Suspiria

Rating:
Summary: Stupiria
Review: I'll get right too it. I'm a big fan of Italian films but this one
was a clunker. What was so scary about it? where was the chilling story line? where was the topnotch special effects?.
Hmmm And how about that ending did they run out of film reels?
Maybe I missed something. Anybody looking for those in this film look elsewhere

Rating:
Summary: Best Anchor Bay treatment yet!!!
Review: I first saw the now OOP laserdisc copy almost 12 years ago, and never forgot this film. When I saw this Limited Edition, I just new it had to go in my collection.

Like the "Dawn of the Dead" Anchor Bay DVD, "Suspiria LTD Ed." almost makes you forget you're watching a film made over 20 years ago. Crystal clear picture, excellent sound and vibrant colors all make this a real treat. Sure, the price is much more steep than the regular DVD release, but it's well worth it.

Most everything the average viewer would want to know about this film is included in this package, including an extensive disertation plus Jessica Harper interview found in the enclosed booklet. And speaking of Jessica Harper, though she's obviously aged quite a bit since the film was made still has that little girl innocence and cute too-big head in the recent on-camera interview.

The Goblin "Daemonia" video is delightfully cheesy, but it appears the lead member Claudio Simonetti is the ONLY original member of the group in the video (the drummer in particular looks a little too young to be an orginal member of a band that's had roughly a three-decade history); I may be wrong on this.

An overall 5-star rating goes to this disc; perhaps some behind-the-scenes footage captured during the prodution would've been nice, but I can't complain with what's presented here...

..except for one thing: there's a rumor running around that the first murder scene is not fully uncut. It's reported that some frames of the close-up pan down the front of the hanging girl's body are missing (notice how the cut starts at her legs and works down), though I know of no other version of "Supiria" where this is different...

Rating:
Summary: SUUUUUUSSSSSSSPPPPPPPPPPPIIIIIIIRRRRRRRIIIIIAAAAA
Review: Well I rented this movie the day that I turned 16.
I was allowed to watch horror films before that
but I couldn't go and rent it nor could I be 100 % sure
that I would be led into the movies or not.
In december I saw this limited edition and bought it. I know it was a bit expensive. the film was excellent. Maybe the
problem was that some dialouges in the film suffered from bad
sound qualities but that didn't make different. the 2nd disc is great and third which features the score is good to. On the disc you could find also a music video (which is terrible and the most laughable video you'll ever see in your entire life. And I think it was made in 2001.) The film you don't have to say it and the documentry excellent. There is just one problem. it is missing subtitles. I wanted to se the italian version but there seemed to be missing English subtitles. So if you don't speak or understand italian you could only see the English version (It was shot on many different languages but the original language for the film was English).

But rent the movie before buying the DVD. Because not everyone likes it. And this version. I hope this isn't to late because there are not many copies left.

Rating:
Summary: Foolish and Boring...
Review: Dario Argento's film Suspiria is one of his better films. However this is not a very good film. As with most Argento fare there is plenty of blood and gore to keep some fans happy, but the rest of us just keep saying "Get on with it." After reading about how scary and shocking this movie was I decided to borrow it from a friend and watch it.
The plot surrounds an American dancer who attends a European ballet school only to find out that it seems to be a witch's coven. However by the time Argento gets around to the point I had lost intrest in the film. Dario Argento has long been respected by horror fans for his movie making and directing. This reviewer can't understand why people fimd this man so good. Dario Argento is not the worst director (That honor goes to the Italian director Lucio Fulci, see Zombie review) but he makes a strong case at times. This is a slow moving movie that show's that with enough stage blood and FX anyone can be considered brilliant. Some of Argento's film have not been as bad like Phenomena, however his debut with The Bird With the Crystal Plumage shows that he may just be good at thowing blood around. A real good friend has almost all of his films and I have seen quite a few of them. I am a big fan of horror and I will watch anything that looks interesting, that is why I have seen his movies. Dario needs to go remember that under all the blood there is still a movie to be watched. Argento and Fulci are one and the same. Both use too much blood (most likely to make up for there lack of talent) and are very sucsessful at there craft. I will say one thing for the both of them. They are out there making there movies and making a living at it by following there dreams, but remember the same can also be said for Ed Wood.

