The undisputed King of the European horror film, Dario Argento returns with Mother of Tears – the long-awaited conclusion to the horror trilogy that he began with 1977’s Suspiria and 1980’s Inferno. Calum Waddell caught up with the Italian splatter icon for the following exclusive interview.

Why did it take you so long to make a sequel to Suspiria and Inferno?

After I shot Inferno I started to prepare the third and final episode of my “Three Mothers” series. But then I got caught up in the production of two other films and that took about four years in total. So Mother of Tears got put on hold. You see, I also went back and made several of my giallo horror films - such as Opera - and produced a number of movies, which were very different from my own work, like the Demons series. My life was interesting during this period, I was also a father, and it took many years before I started to study books on the occult and witchcraft again.

It has been a while since we have seen your daughter, Asia Argento, in one of your movies. What was it like to work with her again?

Yes, Mother of Tears is the first time we have worked together since Phantom of the Opera. I did not know after that if we would team up again but this was a good a role for her. However, I think we have some other roads to follow now!

The thing that stands out most about Suspiria and Inferno is their colour schemes. They are very beautiful horror movies – but Mother of Tears has a less lavish look to it. Why is this?

Yes, but I think that Inferno also has a very different look from Suspiria. The colours, the acting and the story are very different in Mother of Tears because I wanted all three episodes to be very unique. For instance, Suspiria is based around a coven of witches but Inferno is much more esoteric. The idea for that movie was based around alchemy. For Mother of Tears we did not want the colours to be quite as hot as Suspiria or Inferno – it had to look colder.

Some critics have said that your movies are misogynistic because you commonly victimise women. How do you react to this?

I disagree with it! If you look at most of my films the main parts are given to women. I did four films with my daughter Asia in the lead role. I think that one of the best female roles I have ever cast is Jessica Harper in Suspiria, who is very strong in that movie, and I put Jennifer Connolly in Phenomena. She was only 13 at the time, still very young, and my daughter Asia was very young in Trauma but they were both given dominant roles.

So no, I don’t see any misogyny in my work. When someone dies in these films it is just fake blood – man or woman, it is the just same to me. It is insane because women commonly say to me that I am like an artist in regards to how I film them, but men say “You are a misogynist.” It is always men telling me this. [Laughs] I tell them no, I tell them that it is just a scene. If a murderer kills a woman in my films it is because it is natural to them, they are maybe born like this, but it is not me personally!

Let’s talk about some of your older work. Your movie Opera is perhaps your goriest movie but it is also one of your most underrated. Would you agree?

I am glad that you have said this because Opera is one of my favourite films too. I hate that people only saw the cut version for so many years. Anchor Bay did a good, complete DVD version and this is one of my favourite releases. I was so sad when I shot Opera. It was a terrible time for me [Argento was separating from his wife] and when I finished the film I was very depressed. I don’t know if the movie was the main problem, but it was a really important moment in my professional career.

It is also indicates that you have a great love of the arts…

Yes, I love the arts. I love opera – the music and the spectacle of it – in fact most of my films are dedicated to the arts. Just look at The Stendhal Syndrome, which is all about great art! It is the same with The Phantom of the Opera. If you see my films you can see how carefully I study the architecture and the design of cities. I especially like to find old buildings. For me, these things are the blood of my films.

What can you tell us about your next film, Giallo?

It is very interesting. It is a return to the giallo, of course, but I am not sure exactly when it will begin shooting. It is an American production and every week it seems to be postponed. They don’t have all the money yet. It is very difficult because I have already done some location scouting for the movie and then a lot of the people who were involved disappeared, along with some of the actors. I have done the maximum amount right now and if nothing happens on it I will go on and do other things.

Are you a fan of modern horror movies such as the Hostel and Saw series?

Yes, many of the new horror movies are very extreme. It is strange to see what they can get away with but it is also very interesting to me. I have met many of the new, young directors and they tell me I have inspired them. I think as long as they believe in what they are doing then it is good.

Mother of Tears is out now on region 2 DVD. The Dario Argento Box set is released on region 1 DVD on 27 May 2008.