Four Flies on Grey Velvet (1971) User Reviews (74)

Rare And Quite Different Argento-Giallo

[Witchfinder-General-666 · 7/10 · 10 April 2008]

"4 mosche di velluto grigio" aka. "Four Flies on Grey Velvet" is the last film in Dario Argento's animal trilogy, which also includes the brilliant "Bird With The Crystal Plumage" (1970) and the very stylish "Cat o' Nine Tails" (1971). This is certainly Argento's oddest film, and also by far the least widely known of his Gialli. While certainly not one of Argento's masterpieces, this strange, and highly interesting flick is nonetheless more than worth tracking down, for a variety of reasons.

When rock drummer Roberto (Michael Brandon) wants to take a guy to task who has been following him for days, the guy threatens him with a knife, and in the subsequent scuffle, Roberto accidentally stabs the guy to death. The incident is photographed by a masked psychopath, who subsequently begins to stalk Roberto and people close to him... Sounds like the beginning of a typical Giallo, but, apart from the typical formula of a mystery killer, murders from the killer's perspective, etc., this film differs from Argento's other Gialli in a variety of aspects. This is partly a very comedic Giallo, that, in some parts even features absurd slapstick humor. Several characters are purely satirical, such as a (very) gay private eye, or a sarcastic writer who likes narrating bizarre short stories. Another supporting role is played by none other than the ass-kicking cult actor/comedian Bud Spencer! The superb score by maestro Ennio Morricone is one more reason to watch this film. Dario Argento is one of my all-time favorite directors, and while "For Flies On Grey Velvet" is certainly not one of his highlights, it is definitely a weird and highly recommendable film that my fellow Italian Horror fans should not miss!

Very interesting for Argento fans

[ODDBear · 6/10 · 18 January 2008]

The most elusive of Argento's films has become more legendary than most simply because of the fact that it's been nearly unobtainable in a decent version. Most have had to do with very-below average bootlegs that render some of the film nearly unwatchable, and therefore pretty hard to judge. Recently an above average bootleg was released in terms of visual quality and a lot of scenes come to life and one is finally in a position to judge the film as a whole.

Story wise, Four Flies on Grey Velvet doesn't win any awards but it's a good set up for a thriller. Drummer Roberto Tobias (Michael Brandon) accidentally kills a stalker and is photographed while doing so. The masked fiend who snapped the shots starts threatening Roberto, and his wife (Mimsy Farmer) is very worried for her husband. As it turns out, the man who Roberto thinks he killed is very much alive, but not for long. Roberto hires a gay private investigator to find out the truth. Say more and I've ruined everything for the viewer.

If you look at Argento's work as a whole, Four Flies fits in very nicely. You can clearly see a young Argento experimenting with visual tricks that he would later do even better in later films. Story wise, the film is similar to some of his later works and even a bit of a rehash of his earlier ones. Some fundamental psychology concerning repressed guilt and anger (a very recurring theme in Argento's work) and once again the central character is an artist who's thrust into a dangerous world of lunatics and murder. This would be perfected in his next thriller Deep Red.

It's just that the film doesn't have enough material to keep the viewer on the edge of his seat. It drags on too long, many scenes (and not to mention some characters) are almost completely pointless. What's Bud Spencer doing here? He serves no narrative purpose but I'll admit it's fun to see the guy.

Plot wise, this is slim pickens. Argento and fellow writers were lazy this time around. The film has a dynamic start and immediately you're interested. If you've seen The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, my guess is you'll have the culprit here figured out before half time. Plus, there aren't many red herrings here and a lack of suspects make the guess that much easier.

But on to the good things. Certain sequences are very impressive. Brandon's encounter with his stalker in the beginning is beautifully filmed and stylish as hell. A murder that occurs in a park is masterfully realised. Very suspenseful, dreamlike and stylish. Not that dissimilar to Stefania Casini's chase sequence in Suspiria. Another murder sequence that sets up the film's title is also quite impressive. Last but not least the knockout ending (which can finally be appreciated now that there's a decent version available) deserves all the hype it's already gotten. An Argento film is never a complete dud (not even Phantom), it always has some things going for it.

Special nod must also go to Argento for taking things up a nodge and taking some risks. Feeling that the Giallo genre was drying up, Argento comes up with unique ways to keep audiences interested. That special camera, for instance, that captures the last image seen by a deceased person. Well, I've never heard of it and it's quite an idea. You gotta give Argento props for trying new things, even though they don't always work out.

