Four Flies on Grey Velvet (1971)

A musician (Michael Brandon) is stalked by an unknown killer who's blackmailing him for an accidental killing of another stalker. But is everything what it appears to be?

The film opens with a great shot of drums from overhead and a beating heart, knowing that Argento is in the middle of his most stylistic period. Even the man with white gloves and disturbingly childish mask taking photographs is classic Argento.

I liked the concept of the images burned on to the retina, and I enjoyed the humor of having a character named "God" and the "Hallelujah" chorus. This being the last Ennio Morricone score in an Argento film was not lost on me, as the musical style shifted greatly after this one. (Not necessarily in a bad way -- Goblin and Simonetti are incredible.)

I was surprised to see homosexuality being so openly discussed in a film from this year. Maybe in Italy it was more acceptable than in America? Either way, an interesting addition.

Fmovies: As a fan of Argento's early films, I have been waiting for this to be released on DVD for years. "4 Flies" is the the only film from his golden era that I had not seen. Although there have been other ways to see this film, I have been stubbornly waiting for a DVD release. It was worth the wait and I was very entertained.

Some of the scientific/medical content of the crime investigation is silly. Besides that, I have very few complaints. It kept me guessing about the identity of the killer.

On a side note, I read a review that complained the movies is homophobic. That's not true. I think the gay character is presented as admirably honest and ultimately heroic. Considering this film was made in 1970, it was daring in that respect.

I have been continually disappointed by most of Argento's films after"Phenomen"so it was nice to travel back in time to when he was able to make a film like this

Other posters found 4 Flies dull ... I disagree ... but I saw it on the

big screen when it was new and thought it was too cool ... three

decades later I still recall the masked figure in the balcony

snapping photos of the hapless hero standing over his victim. The

shot of the blackmailing maid telephoning the killer and Argento's

camera following the phone lines was clever. The scene in the

park with the maid becoming isolated is quite well done. The

incidental characters I found amusing. Perhaps the joke with the

postman is overdone, but it works. The stunning revelation of

WHAT the 4 flies were and the denouement are prime Argento. I

saw the movie again last year in a chopped up NTSC version

transferred from PAL with Arabic subtitles and still loved it. Am I the

only person in the world hoping Anchor Bay will release a pristine

version of the movie on DVD? To the poster who claims the

murderer could not possibly be the killer, I say do you really think

the murderer in Rosso Profondo could have wielded the hatchet in

real life? Check out 4 Flies if you like Argento's style. But preserve

your sense of humor.

Four Flies on Grey Velvet fmovies. Excellent early thriller from Italian horror master Dario Argento was a strong finish for his "Animal Trilogy" giallo films.

Musician accidentally kills a mysterious stalker, now someone is black mailing the poor guy, as well as murdering anyone who interferes with his deadly vendetta.

Four Flies on Grey Velvet was Argento's third and final entry in his fine trilogy of animal-themed giallo thrillers. Four Flies is one of the better films of the trilogy, second only to Argento's great debut film Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970). Four Flies is classic Argento that flourishes with beautiful visual style and spooky vibes. It has an intriguing storyline with plenty of tight suspense sequences, bizarre atmosphere, and a rather dark sense of humor. The mystery element is kept quite high too and the plot remains compelling throughout. Ennio Morricone's lovely, haunting music score is also a welcomed addition.

The cast is also good. Star Michael Brandon makes for a likable and sympathetic hero. Mimsy Farmer is also a highlight as Brandon's fragile wife.

A unique film on all levels, Four Flies on Grey Velvet remains one of Argento's best pre-Deep Red (1975) films and it serves as a great omen to the stylish masterpieces that the director would follow with in the coming years.

*** 1/2 out of ****

I saw this on the big screen when it first was released in 1973 as a teen and later in 1992 at The Film Institute where it was shown with an unedited Susperia and Dario Argento himself was there to introduce both films and to discuss with the audience his craft after their showings. There must be something with this film since it was chosen for this unique seminar over all his other pre 1992 works. Upon the second viewing of this film, I still find it scary and spellbinding and the secret behind the title is quite chilling. Gives me the creeps just thinking about it. The stylish camerawork and storyline is pure Argento "black glove" period and this is my 3rd favorite film (tied with Deep Red) of his right behind #1 Susperia and #2 Tennebre. Why this film was never released on DVD or at least, after all these years, on VHS is a mystery in itself. I for one will be the first in line to purchase this if Anchor Bay or another reputable DVD distributor releases it.

Roberto Tobias (Michael Brandon), a rock guitarist married to a beautiful and rich wife, is being followed by a peculiar man in dark glasses. Roberto decides to confront the stranger, but unfortunately for him he ends up killing him in an opera house with a masked individual making photos of the whole debacle. After deciding to hide the matter he starts receiving weird phone calls, letters and pictures of the murder show up in his house during a party. Someone he knows is trying to blackmail him, but unable to seek help from the police he involves Godfred (Bud Spencer), a quirky fellow living life in solitude and poverty on a diet of fish. He in turn has Roberto hire a gay private investigator. All to find out the identity of the mysterious stalker...

As triumphant a movie as all his other three animal movies Dario Argento hit a home run with his artsy murder mysteries. And I must press that Argento really has made murder and death into art - I believe no one ever has made such telling and beautifully terrible death scenes as the master. Add to that the relatively good dialogues, acting plus some very odd humour (focused on a select bunch of weirdo characters populating this thriller) and this is movie that is a must see for any horror fans. Two killings are of extreme note - the first murder in the garden and than the final death scene.

Naturally as always not all is well with the Argento movie. Some of the acting is off and the plot/script has a lot of holes with much room for improvement. Also character building is almost non-existent as Argento typically for him focuses on the atmosphere (to great effect). The camera is as always stylish plus we have some great score from Enrio Morricone to really punctuate the whole feeling of the movie.