Dark Bar is an almost completely unknown Italian thriller made in the late eighties. The style of the film is very trashy (undoubtedly helped somewhat by the obvious low budget) and I wouldn't be surprised to find that it takes more than a little influence in that respect from trashy American films such as Fatal Attraction. Still, I have to say that I liked the atmosphere. Unfortunately, however, that's all I liked about this film as the plot is uninteresting and difficult to follow. Basically, all we have to go on is that the lead character is investigating the disappearance of druggy sister. Numerous plot twists follow. Really though the plot is only difficult to follow because it's all so boring - there's not an interesting or emotive character in sight and that's condemning. The film is often thrown in with the Giallo subgenre (my reason for seeing it) and while I wouldn't really say that the film is a Giallo, it's no less a Giallo than genre entries such as Body Count, Blood Link and Evil Senses that mimic certain elements of the style but don't really do enough to be seriously considered. Anyway, the film basically just drones on for the running time and we are served up with a rather predictable ending. Hardcore Giallo fans may want to track this one down...but in all honesty, I wouldn't bother.
8 Reviews
Much of this is very stylish
christopher-underwood15 April 2014
Much of this is very stylish and well done but equally, maybe more than that is not so stylish or well done. Great start with every chance this is going to turn out to be a stunning giallo. Unfortunately for the film and our viewing pleasure, the lovely Barbara Cupisti doesn't last too long and from her demise on the film falters. There are good scenes but there are so many really silly to bad sequences of people chasing each other and having weak fist fights. Wherever this was set must have had the plague at the time for all the streets and buildings seem deserted, but for our characters chasing each other again and again. One giant plus is that for an 80s film the music is surprisingly good. Instead of the usual, way over the top, anthem like shrieking this has a decent jazzy score. Even so nothing can save this very mixed bag.
Answering Machines working overtime
Coventry4 October 2023
Is "Dark Bar" a Giallo? It's highly debatable, or at least according to yours truly, and - trust me - there's absolutely nothing I love more than discovering new and obscure Gialli titles. Some of the trademarks are undeniably present. It's Italian, obviously, and it features a mean person dressed in black - including matching hat and gloves - who brutally kills a couple of women. But this person, he or she, shoots the victims with a gun (Giallo-blasphemy) and they are murdered for their involvement in drug trafficking and blackmail affairs rather than for simply being fashion models or scarcely dressed prostitutes. That's another big Giallo-no-go.
Writer/director Stelio Fiorenza, whoever he was, clearly wanted his biggest movie project NOT to come across as Giallo but as a film-noir and an erotic thriller, like the contemporary popular "Fatal Attraction" or "Body Double". The actress who seemingly gets introduced as the lead character, Elisabeth, is involved up to her neck in the clandestine activities that take place in the titular Dark Bar. That is, until she's mercilessly shot in the ladies' room. Her sister Anna, a promising musician, gets worried and starts digging in Elisabeth's private life with the help of boyfriend. Needless to say, it's now Anna who finds her own life in mortal danger.
The film's intentions are good, but the storyline is too thin and there are too few moments of genuine suspense or harsh action to make it interesting. "Dark Bar" is slow-paced and borderline dull, and there's nothing even remotely original about Fiorenza's script. The only noteworthy element, perhaps, is the director's obsession with answering machines. It's amazing how much of the running time is spent on people either speaking messages into, or listening to recorded messages on, answering machines. It goes as far as characters even repeatedly listening to the messages they recorded themselves, or the police leaving a message to inform Anna they found the sister's body!
Writer/director Stelio Fiorenza, whoever he was, clearly wanted his biggest movie project NOT to come across as Giallo but as a film-noir and an erotic thriller, like the contemporary popular "Fatal Attraction" or "Body Double". The actress who seemingly gets introduced as the lead character, Elisabeth, is involved up to her neck in the clandestine activities that take place in the titular Dark Bar. That is, until she's mercilessly shot in the ladies' room. Her sister Anna, a promising musician, gets worried and starts digging in Elisabeth's private life with the help of boyfriend. Needless to say, it's now Anna who finds her own life in mortal danger.