It must be said that Argento should have gone with a different leading man. Michael Brandon is remarkably lifeless in almost every scene he's in. Mimsy Farmer fares better as Brandon's wife and that gay detective provides a few chuckles. That said, most of the comedy here is pretty silly and a little distracting.

But, as said above, this is Argento experimenting with visuals, editing and writing and his later films were better realised. I doubt this film will appeal to very many people but for fans of Argento there's plenty here to savour and enjoy.

Intriguing Title, Flawed Film

[claudio_carvalho · 6/10 · 11 March 2016]

The drummer of a rock and roll band Roberto Tobias (Michael Brandon) sees a man wearing sunglasses stalking him everywhere. He follows the man to a derelict opera house and when he confronts the stranger, he pulls a knife. However Roberto accidentally stabs him in self-defense and the man falls from the stage to the floor. Out of the blue, a spotlight is turned on and Roberto is photographed in the crime scene by a masked person on a theater box. Roberto leaves the place and returns home. On the next morning, he reads the newspaper the news about a stranger called Carlo Marosi that was murdered. During the night, Roberto and his wife Nina (Mimsy Farmer) welcome friends and Roberto finds a photo of the previous night entwined with his vinyls. He tells the truth to Nina and their maid Amelia (Maria Fabbri) overhears the story. While Robeto meets his friend Godfrey (Bud Spencer) to ask for help, Amelia schedules an encounter in the park with someone to blackmail with the photos she had found in the apartment; however Amelia is murdered in the park Meanwhile Nina's cousin Dalia (Francine Racette) arrives to stay with Nina. But soon Carlo Marosi appears eating at a restaurant and calling someone to meet him. What has happened in the opera house?

"4 mosche di velluto grigio" is a flawed film with am intriguing title. The atmosphere is suffocating most of the time; the camera work uses unusual angles and positions; the cast has good performance. But the plot point with the identity of the killer is weak and quite senseless. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Quatro Moscas Sobre Veludo Cinza" ("Four Flies on Grey Velvet")

Glad to Be Grey

[SJSondergaard · 15 March 2009]

As with the previous two entries in the unofficial Animal Trilogy, Four Flies on Grey Velvet is short on explicit gore but brimming with atmosphere and artistic ingenuity, with set-piece murders primed and mined for maximum tension. It was with this film that Argento began to cement his particular style and is something of a crucible for future ideas. The murder of Roberto's maid in a local park foreshadows John Saxon's fate in Tenebre, and with its sudden lapses in time and attempted escape through the cobwebbed space between two buildings (to a soundtrack of whispers and sighs) it also sows seeds that would flourish in Suspiria. Other visual motifs (crimson curtains, extreme close-ups, inanimate objects suddenly wielded by a seemingly maniacal camera) would be repeated or re-jigged in Deep Red, Phenomena and Opera.

Argento's original intention was to have a gay protagonist and though the character of Roberto is still open to such a reading - his victimisation being as a result of a fear of being outed (as a murderer) has obvious correlations (note also Brandon's shaggy mane v Farmer's gamine crop or the rather tame bathtub scene with Francine Racette which sees Roberto playfully seducing his mirror image) - the more overt references are passed to Jean-Pierre Marielle, who brings immense likability to a small role and whose swish factor is tempered by a steely determination to finally cracking a case. A frosty Farmer acquits herself well, though Brandon is merely okay. Argento's fascination with weird science (here ludicrous by design but ingenious in execution) gives the film its animal-themed title, and the finale boasts one of his greatest sequences - a stunning, slow-motion shot of a car impacting with the back of a lorry, which marries chillingly beautiful aesthetics to Hollywood folklore, scored with Morricone's haunting "Come un Madrigale".

Four Flies is a solid giallo and an important entry in the Director's canon which bears repeated viewing, blurring gender roles and sexual identity, adding subtext and hit and miss humour, asylum flashbacks, well-executed deaths and a recurring nightmare in the form of a sun-bleached, public beheading - the significance of which turns out to be twofold. It also has in spades what a good Argento giallo conveys like no other, that chilling feeling of something wholly alien on the loose in human form.

Argento in His Prime

[gavin6942 · 7/10 · 25 January 2013]

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.

