements from Hitchcock's Rear Window, Strangers on a Train, Dial M. for Murder and Vertigo, and possibly a few others. The story is surprisingly airtight considering the many films it's paying homage to. No great loopholes to be found and although you know the old films by heart, Do You Like Hitchcock? still manages to surprise up until the end. It's no doubt great fun for a Hitchcock aficionado to spot all the references, I particularly liked the Vertigo inspired ending.
Some Argento trademarks are present but on the whole it doesn't always look like it's one of his films. It must be taken into consideration that this is an Italian made for TV film and Argento reportedly had to make it in a hurry and it's budget is lower than usual. The actors here are actually pretty decent and the dubbing fares better here than in Argento's The Card Player. No big names here but they do their jobs well enough. The gore is on the light side, only one sequence has some ick factor in it.
With all limitations in mind it's a wonder what Argento managed to accomplish because Do You Like Hitchcock? is overall a suspenseful homage that no doubt Hitchcock himself would have approved of.
8 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :-
Entertaining, if slightly predictable, giallo, 13 January 2007
Author: DVD_Connoisseur from England
Argento's made-for-television "Ti piace Hitchcock?" is an entertaining giallo which pays tribute to the works of the old master.
A "Rear Window" for the noughties, Argento's offering delivers some great moments and there are fleeting glimpses of the genius behind such classics as "Deep Red" and "Tenebrae".
Elio Germano is excellent as the geeky voyeur who's nosiness leads him into no end of trouble. His performance is believable and his character is both likable and sympathetic.
While the violence has been toned down for this production, it's still a very watchable tale.
10 out of 14 people found the following comment useful :-

Entertaining TV-movie by Argento, 1 July 2005
Author: SharkHunter from Sweden
Horror master Dario Argento's tribute to legendary filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock is not nearly as gory or stylish as other Argento-flicks. But why should it be? It's a tribute to Hitchcock and his movies weren't bloody at all. The two movie it tributes the most is "Rear Window" and "Strangers on a Train".
I'm a big fan of both Argento and Hitchcock so I was looking forward to seeing it. I enjoyed it. Not exactly scary but it has some really suspenseful scenes as well as some creepy murder scenes. The dubbing is bad though. If you like Hitchcock and Argento you will probably be entertained by this movie. It isn't as good as movies like "Suspiria" or "Rear Window" though.
13 out of 20 people found the following comment useful :-
What a great producer, 21 March 2005
Author: Rabiddog from Belgium
Me and my girlfriend had the opportunity to watch Ti Piace Hitchcock at the Brussels fantastic film festival last Saturday. He directed this movie for the Italian television (RAI) and in mine opinion with success.The movie was introduced to the crowd by the master of horror himself.
The movie isn't as gory like the seventies eighties Argento movies but it still contains a lot of suspense and the murder scene is in "Argento style". If you are looking for a real gory giallo then you'll better skip it. It's an Argento movie and expectations may be high but it's a television movie and when you are an Argentofan you'll notice.
I'm really looking forward to his next movie.
greets
7 out of 9 people found the following comment useful :-

In a traditional Movie sense, this movie is better than the long awaited "Card Player"., 19 August 2006
Author: ProfundoVic from United States
It Would be ludicrous in a huge way to compare this film to any past Argento works.Dario has sort of erased the formula board a little to start fresh but yet amazingly DYLH is as old fashioned as a thriller/murder mystery can get! All i was expecting from DYLH was a good to average movie with at least some of the argento flair for the visual, knowing this was a Euro made TV Movie if you will.It's a hell of a lot more. Let's get back to basics though, movies must entertain and a connection to the characters always helps, along with a memorable soundtrack if possible. Oh and if it claims to be a thriller it must do just that Thrill!!. I just described my feelings after watching "Do you Love Hitchcock".In a traditional Movie sense, thriller or Giallo, this movie is better than the long awaited "Card Player".Forget what you hear from the alleged Argento experts there are none who could say this and that or compare,just enjoy it thats the general idea! It could have been called "Do you like Bava,Hitchcock and me,Dario Argento"? My answer is a definite yes i do like. Dario uses his cinema style like a weapon of mass destruction and was probably in a real good mood (you can see it in the Extras) DA shows audiences once again why he is a cult success, without all the benefits of huge sums of money for budgets from large Movie studios. Dario, 64,has been at it since the real good Hitchcock times,in the 60's.I want more of this style, much more!!It's pure fun! Bravo Dario! An excellent addition to your great body of work.Long Live Bava ,Hitchcock and shine on Dario!!
6 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :-

I don't think any fan of Argento or Hitchcock should miss this., 18 April 2006
Author: christopher-underwood from Greenwich - London
Most enjoyable and suspenseful tale, featuring in the main elements of 'Strangers On A Train' and 'Rear Window', but also making reference to many of Hitchcock's movies. Much fun can be had spotting all the amusing/effective references without the ongoing tale being spoiled. There are at least two excellent sequences, one involving a moped and the other a bath, but although the pace may be a little erratic, the dialogue rather strange and the dubbing diabolical, this is as much fun for us as it must have been for Mr Argento. I'm not one of those that will talk of a 'return to form' because I'm just happy to enjoy what I enjoy without harping back, but I don't think any fan of Argento or Hitchcock should miss this.
7 out of 10 people found the following comment useful :-