The film's intentions are good, but the storyline is too thin and there are too few moments of genuine suspense or harsh action to make it interesting. "Dark Bar" is slow-paced and borderline dull, and there's nothing even remotely original about Fiorenza's script. The only noteworthy element, perhaps, is the director's obsession with answering machines. It's amazing how much of the running time is spent on people either speaking messages into, or listening to recorded messages on, answering machines. It goes as far as characters even repeatedly listening to the messages they recorded themselves, or the police leaving a message to inform Anna they found the sister's body!
Dark Bar
BandSAboutMovies24 January 2024
Warning: Spoilers
Dark Bar is a secret place where people can do drugs and have sex together and keep it a secret. However, Elisabetta (Barbara Cupisti, who was as close as you get to a giallo queen in 1989, showing up in Stagefright, Opera and The New York Ripper, as well as Eleven Days, Eleven Nights and Cemetery Man) plans on blackmailing someone and that gets her killed. Now, her jazz trombone playing sister Anna (Marina Suma) looks into her sister's death which puts whoever killed Elisabetta after her.
This movie breaks the mold not only by having its black gloved killer have a gun as their murder weapon but also by the discovery of Elisabetta's body in the next stall while the janitor makes love to someone else. It's a great shot as sex is happening feet away from a grisly corpse.
This has Richard Hatch in it, which is an American star, sure. It also has a jazz score by Carlo Siliotto (The House of the Blue Shadows) which is a lot different from other gialli. Director and writer Stelio Fiorenza only shot three shorts and this movie, as well as working as an assistant director on Very Close Encounters of the Fourth Kind and Play Motel. He includes some cool touches, like a high heel telephone - what is it with late 80s Italian exploitation and weird telephones? - and Cupisti's dress that is covered in eyeballs. And the Dark Bar itself feels like an Italian director who watched a few Lynch movies and decided that it should also be punk rock and I am all for all of these things. The bad guys all wear fedoras and are the henchmen of a blind woman who listens to sea shells and the tarot for what to do next.
It's not good but it's interesting which is sometimes better than good. It definitely has ideas and style. Style goes a long way in a giallo especially a late 80s one. I really wish someone would gather some of these - Vinegar Syndrome, if you really want your Forgotten Gialli set to live up to its name, release this - and share them with people who don't want to hunt them down on Russian hack sites without subtitles.
This movie breaks the mold not only by having its black gloved killer have a gun as their murder weapon but also by the discovery of Elisabetta's body in the next stall while the janitor makes love to someone else. It's a great shot as sex is happening feet away from a grisly corpse.
This has Richard Hatch in it, which is an American star, sure. It also has a jazz score by Carlo Siliotto (The House of the Blue Shadows) which is a lot different from other gialli. Director and writer Stelio Fiorenza only shot three shorts and this movie, as well as working as an assistant director on Very Close Encounters of the Fourth Kind and Play Motel. He includes some cool touches, like a high heel telephone - what is it with late 80s Italian exploitation and weird telephones? - and Cupisti's dress that is covered in eyeballs. And the Dark Bar itself feels like an Italian director who watched a few Lynch movies and decided that it should also be punk rock and I am all for all of these things. The bad guys all wear fedoras and are the henchmen of a blind woman who listens to sea shells and the tarot for what to do next.
It's not good but it's interesting which is sometimes better than good. It definitely has ideas and style. Style goes a long way in a giallo especially a late 80s one. I really wish someone would gather some of these - Vinegar Syndrome, if you really want your Forgotten Gialli set to live up to its name, release this - and share them with people who don't want to hunt them down on Russian hack sites without subtitles.
So noir and blue!
andrabem-124 September 2009
Elizabeth (Barbara Cupisti) has an appointment in the Dark Bar – drugs, blackmail and always on the run for money. This time she thinks she's made it. But, alas, the Dark Bar is the last place where she's seen alive. Anna, Elizabeth's sister, with the help of Marco (a friend of Elizabeth) goes looking for her missing sister. But Elizabeth's corpse is discovered. She was mixed in something bigger than herself – blackmail can be dangerous! Elizabeth kept hidden informations concerning important people and the killers assume that Anna (Marina Suma) probably knows something. Now Anna is the target. Anna and Marco (Richard Hatch) will try to unveil the mystery, but the killers are after them.