"It will all work out. You'll see"

[hwg1957-102-265704 · 6/10 · 28 March 2021]

A rock musician accidentally kills a man and gets persecuted by a witness to the crime. But there is more to it than that. The story doesn't really hang together and the murderer easy to spot but it is punctuated by some good sequences redolent of director Argento's touch. The maid in the park scene was particularly excellent. There are comic scenes that seem out of place however, The music score when it occurs (some scenes are silent) is by Ennio Morricone and and a fine one it is.

Michael Brandon as the main lead only has two expressions and is overshadowed by Mimsy Farmer as his wife Nina, Jean-Pierre Marielle as the unsuccessful detective and Bud Spencer as his friend Godfrey. The movie is part of Argento's 'animal' trilogy and of the three in my opinion it is the weakest. But it's still a good film.

Bravura filmmaking

[moonspinner55 · 7/10 · 30 August 2017]

Deluxe giallo from writer-director Dario Argento, with a presentation so stylish it threatens to overwhelm the plot. Dedicated husband and drummer for a rock band angrily confronts a mysterious man who's been following him; they scuffle and the stranger ends up stabbed with his own knife. No one is around to help the shaken musician, but there is one witness: a person in costume with a camera. This isn't a blackmailer--they don't want money--but the musician is quickly taunted with photos and notes...and soon, the people closest to him start dropping like flies. Argento shows an uncanny grasp of character here, and his roster of victims and suspects is delicious (there's also a scripture-quoting con-man who acts as a lookout, a terrified postman afraid of delivering the mail and a gay gumshoe hired by the protagonist who hasn't solved one case in his last 87!). Argento is a cinematic madman; his screenplay might not hold up under close scrutiny, but it's hard to nitpick with the small details when the end results are this tantalizing. *** from ****

Prog rock giallo!

[Bezenby · 7/10 · 26 February 2013]

Is this film the lost classic that people have been harping on about? Well, that's all subjective I guess. I do like my gialli cheesy and groovy, and this film certainly has that – although it does feel slightly lacking in the 'investigative' side of things. Never mind though, as Argento goes for crazy imagery and comes up trumps in that respect.

A drummer for a prog-rock band finds himself being followed by a mysterious figure for an entire day. Losing his rag, he turns pursuer and ends up chasing the guy into a disused theatre, where he ends up stabbing the guy in a brief struggle. That's bad enough, but the person wearing the creepy mask and taking photos during the struggle is going to cause our guy all sorts of problems, as pictures start turning up in our hero's home, and someone is stalking around his house at night.

Who did our man kill? How does the cleaner know who the blackmailer is? And who keeps having flashbacks to an abusive father? A private investigator steps in to help, but I'm saying nothing more, except to say the bodies start piling up before our drummer can discover who's really behind the killings, and nothing is as it seems.

Like Bird with the Crystal Plumage and Cat O' Nine Tails, this early Argento giallo has a healthy dose of humour thrown to the proceedings, what with legend Bud Spencer playing God(frey), a tramp who helps out our drummer guy, a postman who keeps being berated and beaten, and the ultra-camp performance of the PI (a recurring theme in Argento's early films). The crazy visuals are brilliant throughout, and although I wouldn't say it's an outright classic (like Cat O Nine Tails, there's a lot of messing around), it's still a really good giallo.

Also like Cat O Nine Tails, there's a fairly dodgy scientific explanation for things that some people may find a bit hard to swallow, and instead of the killer being discovered through an earlier clue, they're kind of stumbled upon instead (and quite easy to guess). However, you've got to check it out.

Experimental early Argento

[Red-Barracuda · 9/10 · 1 August 2006]

Four Flies on Grey Velvet is Dario Argento's rarest genre film. It completes the Animal Trilogy and is the movie that preceded the magnificent Deep Red. Having never been officially available on video or DVD, Four Flies remains a bit of an enigma. It's fair to say that it is not an entirely successful movie – it has serious flaws in story and acting – however, it showcases early stylistic experimentation by Argento. And, as such, is an important entry of giallo cinema.

The story involves a rock drummer who accidentally kills a man and is drawn into a web of murder by a masked assassin who appears to have a vendetta against him.

The opening credit sequence is a memorable affair, incorporating pounding drums and close ups of a beating heart. This title sequence, however, is a good indicator of the inconsistencies of the film we are about to see, as included within this impressive opening is a silly section involving a fly that irritates rock drummer Brandon. The inclusion of this nonsense is an early example of one of the films major weaknesses – the comedy. It is never funny. We have a completely unfunny postman, a guru fisherman God who says absolutely nothing of interest at any point and a man with a moustache who tells a succession of abysmally unfunny stories to an audience of giggling women. Argento has never had flair for comedy, it's just not his arena and this film shows why. Imagine how bad a giallo directed by Woody Allen would be, well that's how bad comedy directed by Argento is.

