Paura

by Dario Argento, Marco Peano (Editor)

Nato in una famiglia in cui il cinema «si respirava», divoratore onnivoro già nell'infanzia di libri e film, annoiato dalla scuola tanto da fuggire a Parigi, il giovane Dario Argento scopre di sentirsi a proprio agio solo nel buio di una sala cinematografica - dove il carattere solitario e l'immaginazione debordante trovano terreno fertile. Ma è l'esperienza come giornalista a «Paese Sera» a rivelarsi una palestra fondamentale, e a favorire l'incontro che gli cambia la vita: quello con Sergio Leone, per il quale insieme a Bernardo Bertolucci scrive il soggetto di C'era una volta il West. Intanto nella testa del futuro regista prende a maturare un desiderio tanto ambizioso quanto magnifico: scrivere una sceneggiatura diversa da tutte le altre. Mescolando le emozioni provate guardando i film di Hitchcock, Lang e Antonioni, s'innesca un cortocircuito destinato a cambiare la storia del cinema di genere. Quando nel 1970 esce il suo primo film - L'uccello dalle piume di cristallo, che incasserà un miliardo e quattrocento milioni di lire - in pochissimo tempo il nome di Dario Argento fa il giro del pianeta. È così che vedono la luce Profondo rosso e Suspiria. Per la prima volta Dario Argento racconta se stesso in un libro: le sue passioni, i suoi amori, le sue paure. Un'«autobiografia horror», dove a fianco della figura del grande regista s'intravedono le inquietudini di un uomo schivo, innamorato del cinema e della vita. Un artista irregolare,che imprigionando i suoi personali demoni nella macchina da presa è riuscito a raccontare gli incubi di tutti noi. «Non avevo paura del buio, come tutti i bambini, io avevo paura del corridoio di casa. Era una forma perfetta di terrore: puro, senza condizionamenti».

Genres: Horror, Film, Nonfiction, Biography, Autobiography

354 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 21, 2014

About the author

Dario Argento is an Italian film director, producer and screenwriter. He is best known for his work in the horror film genre, particularly in the subgenre known as giallo, and for his influence on modern horror and slasher movies. Argento and former partner Daria Nicolodi are the parents of actress Asia Argento.

Reviews

[Scott Neumann · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you a fan of Italian horror, especially the films of Dario Argento then this is a must read. This is the first of four books about Argento I have read, but the first Biography and it really fills in all the gaps.

[Perry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rounding down a bit because it's not an earthshattering autobiography, and it's honestly kind of depressing when you read just how little he has to say about his uneven 21st century work, but the sections detailing his creative process and his approach for creating the uneasy dream worlds of his 20th century films (particularly the Animal Trilogy, Deep Red, and Suspiria) are an invaluable look into the mind of a horror filmmaker whose visions are only rivaled by Lang and Lewton.

[Camilla Fois · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sincera, sincera? È molto bellino. Niente di ché, sia chiaro, ma mi ha fatto compagnia durante l'influenza. Io sono una fan atipica di Dario Argento, mi piacciono anche alcune pellicole definite monnezza (e a ragione) dai più, ma che ci posso fare? I codici che utilizza mi catapultano in una dimensione cozy (che per me è il putridume dell'animo umano).
Autobiografia in cui Dario Argento fa Dario Argento, estremamente sincero. Ho apprezzato molto il fatto che non abbia tentato di edulcorare l'essere nato in un ambiente privilegiato. Anzi, lo racconta con una naturalezza genuina, in cui riesci ad entrare in sintonia, nonostante magari tu venga dalle favelas e lui dalla Roma bene.
I retroscena dei suoi film più riusciti sono aneddottici, è vero, ma intrattengono, così come la spiegazione del processo creativo, cosa che mi incuriosisce sempre parecchio.
Conclusione: bellino. Per fan.

[David Proh · Rating 4 out of 5]

La mia recensione:
http://iltuopostonellaragnatela.wordp...

[Kyle Burley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid, entertaining, autobiography written in a friendly, casual style. I would have liked more insight into the art but, as a portrait of the artist, this is a compelling and satisfying book.

[Doug Brunell · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are a fan of Dario Argento, you must read this book. It is mandatory. Required. Necessary. If you are just sort of a fan because you like horror, you should still read it. He is one of the masters; his words are important.

Argento gives a history of his life, his loves, what scares him, his family, the ups and downs of making films, his health, drug use, and so on. It's all here. He also explains a few things about his films you may have never thought of before.

If there is any complaint that can be leveled against this book it is that it should have been three times its size. I wanted to read more. Having waited for this since I was a child, I blew through it and was left with a need for more. He hints at maybe writing another volume. He should.

[Eve Cels · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️
Demoré todo lo que pude el final de la lectura de esta autobiografía.
Es libro es muy bueno y repasa la vida de Dario Argento desde su niñez hasta avanzada su vida adulta.
El texto está repleto de anécdotas, reflexiones y referencias al cine y la literatura. Además de mucho MUCHO cine, hay menciones a la música, las bandas sonoras, los escenarios, las drogas, la psicología, la familia, la paternidad, los negocios, el amor y el rencor. No le falta nada.

