View Full Version : Why do you like Suspiria?
Morpheus2000
07-01-2002, 18:12
Suspiria was on Channel 4 over the Christmas period. A lot of my fellow users on this Forum seem to be raving about it so I watched it. I was surprised to see it in 2.35:1 but I though the film was a load of rubbish.
It's about a young American girl that travels to Europe to join a ballet schools and soon discovers strange goings on. There's grisly murders as various students are bumped off rather unconvincingly. It's made in 1977 so don't expect anything too spectacular on the visual department.
It uses a very loud soundtrack to try and freak out the viewer, instead it just ****** me off as I couldn't hear people what they were saying.
Overall this film is a pile of crap, one of the worst films I've seen that was made in the 70's. There's a young Udo Kier in the film. It's a small role, but you should recognise him.
Jimmyboy
07-01-2002, 19:07
People like it coz of the lighting effects. :D
It's a brilliant film!
Fantastic to look at, brilliant to listen to, and in places very very eerie.
I particulary love the sequence where Sarah is being chased through the corridors (don't think that warranted a spoiler tag).
As has been mentioned a thousand times about Argento the story is a bit weak, but we don't watch horror films expecting "The Godfather" do we.
My second favourite horror film of all time (after "A Nightmare On Elm Street"):cool:
George vader
07-01-2002, 19:18
Its typicall Argento.
Style over content.
i.e *****!!
scaramanga
07-01-2002, 19:25
Im a big horror fan and i heard everyone raving over it so i thought id get the 3-disc special edition, i tried to like it but i cant. Sticking to my dead films and evil deads :)
Originally posted by Morpheus2000
don't expect anything too spectacular on the visual department.
Wow! That's the first time I've heard that sentiment applied to Suspiria... I'd rate it as one of the most visually spectacular movies I've ever seen. I'm guessing you probably meant as far as individual special effects go rather than the overall composition... at least I hope so! :p The lighting, framing, design, attention to detail - all are absolutely compelling.
I can only agree with <b>chris21</b> - even down to sharing the same favourite scene. Suspiria is one of my most watched discs, usually in the early hours of the morning after a few ales TBH... Granted, it's not a movie to watch for the plot or the quality of acting... but to do so would be to miss the point... it's 'pure' cinema. Style over substance? Oh absolutely - and brilliant for it! There's a place for both in movies and there's plenty of directors out there who can offer substance - style is a much rarer commodity.
Dear Mr Echo
07-01-2002, 21:25
I think had Suspiria been made in Italian with subtitles it would have fared better. But the poor acting/poor command of English by the mostly Italian cast (correct me if I'm wrong on that point) give the film the impression of watching a dubbed movie. Having said that the film is a visual feast - the use of colour is astonishing but not in my opinion enough to rescue it from the mostly irritating cast.
Andrew
You really have to be in the mood for this film, I think. Personally, I think Inferno is a better film as a whole - More plot, and better acting. Still, I seem to prefer the Giallo stuff he's done. Deep Red and Tenebrae are both excellent thrillers.
Michael Brooke
07-01-2002, 22:17
<B>It's made in 1977 so don't expect anything too spectacular on the visual department. </B>
Words, for once, fail me. <U>Please</U> tell me that was a typo!
Originally posted by Michael Brooke
Words, for once, fail me. <U>Please</U> tell me that was a typo!
I was thinking the same thing.... I can understand why people may complain about the acting, script, plot, etc... but to say it isn't spectacular in the visual department - that's almost sacrilegious.
Actually scratch the 'almost' - it is sacrilegious. ;)
Morpheus2000
07-01-2002, 22:39
Originally posted by sampath
I was thinking the same thing.... I can understand why people may complain about the acting, script, plot, etc... but to say it isn't spectacular in the visual department - that's almost sacrilegious.
Actually scratch the 'almost' - it is sacrilegious. ;)
I thought the effects were bloody terrible! I suppose from a lighting/photography point of view it was ahead of it's time!