But onwards and upwards. Thankfully he handles the suspense scenes very well indeed. We have the bizarre opening murder in the theatre witnessed by a highly creepy masked figure. A scary scene involving a girl hiding in a cupboard while the killer stalks outside. A sleazy episode in the underground. And, best of all, an excellent set-piece where a woman suddenly realises that she is alone in a menacing empty park that was previously filled with children and haunting carousel music playing over the tannoy. Four Flies is predominantly an exercise in suspense as all of these well handled sequences testify. The violence is restrained even for giallos of the period. Argento more than makes up for this with stylistic flourishes like the nice camera pan of the phone wires leading to the location of the killer, the shots of Michael Brandon driving his car quickly edited together with his subsequent POV approach to the private investigator's office and the deranged asylum flashback scenes. The movie is well shot with a number of inventive jump edits and unusual angles, giving a taste of Argento's films to come.

However, all of these excellent elements are strung together by a somewhat ridiculous plot. There are certainly holes here, for example, how could the newspapers report finding the body of the dead man if he's not actually dead?! And as for the 'four flies' revelation near the end, well I won't spoil it for anyone who hasn't seen the movie but it really is quite ridiculous. And the killer's motivations are, to say the least, uneven. The acting, too, is not helpful. Sadly, Michael Brandon resembles a plank of wood for the majority of his screen-time. His acting range stretches from 'a bit bored' to 'quite annoyed'. He certainly doesn't help draw the viewer in. And where Brandon under-acts, Mimsy Farmer over-acts. It makes for quite unusual viewing when they are on screen together. There is a lack of chemistry here for sure. In general, the exposition scenes are a bit clunky throughout the movie. And we even have a bit of unintentional humour in the exchanges between Brandon and the homosexual private investigator. If you turned the movie on at this point you could be forgiven for thinking you were watching Carry On Giallo.

The music is variable. This was the first movie where Argento incorporated rock music. From here on he would use it extensively. Similar to the rock music provided by future collaborators Goblin, the rock music here is strange, except here it is not strange in a good way. The vocalist sounds like a deaf man trying to copy Robert Plant. It's grim. And it's by Ennio Morricone so it's a bit of a shock but fortunately he also provides some good avant-garde jazzy compositions too. Much better.

Overall, despite its short-falls, Four Flies on Grey Velvet is too interesting a giallo movie to be disregarded. It is a key experimental work in Argento's cannon. It may be flimsy of plot and misguided of humour but, as is the way with giallo cinema, these elements have to be weighed against the more sensory aspects – the visuals, the music, the atmosphere. And happily, there is more than enough good to outweigh the bad.

Well made, but not very scary

[JasparLamarCrabb · 6/10 · 22 June 2013]

Dario Argento's giallo is certainly very well made but lacks any real scares. Michael Brandon is the drummer in a rock band who finds himself in deep trouble after accidentally killing a man who appeared to be stalking him. Soon people surrounding Brandon begin turning up dead. Creepy yes, but decidedly not scary, this Argento film benefits greatly from excellent acting, stylish cinematography and a very audacious music score by Ennio Morricone. Brandon is fine in the lead and it's always fun to see Bud Spencer in something other than a western. Mimsy Farmer is Brandon's girlfriend. Ordinarily one of the screen's most striking personalities, Farmer is really mis-used here...donning an unflatteringly short hairdo and kept off-screen for much of the action.

Stylish but dumb

[Dar_Sargent · 3/10 · 13 January 2023]

This movie has some of Argento's signature visual style, but it's just plain amateur, with incredibly bland, dislikable characters and a totally aimless story that quickly falls apart. Everything great about Argento's other movies is missing here: it fails at suspense, pacing, character development, and a twist ending. It could be worth a glance if you're curious about giallo history, but if you actually want a good story, this movie is just plain stupid and even insulting to its audience.

A lot of reviews on here absolutely gush about this film, and it's clear that many people love Argento's movies just for their visual style. But that is NOT enough to make a movie good! This movie isn't a slideshow of pretty pictures, it's a murder mystery, and its story is an embarrassing failure. Ignoring its huge flaws does everyone a disservice, including Argento, who sets a way higher bar with his other movies.

