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Suspiria
Used Price: $6.96
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Suspiria
Used Price: $5.97
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Suspiria (2-Disc Special...
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Suspiria (3 Disc Limited...
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Mother of Tears
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This film pretty much set the standard for all post-Bava horror films, also establishing Dario Argento as one of the great horror minds in the history of film. The pacing of the film, combined with the chilling score and the phenomenal make-up effects, creates an atmosphere of intense uncertainty. Throw into the mix the frightening plot concerning the coven of witches and you have horror gold. I remember seeing this film for the first time and covering my eyes for a majority of the film. Sure, I was a kid, but I still have a hard time watching that end sequence without shivers running up and down my spine.
Jessica Harper stars as Suzy Bannion, an American hopeful who comes to study at a prestigious French ballet academy. On the night she arrives, strange things have already begun to transpire, consisting of a young girl leaving the academy and turning up dead shortly thereafter. Slowly, Suzy settles into her new life at the academy, paying close attention to the less than normal faculty and the strange sounds heard about the academy during the night. Piecing together the puzzle proves more difficult as the faculty start to realize what Suzy is doing, leading to an ultimate showoff between the young American dancer and an unspeakable evil that has been resting and waiting for the perfect time to strike.
When first released, "Suspiria" was credited with having the most terrifying scene ever captured on film, and one of the most authentic death scenes ever filmed. That still holds up today. It's hard to watch that scene without thinking of how accurate it appears. And the whole build up to that scene, with the eyes at the window -- it is pure Italian horror and helps make "Suspiria" the masterpiece it remains. It is also nice to notice that touches only Italian masters can provide -- the misplaced technicolor lighting that adds so much to the film -- the distance shots where we see all the action, but from a great distance away. These nuances are what make the film, and the genre, so memorable and so mimicked.
In a time when the horror genre relies on Japanese remakes and creepy little kids for success, it is nice to take a look back at a time when horror was a blood and guts reaction. All we needed was some mood music, some blues and greens, and a blood curdling screen and we were standing up in our seats. There is a reason why "Suspiria" is oftentimes placed in the list of the Top Ten Horror Films of All-Time -- it is almost impossible to watch the film without breaking a knuckle or two. "Suspiria" is a true gem that needs to be rediscovered for this new generation of horror fan obsessed with zombies and rings. 10/10.
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Suspiria
