The Card Player
Encyclopedia
The Card Player is a 2004 horror
-thriller directed by Dario Argento
. The film stars Stefania Rocca
and Liam Cunningham and marks Argento's second giallo
feature of the decade (following Sleepless
). In its Italian Theatrical release it took in 2.926.000 Euro ($3,649,289)
The film features a brief role for Fiore Argento
, the director's eldest daughter. She had previously appeared in her father's films Phenomena and Demoni.
set-up, the killer challenges the police by forcing them to play hands of Internet poker. If the police lose, the kidnapped victim is tortured and murdered on-screen. When a British tourist is among the girls murdered, policeman John Brennan (Liam Cunningham) is assigned the case and quickly teams up with Italian Detective Anna Mari (Stefania Rocca
). The duo have their work cut out for them when the Police Chief's daughter (Fiore Argento
) becomes the killer's latest kidnapping victim.
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
-thriller directed by Dario Argento
Dario Argento
Dario Argento is an Italian film director, producer and screenwriter. He is best known for his work in the horror film genre, particularly in the subgenre known as giallo, and for his influence on modern horror and slasher movies....
. The film stars Stefania Rocca
Stefania Rocca
Stefania Rocca is an Italian actress.Rocca is best known for her roles in the films Nirvana , The Talented Mr. Ripley and Dracula . She also was the lead in Dario Argento's The Card Player. Her most recent appearance was in the Italian movie, Commediasexi where she played the main character,...
and Liam Cunningham and marks Argento's second giallo
Giallo
Giallo is an Italian 20th century genre of literature and film, which in Italian indicates crime fiction and mystery. In the English language it refers to a genre similar to the French fantastique genre and includes elements of horror fiction and eroticism...
feature of the decade (following Sleepless
Sleepless (2001 film)
Sleepless is a 2001 horror film by Dario Argento. The film stars Max von Sydow and Stefano Dionisi and marks Argento's return to the giallo subgenre...
). In its Italian Theatrical release it took in 2.926.000 Euro ($3,649,289)
The film features a brief role for Fiore Argento
Fiore Argento
- Biography :Eldest daughter of the famous director Dario Argento and Marisa Casale, restorer, a stained glass art as well as "master glassmaker"....
, the director's eldest daughter. She had previously appeared in her father's films Phenomena and Demoni.
Plot
The Card Player centers around a serial killer known as "The Card Player" who is kidnapping young women in Rome. Using a webcamWebcam
A webcam is a video camera that feeds its images in real time to a computer or computer network, often via USB, ethernet, or Wi-Fi.Their most popular use is the establishment of video links, permitting computers to act as videophones or videoconference stations. This common use as a video camera...
set-up, the killer challenges the police by forcing them to play hands of Internet poker. If the police lose, the kidnapped victim is tortured and murdered on-screen. When a British tourist is among the girls murdered, policeman John Brennan (Liam Cunningham) is assigned the case and quickly teams up with Italian Detective Anna Mari (Stefania Rocca
Stefania Rocca
Stefania Rocca is an Italian actress.Rocca is best known for her roles in the films Nirvana , The Talented Mr. Ripley and Dracula . She also was the lead in Dario Argento's The Card Player. Her most recent appearance was in the Italian movie, Commediasexi where she played the main character,...
). The duo have their work cut out for them when the Police Chief's daughter (Fiore Argento
Fiore Argento
- Biography :Eldest daughter of the famous director Dario Argento and Marisa Casale, restorer, a stained glass art as well as "master glassmaker"....
) becomes the killer's latest kidnapping victim.