Door into Darkness is Italy's answer to Alfred Hitchcock Presents and is delivered by Italy's answer to Hitchcock; Dario Argento. This first instalment of the series, titled 'The Neighbour' is directed by Dario Argento aficionado Luigi Cozzi and handles the idea of a madman taking his insanity out on innocent people. We follow a young couple and their baby as they move into a new apartment block. Strangely, this is done at night; and the story really picks up when, while watching Frankenstein, the pair discover a leak in the ceiling, apparently coming from the upstairs neighbour's flat. Seeing as this short film is made for TV, it's hardly surprising that it doesn't offer as much as films that Argento has been involved in usually do. There's barely a drop of blood, the story is very concise and the production values aren't exactly high; but this is made up for by excellent directing, some nice acting and a great sense of tension that runs throughout. Director Luigi Cozzi has clearly taken influence from the Italian Master, and this is felt as he directs the action through a number of different angles and draws suspense from the very basic plot line. On the whole, The Neighbour can't be considered as one of the best things to come out of Italy during the seventies; but for what it is (a made for TV short film), this isn't bad at all. Not to mention the fact that the entire Door into Darkness series has huge cult value, and is therefore a must see for any fan of Italian horror!
Review of Il vicino di casa