Rating:
Summary: I was a little apprehensive at first, but I liked it!
Review: I really feel that most of the horror movies out there are garbage. Modern horror, in particular, is so formulaic (slapstick comedy mixed with gore) and predictable it is amazing they even draw an audience. As a genre it has a ton of potential and some of my favorite films fall into this category: Jaws, The Shining, Alien, The Vanishing (Spoorloos), etc. However, for every good horror film there are a 100 mediocre to awful films that shouldn't have even been made. What is lacking in these films is the cerebral and atmospheric elements that are the essence of fear. I guess this is what attracted me to "Suspiria." I always heard a lot about this film and Argento's reputation. It sounded like something that I would like, but Argento's notoriety for gore put me off seeing it. If used appropriately gore doesn't bother me, but I am no way a "gore fiend." I assumed that "Suspiria" would just be the gratuitous gore-fest that ruins so many titles in the horror genre. But itching for something different and creepy I finally bit the bullet and watched it. I must say I was very pleased. The plot is very loose. I've read that many people think the plot is non-existent, but I think the plot is pretty clear (pay attention to the last scene and then rewatch the beginning). Though it is not super intricate, it is satisfying. But where "Suspiria" is really effective is in its imagery and use of sound. It is extremely atmospheric and hallucinatory; almost like a dream. There are many scenes where the girls are simply walking down the hallways, and every time it is creepy as hell. The use of light and primary colors are particularly effective. As far as the gore goes, yes there are a few very discomforting scenes. However, by today's standards they are pretty tame. In fact, I would say that the 'X-files' have more graphic scenes then what is in "Suspiria." If you want to laugh and have a shock around every corner like in "Scream," "Suspiria" is probably not the film for you. But if you want to sit back, turn off your mind and get [pulled] into a bizarre, haunted, moody dream, "Suspiria" may be just the film your looking for. I'm glad I picked it up.

Rating:
Summary: Truely Terrifying and grueling Horror classic.
Review: Dario Argento ( Tenebre, Phenomena) presents this 1977 Horror
Fantasy classic which is far more than meets the eye. It's about
a young american Girl who arrives in a German dance school and
suddenly discovers it's terrifying secret. Shocking, Gory
and thrilling all at one, please don't tell anyone the secret
ending cause you have to see this movie for yourself and turn off
the lights to get the scary effect.

Also recommended: Phantasm, The Evil Dead, Zombie, City of the Living Dead, Psycho, Re-Animator, Scream, Halloween, Hellraiser,
Carrie.

Rating:
Summary: Still A Favorite (and a track list for the soundtrack)
Review: I've read many reviews here and Suspiria is either hated or loved. Not much middle ground. I like it and always have.
I first saw it in a very edited version and was disappointed. Next I rented a video documentary about Argento which oddly enough showed many scenes that had been censored from the version of Suspiria I watched. Those scenes are not permitted in actual movie context but were allowed in a documentary on the directors work? That is so weird.

...

...Many complain here that there is no track listing for the 3rd disc/soundtrack in new DVD-Box.
I have not examined the contents of all the discs in new set yet but I know the titles to the songs.
Here they are: Track 1)Suspiria 5:57 2)Witch 3:10 3)Opening to the Sighs 0:32 4)Sighs 5:15 5)Markos 4:03
6)Black Forest 6:06 7)Blind Concert 6:11 8) Death Valzer 1:51 by Goblin (not 'the' Goblin)

Hope that helps some curious people. Enjoy the movie. --alan

Rating:
Summary: It all seems so absurd, fantastic!
Review: Narration from Suspiria: "Suzy Banyon decided to perfect her ballet studies at the most famous school for dancing in Europe. She chose the celebrated Tamm Academy of Freiborg. One day, at nine in the morning, she left Kennedy Airport, New York, and arrived in Germany at 10:40 PM, local time."

So begins a journey that the American girl would never have anticipated in her wildest dreams. A student, Patty Newman, is seen leaving the in the pouring rain scared... That is nothing compared to the gruesome manner of her death at her girlfriend's flat. It ends with the painted ceiling glass bulging out and shattering towards the foyer, followed by Patty's garrotted, bloody body crashing downward from a worm's eye view. Exquisite! Bulging is also used in Inferno when the body of Mark's fellow student crashes down in front of him.