[Mariano Cattaneo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Una obra repleta de amor al cine. Un recorrido por las entrañas de este maravilloso director, sus pensamientos, su vida y su cine.
Una forma de entender que detrás de una pelicula hay mucho corazón, más allá de los litros de sangre.
Para los amantes del cine de terror o aquellos artistas que buscan motivaciones... este libro es un excelente camino.

[Jesica Taranto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una lectura imprescindible para quien admira y sigue la carrera de uno de los maestros del cine de terror. Sus obsesiones, anécdotas, su vida personal, sus inicios como periodista, sus influencias, todo convergen en un texto ágil que cuesta soltar. Quizás sí a la hora de hablar de sus últimas películas es más escueto en comparación con las primeras. Lo mismo sucede con ciertos hechos y personas de su vida personal, elige con cuidado qué y cómo narrarlos, es muy respetuoso siempre.
Personalmente lo disfruté un montón y me dan ganas de ver y rever todas sus películas a las que siempre se les descubre un detalle nuevo. Pero sobre todo dan ganas de que siga haciendo películas (se menciona al final The Sandman, un proyecto del que se habla hace varios años).
Me quedo principalmente con todo ese amor por el cine y por el género que se desprende de todo lo que hace.
"Mientras allá afuera haya alguien a quien asustar, podré considerarme una persona feliz."

[Nat · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story feels very honest and is largely fascinating. I was never bored, though that may be because he barely seems to scratch the surface with some aspects of his life. There are many sections where I wish he’d provided more anecdotes, but getting a peek behind the mask feels like a real treat.

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book detailing Argento's journey from being a small time critic obsessed by cinema, to creating some of the most amazing films. Extensive sections on the creation of Deep Red and Suspiria are extremely interesting. Highly recommended to all fans of genre films.

[Susanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Le biografie sono sempre belle e la sua storia é interessante. La genesi dei suoi film, il rapporto con il padre e il fratello, il mondo del cinema. Libro affascinante soprattutto per chi ha amato e ama i suoi film.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Thriller, horror, fantasy, terror, giallo, noir... these are just words that we use to define our dreams.”

I think if you’re looking for Argento to go super in-depth about every one of his films you might want to go elsewhere. Because besides some of his earlier and most famous films, he sort of skims the surface on a lot of them - most chapters are only a few pages and then perhaps only some of them will de about the movie he was making at the time.

But what really makes this book worthwhile is Argento himself. Indeed, it is his life so there are many chapters/pages dedicated to his youth, his many relationships to women, his family, many anecdotes that range from hilarious to interesting to disturbing. And it’s nice to read just how grateful Argento is of his fan base, he truly seems to care and respect them, and coming from such an icon of horror and genre filmmaking it’s truly wonderful to read about it here.

So I would most definitely recommend this book, especially if you’re an Argento fan.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love Dario Argento's work from his debut film The Bird with the Crystal Plumage in 1970 all the way through 1987's Opera. After that his output becomes spottier. I really enjoyed his recollections of the making of his masterpieces such as Deep Red and Suspiria here, but most of the stuff about his private life seemed shallow and pretty much insight-free. For example, he talks about all the problems he and Daria Nicolodi had in their union, but didn't really identify the nature of any of them, save for alluding to her hurt that she was denied the lead role in Suspiria. It is certainly his prerogative to keep that stuff more under wraps, but this is an autobiography, so you know, I thought we might've gotten a little more out of him! But overall this is entertaining and if you're a fan you're going to want to read it and likely want to rewatch much of his oeuvre afterwards (like me). ***1/2

[Merl Fluin · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars, rounded down for the amateurish translation and slipshod proofreading.

I adore Argento's movies, and this book does give occasionally fascinating glimpses into his creative process, especially during his early career.

It's also inadvertently revealing about the decline in his creative powers since the 90s: the films drop in quality as his attitude becomes less obsessive. But as his obsession wanes, so does the interest of what he has to say. The second half of the book is by no means a compelling read.

All the photo illustrations are great, though.

[David Cooper · Rating 4 out of 5]

If your a fan of Argento, this is a must read. Great insight into the background and making of his films, and a clear look into the mind of a creative genius. Did not get 5 stars due to a smattering of misogyny that was uninteresting and unnecessary.

[Fernando Hormazabal Bello · Rating 5 out of 5]

Divertidísimo. Hoy quiero a Argento más que ayer. Una gran autobiografía. Lo cuenta todo

[Alessandro Corrao · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dario sei pazzo in culo, ti amo alla follia, che vita che hai avuto!! narrata da dio tra l’altro, sono tristissimo avrei voluto che questa autobiografia fosse infinita

[DJ_Keyser · Rating 4 out of 5]

A refreshingly candid insight into the personal life and career of the celebrated Master of Horror, touching on pretty much all of his contributions to cinema and television. It’s a fly-by account, but a please to be on the receiving end of one anecdote after another, told in a particularly unfussed, but nevertheless warm, fashion. Also, Argento is quite the Lothario… still!