"Dark Bar" is very stylish – good cameras and an intelligent and fast editing. The acting feels natural and an appropriate soundtrack helps to stress the bluesy and sensual mood of "Dark Bar". In some moments of the film we hear the beautiful song "Dark Haven", sung by Karen Jones.
Most of the scenes of "Dark Bar" take place during the night, or some hours before the dark. Train stations, night clubs, interiors and fields streamed with woods near the river.
Those that want a film with a straightforward story should keep away from "Dark Bar". "Dark Bar" is a film about mood where the story slowly unfolds itself, and not everything from A to Z is explained. We follow Anna and Marco in their journey through a dark world. Shadows, violence, sensuality, loneliness and hope...
Marina Suma, a very sensual woman, is Anna in dangerland.
"Dark Bar" is very stylish – good cameras and an intelligent and fast editing. The acting feels natural and an appropriate soundtrack helps to stress the bluesy and sensual mood of "Dark Bar". In some moments of the film we hear the beautiful song "Dark Haven", sung by Karen Jones.
Most of the scenes of "Dark Bar" take place during the night, or some hours before the dark. Train stations, night clubs, interiors and fields streamed with woods near the river.
Those that want a film with a straightforward story should keep away from "Dark Bar". "Dark Bar" is a film about mood where the story slowly unfolds itself, and not everything from A to Z is explained. We follow Anna and Marco in their journey through a dark world. Shadows, violence, sensuality, loneliness and hope...
Marina Suma, a very sensual woman, is Anna in dangerland.
Giallo noir.
HumanoidOfFlesh14 April 2010
Anna and Elizabeth are two sisters.Anna is a successful saxophone player whilst Liz is a drugs courier.In a bizarre club named Dark Bar Liz is shot to death in the bathroom by a mysterious black-gloved killer dressed in a dark coat and hat.After her murder Anna begins her investigation and soon she becomes the target of the killers,who believe that she has drugs and book,which Elizabeth secretly hidden..."Dark Bar" is an overlooked Italian thriller that faded into complete obscurity.Carlo Stilotto's jazz score is quite good,Barbara Cupisti of "Stagefright" and "The Church" shines in a small cameo as a drug user Elizabeth and the story kept my interest throughout.The film should be more sleazy and violent,though.7 out of 10.
Battlestar Giallo.
morrison-dylan-fan14 March 2012
Warning: Spoilers
During my viewing of Ronald D. Moore and David Eick's astonishing TV series Battlestar Galactica,I was a bit surprise to discover a Giallo being sold on Ebay for 99p that starred the only cast member from the original series:Richard Hatch.Being interesting in seeing how one of the cast members would be in a Giallo film,I decided to "lift off" and got hold of this very entertaining Erotic Thriller Giallo.
The plot:
Desperate to pay up the huge "debt" she has made from all the drugs that she has been taking,Elizabeth decides to help out the group of drug deals who have been selling to her via becoming a courier who keeps their latest supply hidden inside her long black coat.Wanting to tell her sister Anna about how deep she is getting herself into murky waters,Elizabeth tries several times to ring Anna (who does not pick up the phone,due to Elizabeth having always phoned her up in the past just to borrow some cash.)Realising that Anna is never going to pick up,Elizabeth goes to pick up her latest drug-filled coat,but instead of following the dealers orders she instead pays a visit to a mysterious woman and switches the coat over for an "empty" one.Finishing the switch,Elizabeth rushes off to a local night club due to having plans of meeting her boyfriend their later on.As she starts to put her make up on,a stranger in a long black coat & gloves enters the bathroom and brutally kills Elizabeth.Suspecting that the most recent drug supply is hidden in the coat she is currently wearing,the killer hides Elizabeths body,grabs the coat and runs away.Meannwhile,feeling regretful about intensionally missing her sisters calls of desperation,Anna begins desperately searching round for her now slaughtered sister,which will lead to her discovering,that along with a few added "bonuses" all of the debt and drug dealers that her sister had has now transferred to her.
