Argento said about this movie

I simply adore this flick since it has a clever script, that 70's stylish atmosphere and a solid direction. I think it's a masterpiece.

But Dario Argento said in an interview that when it was released he wasn't happy at all for the result. He thought the movie was too much similar to an american detective story due to the fights, the chasings on roofs and between cars and obviuously the presence of the two leading actors (Franciscus and Malden).

As a matter of fact the movie was a co-production with the National General Pictures that was an american film company which wanted Argento to call two american stars who were top representative at that time.
Even though Argento was well impressioned by the talented actors and the way Karl Malden fit his role by asking details about Arno's past and family, he had originally planned to put into the movie a more french noirish style.

So this is why he was disapponted and didn't understand why people keep on loving the picture even though it was far from his intentions.

The interview is reported in the book "Dario Argento: confessioni di un maestro dell'horror" by Fabio Maiello.

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