Argento’s infamous directorial debut returns to Montreal after close to thirty years' absence, to slash the screen with intense Cinemascope visuals and sweaty Giallo suspense. An American writer (Musante) vacationing in Rome winds up as the sole witness to a brutal murder at an art gallery, watching the horrors while trapped fish-like between two glass doors. Afterwards, he is horribly convinced that there is something else that he saw that night. Something he can’t remember, yet can’t for the life of him forget. He launches his own investigation and a tense, violent mystery ensues, with loads of twists, several new murders, suspects galore and one hell of a clever conclusion. Right from the start, Argento’s trademarks are everywhere, and his inventive direction catapults the film through the stratosphere. Some show stopping weird humor — sometimes intentional, sometimes not — makes the package complete. Upon release, the Italian press immediately hailed Argento as "the Italian Hitchcock". Ironically, Brian De Palma has stolen almost everything in this film over the course of his career. Features an incredible score by Ennio Morricone (GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY) and must be seen on a screen for cinematographer Vittorio Storaro’s (APOCALYPSE NOW, THE CONFORMIST) elaborate frame compositions to make any sense at all. (MD)

Lorsque Melanie Daniels (Tippi Hedren) arrive à Bodega Bay pour des raisons du cur, elle amène avec elle plus ce qu'elle espérait. Des volées d'oiseaux descendent sur la population pour attaquer les écoliers et crever les yeux de leurs professeurs. Devenu maître dans la surimposition et la projection arrière, Hitchcock utilisa plus de 300 plans truqués pour réaliser les scènes d'attaques d'oiseaux. Une trame sonore électronique vient ajouter à la froideur de l'ambiance. le film arrive à son paroxisme avec le célèbre - et ambigu - face-à-face entre humains et oiseaux.