Inferno

Rating:
Summary: Visually Stunning and Hallucinatory
Review: Considering that Suspiria is by far the most popular and acclaimed film in Argento's catalogue I'm rather confused as to why the sequel Inferno isn't more popular. Fans of Suspiria, like myself, ought to eat this up. Admittedly, it isn't as good as Suspiria, but it takes all the things that made that film so extraordinary and unusual and pushes them boundaries even further, while managing to be a fairly distinct from it's predecessor. This is most definitely a worthwhile piece in and of itself, and it is a must see for any horror fan, or those who enjoy visually startling films.

Visually, Inferno is even more stylized then Suspiria, with virtually nothing being shot in a perfuntory or realistic manner. It takes the most prominent visual aspect of Suspiria, the bright, garish sets and surreal colored lighting,(most often red and blue) and takes them to a greater extreme, and in a slightly different direction. In Suspiria, the set design and colored lighting were relatively simple, generally using open areas and relatively simple lighting, frequently with the entire scenes bathed in a single color.(And it rarely become more complicated than simply having 2 colors for the background, and 1 more illuminating the characters in the foreground) Thus, for all it's eeriness, the lighting in Suspiria actually illuminated the scene quite well. Not so in Inferno. The sets are cramped and elaborate, with numerous different light sources illuminating small portions of the scenes, generally with much of the scene still shrouded in darkness.(often to the point which you can't easily identify objects) Thus, although Inferno has many of the visual elements of Suspiria, they are used in a notably different style. Personally, I think that Inferno looks even better then its predecessor. The most notable scene, visually, is when Rose is attacked in her apartment. It is simply astounding.

This film is not big on plot or character development. In fact, I would say that it has perhaps the least character development of any film I've seen. (none) And to my surprise, I think this is actually a slight problem. Although Suspiria wasn't too big on character development, it managed to make me genuinely like Suzy and Sarah, whereas I don't give a damn about anyone in this film. And this actually makes the horror scenes less effective. The plot extends the mythos of Suspiria, with Rose reading a book, The Three Mothers, in the opening scene. The book states that 3 sisters rule the world, Mater Suspiriorum, Mater Tenebrarum and Mater Lachymarum, and that they live in Freiburg, Rome and New York respectively.(Naturally, Mater Suspiriorum was Helena Marcos in Suspiria) And she discovers that, wouldn't ya know it, she's living in the apartment complex in which Mater Tenebrarum resides.(She lives underneath it though, not in one of the apartments.) She's disturbed by this story and calls for help from her brother, Mark, living in Rome. Thus, an investigation is begun by various individuals, generally leading to their untimely deaths. As you might imagine, the plot is driven by absurdities and contrivances almost exclusively. But I don't care, and neither should you, considering the film and its goals. It can be a bit confusing at times as well, but you ought not worry about that, for the reasons stated above.

The murder sequences are very elaborate and nicely done, in much the same magnificently colored and hallucinogenic slasher film manner found in Suspiria, this time generally with taloned, cowled killers. They do have some slight flaws, however. Most significantly, they lack much of the sheer intensity and brutality of the killings in Suspiria. (Sorry about the endless comparisons, but they practically beg to be done) Simply put, the victims in Inferno are, for the most part, not made to suffer the way they did in Suspiria. Some people found the more sadistic aspect of Suspiria offensive, but that's what gave the deaths there power. Naturally, the most affecting death is the most painful seeming one, where the victim has their head pinned down through an open window, and the broken window pane repeatedly dropped on their throat. The visualization of this event leaves something to be desired, but it is conceptually nasty enough to make it work very well. Still, all the other deaths are beautifully shot and staged, even if they aren't as painful or personally affecting. Another problem is that they attempt a few more animal attacks, with little success. There is a cat attack, which is unintentionally humorous, and a massed rat attack which is just kinda bland. Fortunately, that is not all that is going on in those scenes, and they are still excellent sequences overall.

One of the most famous aspects of Suspiria was its extraordinary score by the band Goblin. Here Keith Emerson takes over scoring duties, and takes them in a different, somewhat more conventional direction, with lots of omionous, discordant piano pieces. Though not as effective as Goblin's work, it still works quite well, and is preferable to merely attempting a retread of the previous score. It uses the old trick of having a vicious murder contrasted with a grandiose, incongruent classical piece,(to great effect) and I also particularly enjoy the rock version of some Verdi piece they use during the cab scene.(It's cheesy, but I like it)

Sadly, the end of this film is somewhat anti-climatic.(Though to a lesser extent than was Suspiria) It's primarily hurt by the fact that it has a conceptually solid but incredibly hokey visual effect during the confrontation with Mater Tenebrarum. It's also hurt by the fact that the evil is defeated not by the actions of any of the protagonists, but just through luck and chance.

Well, that's about it. Somewhat flawed, but the flaws don't matter much. If you haven't seen Suspiria yet, see it first. If you like that, check this out.


