For a fan of Rome-born director Dario Argento, being able to see Four Flies on Grey Velvet, his fourth film and released in 1972, is a rare treat. It's not yet available on DVD in the U.S., and theater showings are few and far between. Fortunately, it was shown in my neck of the woods — Hollywood, that is — as part of the American Cinematheque's ode to Italian thrillers.

Four Flies on Grey Velvet is a little reminiscent of Michelangelo Antonioni's Blowup at first, as a four-piece band grooves out a funky beat and then someone sees something… there's a photographer… and things go terribly wrong.