[blue solange · Rating 2 out of 5]

Amare certi suoi film, mi ha reso interessata a quest’atipica autobiografia… ma non farò la groupie.

In tutto ciò, che bello dev’essere fare il lavoro che si ama, mescolare vita e professione, creare quello che si é:

“Mi è capitato spesso di dire che quando lavoro ritorno bambino: lo faccio perché voglio essere sincero con il mio pubblico e con me stesso, e solamente nell'infanzia ritrovo quella forma di purezza indispensabile per fare il cinema”

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent, engaging book and if you’re a fan (as you should be) it’s a must-read. The Italian translation is surprisingly well-written. I learned many things about Argento that I didn’t know, and I like to think I’m pretty knowledge about his career. He goes very in-depth about the making of Deep Red and Suspiria, spending many chapters on those two films in particular. If I have a complaint it’s that he speeds through the rest of his career following Suspiria, and I would have liked a little more detail about the films that came after it. But I shouldn’t complain, because I’m just happy this book exists at all. I could easily read another book if he decides to write one (hopefully)!

[Exene Cervenka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed reading this. It has a lot of interesting information about people, places related to the movies and of course his movies as well as others which to me as a movie lover was great. Also has plenty of annotations so you don’t feel out of touch with who or where you are reading about.
Dario describes himself warts and all. His indiscretions, his temper and his singular vision when it came to his movies. I own a few of his movies...I will certainly be adding more to my collection after reading this.

[C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Argento has made some of my favorite movies and this book scratched a lot of itches for me. In fact I really wish I had my dvd's here with me and could re-watch a lot of them after reading this.

Dario seems honest about himself and there are lots of interesting stories, he doesn't try to paint himself as a saint. I read this in three days and really enjoyed it.

[Eos BookCar · Rating 4 out of 5]

L'autobiografia del maestro del brivido, scorrevole con molti aneddoti sulla vita privata e professionale, l'infanzia tra il cinema, la libreria di famiglia e lo studio fotografico dei genitori, l'incontro con la prima moglie, la nascita delle due figlie e curiosità sulla realizzazione di tutti i suoi film.

[Valerio Spisani · Rating 4 out of 5]

5 alla prima parte, 3 alla seconda

[Justin Decloux · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful autobiography in which Argento talks about every film he's made. Some of them he breezes over, but that's to be expected.

[Mark R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a little surprised; I expected this autobiography to confirm what I'd long suspected, that Dario Argento is a weird character. Turns out, at least based on the evidence of his 250-plus pages, that he's basically a normal guy. He even explains filming his seventeen-year-old daughter in a sex scene, and it almost sounds reasonable!

Mr. Argento is one of the most visually interesting Italian filmmakers to come out of the late 60s/early 70s. His early gialli are well-known and highly influential, and his films from 1975 to 1988 are almost all excellent. You'll learn about these films and more in "Fear," his 2014 autobiography. There isn't a lot about his collaborators, just some bits here and there about actors, and then he of course discusses his familial production partners and some of his key teammates. But mostly it's a leisurely walk down memory lane, with Argento discussing the genesis of the movies and where he was, geographically and emotionally, during the time each was made.

"Fear" is inspiring, for sure, and if you're already a fan of Argento, you will only come to like him more after reading this book.

[Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do love a good autobiography and, for me, this is one of the very best. It helps that Argento is one of my all-time favourite directors and I know very well almost all of the films he discusses the making of in detail. This one's translated from the Italian and follows a basic chronology of the director's childhood, early career in journalism, and then filmmaking. It has it all: depth, humour, character and psychology. You really get a picture of what makes Argento tick as a man, while the descriptions of the making of such classics as BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE and SUSPIRIA are inspiring. It's been translated very well and the readability is high; I flew through this one and just wished it could have been longer, because some sections are almost skimmed over. That's my only complaint.

[Apoteoxi · Rating 5 out of 5]

«Thriller, horror [...] sono soltanto parole che usiamo per definire i nostri sogni».
Autobiografia squisita del maestro delle perturbanti onerie che hanno popolato tanto gli schermi italiani, quanto quelli stranieri.
Si parla di film, musica, amicizie, amore, affetto, paura, sogni e realtà.
Più che lavoro, il grande e piccolo schermo son stati, per Dario Argento, luoghi in cui esprimersi, sperimentare, comprendere parti di sé, raccontare e spaventare.
Per tutti gli amanti dell'uomo dietro la cinepresa, nella cinepresa e al di là di questa.

[Holger Haase · Rating 4 out of 5]

As much as I love reading books about cinema, I am usually not the greatest fan of autobiographies. Much prefer a more neutral point of view and feel that autobiographies can often be quite self indulgent. But Dario Argento's FEAR was a blast to read and genuinely made me feel I got closer to this often enigmatic director. Interestingly enough though he spent only a comparatively small amount of time on the last two decades. He has that in common with most of his fans.