Minor but entertaining Argento, 1 July 2005
Author: jangu from Stockholm, Sweden
Make no mistake, this is a made-for-TV movie so don't expect the usual Argento-gore and a lot of stylized violence. If that's what you're looking for, look somewhere else!
It also shows sometimes that he is working in another medium (television), style-wise. But apart from that, this is a playful and lightweight homage to Alfred Hitchcock, that works fairly well within the constrains of the medium.
It has a sympathetic lead in Elio Germano (but the female are more formulaic) and most actors are a lot better that what is common in an Argento-movie. The beginning of the movie is very well set-up when you get a peak into several apartments a la "Rear window". The script is full of references to different Hitchcock-movies, but there are also nods towards Brian dePalma and...Dario Argento himself! There are scenes that seems to have been lifted more or less intact from his other creations like "Deep red", "Opera" and "Inferno". But this is not necessarily a negative thing since all this is mostly woven into the plot with a lot of skill. There is only one murder (but two death scenes), but it is quite violent and the scene leading up to it is very suspenseful. The final 10 minutes are also edge-of-your-seat material.
Also worth mentioning is the nice cinematography by Fasano (especially the shots at night are very nice to look at). And the score by Pino Dinaggio is absolutely top-notch! It's certainly a lot better than the anonymous music he put together for Dario in "Trauma" and might remind you of his work for Brian de Palma.
But some things don't work, for instance the scene where our "hero" breaks his leg. It is too drawn out even though it's suspenseful in the beginning. The pace flags occasionally and is generally erratic. And even if the climax is exciting, I cannot shake of a feeling that it could have been even better with a tighter script. It seems that Argento/Ferrini lost interest somehow in their intriguing little tale of terror. And finally, the usual quibble when it comes to an Argento film...the dubbing is sometimes truly bad, at best it's acceptable. And note that I saw the Italian version! God only knows why italians often prefer to dub instead of using the original sound?!
But all in all, a very decent outing by Mr Argento. It certainly doesn't top "Suspiria", "Inferno", "Deep red" or his other masterpieces (it doesn't even top the underrated "Trauma" which is resembles sometimes), but it is absolutely one of the best things he's done since "Opera".
3 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-

Do You Like Hitchcock?, 28 September 2006
Author: Scarecrow-88 from United States
*** This comment may contain spoilers ***
A young film student named Giulio(Elio Germano), with a classic unhinged case of "peeping tom" disease, believes a woman named Sasha(Elisabetta Rocchetti) that he spies on from across the street may've formed a "Strangers on a Train" partnership with another young woman, Federica(Chiara Conti). His belief only heightens when Sasha's overbearing(..but wealthy!!white flag, maybe?)mother is viciously murdered. His increased desire to find out if what he believes is true, Giulio will inevitably face possible harm or worse death. Yet, he continues on to find a killer..
Marginal Argento effort doesn't come anywhere near his greater gialli, and is surprisingly predictable. It's underwhelmingly non-violent(only one death, believe it or not), and has very little in the way of thrills. It does have some nudity and Argento's camera longingly strokes their flesh, but it is more to do with Giulio's lifestyle and obsession for spying on them. That may be one of a few true characterizations of Giulio for he pretty much spies on someone the entire picture and is lucky to escape several near moments of real danger(..even as a child, as Argento opens the film, he narrowly escapes spying on two older women slicing a bird).
The homage to Hitchcock is a wonderful reason to watch the film and Argento also has moments of praise for Fritz Lang, David Lynch, & "Nosferatu." He often shows Giulio visiting a video store so that is kind of cool to see Argento even given himself the treatment(check out the poster of his recent "The Card Player"), and has him researching several films. You always feel, though, that Hitchcock is to be praised in this film and "Rear Window" especially gets a lot of love.
If you want Argento with bite..look elsewhere. This is an uninspired thriller which does have good pacing even if the ending is lackluster.
4 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :-

Not the top-notch Argento of old, but still pretty good stuff, 20 August 2006
Author: TheatreX from Louisville, KY
This begins rather promisingly with a young boy spying on two women in a forest and following them back to an old house where he witnesses them doing things to a chicken that are perhaps above and beyond the call of duty for merely preparing it for dinner, after which they chase him through the woods threatening to kill him. Fast forward 15 years and we find our young hero Julio still has the knack for being nosy, and we find ourselves in rather a Rear Window-type setting of two apartment buildings that face each other. Of course Julio's been spying on the most attractive of the tenants, and she lives with her mother, at least until her mother gets killed. Of course Julio is playing super-sleuth at this point and nosing around. As he pokes and pries he becomes more and more embroiled in the mystery, of course. This is a great little homage to Hitchcock and there are bits and pieces and themes from Hitchcock's movies strewn throughout this whole production, so if you DO like Hitchock you'll definitely get a kick out of that. I know I did. This is by no means as gruesome as some of Argento's previous outings but it was made for Italian TV so that might have something to do with it. If you like Argento & Hitchcock, you'll definitely enjoy this, it's not up to some of Argento's previous work but it's a great little flick and well worth seeing. 8 out of 10.
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