Suspiria

Rating:
Summary: Nearly Perfect
Review: This creepy thriller is undoubtedly one of the better horror films to come out of the '70s. Argento found the perfect heroine in Jessica Harper, who plays the role of an emotionally detached American at a German ballet school. The emotional detachment that she portrays in her character adds significantly to the mood of the film. Argento also uses color for setting mood brillianty, much in the same style as Kubrik, though not with quite with the subtleness that Kubrik used color in his films. The acting of the rest of the cast is satisfactory at best, with the exception of the first two victims who shouldn't have been given any dialogue in the film. 3/5 stars for low grade acting and poor special effects. But mood, atmosphere, and suspense, the foundation of any good horror, get a solid 5/5 stars.

Rating:
Summary: GREAT!!
Review: This film isn't for everyone. The only bad part about this movie is the dubbing. This is one that you actually have to sit down and watch, not one that jumps out and goes boo then you get over it, no this is one that digs deep and won't let go with it's unrelenting fury. It is really good. Yes it's an old one, but the new horro films don't even meet this standard, except maybe The Ring. See this, if you want to get scared. Watch it by yourself with the lights off!

Rating:
Summary: Somewhat Out of time.
Review: This movie is good but somewhat outdated. The murders are gripping but the added colored lighting throughout the movie gives it a cheesy look. Overall: GOOD.

Rating:
Summary: Probably the Greatest European Horror Movie
Review: From its astonishing opening sequence, this is a film that grips and bewitches in equal measure. The director's masterful use of the widescreen ratio balances foreground events with the whispered conversations that create the atmosphere of intense and disturbing conspiracy that sustains the momentum to the end. In between, the celebrated set pieces cannot fail to shock and amaze a first-time viewer, but it is the more subtle effects that will keep you coming back for repeated viewings.

Thank God for the DVD format, where the colours are properly balanced and you don't have to put up with the panned and scanned travesty that use to exist on tape. It's just a shame that there are another few minutes of film in existence: cuts from a Dario Argento film are always a disappointment.

Rating:
Summary: Dance, baby, dance...
Review: A mysterious ballet academy. Two ambiguous ladies. A Snowwhite prototype. Killer dogs. Hands coming out from the dark. Throat-cutting razors. Black magic seances. And the direction of Dario Argento. What better could one expect? Answer: Anchor Bay Entertainment's work!
Presented in a new film transfer supervised by Argento and cinematographer Luciano Tovoli, SUSPIRIA is offered in a wonderful 3-disc package. Disc 1 shows the movie in a widescreen presentation (2.35.1) enhanced for 16x9 TVs and in Dolby Sorround 2.0 for the Frenc and Italian Soundtrack. The English Soundtrack is presented in Dolby Digital Sorround EX and in 6.1 DTS-ES! A sight for sore ears!!!! Extra features present different theatrical trailers, TV spots, radio spots, the original Daemonia music video, poster and still gallery and the usual talent bios. Disc 2 shows an unprecedently released interview named SUSPIRIA: 25TH ANNIVERSARY, an all-new 52-minute documentary featuring director and co-writer Dario Argento, co-writer Daria Nicolodi, cinematographer Luciano Tovoli, Goblin, stars Jessica Harper, Stefania Casini and Udo Kier (appearing also in a funny easter-egg: find a clue related to Argento's first movie in the menu and click on it!) Disc 3 is the original Soundtrack Cd performed by the Goblin. The package presents also a 32-page booklet on the story of the movie, with a lot of pics, and 10 great lobby cards. What are you waiting for? The witches are back....

Rating:
Summary: This one's ok.
Review: This one is more creepy than scary. It's about witchcraft and the occult. I was expecting something more scary, but this is still pretty good.

Rating:
Summary: A Horror Masterpiece
Review: For those of you who want to know what Asia's (currently starring in XXX) dad did as a director here's the best place to start. A superb boxed set of the complete uncut Suspiria along with a great set of extras and the tremendous booming rock soundtrack that blasted out in quad in the theatre back when I saw it in 77. Today you are actually better off then I was in 77 since this is the actual uncut film which I didn't see in 77 and now it's in 5.1 instead of quad. Many people out there may find it hard to believe but the crowd in the theatre back then laughed at many parts of the film especially the ballet sequences and I remember Cinefantastique saying some pretty bad things about it. I think now in this fantastic package in a beautiful widescreen print and marvelous bold Technicolor complete and unedited this film will finally be recognized and appreciated as the masterpiece it truly is. And if you love this be sure to get OPERA and especially DEEP RED

Rating:
Summary: Dario Argento¿s Most Recognized Work
Review: Suspiria definitely grew on me since I didn't like it after the first viewing. After a second and third time though, I came around because I realized just how influential this film must have been. You can watch movies like Suspiria and Phantasm and think about all the other movies that were influenced by these early genre films. I went into Suspiria thinking the actors would be speaking Italian with English subtext. Much to my surprise, everyone speaks English, or badly-dubbed English. I also thought they would show the killer but then I realized this movie is like Argento's other films where all you see of the killer is an arm and a black glove. In the giallo style, nobody knows who the identity of the person is until later in the story. Sure, the movie has its share of bad acting and dialogue, but what can you do. In my opinion, it's certainly much better than some of Argento's other movies like Phenomena.

I picked up this DVD after reading the rave reviews all over the internet. AMAZING! This is some of the best restoration I've ever seen, the picture is sharp and the colors are very intense. The sound is remastered, but also limited to the fidelity of the original recording. This gives the movie somewhat of a tinny hollow sound, but the good part is that it makes use of the surrounds for the score and for the loud rainstorm at the beginning. Hearing the creepy Goblin score in all channels really makes this movie even more effective. I would recommend this movie as a rental first to see if you like it. If you do, then this DVD is a must-have.

Rating:
Summary: One of the most beautifully shot films of all time
Review: Much like Lucio Fulci's "The Beyond", one must be sure to go into watching this movie with no illusions that it will be a great film, for it is not. The acting is gratingly bad and the violent sequences of the movie seem almost randomly displaced throughout the film at times. Its stupid. But the script is not what draws one to a Dario Argento movie. No, it is Argento's directing flair and sense for framing scenes that makes his films special. Suspiria takes full advantage of the concept of using film as an art form and not just mindless entertainment. I mean, it IS mindless, but when you can look beyond that and just marvel at how beautifully done this film is, shot for shot... even mute the film if you have to... you can really begin to appreciate it.

Rating:
Summary: Classic Argento
Review: Throw into one huge pot the beautiful Jessica Harper, Argento's visual flair, Luciano Tovoli's direction of photography, a haunting soundtrack from Goblin, give it a good shake and voila !! Suspiria.

Anyone looking for an introduction to the world of Argento should start here. Dark and genuinely creepy (check the scene with the blind guy and his dog that goes nuts...) Suspiria is a tour-de-force. Beautifully lit, directed with imagination and precision and with the excellent Ms Harper, this is must-see Argento.

Turn the lights low, the sound up and enjoy :-)

Thanks have to go out to Anchor Bay for yet another oustanding job !!