Starring: David Hemmings, Daria Nicolodi, Gabriele Lavia, Clara Calamai, Macha Méril, Glauco Mauri

Profondo Rosso, aka Deep Red, is a giallo whodunit with a series of gruesome murders, bits of the supernatural, childhood psychological trauma, and one insane score by Goblin. It starts with a brutal murder of a famous psychic that is seen by a pianist, kicking off the blood soaked search to find out who the killer is. Deep Red is stylish and vivid with doses of humor and madness. Argento’s film is an essential dish in every horror film fan’s diet but what is rarely discussed is how artwork functions as the driving force behind solving the mystery. In fact, two paintings (the absence of one and the discovery of another) act as a marker to find the source of fear rather than say be the source of it like, say, The Portrait of Dorian Gray. When these revelations contained within each work finally emerge, they reveal not only who committed the murders but also the personal history as to why all this carnage began. A must see at any time of year but particularly best before Halloween.