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      The Bird With the Crystal Plumage

      PG Released Jun 12, 1970 1h 38m Mystery & Thriller List
      85% Tomatometer 40 Reviews 80% Audience Score 5,000+ Ratings An American writer, Sam Dalmas (Tony Musante), is living in Rome with his girlfriend, Julia (Suzy Kendall). While visiting an art gallery, Sam witnesses an unsuccessful murder attempt by a mysterious figure. As the assailant is believed to be an infamous serial killer, Sam quickly becomes a key witness in the ongoing police investigation. After he begins searching for clues that may help him identify the killer, Sam discovers that he may be the next intended victim. Read More Read Less Watch on Fandango at Home Premiered Jan 16 Buy Now

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      The Bird With the Crystal Plumage

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      The Bird With the Crystal Plumage

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      Critics Consensus

      Combining a deadly thriller plot with stylized violence, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage marks an impressive horror debut for Dario Argento.

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      Critics Reviews

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      Joseph Gelmis Newsday A middling potboiler that suffers from being dubbed and full of holes so wide you can drive a Ferrari through them. Sep 27, 2022 Full Review William B. Collins Philadelphia Inquirer A certain amount of ingenuity lifts The Bird with the Crystal Plumage above the run-of-the-mill murder mystery. Sep 27, 2022 Full Review Myles Standish St. Louis Post-Dispatch This Italian Hitchcock keeps the tension high, a taut suspense that grabs the viewer, and an effective atmosphere of menace and horror. Sep 26, 2022 Full Review Joe Baltake Philadelphia Daily News Dario Argento has indeed whipped up a creeper to send chills up and down the spine. Sep 27, 2022 Full Review Eric Atkins Tampa Bay Times Enough to make you clutch your partner in sheer delightful fright. Sep 26, 2022 Full Review John Bustin Austin American-Statesman It's all rather contrived and hackneyed, and even a devotee of old-fashioned mystery pictures won't get more than a very routine sort of entertainment from it. Sep 26, 2022 Full Review Read all reviews

      Audience Reviews

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      Suzan L My favorite Argento film. I finally got to see it on the big screen. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/02/21 Full Review Jon N An excellent giallo, possibly one of Argento's best. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/29/23 Full Review Landen R An outstanding directorial debut for Dario Argento. Though nowhere near as gory as his later films "Profondo rosso" (1975) or "Tenebre" (1982), "L'uccello dalle piume di cristallo" (1970) is a beautifully shot and disturbing film that opened the floodgates for future gialli films that would be made throughout the early 70s to late 80s. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/10/24 Full Review Johnny D It has a couple of interesting scenes, especially the opening scene. But for the most part I found this film just plain boring. Maybe the problem is I couldn't appreciate any of the characters. Everyone seemed to be acting so weird and unnaturally. The film score was also distracting, and struck me as wildly inappropriate at times. I guess it has historical importance and may have been considered entertaining in its day, but in my opinion it has failed the test of time. Terrible film. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 10/09/23 Full Review Georgan G 2.5 stars. Too long, not believable, just not all that great. Hard to tell what is going on as the subtitles are poor. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 08/07/23 Full Review JJJJJJ J Quality giallo. Beautifully shot, with a plot that keeps you on the edge until the end. It is definitely a "giallo" and follows the tropes but that by no means makes it a boring film. A must watch for any hard core giallo fan but also a good watch for anyone curious about the genre. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 05/22/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      The Bird With the Crystal Plumage

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      Movie Info

      Synopsis An American writer, Sam Dalmas (Tony Musante), is living in Rome with his girlfriend, Julia (Suzy Kendall). While visiting an art gallery, Sam witnesses an unsuccessful murder attempt by a mysterious figure. As the assailant is believed to be an infamous serial killer, Sam quickly becomes a key witness in the ongoing police investigation. After he begins searching for clues that may help him identify the killer, Sam discovers that he may be the next intended victim.
      Director
      Dario Argento
      Distributor
      Universal Marion Corporation
      Production Co
      CCC Filmkunst GmbH, Seda Spettacoli, Glazier
      Rating
      PG
      Genre
      Mystery & Thriller
      Original Language
      Italian
      Release Date (Theaters)
      Jun 12, 1970, Wide
      Release Date (Streaming)
      Oct 29, 2017
      Runtime
      1h 38m
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