Dario Argento

Dario Argento (Italian: [ˈdaːrjo arˈdʒɛnto]; born 7 September 1940) is a renowned Italian film director, screenwriter, and producer who has been notably influential in the horror and giallo genres during the 1970s and 1980s. Well-known as the "Master of the Thrill" and the "Master of Horror", his directorial work includes the "Animal Trilogy" and the "Three Mothers" trilogy. Among his standalone films are Deep Red (1975), Tenebrae (1982), Phenomena (1985), and Opera (1987). He also co-wrote the screenplay for Sergio Leone's Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) and served as George A. Romero's script consultant on Dawn of the Dead (1978), for which he also composed the soundtrack with his long-time collaborators Goblin. His interest in using new technology is evident, especially in the film Phenomena's prowling Steadicam shots.

Born in Rome, Argento began his career as a film critic while still attending a Catholic secondary school. He eventually moved on to screenwriting, with his notable works including those for Sergio Leone and Bernardo Bertolucci. His directorial debut, the giallo film The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970), was a major hit in Italy. Argento's follow-up films, including Suspiria (1977), a supernatural horror, marked the start of a trilogy about "The Three Mothers". Later in his career, Argento contributed to the development of the survival horror video game Dead Space and acted as an artistic director on Clod Studio's upcoming video game, Dreadful Bond.