The plot is extremely simple: Our hero, Roberto, notices a strange man stalking him. He confronts the man and accidentally kills him while a masked figure takes photos of the murder. The photographer then threatens Roberto, murders the people around him, but strangely doesn't demand any blackmail. It would all be very mysterious, except for two things: 1) the villain obviously has a woman's voice, and 2 of the 3 female characters get killed off. Gee, I wonder who the villain could be. And 2) the movie tells us WAY too early that the villain was a former mental patient, so we know there's no clever revenge motive, the killer is just cuckoo.

A better film such as Argento's "Deep Red" gives us varied little glimpses into the killer's past, so at the end we have this great "aha!" moment of understanding how those images fit together. But in "Four Flies," Argento hadn't learned "show, don't tell" yet. So the killer just gives a cliched villain speech at the end, where she exposits her motivation in the most heavyhanded way possible, but she just tells us the same info we got from the insane asylum scenes earlier! It's not just hack writing, it's botching the most basic stuff.

So there's no setup to the mystery, and the payoff falls flat on its face. Besides that, the movie is mostly a disjointed mess of pointless time-wasting scenes. Our plank-of-wood "hero" Roberto never takes any action. He spends a lot of time saying the same whiny, mopey things over and over and over. But he also throws parties with his lame comic relief friends, and he keeps playing drums with his band. In fact, Roberto is such a brainless moron, he seems to totally forget about the whole "serial killer stalking me and my friends" thing, and he spends a totally carefree, jolly time rocking out with his bandmates while his girlfriend gets brutally stabbed to death.

Mind you, she tried calling him in the nick of time, and he could've saved her life, but he brushed her off because he was having too much fun. Oh, and she got murdered because he left her alone in his apartment, which he knows the killer has already repeatedly broken into. Great hero and great script, eh?

Roberto expresses no remorse for getting his girlfriend killed through his total stupidity, but that's OK because he's the "good guy" and we're just supposed to root for him. Oh, and also he's married (and strongly implied to be leeching off his wife's money) and instantly seduced this other girl the moment his wife's back was turned. That's a charmless scene, where Roberto gropes and paws at the girl despite her angry protests. She rightly calls him a pig, but she instantly falls for him anyway. Literally, there's a jump cut and she instantly goes from acting disgusted to being his obedient pet. It's like a 14-year-old virgin's fantasy, where he has no idea how he could actually seduce someone, so he just skips over that part. And after he's gotten his kicks from this girl, she's conveniently killed off. It's really really pathetic stuff. At points like this, the film goes from merely dumb to insulting and embarrassing.

There are a couple atmospheric chase scenes, and the film does deserve credit for being stylish and a bit surreal in these parts. The scene where Amelia, Roberto's maid, goes to a park and becomes increasingly fearful is the highlight of the movie. But these brief pieces can't compensate for what a sloppy, dumb mess the rest of the film is.

There's a reason this film is lesser-known. A lot of the reviews on here are misleading because they're written by hardcore Argento fans, but this film falls very short of Argento's usual standards. And even ignoring the director's other films, this is just an amateurish B-movie by any standard. If you've seen all the famous giallo movies and you're curious about the weaker ones, then this film would be interesting. But otherwise, you should spend your time on something better.

One of Argento's WEIRDEST. Definitely NOT one of his worst!

[Mario77 · 9/10 · 9 July 2001]

"Four Flies On Grey Velvet" is surely an odd, truly bizarre film, even by Dario Argento standards. In my opinion however, it most definitely is not a bad film, much less one of Argento's worst. Much of what is said about the film, by critics and fans alike, seems (to me) to wrongly condemn it. I definitely can understand why one might be frustrated by this film, but I don't believe that's a reason to reject it completely. Some may feel the acting and/or story isn't all that good. I would respectfully disagree. I feel the acting is strange and aloof, but I believe that it works in favor of the film; and the story is confusing, but that is typical for an Argento film, and as a viewer, I appreciate not being handed all of the answers on a platter. Perhaps what repels many viewers is consistently being displaced espacially within the film context; that is to say one (the viewer and/or the characters) doesn't necessarily always know where one is within the "reality" of the film or how one got there. Here, in what is perhaps Argento's most abstract film to date, the director makes some very bold, disarming choices with editing; choices I believe serve a greater purpose and add chillingly to the effectiveness of the film. For instance, the sequence in which the protagonist (Michael Brandon) is driving to the office of a private investigator. Shots of him driving in his car to the office are quickly intercut with gliding POV shots approaching the office building, going up the stairs, nearing the office door. The effect is that of feeling as if he is literally driving up the stairs and down the hallway to the office door, creating a tense and strangely humorous sequence of events. This editing technique, prevalent throughout the film, is surely a forceful presence and I suppose could turn off some viewers. Regardless of the editing, the atmosphere and visual punch of the film is pure Argento, albeit an Argento who was still developing his technique and discovering his style. There are many beautiful and stunning visuals to be appreciated, including the violent, shocking ending sequence and a very creepy chase scene in an otherworldly city park. My favorite visual flourish in this film is the reoccuring nightmare had by the protagonist, in which a Middle Eastern execution is taking place in a bleached out desert dreamscape; thoroughly chilling. A frantic, highly enjoyable score from the master Ennio Morricone adds greatly to the proceedings as well. I really like this film, despite whatever flaws it may have, and have but one question for anyone who thinks "Four Flies On Grey Velvet" is (one of) Argento's worst... "Have you seen "The Five Days Of Milan" or his "Phantom of The Opera"?

