Dario Argento is a well-known Italian filmmaker who did a string of terrific slasher films from the 70s into the 2000s. (He’s also known as the father of the actress/director, Asia Argento.)

I went through a phase of watching his movies about 15 years ago, but somehow I missed “The Bird with the Crystal Plumage,” his debut film.

The premise: an American in an Italian city (was it Rome? I was never sure.) sees a woman attacked and gets drawn into the investigation of a serial killer. (Why don’t more people do this in real life?  “I saw a crime, so now *I’m* gonna solve the case!”)

Part of the problem is that Sam, the protagonist, can’t quite remember all the details of the attack. The vagaries of memory is a frequent Argento theme.

The movie is full of people acting weirdly. When someone tries to decapitate Sam on a foggy walkway, he just laughs it off. That’s life in the big city I guess. And there’s another odd scene where Sam and his girlfriend start initiating sex right in front of a visiting friend. Hey, it was the 70s.

Reggie Nalder, the actor who played the ghastly looking hitman from Hitchcock’s “The Man Who Knew Too Much“ makes an appearance. Also note worthy is that Ennio Morricone did the soundtrack.

There was some genuine suspense at the end, though the final reveal was a little confusing.

All in all, not Argento‘s best, but entertaining enough.