View on the film:
Making his debut in movies as the assistant director on one of the first Giali which signalled a transformation into the Eroctic Thriller with Play Motel ,writer/director/prouducer Stelio Fiorenza unexpectedly goes for a bit of a restrain effort (although,he does include a great shower scenes which allows all of Marina Suma to be seen)by pushing the mobster element to the forefront and also including some fun Giallo- style jump-cuts,a far too short in first person death and a nice grubby appearance to the setting that helps Fiorenza to creates a terrific murky style.For the screenplay of the film Fiorenza,includes a wonderful character who seems to have been ripped from the pages featuring Miss Havisham of Great Expectations!.Including this strange character luckily helps to partly cover what I found to be the biggest disappointment with the film,which was that it had a big opportunity to do a fantastic twist ending which would have pre-dated the ending of Wes Cravens Scream, but instead completely wasted the chance thanks to Fiorenza showing everything that Elizabeth has got herself caught up in far to early.Looking at the performances,I feel that although he is given a surprisingly small role,Richard Hatch does very well at playing Elizabeths boyfriend Marco who shows a good amount of fear and nervousness as he begins to realise what troubles his (now dead) girlfriend has left behind for him.Along with Hatch,Marina Suma gives a really great performance as Elizabeth's investigating sister Anna,who I feel struck a good balance between making the viewer feel the weight on her shoulders for missing the phone calls,and also someone who is sicken at the disgusting things that she seems to be getting pulled into.
The plot:
Desperate to pay up the huge "debt" she has made from all the drugs that she has been taking,Elizabeth decides to help out the group of drug deals who have been selling to her via becoming a courier who keeps their latest supply hidden inside her long black coat.Wanting to tell her sister Anna about how deep she is getting herself into murky waters,Elizabeth tries several times to ring Anna (who does not pick up the phone,due to Elizabeth having always phoned her up in the past just to borrow some cash.)Realising that Anna is never going to pick up,Elizabeth goes to pick up her latest drug-filled coat,but instead of following the dealers orders she instead pays a visit to a mysterious woman and switches the coat over for an "empty" one.Finishing the switch,Elizabeth rushes off to a local night club due to having plans of meeting her boyfriend their later on.As she starts to put her make up on,a stranger in a long black coat & gloves enters the bathroom and brutally kills Elizabeth.Suspecting that the most recent drug supply is hidden in the coat she is currently wearing,the killer hides Elizabeths body,grabs the coat and runs away.Meannwhile,feeling regretful about intensionally missing her sisters calls of desperation,Anna begins desperately searching round for her now slaughtered sister,which will lead to her discovering,that along with a few added "bonuses" all of the debt and drug dealers that her sister had has now transferred to her.
View on the film:
Making his debut in movies as the assistant director on one of the first Giali which signalled a transformation into the Eroctic Thriller with Play Motel ,writer/director/prouducer Stelio Fiorenza unexpectedly goes for a bit of a restrain effort (although,he does include a great shower scenes which allows all of Marina Suma to be seen)by pushing the mobster element to the forefront and also including some fun Giallo- style jump-cuts,a far too short in first person death and a nice grubby appearance to the setting that helps Fiorenza to creates a terrific murky style.For the screenplay of the film Fiorenza,includes a wonderful character who seems to have been ripped from the pages featuring Miss Havisham of Great Expectations!.Including this strange character luckily helps to partly cover what I found to be the biggest disappointment with the film,which was that it had a big opportunity to do a fantastic twist ending which would have pre-dated the ending of Wes Cravens Scream, but instead completely wasted the chance thanks to Fiorenza showing everything that Elizabeth has got herself caught up in far to early.Looking at the performances,I feel that although he is given a surprisingly small role,Richard Hatch does very well at playing Elizabeths boyfriend Marco who shows a good amount of fear and nervousness as he begins to realise what troubles his (now dead) girlfriend has left behind for him.Along with Hatch,Marina Suma gives a really great performance as Elizabeth's investigating sister Anna,who I feel struck a good balance between making the viewer feel the weight on her shoulders for missing the phone calls,and also someone who is sicken at the disgusting things that she seems to be getting pulled into.
