Daily Archives: April 10, 2013

Suspiria (1977)

Day number one of my back-to-back reviews for two of Dario Argento’s films. Today will be his 1977 horror Suspiria and tomorrow will be the 1975 classic Deep Red. Also guys, don’t forget to check out the top 10 section and discussion boards, as well as the double feature weekend featuring reviews of Evil Dead and Jurassic Park 3D. Enjoy!

suspiria-remake-gains-steam-41012

In this day and age, Suspiria discourages and annoys even the most avid, albeit modern horror enthusiast. But to the horror obsessor with a thirst for the classics. It is a goose-bump inducing, stomach turning, heart stopping high that you never want to come down from. Just don’t consider it to be divergent. The over supplying and desensitizing processes of the current age have turned scatterbrains into attention seeking voids, deprived of any sense of pace. Suspiria might be too dramatic and put the scariness on the back burner as it cements its plot. However, its final sequence should be incentive enough, let alone the demeanour of its pulsating shocks present from the start, to give it the chance it warrants. Suspiria was at the forefront of the horror genre from 1977 and on, it inspired many and followed none. Directed by horror visionary Dario Argento and starring Jessica Harper as well as Stefania Casini. This paranormal fright fest is the follow up to Argento’s 1975 serial killer picture, Deep Red.

7suspiria-30406-726x248

Suzy (Harper) is a young American ballet dancer who journeys to Germany to attend a very prestigious dance academy. Arriving at the academy, Suzy witnesses a young girl flee the school while whispering incoherent sentences seemingly to herself. After being introduced to her instructors and fellow students, Suzy eventually takes residence in the dorms with her classmates. Later on, Suzy and the academy learn that the young girl running away from the academy was a student by the name of Pat. She had suffered a horrible death as well as her close friend she recently took residence with. As time passes, Suzy and the girls begin to hear and see strange things throughout the academy. When Suzy and her friend begin to search for the truth, a harsh reality is unveiled.

suspiria5

Much like Deep Red, Suspiria reveals a majority of its secrets in the latter stages of the runtime. But while leading the viewer on this chase for answers, the mounting strain and tingling fear from a series of occurrences with unknown origins almost become unbearable. Disappointingly, there isn’t as much gore that you’d expect from an Argento film, but when the situation calls for excessiveness, Suspiria delivers. It continues to compile claim for one of the most over the top, gruesome death sequences in film and deservedly so. Drawing another similarity between Suspiria and Deep Red. The musical accompaniment is used to exquisite effectiveness throughout. It is extremely bizarre and entrancingly fear sustaining. Suspiria might prove to be a bore for some, but to those who can appreciate its phantoms and tactics, it is a rewarding nightmare.

Suspiria: 8 out of 10.

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 230 other followers