Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: I ended up receiving this DVD set for Christmas this year and was totally psyched. I had never seen the movie but other fans of the gore genre raved about it. So I watched it. "What?!?" I thought. This movie isn't that great at all. The blood is way too bright, it looks like paint and there's not nearly enough gore. I guess as a horror movie it's ok, but the script is still no better than most of these Italian flicks and the acting could definitely see some improvement. I agree with the other reviewer that gave this a negative review, the cinematography is the closest thing to a redeeming factor in the movie, but it's definitely not enough to make this worth purchasing. I take that back, the music video of the title track is also really great, it's got to be one of the funniest videos I've ever seen; (foriegn funny) I guess it's Goblin, but it flashes "Demonia" at the beginning and the guys look a little young to be the legendary composers of the 1970s/80s. I don't think the second disc could have fit on the first, but it is definitely expendable. The soundtrack is ok, but Goblin put out some better stuff in their days (Dawn of the Dead, (Zombi) Profondo Rosso, Phenomenon....) and, no, there is no track listing or liner notes for it. The DVD booklet is pretty thick and has some good points in interviews, etc, but I can't stress this enough: rent it. Better yet, use your money to buy something by Lucio Fulci, George Romero or Pete Jackson: Dead-Alive (funny, well-acted/scripted and without a doubt the goriest movie ever made) Zombie, The Beyond, Dawn of the Dead or Bad Taste. You can do better than this, so do it!
Rating: 
Summary: superb visual execution
Review: Stylish, smart suspenser with truly eerie set pieces and superb visual execution about a girl's school doubling as a witch's coven. Director Argento is considered the Italian Hitchcock.
Rating: 
Summary: Who said this was scary?
Review: Plain and simple -- I bought this DVD because every review raves about its atmospheric, frightening presence on screen.
This movie is NOT scary. It's stupid. The plot is dumb, the acting poor, and the ending is so weak I sat stunned in my chair. Way too much dialogue, red herrings throughout the film, and rock music that adds NOTHING to the overall feel of the film.
I admit the camera work is artistic, but that's the only good thing I can say about this over-rated, simple film.
If it was that good, it would hold a better place in film history.
P.S. Blood isn't orange..it's crimson. Fake, fake, fake. Don't buy this DVD..rent it first.
Scary to me is disturbing social matter and evil. This film doesn't even come close.
Rating:
Summary: The Scariest Movie I Ever Saw
Review: Everyone else talks about this movie being a ground-breaker, and it is. The first 10 minutes are so incredibly tense Argento had to relax up a bit after that or anyone watch would die from a visually induced stroke. OK, maybe not, but still, those first ten minutes are incredible. Now for my complaints. This didn't need to be a 3 disc set. The movie is short enough the 52 minute documentary could easily have fit on the same disc, plus, there's no commentary track. There's one on Tenebre and Phenomena, but not here. The 3rd disc is the soundtrack, and it is right up there with the Exorcist and the Omen for best Horror film ST's ever. The music video on this DVD is worthless though (I much prefer Bill Wyman's on Phenomena. At least that had something to do with the movie. So my complaints are more than made up for by the movie itself. Plus, I've always had a crush on Jessica Harper.
Rating: 
Summary: Suspiria DVD (3 disc) limited set
Review: I was amazed when i first popped the discs in my DVD player. The picture and sound are incredible and must be experienced to be believed! You've never seen Suspiria like this before. The extras are a great bonus with trailers, TV spots, radio spots, 100+ stills and photos, in depth cast bios, etc. The 2nd DVD disc contains a 52-minute documentary for the 25th anniversary. It contains interviews with Dario Argento, cast members, etc. I found out quite a few things i didn't know about the movie from watching that. The 3rd disc is a CD of the original soundtrack by Goblin and i think it features a few bonus tracks (remixes). If you're a fan of the movie then you really can't go wrong with this great set!
Rating:
Summary: ....For the soundtrack. Or first bit of it.
Review: This has the Goblin soundtrack which I once bought for the first track, despite it's exhorbitant price. Bit much for six minutes but then it's a very addictive six minutes. Sinister "Na-na-na-nah, you're going to die" sort of playground thing in the background. Suddenly it goes bananas and someone starts yelling "WHICH!" Which what? I wish you'd be more pacific. No, that's an ocean. I mean, specific. That's what listening to dodgy Italian dub jobs does to you.Can anyone get past the first ten of this film? That's minutes, not bodies. I've seen that and a bit at the end. I managed to get past the first murder the other night only to see Jessica Harper do the most ridiculous faint in a ballet class ever put on film. Actually, there can't be that many Oscar winning ones, either.