Definitely not for everyone's tastes, but a certain must for any Argento fan, Euro-horror fan, or anyone who just really wants to be daring and see something totally different.

Definitely worth the wait

[acidburn-10 · 7/10 · 9 February 2015]

I have been waiting a long time to view this film, after the first 2 parts in Argento's brilliant animal trilogy "Bird with the Crystal Plumage" and "Cat O' Nine Tails" which were both excellent in their own ways, and "Four Flies on Grey Velvet" has always been hard to find and perhaps least remembered. Then when I finally got round to seeing it, well I was pleasantly fulfilled, okay it's not as strong as the other 2 and may be a bit flawed, but still manages to shine with yet another intriguing storyline and fascinating characters and plot twists.

The storyline here is we have a drummer in a rock band named Roberto Tobias whose straight away being stalked by a man and when he confronts him, he pulls out a knife and tries to attack him, but after the struggle the stalker gets stabbed. A mysterious masked stranger took photographs of the entire incident and later begins to taunt him and starts to murder people in his life.

Okay "Four Flies" may lack the elegance and style of the first part of the animal trilogy, but it still packs a punch, especially the masked stranger, with that freaky mask which is truly terrifying and you definitely feel a sense of dread whenever this person is around and the opening of this movie was a very interesting concept and then the growing paranoia of the lead character begins to grow and grow as he wonders what's gonna happen next is truly tense. Along with several stylish murder scenes such as the maid in the park as she's running towards the gate, was beautifully shot and terrifying, and the girl hiding in the cupboard kept me on the edge of my seat and the nerve racking outcome made me jump out of my skin. Even the final reveal was well executed and was a total shock, and the medical experiment which utilizes the four files was truly exciting, especially when it's played out in the end, and the shocking aftermath was a truly brilliant and thrilling experience and one that will be remembered forever.

The performances were solid in this one and even the supporting cast were memorable and great as well. Michael Brandon gave a good performance as the lead character and Mimsy Farmer also gave an interesting performance and gives a great screen presence, especially towards the end. Jean Pierre Marielle also gives a standout supporting performance as the private investigator and was truly hilarious and really makes you feel for his character.

All in all a good ending to the animal trilogy and okay may not be as strong as the other two, but still worth a watch with its good storyline, intriguing mystery and fantastic ending that neatly wraps everything up.

2 stars for 4 Flies

[brefane · 2/10 · 22 March 2017]

Four Flies on Grey Velvet like most of Dario Argento's films has striking music, editing, and cinematography, but it is confusing, talky, aimless and slow moving. The main character played by a dull Michael Brandon responds to the situation he's got himself into with only mild concern and considerable stupidity. The actions of various supporting characters make little sense as well, and except for a few well-done Hitchcock-inspired scenes, the film is not gripping and you don't really care about the fate of its characters. It's rather unpleasant and pointless like the repeated shot of a beheading that foreshadows the film's arbitrary ending. The film contains a number of Argento's trademarks, but it lacks pace, and the plot lacks shape and cohesiveness. Like DePalma at his worst, Argento spends most of his energy on a few set pieces.

Not a film for everyone

[dien · 7/10 · 14 September 2012]

I had heard about the giallo genre and had been curious to check out a film or two. I grabbed the very first one that I came across and it turned out to be this film.

