Dario Argento's Trauma (1993)

General wisdom has it that Dario Argento shot his wad on Opera and has done nothing of note since. This film, the first he made after that last gasp of brilliance, certainly supports the above theory -- it's a lumpy and shapeless mess of a movie. All the pieces are in place for a classic Argento giallo, but the script never gels. Argento's scripts are always digressive and nonsensical, but this feels like a first draft that was written in Italian and translated badly into English. Even the direction feels subdued. There is a titty shot for Asia, which is always appreciated, but considering Daddy is behind the camera it's also a li'l bit creepy (though not as creepy as the rape scenes in The Stendhal Syndrome). If you were to ask, I would probably tell you that this qualifies as Argento's worst film (says he who has not seen The Phantom of the Opera).

Grade: D+