Maybe that it's because I just didn't get it! I just didn't like this film at all!
Anybody else try to enlighten me?
Michael Brooke
08-01-2002, 09:00
<B>I suppose from a lighting/photography point of view it was ahead of it's time! </B>
Actually, it was more of a throwback - Argento and cinematographer Luciano Tovoli deliberately shot the film using old-fashioned three-strip Technicolor, which is one of the reasons the film has such extraordinarily vibrant colours (this is much more obvious on a 35mm print than it will be on a Channel 4 or DVD screening, though).
It has a lot more in common with <I>The Red Shoes</I> than just the ballet school setting - in many ways, Argento was trying to do what Powell & Pressburger did three decades earlier, in making a film where colour, sound and movement are just as important (more important in this case, in fact) as more conventional narrative elements.
I've said it before but it bears repeating - if you've only seen this film on TV, you haven't really seen it. It was designed for the big screen and four-track stereo sound, so the Anchor Bay DVD is pretty much the minimum requirement to get a true impression of what Argento intended.
Just Call Me Wanda
08-01-2002, 11:05
...so don't expect anything too spectacular on the visual department.
:D - That's the movie's best feature!
Just Call Me Wanda
08-01-2002, 11:08
Now, after the reading the rest of the thread I see Micheal has picked up on my point in his own usual style! ;)
I don't understand why disliking Suspiria is something that so many people seem so keen to celebrate ! If you don't like it, get it (or want to) then fine, but you probably need to allow yourself a wider view, and consider that others may disagree ... and why they may disagree. The watery plot is over-emphasised on here -the horror genre's strongest point has hardly been strong narrative has it ?
Me, I find it shocking and unsettling. Any film that has that effect deserves my further attanetion, surely ? A la The Blair Witch Project, I really think Suspiria's 'success' with a viewer is highly dependent on that viewer's susceptibility, level of involvement, suspension of disbelief. I sense a little bit of arms-folded, 'Impress me' stance here.
Im sure it is agreed that Suspiria is flawed, the plot and what appears to be bad acting are distracting for the casual viewer but it is a visual and sonic treat if you love the art of cinema.
It stands up to repeat viewing and in my book is Argentos most successful movie it has no dated special effects and has an uneasy atmosphere and feeling of dread hanging over every set piece, for me a horror film which delivers.
Ive never had the pleasure of seeing it on the big screen but the Anchor Bay DVD and the Italian release look stunning and ive seen many bad quality vhs tapes.
If you can forgive the plot holes and dodgy acting (foreign stars struggling with the language) its worth another view.
Pike Bishop
08-01-2002, 14:51
Watched the docu. on Argento over the Xmas period, and they showed a few clips of a movie where a guy kills people by using an electric steel wire garrotte which doesnt stop tightening around people's necks until they have been decapitated. Anyone know the name of the movie and if it is any good and if it is available to buy on DVD?
Seems like only a pretty sick mind could come up with a method of murder like that, still looked pretty amusing though.
I think that one was Trauma - but I might be wrong..... It could be Four Flies - they're among the few I've not seen
The sickest he's ever been has to be in Opera. A woman has her eyes held open by pins and is forced to watch the ones she loves being killed in front of her. This is also the film with the scene where the killer cuts open someone's throat to retrieve swallowed evidence. Anchor Bay do a lovely uncut version of this.
Originally posted by Dagada
I think that one was Trauma - but I might be wrong.....
You're quite right - it was Trauma. Tartan are releasing a special edition DVD in the UK this year and while Tartan releases aren't usually anything to get excited about, this one looks promising as it will feature a commentary from Dario. Fingers crossed they don't make a mess of this release...
Tartan's current BBFC approved version is cut by 7 seconds...... Let's hope they've resubmitted.
Originally posted by Dagada
Tartan's current BBFC approved version is cut by 7 seconds...... Let's hope they've resubmitted.