The first thing to strike me was the camera work. Of course, by today's standards it seems outdated, but judging a film from the 1970s by today's standards is simply wrong. Argento's direction is captivating and conveys the feeling of being stalked very well. Audience can feel the paranoia of the main protagonist. There were some moments that would stand out even today (especially the ending) As for the plot, it's a murder mystery with some blackmailing thrown in, but finding out who the murderer is is not that complicated. I found the plot rather weak. The characters seemed quite stereotypical (the gay detective is hilariously funny). we also get some psychology explanation (that really doesn't explain much) and probably the stupidest murder motive I have ever seen in a film. I'm sorry, but it was seriously disappointing.

So did I like it? I think yes, I did. But it's definitely not a film for everyone. It's slow and more atmospheric than bloody. Yet it does have a certain charm of its own.

The art of murder

[p-stepien · 7/10 · 18 December 2010]

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.

Boring

[manu-37 · 31 January 2000]

The beginning is OK, the end is OK. But the remaining 100 minutes are boring. The story is pretty slow and talkative. There are characters who are supposed to be funny and who are just dull.(Except Jean-Pierre Marielle as the gay detective who was great. Not interesting. It was time for Argento to leave thriller for fantastic. 4/10 (and i feel like a nice person)

the final quarter of an hour is great

[christopher-underwood · 6/10 · 24 July 2017]

I'm pretty sure I have never sen this before. I had a ropey video copy that I never got round to watching and later a DVD but still wasn't particularly drawn despite a certain fascination with the death's last image on the retina theory. With a new Blu-ray the time seemed right so in it went. It starts well enough and if we have seen many similar theatrical set ups from Argento, this may have been the first. But almost immediately a problem arises, Michael Brandon lacks presence and Mimsy Farmer plays it very flat indeed (in retrospect one realises this is because of what will be revealed about her) but it does not help. A scene with the maid in the park is very lacklustre until it leaps into life with a narrow passage way and cobwebs, although our interest in the maid is nil. There are flashes of style and glimmers that this might rise up but the writing is so uninteresting and then there are those Italian stereotypes and Argento's total inability to inject humour. I know that many Italian movies of this time would suddenly go all wobbly if there was a hairdresser or photographer or interior designer - you get my drift and the most awful camping about would ensue for a couple of minutes - here it seems interminable and completely spoils any build up in the very slender story. Having said all that, the final quarter of an hour is great. Mimsy comes alive and Argento shows just why he is so loved and how he would produce several masterpieces - just not this time around.

There's more to the picture than meets the retina.

[ulicknormanowen · 7/10 · 9 January 2020]

"4 mosche" is not on a par with " uccello dalle plume di cristallo " or "profondo rosso" .The lead ,Michael Brandon , is a weak lead ,lacking charisma ;as for his musical talents ...On the other hand , Mimsy Farmer's role is thoroughly underwritten,which is really too bad ,because she has beauty,talent and mystery going for her and her last scene blows the viewer's mind .Her appearance is much too short in the graveyard (but the actress makes the best of it) .

But Argento's touch can be felt here there and everywhere.He's second to none when it comes to making a place threatening. The sense of space which Argento displays is mind-boggling: depth of field,high and low angle shots,impressive lighting effects.His characters become Tom Thumb lost in the huge forest:think of the ballerina ,running away through the corridors ("Suspiria" ),James Franciscus in the graveyard ("il gatto...) ,Tony Musante in the lighthouse (Ucello ...),or Irene Miracle in the basement (Inferno).Here see what he does with a scene in a public garden where peaceful children are playing :little by little,he frightens his character with a science of pace many of his horror and fantasy colleagues could envy .

There's also in some of his works a bent towards science or sci-fi : the last picture on retina trick is brilliant and spawns a dazzingly display of virtuosity;remember the strange sounds on the tape in the highly superior "uccello" or the entomologist in "phenomena" .

Although not one of his best ," 4 Mosche" contains his finest black humor : "a person who dies in this place will be given a 10% discount"

Final in The Animal Trilogy and a Good Scary One Too

[irishcoffee630 · 8/10 · 21 July 2003]

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.

Early Argento giallo foreshadows amusing (but preposterous) things to come.

[coldwaterpdh · 7/10 · 3 May 2009]

"Four Flies on Grey Velvet" is a tough movie to find and I'm not sure why. Pretty much every other Argento film is now widely available, yet this was just finally released here in the states in a passable DVD format, remastered and great-looking.