Rating:
Summary: Hypnotic, stylish, atmospheric horror masterpiece
Review: Dario Argento has made some of the most captivating, brilliant horror movies I have ever seen, and I absolutely love and devour horror movies, old and new. "Inferno" is no exception; it holds your attention from start to finish, and if you weren't fascinated by it, you have to be a pretty dull person. So the plot is not crystal clear,who cares? Argento has never specialized in the plot department. But, contrary to what many people think, Argento's movies DO have substance are not just fanciful exercises in style. Argento, more than any horror director I've ever seen, evokes a sense of the marvelous and otherworldly:his films point away from the commonplace, the ordinary, and push us in the direction of the unknown. Half the people who bash this movie probably couldn't take their eyes off it while it was actually playing. True, some of the dialogue is ludicrous and the scene at the end with the 'grim reaper' was absurd, but the sheer magic and intrigue of the movie make its flaws unimportant. Argento is to horror cinema what Lovecraft, Poe or Kafka are to horror literature. I find it hard to believe that the 'fans' who dismiss this movie because of qualms they have over it 'not making sense' or the incomprehensible nature of the plot were Argento fans to begin with: the premise of the movie is neither more nor less ludicrous than the plots of his other movies. Argento's work is not meant to be logically coherent or rational, but to penetrate the mystical, shadowy side of existence. You will never see a more visually stunning or visionary horror movie. Don't just rent this movie, buy it.

Rating:
Summary: Understated horror at it's finest
Review: Dario Argento is the godfather of Italian horror! Inferno is, in my opinion, one of his finest movies. If you're in it for the gore, buy Deep Red instead. However, if you love occult flicks where the horror is symbolic and on a grander, more menacing scale, you might just enjoy this. The movie revolves around the three mothers, women of unspeakable power who control the fate of entire cities. The key to discovering their secret lies in the pages of an alchemist's book, but those secrets seem to cost the lives of all who try to uncover them. There is quite a bit of violence and blood for those who enjoy it, and plenty of mystery and intrigue. This film should be savored like a fine wine.

Rating:
Summary: Outlandish and spellbinding
Review: Dario Argento's deranged third installment in his "Three Mothers" series is more like a hallucinatory head-trip than a horror movie. An American music student residing in Rome realizes his sister's apartment in New York may be built over one of the gates to hell. Plot doesn't make a lick of sense, but the barrage of amazing imagery more than makes up for it. Keith Emerson's bizarre soundtrack only adds to the weirdness factor. Not the best place to start with Argento, but a must if you're a fan already.

Rating:
Summary: From the July issue of IRS.theroadlesstraveled.org
Review: Dario Argento's distinctive style is a sort of Sternberg meets Roger Corman. Although I find Argento to be a much more interesting director than Lucio Fulci's goofy if imaginative eyeball gougings, besides SUSPIRIA, you have to be pretty taken with him to put up with his dream-like narrative. I can't recommend INFERNO.

Rating:
Summary: More Supernatural Mayhem From Argento
Review: Dario Argento's INFERNO, the sequel to the great SUSPIRIA, is the director's most difficult film; it was hard for him to pull this one off and it took a lot of time. In the end, however, it was all well worth the effort. INFERNO establishes its link to SUSPIRIA in the beginning, as Rose Elliot (Irene Miracle of MIDNIGHT EXPRESS fame) reads the book "The Three Mothers" by one E. Varelli, an architect and alchemist who built three houses for the Three Mothers, who are really evil beings who rule the world through sorrows, darkness and tears. Rose, in fact, might live in one of those dwelling places, a hotel in New York, which is the dwelling place of Mater Tenebrarum, Mother of Darkness. (SUSPIRIA covered Mater Suspiriorum, Mother of Sighs/Sorrows.) Anyway, her brother Mark (Leigh McCloskey) comes to New York and gets caught up in the weirdness that ensues.
As I said before, Dario Argento had a real difficult time filming INFERNO. He bypassed the witchcraft of SUSPIRIA in favor of alchemy for this story. Fortunately, he had help from another Italian horror legend: Mario Bava (TWITCH OF THE DEATH NERVE, BLACK SUNDAY, SHOCK), who filmed an amazing underwater sequence in the beginning which is a sight to behold and is really scary. Some think that the music student with the cat (Ania Pieroni of TENEBRE and Fulci's HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY) in the scenes in Rome is a representation of Mater Lacrimaurum, Mother of Tears; if that's so, what a great setup for the third film that would have been. While not as mind-blowing as SUSPIRIA, INFERNO is a wild experience in its own right and has an equally awesome music score (here by prog-rock vet Keith Emerson) and scary imagery and lighting reminiscent of an EC Comic book.
BTW: Have you noticed any similarity between this and Fulci's masterpiece THE BEYOND? I mean there's the house that maybe concealing some sort of evil, there's the gruesome murders at random, and there's the awesome score! Anyway, you have to see THE BEYOND, and I'll explain why in another review. But give INFERNO, Argento's purest film, a try but watch SUSPIRIA first so you'll understand this movie better!

