Argento began work on his directorial debut, the "giallo" film "The Bird with the Crystal Plumage" ("L'uccello dalle piume di cristallo", 1970), which was a major hit in Italy. Argento continued to concentrate largely on the "giallo" genre, directing two more successful thrillers, "The Cat o' Nine Tails" ("Il gatto a nove code", 1971) and "Four Flies on Grey Velvet" ("4 mosche di velluto grigio", 1972). Along with "The Bird with the Crystal Plumage", these three films are frequently referred to as Argento's "Animal Trilogy". The director then turned his attention away from "giallo" movies, filming two Italian TV dramas and a period comedy, "The Five Days" ("Le cinque giornate", 1973). Argento returned to thrillers with "Deep Red" (1975), frequently cited by many critics as the best "giallo" ever made. The film made Argento known internationally and inspired other directors to work in the genre. John Carpenter has frequently referred to the influence Argento's early work had on "Halloween" (1978).