Post by SeventhSeal17 on May 8, 2007 22:43:42 GMT -5
Suspiria (1977)
DVD Rating: 25/30 (B-)
Overall Rating: 22/30 (C)
Directed By: Dario Argento
Written By: Dario Argento and Daria Nicolodi
Starring:
Jessica Harper
Stefania Casini
Flavio Bucci
Miguel Bosé
Plot Synopsis:
Jessica Harper stars as Suzy Banyon, a young American ballet dancer who arrives at a prestigious European dance academy run by the mysterious Madame Blanc (Joan Bennet) and Miss Tanner (Alida Valli). But when a series of bizarre incidents and horrific crimes (including what Entertainment Weekly calls "the most vicious murder scene ever filmed") turn the school into a waking nightmare of the d**ned, Suzy must escape the academy's unspeakable secret of supernatural evil.
Experience the most shocking and hallucinatory horror movie in history as you've never seen or heard it before, now featuring the fully remastered landmark score by Goblin and a heart-stopping new film transfer supervised by director Dario Argento and cinematographer Luciano Tovoli. This is the definitive version of Suspiria, an aria of terror beyond imagination and one of the most extraordinary horror films ever made.
Review:
By reading my other reviews you may have noticed that I like to give a brief plot summary without actually giving away any key points of the film. That is impossible to do with this film. Not beacuse it has some amazing plot that even the slightest word would give it away, quite the opposite. There is not plot. None at all. Yet this film is still amazing to.
If you are into the Italian horror scene at all then you know who Dario Argento is, and you probably know that his movies are a mixed bag, which they are, yet his use of color and light is simply breathtaking. He infuses each and every shot with vibrant yellows and deep crimson reds. Perhaps even a little blue and a touch of purple, and he does it in a way that you don't even really notice. It just looks natural.
The script leaves must to be desired, but the music is great. If you know Argento then you will already know that the band that does all his films is called Goblins. They suck at making album music, but are awesome at soundtracks. George Romero and Argento are close friends and they do a lot work together, for example, Dario Argento did the European edit for Dawn of the Dead (1978).
This is a great film to check out if you come across it. There are a couple versions on DVD, I suggest buying the Anchor Bay edition because it has the best picture and sound quality. If you can afford it pick up the three disc set.
Rating:
Video: 8/10 - The transfer is excellent in comparison to previous Suspiria releases. A little grainy, but not enough to complain about it.
Audio: 7/10 - The sound quality was standard, nothing too great, but all that bad either.
Special Features: 10/10 - As I reviewed the three-disc collection there is more than enough special features. Some of them are lame filler, but it is balanced with the thoughtful features.
Acting: 6/10 - The acting is sub-par in this film. Majority of the time I didn't have one shred of belief in the action, but it is minor in terms of the films quality.
Script: 7/10 - Most of the dialogue is corny and stupid, but within the context of the movie it works pretty well.
Gore Rating 9/10 - The opening murder scene is one of my favorite horror scenes of all time. While there is not over amounts of gore, when it happnes it is very effective.
DVD Rating: 25/30 (B-)
Overall Rating: 22/30 (C)
DVD Rating: 25/30 (B-)
Overall Rating: 22/30 (C)
Directed By: Dario Argento
Written By: Dario Argento and Daria Nicolodi
Starring:
Jessica Harper
Stefania Casini
Flavio Bucci
Miguel Bosé
Plot Synopsis:
Jessica Harper stars as Suzy Banyon, a young American ballet dancer who arrives at a prestigious European dance academy run by the mysterious Madame Blanc (Joan Bennet) and Miss Tanner (Alida Valli). But when a series of bizarre incidents and horrific crimes (including what Entertainment Weekly calls "the most vicious murder scene ever filmed") turn the school into a waking nightmare of the d**ned, Suzy must escape the academy's unspeakable secret of supernatural evil.
Experience the most shocking and hallucinatory horror movie in history as you've never seen or heard it before, now featuring the fully remastered landmark score by Goblin and a heart-stopping new film transfer supervised by director Dario Argento and cinematographer Luciano Tovoli. This is the definitive version of Suspiria, an aria of terror beyond imagination and one of the most extraordinary horror films ever made.
Review:
By reading my other reviews you may have noticed that I like to give a brief plot summary without actually giving away any key points of the film. That is impossible to do with this film. Not beacuse it has some amazing plot that even the slightest word would give it away, quite the opposite. There is not plot. None at all. Yet this film is still amazing to.
If you are into the Italian horror scene at all then you know who Dario Argento is, and you probably know that his movies are a mixed bag, which they are, yet his use of color and light is simply breathtaking. He infuses each and every shot with vibrant yellows and deep crimson reds. Perhaps even a little blue and a touch of purple, and he does it in a way that you don't even really notice. It just looks natural.
The script leaves must to be desired, but the music is great. If you know Argento then you will already know that the band that does all his films is called Goblins. They suck at making album music, but are awesome at soundtracks. George Romero and Argento are close friends and they do a lot work together, for example, Dario Argento did the European edit for Dawn of the Dead (1978).
This is a great film to check out if you come across it. There are a couple versions on DVD, I suggest buying the Anchor Bay edition because it has the best picture and sound quality. If you can afford it pick up the three disc set.
Rating:
Video: 8/10 - The transfer is excellent in comparison to previous Suspiria releases. A little grainy, but not enough to complain about it.
Audio: 7/10 - The sound quality was standard, nothing too great, but all that bad either.
Special Features: 10/10 - As I reviewed the three-disc collection there is more than enough special features. Some of them are lame filler, but it is balanced with the thoughtful features.
Acting: 6/10 - The acting is sub-par in this film. Majority of the time I didn't have one shred of belief in the action, but it is minor in terms of the films quality.
Script: 7/10 - Most of the dialogue is corny and stupid, but within the context of the movie it works pretty well.
Gore Rating 9/10 - The opening murder scene is one of my favorite horror scenes of all time. While there is not over amounts of gore, when it happnes it is very effective.
DVD Rating: 25/30 (B-)
Overall Rating: 22/30 (C)