Rating:
Summary: Not quite this world
Review: Don't analyse this film or admire it's fine acting talents (the film is dubbed) - you won't get anywhere. Instead admire the skillful direction by the virtuoso director, Dario Argento. This film, like Suspiria, are truly ingenious as they don't quite seem like this world. The sets are all fractured and watered with vibrant colours of red and blue. The most effective part of the film is the soundtrack. Most of the film, including one great and graphic murder scene, are (if I remember correctily) set to Beethoven.Enjoy!

Rating:
Summary: Mater Tenebrarum's House of Terror
Review: Excerpt from the Three Mothers: "I Varelli, an architect living in London, met the Three Mothers and designed and built for them three dwelling places, one in Rome, one in New York, and the third in Freiborg, Germany. I failed to discover until too late that from those three locations, the three mother ruled the world with sorrow, tears, and darkness. Mater Suspiriorum, the mother or sighs and the oldest of the three, lives at Freiborg. Mater Lachrymarum, the mother of tears and the most beautiful of the sisters, holds rule in Rome. Mater Tenebrarum, the mother of darkness, who is the youngest and cruellest of the three, controls New York. And I built their horrible houses, the repository of all their filthy secrets..."

That is what Rose Elliott, living in an apartment building in New York, discovers in an ancient book sold to her by Kazanian, an antiques dealer and later, as we learn, rabid ailurophobe--fear of cats. She realizes that she lives in one of the three houses and sets out to unlock the riddle. However, she is brutally killed, but not before sending a letter to her brother Mark, who is studying music in Rome.

Mark, distracted by a sultry woman with a huge dirty white Persian, forgets the letter at the music auditorium. His classmate Sarah reads it, and calls Mark. When he gets to her place, he finds her murdered. He arrives in New York and gets mixed up in what his sister was investigating.

The scene preceding Rose's death is one of the eeriest, with windows lit hellish red, shimmering blue lights dancing along the walls, lightning, and glass breaking with the rain pouring in. It climaxes with her gory demise.

Another is when Rose drops her keys in a pool and diving to get them, finds a weird room underwater. Actress Irene Miracle clearly put her talents as an experienced underwater swimming to good use.

Two other characters meet with even worse deaths. Elise, Rose's neighbour, has a, well, CAT-astrophic fate. It's a highlight of this movie. Cats feature a lot in this movie, BTW. Ditto Kazanian, only worse, and with a different animal. The casualty rate in this film is higher than in Argento's Profondo Rosso and Suspiria.

Although not mentioned, the girl with the cat was Mater Lachrymarum, and wordlessly played to perfection by Ania Pieroni. Check the closeups of her blue eyes. Two alumni from Profondo Rosso appear: Gabriele Lavia and Daria Niccolodi. As in Rosso, Lavia plays a character named, yes, Carlo. Daria Niccolodi (Elise) was Gianna in PR and was the ex-wife of Dario Argento and mother of Asia Argento. Alida Valli (the desk woman) came out in Suspiria as the menacing Miss Tanner.

One superlative visual effect was done by Mario Bava, and that was the transformation scene of Mater Tenebrarum. Not bad for a period without digital graphics technology.

Keith Emerson's (of Emerson-Lake-Palmer) piano score captures the eerie atmosphere of this film, as does his Latin choir in the Mater Tenebrarum song near the film's end and credits.
The second in Dario Argento's as-yet uncompleted Three Mothers trilogy, while not as visually grabbing as Suspiria, still maintains horrific deaths and images, lots of blood, whispering voices, and menacing hands. And Leigh McCloskey (Mark) comes across as unassertive and undynamic. Still, a laudable effort from Argento.

Rating:
Summary: Not bad but somewhat outdated.
Review: First of all the dvd quality is mediocre. The picture quality is barely vhs standards and the sound is dull and very flat. Now about the movie: The murdering scenes are good and the end is gripping enough especially the transformation into death. I love the soundtrack. What I do not like too much is the persistent tone of blue, red and green in every image of the movie, it make it look somewhat cheesy. Overall: DECENT.

Rating:
Summary: Raising hell...
Review: Good stylish Argento movie dating back to 1980. Yet something wrong. Maybe the plot, too close to that of 1976 Suspiria, of which Inferno is probably an ideal sequel, but not as whipping and fascinating. The academy school has been replaced by a groomy building, nest of Mater Tenebrarum, one of the three Mothers who rule the world. The impression is that something is missing, probably the final part of the mothers trilogy, which began with Mother Suspiriorum in 1976. Superb cinematography and juicy episodes, such as the cellar immersion of the protagonist or the double gore murder of Eleonora Giorgi and Gabriele Lavia, whose screams mix up with Verdi's Nabucco. I expected something better from the solution of it all, but your nerves will be whipped from the very beginning up to the whole development of the movie.
Good job from Anchor Bay Ent., with a widescreen presentation (1.85:1) enhanced for 16x9 TV's, the audio track is only in english language, but in 5.1 Dolby Sorround. The extra features are essential, with an exclusive Dario Argento interview (which begins before the film starts, but cannot be selected from the menu), the theatrical trailer, a still gallery and the talent bios. Good exercise of tension with a great score from Keith Emerson, excellent style and fascinating colours.