Profondo Argento: The Man, the Myths & the Magic [Paperback]

Alan Jones (Author), Dario Argento (Introduction), Mark Kermode (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2004

Overview of the life and career of the master of Italian horror cinema, from his first script for Leone's Once Upon a Time in the West, to producing Dawn of the Dead, to his Terror Trilogy with his Hollywood superstar daughter Asia Argento. This is the first exploration of the psyche and methodology of the man who galvanized global horror with his super-shock sensation, Suspiria. Meticulously collated into one unique volume are * every feature, interview, review of Argento's work * new material and never-before-published facts and secrets * exclusive Argento interviews * rare stills, posters and candid behind-the-scenes photos from private collections * full-length interviews with 28 collaborators, including George Romero, Max Von Sydow and Julian Sands

Product Details

• Paperback: 335 pages
• Publisher: FAB Press (September 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1903254248
• ISBN-13: 978-1903254240
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,852,124 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Argento book by a fan for the fans., June 9, 2005

By 

Pyromiller "FanWithNoName" (BC. Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Profondo Argento: The Man, the Myths & the Magic (Paperback)

All Argento fans can rejoice with the publication of Alan Jones' book Profondo Argento: The Man, The Myth And the Magic. Everything a fan(or newcomer)wanted to know about Dario Argento's work(films, reviews, interviews, articles, etc.) is practically here. It is extremely well researched, with lots of interviews and articles, and it is profusely illustrated with images, posters and people associated with Argento's work and world. The best thing is that the book is pretty much up to date, covering Argento's latest giallo "The Card Player." This book is definitely a work of love by a fan for the fans and I find myself always referring to it quite frequently. A true delight well worth for the price. I highly recommend it.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE Argento book, October 22, 2006

By 

Marylander4Life (Maryland, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Profondo Argento: The Man, the Myths & the Magic (Paperback)

PROFONDO ARGENTO is the second book I have ever bought from FAB Press. The first was ART OF DARKNESS: THE CINEMA OF DARIO ARGENTO which, to say the least, was a disappointment. A beautiful but empty pseudo-anyalis of the filmmaker's career, ART OF DARKNESS was about as stale and lifeless as any film book you'll ever encounter. It seems this problem has plagued a lot of the other tomes in the FAB Press line-up: BEYOND TERROR, their Lucio Fulci book, has also been cited as something of a waste. But PROFONDO, thankfully, trumps both of them and turns out to be one of the best, most invigorating studies of a cult filmmaker ever published.

The reason is simple: British author Alan Jones has spent the past twenty-five years or so working with Argento himself. He has been on the film sets of virtually all of the man's post-PHENOMENA films, and has access to rare behind-the-scenes info, opinions, and interviews that no one else would. Whereas Stephen Thrower felt merely content to sit in his room and type up 350 pages of heartless dross and call it a book, Jones actually has something to SHOW us. Simply put, any Argento fan cannot go without this book. Unless the director himself writes it, there will never be a better book about his career.

Features chapters dedicated to each of the man's movies up to NON HO SONNO (SLEEPLESS), interviews with cast and crew (and Argento himself), behind-the-scenes photos, color artwork, and brief sections on Argento contemporaries like Asia, Michele Soavi, etc. The only thing it doesn't have is information on the man's childhood, etc.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-read for Dario Argento fans, March 3, 2006

By 

Doug Brunell "America's Favorite Son" (A little south of Hell) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Profondo Argento: The Man, the Myths & the Magic (Paperback)

If there is one valid complaint to be made about this book it is that there is too much information presented within its pages. Argento fans know there is no such thing as "too much information" when it comes to the master of Italian film, though.

Interviews, rare photos and lobby cards, film reviews and more are presented in this gorgeous book. If you are an Argento fan and haven't read this, you are truly missing out. There is something for even the most die-hard fanatic to learn.