Barbara Cupisti's fabulously 'eye-catching' eye-ball adorned dress, which is the most Giallo-centric garment I have ever seen!
Weirdling_Wolf21 April 2021
Writer/director, Fiorenza's obscure, Neo-Norish, sleaze-singed thriller 'Dark Bar' remains a delightfully odd duck. Too light on lurid grue to be classed as a bona fide Giallo, but there is a terrifically twisted melodramatic bent to these seamy, off-beat shenanigans. The jazzy, hedonistic, midnight milieu of estranged siblings, ill-fated drug deals, and nefarious blackmailing is rarely dull. Dark Bar's amusingly incongruous fedora-hatted gangster motifs provide an additionally skewed, hyperreal Lynchian quality. While absurd, these tantalizing eccentricities make, Stelio Fiorenza's crepuscular, heroin-soaked, cartoonishly sinister pseudo-Giallo stand out from the stab-happy crowd!
The ecclectic cast includes Battlestar Galactica's, Richard Hatch as the part-time projectionist, full-time Lothario Marco. Imperious Italian scream queen, Barbara 'Stage Fright' Cupisti portrays the pretty vacant, dope-dealing misfit, Elisabetta, the sin-seeking sister to sinuous, sax playing sex-pot, Anna (Marina Suma). Our lissome, crimson-wig rocking amateur sleuth disturbingly discovers that her wayward, Dark Bar haunting sister is an inordinately self-destructive twist! Elizabetta's sordid misadventures very soon drags Anna into the increasingly torrid waters of her sister's hit man-raddled wake!
To be overly critical about the lack of hyperbolic gore is, perhaps, a trifle unfair, since Dark Bar has a singular charisma all of its own. Composer, Carlo Siliotto's deliciously downbeat jazzoid score being a highlight. The brooding, nightclubbing ambiance of Siliotto's funereal title track 'Dark Haven' being an ear-wormingly delicious treat! Fiorenza's enjoyably eccentric film's whimsical use of answer machines as a persistent plot-prodder is a uniquely delightful peccadillo. The unconventional, multifarious weirdness of Dark Bar's scuzzy, dope-scoring, curiously adorned, seedily colourful characters prove memorable. Barbara Cupisti's eye-bogglingly fabulous, deliriously eye-ball adorned dress remains the most Giallo-centric garment I have ever seen!
The ecclectic cast includes Battlestar Galactica's, Richard Hatch as the part-time projectionist, full-time Lothario Marco. Imperious Italian scream queen, Barbara 'Stage Fright' Cupisti portrays the pretty vacant, dope-dealing misfit, Elisabetta, the sin-seeking sister to sinuous, sax playing sex-pot, Anna (Marina Suma). Our lissome, crimson-wig rocking amateur sleuth disturbingly discovers that her wayward, Dark Bar haunting sister is an inordinately self-destructive twist! Elizabetta's sordid misadventures very soon drags Anna into the increasingly torrid waters of her sister's hit man-raddled wake!
To be overly critical about the lack of hyperbolic gore is, perhaps, a trifle unfair, since Dark Bar has a singular charisma all of its own. Composer, Carlo Siliotto's deliciously downbeat jazzoid score being a highlight. The brooding, nightclubbing ambiance of Siliotto's funereal title track 'Dark Haven' being an ear-wormingly delicious treat! Fiorenza's enjoyably eccentric film's whimsical use of answer machines as a persistent plot-prodder is a uniquely delightful peccadillo. The unconventional, multifarious weirdness of Dark Bar's scuzzy, dope-scoring, curiously adorned, seedily colourful characters prove memorable. Barbara Cupisti's eye-bogglingly fabulous, deliriously eye-ball adorned dress remains the most Giallo-centric garment I have ever seen!
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