Not long ago Dario Argento had a cultish fan base and was the equivalent of fugu for foodies. Now he's a touchstone for hipster youth (remember the Herschell Gordon Lewis vs. Dario Argento debate in Juno?) who appreciate his giallo subgenre for the lurid, violent, and stylishly baroque thrillers the form embodies. If you're looking for plots that make sense, look elsewhere. But if you like your chills all'Italia -- graphic, bizarre and served con molto brio -- you're on track.

10. The Cat O' Nine Tails (1971)
A reporter, a blind man and the blind man's young niece inadvertently trigger a murder spree that has something to do with a top-secret genetic research project. And how about that hollow-eyed, screwed up rich girl ('60s Euro-babe Catherine Spaak) with her mysterious motives, shagadelic wardrobe and serious daddy issues? She's scary even if she isn't a killer. Be warned: Argento isn't afraid to terrorize cute kids.

9. The Stendahl Syndrome (1996)
A serial sex killer plays wicked head games with a police detective (Argento's daughter Asia) who suffers from Stendhal Syndrome: Too much great art gives her hallucinations. Not a big problem in, say, Kansas, but this is Italy -- there's a masterwork lurking around every corner. One minute the detective is looking at a seascape in the Uffizi, the next minute she's underwater, smooching a giant grouper fish with a vaguely human face. 

8. Four Flies on Grey Velvet (1972)
Roberto, an American drummer living in Rome with his rich, high-strung wife confronts a stranger who's been following him. They scuffle, the man falls to his death. And that's not the bad part: Someone in a creepy puppet mask is photographing the whole thing. Is there a plot to blackmail Roberto? Drive him insane? Frame him for murder? It doesn't matter: The stalker in the puppet mask is seriously spooky and the ending is killer.

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