Dario Argento, the director, dismisses objections to his treatment of women in his films and insists on being the hand that stabs. I think he's a coward who won't take responsibility for the climate of fear that women have to live in today. Ah, you say, but what about all the woman in this film who are willing to be portrayed as carved meat? If they have no qualms about betraying their sex, then why should Argento? Well, I just don't want to talk about it anymore. *Sigh* yet another public humiliation.
Rating:
Summary: It may be flawed but it knocks spots off the modern horror
Review: I don't like the violence - it is relentless, gory, blood soaked - from noses and mouths the blood oozes, makes you want to puke or laugh - nothing in-between. Bloody Italians? Bloody Seventies slasher flicks I say. Accept it for what it is. I don't like the dubbing either but with the sound turned up (as it should be with this film) its not so bad. And I'm not mad on the ending. But how can you end a film like this? Let David Lynch remake it I say. I loved the claustrophobic sets, the eerie lighting, the colours, the predatory move of the camera, the logic of the story which is the logic of a nightmare, that little Bambi creature in the lead with her big eyes that twitch and look around nervously when her friend whispers warnings to her in the dark but what is the big deal?, the scenes that slowly build with a nursery rhyme soundtrack that becomes some sort of creepy european rock, they go on and on and on it makes no sense but that's the beauty of it. The modern day horror spoofs that are supposed to be funny but are more predictable than the films they are trying to parody and not half as frightening are only made because there is no-one around nowadays capable of making a proper horror film, like Suspiria. Well maybe David Lynch. For some reason I would still like to see him remake it.
Rating:
Summary: Chilling and atmospheric
Review: Called the "Italian Hitchcock," Dario Argento has made some of the most memorable films I've ever seen. "Suspiria" is widely praised as his masterpiece, and it is a masterpiece in certain ways. It is full of all the things a horror film should have: Good shocks, an eerie musical score, exquisite lighting, and effective camera moves. Any director who's ever made a horror film knows that the camera has to become like the third character in a scene where two people are talking, and the music is the fourth. Creepy music and precise visuals make a horror film memorable. "Suspiria" has both, although the dubbed over dialogue (I still don't get why he does this, even if it is to avoid working with boom mics, having them drop into frame on accident or something) can get your bad attention, and the acting is somewhat subpar for the most part. But as a rule, horror films have never thrived on excellent performances ("Carrie" is an exception), so it doesn't truly matter. We have our final girl, who we care about, and the school that makes as an excellent backdrop for the film's terror. The film centers around a dancer who has enrolled in a school of dancing somewhere in Italy probably. It is in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by woods for what could be miles or merely a few hundred yards. Jessica Harper is our final girl and she fills the role nicely, using her wide eyes and girl next door looks to capture our sympathy as things happen to her. When she finds out that the school is actually a front for a witch's coven, all hell breaks loose, and she may be the only one with the brains and the information to end it all. That's pretty much it. There are too many surprises to really say much more. The film begins almost immediately, letting characterization come along for the ride instead of wasting a half hour of valuable time on introductions to all the dancers and teachers at the school. The real stars of the film are the music and cinematography, which when combined make a truly atmospheric and freaky experience. Dario Argento's personal Goblin group composed the music for "Suspiria" and they are in their highest form. Their score is equally compelling and wicked. Argento's camerawork is some of the best he's done, using his lighting to fill in the gaps of what could have been a boring scene. It's a real joy to watch a film like this which takes so much delight in scaring the wits out of you. Argento has real style, and it shows.
Rating:
Summary: Argento may yet grow on me
Review: On the plus side, I liked the overall creepiness; the music by The Goblins (which helped in a big way to bring about that creepiness); and the many unsettling and scary individual scenes throughout the movie. I'm just not sure how well the whole thing held together as a coherent, satisfying story. But the movie is at least worth a look, especially with the good job Anchor Bay did in sprucing it up for a new generation of movie fans.
Rating:
Summary: Yummy
Review: I'm so glad I decided to get this set. It's great. Anyone who loves the film should get it, it's definetely worth it. An added bonus was the extra cd with the music on it and of course the extra dvd with the interviews. They even included some prints from the film and a nice booklet. This is definetely a bargain.
|
