Trusting the established screenwriter and film critic with his directorial debut, Titanus opened the gates to the uniquely moody, surreal and stylized underworld of Dario Argento. As in many of his horror films to come, Argento’s first feature derives much of its tension from the frightening holes in memory and the faultiness of audio and visual perception. Sam, an American writer in Italy, happens upon an attempted murder by a shadowy figure who escapes. Obsessed with an inexplicable glitch in his recollection, he is led down a winding plot lavishly strewn with eccentric characters, mod décor, haunted paintings, strange phone calls, a thrilling score by Ennio Morricone, and, of course, a mysterious bird. Heightening the suspense and disorientation with endless MacGuffins and red herrings, Argento fearlessly took a bizarre, intricate route for his first venture out.