It's impressive how this is Argento's least-seen giallo, yet not his worst, in my opinion. The story is engaging and interesting right from the get-go as a man, Roberto, is tormented by a man who he ends up 'accidentally murdering.' The plot twists and turns in typical Argento fashion until we finally learn who the real killer is. No black gloves in this one, and I think the film is better for that.

My only question is: why did the killer do it? That is never really made clear. But does it really matter? We watch these for the brilliant cinematography, the mood and of course, the score.

"Four Flies on Grey Velvet" has one of the best Morricione soundtracks I have heard.

7 out of 10, kids.

Not crazy about this one.

[Jeremy_Urquhart · 5/10 · 30 July 2023]

Four Flies on Grey Velvet has one of the worst protagonists I've seen in a movie in a good while.

It's also a little boring, when it comes to pacing and what it's actually about, though there are a few creative sequences spread thinly throughout, and the film's strange sense of humor kind of helped make it a little more interesting.

Otherwise, I feel like this'll only really do it for people who really love Dario Argento movies. I've never been the biggest fan (I definitely like a bunch), but I don't think this is up there among his better ones. As such, maybe Four Flies on Grey Velvet's recommendable to those who feel starved for classic giallo, but even then, a recommendation of that sort still couldn't be too enthusiastic.

Finally ... It's on DVD

[octavalvehandle · 8/10 · 30 June 2009]

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

Another stylish and brutal horror-mystery from Italian director Dario Argento

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 2 April 2022]

Nice film by Horrormeister Dario Argento that delivers the goods with intrigue , well-staged killings and terror enough . Roberto : Michael Brandon, is a drummer in a rock band being stalked by a mysterious man .Then an unknown maniac person blackmails him , resulting in fateful consequences . Roberto and his wife: Mimsy Farmer attempt to solve the mystery and find out the heinous killer who is attacking them. When the flies start to crawl , so will you flesh.. If you dare to see it alone , make sure someone escorts you home . From the Master of terror who gave you The Bird with Crystal Plumage ! .It is 4 times more suspenseful ! Caugh between the truth and a murderer's hand!

The film packs suspense, horror, effective aesthetic , plot twists , intrigue and being a very exciting terror-thriller . The movie is formed by a series of Giallo horror set pieces that are shot in eye-poping style and ordinarily getting hints to solve the crimes until a surprising final twist . This " 4 mosche di velluto grigio" or " Four Flies on Gray Velvet" 1971 belongs to "Argento's Animal trilogy" along with "The cat of nine tails" and "Bird with the Crystal Plumage" . Like those , this "4 Flies on Gray Velvet " is slim on plot and a bit too talky , but Dario Argento builds intrigue , suspense and tension beautifully with rich atmosphere and driving exciting musical score composed by the great Ennio Morricone . Stars Michael Brandon who gives an acceptable acting as the deranged musician who becomes involved into a twisted criminal plot , while Mimsy Farmer performs his beautiful wife , being accompanied by a fine support , such as: Jean Pierre Marielle, Aldo Bufi Landi, Bud Spencer , among others . The motion picture was competently directed by talented filmmaker Dario Argento in his usual style , as he is considered to be a master of arty gore and horror . And his other works in terror genre include " Creepers" , "Suspira" , "Deep Red" , "Inferno" , "Opera" , "La Síndrome Di Stendhal", "Insomnio" , "Giallo ", "Ti Piace , Hitchcock ?" , "La Terza Madre" , and several others . Rating : 6.5/10 . The flick will appeal to Dario Argento fans .

As good a place to start as any

[Jerry-93 · 5/10 · 19 August 1999]

Most established directors must look back on their earlier work and say "what was I thinking?" Horror maestro Dario Argento must think that when he looks at this rather odd early film. The premise is an intriguing one: a drummer accidently kills a man in self defense; a masked stranger who photographed the act blackmails the drummer, and then decides to go on a murder spree of his own. Unfortunately, Argento doesn't do much with it. He turns what could have been a fairly good movie into a boring and confusing mess. It's nearly impossible to figure out what's going on from one moment to the next, characters who have no bearing on the story are introduced and long overstay their welcome, and it never really is made clear exactly what the killer wants. Speaking of which, wait til you see who the killer is; it's an absolute impossibility for the killer to be this person. But, being as it is Argento, there are some nice visual touches: the laser that can photograph the last image an eye sees, a woman's head bouncing down the stairs (while still attached to her body), and the slow, slow motion death of the killer. Overall, a disappointment.