Thankfully it was re-submitted last year and passed uncut by the BBFC.
Are you sure- I'm sure it still says it's cut on the BBFC website....
But then, the BBFC website makes no mention that they've passed GONIN!
Can't stand that flick. "Cheap" just about sums it up for me. Except for the constant blue-red lighting effects, which I'd call "cut-rate" -- the spaghetti version of the perenially tilted camera in "Battlefield Earth", I guess.
Wow - and I thought Suspiria was one of the more respected horror films around. Judging by the threads in this Forum it almost looks like there are at least as many people who hate it as there are fans!
It does have a pretty healthy IMDb score so maybe it's something to do with this Forum.... ;)
Daliah Lavi
08-01-2002, 16:36
I like Suspiria cause my fave colour is red ;0**
It plays a lot better in Italian but the problem modern or young audiences may have with the movie could do with the pacing, story & general feel of the movie.
During the Spring of '78 when I saw it, I'd never experienced anything else like it before; IMO I found it to be a kaleidoscopic nightmare dripping with atmosphere.
Despite the superb Anchor Bay dvd, If you haven't seen it on a large one screen cinema with 6 track surround, you really haven't seen it at it's best.
Thank god Dario Argento made some great dream like movies...Saying all that isn't it all subjective anyway?
Daliah.
Michael Brooke
08-01-2002, 16:39
<B>Except for the constant blue-red lighting effects, which I'd call "cut-rate" </B>
There's nothing "cut-rate" about shooting in three-strip Technicolor - it's about the most expensive process there is short of 70mm or IMAX!
The lighting design was chosen specifically to suit Technicolor's strongest points, which are amazingly rich primary colours - but, as I said above, you really have to see a 35mm print to truly appreciate what Argento and Tovoli were doing.
Daliah Lavi:During the Spring of '78 when I saw it, I'd never experienced anything else like it before; IMO I found it to be a kaleidoscopic nightmare dripping with atmosphere. Tell you the truth, I saw it a couple of years after you and found it just as gripping and immersive as you describe it. Imagine, then, my immense disappointment when I expectantly buy the thing on DVD 20 years later and am confronted with a low-cost shocker. If only the man hadn't been so damn obvious about every damn thing he does...
Michael Brooke:
"Cut-rate" applies to what Argento did with the process, not the process itself. I'm surprised you didn't pick up on that distinction, Michael.
Originally posted by Dagada
Are you sure- I'm sure it still says it's cut on the BBFC website....
Well, I'm basing my assertion on a news story that appeared on the ever-reliable <a href="http://www.darkdreams.org">Dark Dreams</a> website... :
May 03rd 2001
I just received this mail from the good old BBFC after enquiring about the Tartan release of TRAUMA on UK DVD:
"Thank you for your email.
TRAUMA has recently been resubmitted by Tartan and has now been passed '18' uncut for DVD release. The previous cuts (made in 1994 and again in 1999) have been waived."
Hope it's true - they're usually spot on. Great site well worth a visit for anyone who's had their interest piqued by Suspiria....
Daliah Lavi
08-01-2002, 17:09
Trauma has been reclassified & passed uncut with the previous edits restored, the BBFC will not list it until the packaging has been passed fit for general consumption by the VPC (?), seeing as a running comm was being recorded in December, this could be the reason for the delay, Tartan are probably waiting until all the extras are complete before printing the covers.
Daliah.
sidebog7
08-01-2002, 18:25
Originally posted by Daliah Lavi
Trauma has been reclassified & passed uncut with the previous edits restored, the BBFC will not list it until the packaging has been passed fit for general consumption by the VPC (?), seeing as a running comm was being recorded in December, this could be the reason for the delay, Tartan are probably waiting until all the extras are complete before printing the covers.
Daliah.
Tartan.... Extras..... There's got to be a joke in there somewhere:D
(And yes I do know about the outstanding ITMFL set).
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