This is probably one of the more overlooked gems among Argento's movies. Although it has a solid script, good music, stunning tension, interesting cinematography, paranoia inducing atmosphere and a great story. First things first: Director: Dario Argento, Writers: Dario Argento, Luigi Cozzi and Mario Foglietti, Year of Release: 1971, Genre: Thriller/Horror, Subgenre: Giallo, Themes: Childhood trauma, paternal hatred, revenge, obsession and PTSD, Summary: A drummer in a jazz band is getting stalked by a man in black, in which he had enough and pursues him only to accidentally kill him. At the scene of murder a masked figure takes photos of him then proceeds to blackmail and wreak havoc in his private life. What I like most about this movie is the atmosphere then the script next. The atmosphere gives a vibe of paranoia and tension throughout the movie. It is that feeling of being constantly watched and stalked that gives the movie such an atmosphere, especially when the stalker/murderer gets in and out the house without any problem. As the plot progresses and the scheme unfolding the more the tension and paranoia mounts up.I like the script and I feel this is my favorite story Argento has come up with. Possibly because I relate to the murderer's motivation of getting revenge on her abusive father. She didn't get revenge because he died when she was in the asylum. Instead she found a man which reminded her of him. What makes it more disturbing is according to psychology we tend to choose our mates unconsciously of the opposite sex of our parents. Meaning for example if I were to choose a mate it would be someone who reminds me of my mother. The mind of Nina Tobias and her paternal hatred is portrayed correctly, people who had abusive parents tend to carry that hatred well into their adulthood and along the way might succumb to that obsession if not helped professionally. In Nina's case she succumb to that hatred and went insane and got pleasure through tormenting Roberto. The man who reminded her of his father. No wonder there wasn't any chemistry between the two main characters. Great story. Great plot. By the way, the slow-motion scenes with the bullet and the car crash are quite ahead of their time. I salute those scenes. I like the humor too, it might be a horror movie but I am the kind of person who does not mind a joke or two in a horror movie. The only reason I am not giving this movie 10/10 is because I feel the cinematography is still in the experimental state. Which Argento perfected in 'Profondo Rosso'. 9/10

This early Argento has the director's usual trademarks: a young man witnesses (or in this case, accidentally takes part in) a killing and finds himself next on a hit list, all the while being plagued by the same bizarre flash back. There are lots of P.O.V. shots through the killer's eyes, and of course, there's a flamboyant gay man, the giallo genre's version of the "black guy who dies first" in American horror movies.Gialli always end with revelation after revelation as we find out whodunit, and why. Oftentimes this feels rushed after all the build up of red herrings and far fetched murders and suspects disposed of. In that final moment of exposition, if you haven't been paying close attention, you won't be sufficiently surprised when the killer joins the dots."Four Flies on Grey Velvet" is the first giallo I've seen with the opposite problem. The ending feels staggered, and starts to drag on. The final killer's reasoning for doing what they did seems a bit too far fetched, even for a thriller, and the flashback sequence - shown without creepy lullaby music this time - is never explained.It is a top notch thriller up until this point, though. I liked Italian comedian Bud Spencer as a beatnik friend of the hero, and the final piece of evidence that links the killer to the crime, and explains the name of the movie, is well done.

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")

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.