© London FrightFest Ltd. 2000-2007

28th November 2006.

Well I’m back from my whirlwind Italian tour. Paul posted the Dark Dreams website address on the forum in case you wanted to read my first report on Dario Argento’s long-awaited The Third Mother. I have nothing to add to it at the moment because I’m holding all my interviews and main photos back for magazine features in Fangoria, Shivers and the suchlike. But, as always, being on an Argento set is a great rush for me, this one in particular because it represents an important milestone in Dario’s career. Anyone who has ever spent time on a film set will know how boring it can actually be. All that waiting around, trying to secure interviews, while making sure you don’t miss anything vital. But I never tire of watching Dario in action, the bonus being I know everyone on his crews, so I can hang out with them when the going gets tedious between set-ups.

The fans were all out in force too trying to catch glimpses of Dario, Asia and her mother Daria Nicolodi, back in the Argento fold for the first time since Opera. I was even mobbed by autograph hunters - that’s how insane it was. The Turin Film Festival premiere of Dario’s latest ‘Masters of Horror’ episode ‘Pelts’ was complete madness too. (For the record, it’s very gory, but not that good). The crew wasn’t stationed in their usual Turin base of operations this time. We were all stuck out in a hotel used as a media centre during the recent Winter Olympics. It was like living on an industrial estate being surrounded by nothing but hyper-malls and factories. A small complaint over what was a truly memorable visit. I really liked Dario’s American co-writers Jace Anderson and Adam Gierasch (Toolbox Murders) and it’s always a pleasure to see Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni (Opera, Demons 2, Phantom of the Opera). The four of us were practically inseparable and, as I wrote on Dark Dreams, I have invited them all to FrightFest pending the outcome of the movie possibly being presented in the Quinzaine section at Cannes. That decision will affect all release dates although August should be a reasonably safe bet for us to present what I would like to be the most glittering UK premiere we’ve ever mounted. Dario has already assured me he’ll be there no matter what and depending on Asia’s schedule (she may be directing her new movie at this time) she’ll be in attendance too. The one question I’m getting rather bored with concerning The Third Mother is, does Jessica Harper make a cameo appearance? Despite the rumours, no she doesn’t. Her Suspiria character Suzy Banyon is mentioned at one point in the script but that’s it.

From Turin to Trieste and the Scienceplusfiction Festival where I introduced Pan’s Labyrinth (twice!) to packed out and appreciative audiences. I really like Trieste and the organizers of the festival are a terrific group (including our own Giovanni Barbo). The Brit contingent also included FrightFest habitué Kim Newman and the BFI’s John Oliver. Guests of honour were Terry Gilliam (“How come I can’t get Tideland released in Europe?”), French cult director Enki Bilal (Immortel) and Lamberto Bava, showing his latest (awful) movie Ghost Son. I was delighted to re-acquaint myself with Nicola Pecorini (Gilliam’s steadicam operator of choice) who I first met on Dario’s Two Evil Eyes (and The Sect), recently put out of action by a motorbike accident. He’s still limping but recovering nicely. Another delight was Austrian actress Franziska Weisz who took my bitchy comments about her film Hotel with such good grace I invited her to Frightfest if she should ever star in a less boring movie. She’s certain to set a few FrightFest hearts fluttering. As usual I made the Zampolli ice-cream parlour a daily routine and our latest favourite place became the hot chocolate shop Chocolat

I’ll be seeing Gilliam again this week because I’m in the documentary about The Adventures of Baron Munchausen which will be part of the extras when that film gets its DVD release later next year. I was actually on the Cinecitta set when the film fell apart and have told Gilliam that I will be as honest as I can in my recollections. What with that, two new films in production to cover (Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel and The Broken) plus a three-part documentary series being made by the BBC about Dance Culture through the ages (I’m down for the Disco/Hi-NRG sections), December looks rather busy.

Until the next time.