Malleus' "Profondo Rosso" Movie Posters

Deep Red is one of my favorite Argento films, not my all-time favorite mind you, but definitely in the top three. Not only does it feature one of the coolest, albeit short, intros ever put to celluloid (I love the theater with its massive red curtains and the smooth tracking footage escorting us through its hallways), the film also boasts one hell of a freaky children's song (I picture a choir exclusively populated by the kids from Village of the Damned). There's a lot to like about Deep Red or as it's known in its native land, Profondo Rosso, and thankfully Malleus Rock Art Lab has again joined Dark City Gallery to continue their excellent Argento poster series, crafting an exquisitely grotesque print in celebration of Dario's fifth film.

Profondo Rosso Movie Poster (Regular)
Malleus
19.5" x 27.5" - Signed & Numbered
£40 - Limited to 145

I'm going to start this review by mentioning the first thing that entered my mind when I saw these prints: is that a freaking eyeball?! Yes, extreme close-ups of eyes don't exactly reside in my comfort zone. I think it has something to do with the fact that our eyes are so vulnerable to the elements, both natural (sand) and not so natural (a rusty blade, a screwdriver, probing fingers, sharp needles, dull needles, basically any type of needle), but the skill and style with which Malleus has made the eye and its lashes a framing device is super impressive. More than that though, the eye plays an important part in the movie's plot and is a fitting inclusion in the print's design. It should be noted that Deep Red was a film that featured not only some visually striking kills, but also played around with some rather heady ideas about gender roles and sexuality. For example, Argento specifically uses a close-up of an eye with mascara being applied to possibly suggest the killer may be of the female variety, but wait a minute, throughout the film's running time we meet other characters, not all women, that could also potentially fit this mold. Deep Red is a film that continually asks you rethink your assumptions and this is a poster that ably draws on that ambiguous imagery to do the same.

There's a lot of other great touches too, including the addition of the zipper from the killer's leather gloves, the depiction of Helga's death with the eye's surface acting as her shattered window (complete with broken glass below), and the revoltingly beautiful typography that's sinuously growing from the thinly drawn eyelashes. These are beautiful posters and deserve to be in the home of anyone who appreciates both good design and a genuine giallo masterpiece.

Profondo Rosso Movie Poster (Variant)
Malleus
19.5" x 27.5" - Signed & Numbered
£60 - Limited to 95

Both the regular and variant versions of Malleus' Profondo Rosso (AKA Deep Red) movie posters are currently available through Dark City Gallery's online storefront. The regular print costs £40 (around $63) and is limited to an edition of 145, while the variant is limited 95 and costs £60 (approximately $94). If you'd like to know more about Dark City Gallery and see what else they have for sale, be sure to visit darkcitygallery.com and follow @darkcitygallery. And to learn about the artist collective known as Malleus Rock Art Lab head over to malleusdelic.com and follow them on Twitter @malleusdelic. And if Blue Underground's impressive Deep Red blu-ray is just a bit too much money for you, the film is currently streaming on Netflix! Go watch it! After you buy a poster, that is.

Malleus' "The Bird with the Crystal Plumage" Movie Posters

UPDATE (1/2): I was a little early with my guesstimated release time, but the regular version of the print is now available for purchase through Dark City Gallery! The variant has already sold out, so now's your chance! Go, go, go!

It's hard to believe I've never written about anything created by the supremely talented Malleus Rock Art Lab, but that's all about to change thanks to a series of what are sure to be beautiful movie prints. To my great pleasure, Dark City Gallery recently announced that they're teaming up with Malleus to celebrate nine, yes NINE, of Dario Argento's key films. The first of those films is the 1970 giallo entry, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, or as it's known in its native land, L'uccello dalle piume di cristallo. Behold!

L'uccello dalle piume di cristallo Movie Poster (Regular)
Malleus
19.5" x 27.5" - Signed and Numbered
£40 (around $63) - Limited to 175

I think I'm in love. I'm not sure I've ever seen posters that more perfectly reflect the tone and innate Italianism of Argento's giallo filmography. This is a bit of a tangent, but if you've ever seen an older Italian film, whether it's The Bird with the Crystal Plumage or A Fistful of Dollars, you probably noticed the somewhat questionable dubbing on display. The same can be said of the locales featured in early Italian cinema - whether the story claims to take place in New York or London, there's usually one or more scenes featuring a distinctly Italian or Spanish setting that clearly state otherwise. I mention this, not as a comment on Malleus' extraordinary artwork, but to illustrate how, even when an Italian film was trying not to be Italian, there were some pretty clear (and now nostalgically charming) giveaways. Could there be a better group of artists to pay tribute to Argento's directorial debut than the Italy-based Malleus Rock Art Lab? Based on the two prints included in this post, I'd say it's a pretty clear "no."

Malleus has done a masterful job of injecting the posters with the mysterious and violent elements that made Argento's films so titillatingly fun to watch, but also manages to make it wholly their own (seriously, nobody does sentient hair like Malleus does). And much like the film, the artist(s) managed to blend the gory and disgusting, as represented by the bloody splatter, with the beautiful and graceful, as exemplified by the titular bird behind the film's title. As far as I'm concerned, these posters are breathtaking in their execution and bode very well for the rest of the Dario Argento print series. I can't wait to see what's next! Logically, my money is on The Cat o' Nine Tails.

L'uccello dalle piume di cristallo Movie Poster (Metallic Ink Variant)
Malleus
19.5" x 27.5" - Signed and Numbered
£60 (around $93) - Limited to 70

Malleus' The Bird with the Crystal Plumage movie posters will be available through Dark City Gallery on Monday (12/2) at around noon GMT, meaning 4 AM PST (i.e., very early for us West Coasters). The posters measure 19.5" x 27.5" and will be signed, stamped and numbered. The regular version will cost £40 (approximately $63) and be limited to 175, while the metallic variant will cost £60 ($93) and is limited to an edition of 70. To learn more about Posterocalypse favorite Dark City Gallery, be sure to visit darkcitygallery.com and follow them on Twitter @darkcitygallery. And to learn about the artist collective known as the Malleus Rock Art Lab head over to malleusdelic.com and follow @malleusdelic. Pretty simple, right? Good luck people!