Suzy is the only likeable character here. She is pretty, shy, humble, but most important of all, she is intelligent and intuitive, which helps her during her stay. And Jessica Harper makes her a credible unique person the viewer roots for.

Alida Valli is also effective as the forbidding Miss Tanner, a typical supervisor-type Guardian. 1940's star Joan Bennett (Madame Blanc) is a more tempered Guardian, but nevertheless gives the presence that she is in charge. I don't know who plays the fat piggy-eyed servant. The character, who plays a semi-important role here, seems to have been raised on ugly pills all her life.

This movie if anything, is representative of Dario Argento's wild use of lights. Red and blue are the key colours here. The exterior of the academy is red, as are the carpeted panels in the hallways. My favorite use of red is when the girls are in the practice hall, converted to a makeshift dormitory. The hall is bathed in a hellish red glare. The shape of the directress behind Suzy and Sarah is nothing compared to the guttural, asthmatic snores emanating from that mysterious personage. Creepy with a capital creep! Red is also the colour of blood, and there is a lot of that here, as well as the wine Suzy has to drink during her restricted diet.

Blue light is seen when Ms. Tanner marches up the attic to find out where the maggots are coming from. The creatures fall down through ceiling cracks and into dorm rooms, causing mass hysteria among the girls. Suzy freaks out, but that's nothing compared to the reaction of the other girls. Pandemonium, to say the least. The way Argento stages their emergence is unexpected and gradual.

And Goblin's wild and weird score of screams, insanely pounding drums, guitars, echoing hisses of "witch" and of course sighs (Suspiria is Italian for sigh) might as well mirror Argento's perverse mind.

Suspiria is more a triumph of design and suspense rather than logic (e.g. why kill Daniel the pianist?), and it's important to remember that in order to enjoy this stunning film. American and British horror have nothing on this masterpiece!

Rating:
Summary: Surreal Suspense
Review: This is one i had to watch twice to experience all it has to offer. Surreal is a good description with a good body count for those of us who like our horror horrific. My first Argento movie, at least uncut Argento and the one that sparked my interest in Italian horror. The sound and picture quality of the DVD is excellant. I have the single disc version.

Rating:
Summary: SUSPIRIA is an unrecognized masterpiece!
Review: SUSPIRIA, which was directed by Italian horror master Dario Argento, is an unrecognized masterpiece. Many have not heard of it, and still some do not wish to see it. And some of those who have seen it do not particularly care for it because, as the film proceeds, the plot starts to make less and less sense, and they may even think it to be boring. But those of us who HAVE seen it, and liked it, realize what a masterpiece it really is. An opus of bright colors and imaginative set pieces, SUSPIRIA is a creative exercise in the horror genre.

While it may not be my favorite film, SUSPIRIA enhances the way you think about horror films. Suzy Banyon (Jessica Harper), a young American woman, has traveled to Italy to join a dance academy. As soon as she arrives, weird things start happening. When she arrives at the doors of the academy one dark and stormy night, a girl runs from the place screaming about something and is later found dead where she was staying that night. A rain of maggots falls upon the floor of the academy in which she is staying. She starts to get sick one day and collapses while she is dancing. Her friend disappears one night after mentioning something about witches.

It turns out that the dance academy is actually a witches coven- and that Suzy must find out what is happening and stop them before it is too late!

Even though you might not like SUSPIRIA, you have got to appreciate the work Dario Argento has done on this film. The magnificent colors that appear in the film are just enough to make you keep watching. Though it has, by many, not yet been discovered, it is truly one of the best Italian horror films ever produced. You are sure to be astounded.

Anchor Bay has done a great job on this one, as well as the limited edition- which has everything this edition has, as well as tons of poster replicas and cards, and an extra disc with interviews with the cast and crew of SUSPIRIA. Even if you cannot afford the limited edition (which is not altogether expensive anyway), you can still enjoy the regular edition, which has just enough extras to make you happy. The regular edition includes:

-Widescreen Presentation
-Theatrical Trailers
-TV Spot
-Radio Spots
-Daemonia Music Video
-Poster and Still Gallery
-Talent Bios
-Languages: English; Italian; French

The DVD edition of SUSPIRIA is sure to be a prized one in your collection!