1 - Suspiria

Starring:

Jessica Harper......Suzy Bannion

Udo Kier......Dr. Frank Mandel

Joan Bennett......Madame Blanc

Stefania Casini......Sarah

Alida Valli......Miss Tanner

Miguel Bose......Mark

Flavio Bucci......Daniel

Written by:

Dario Argento and Daria Nicolodi

Directed by:

Dario Argento

Release Date:

February 1, 1977

Running Time:

92 mins.

98 mins. (unrated)

So I loved this movie. Audiences' reactions are usually divided into two groups for this film, it seems. One side loves it, and the other hates it. I've never really encountered anyone that has been just "...eh..." with it.

Reasons I loved it:

The Music: So I think this now holds the title for "Movie with My Favorite Score." It was so creepy and beautiful at the same time, I couldn't/can't get over it. To borrow an allusion someone else said, "It's like a Disney score to a horror movie... which just makes it even scarier."

The Cinematography: Was gorgeous. Okay, if for no other reason, watch the film for the visuals. The colors are orgasmic, as is the scenery.

The Suspense: I dislike how a lot of modern horror movies lack suspense. It's just one "Jump out and BOO!" scene after another. This movie, while maintaining some sudden scares, relies heavily on suspense. It builds up to the moment where you know something is going to jump out, waits a few seconds, and then has it scare you.

The plot concerns Suzy Bannion, an American ballet student who is to attend a prestigious dance school in Freiburg, Germany. As soon as she arrives, a young woman races out of the school, screaming, into the woods. A gratuitous murder scene takes place, and so begins the terror. Suzy encounters very strange characters at the school, including the strict Madame Blanc and the ill-tempered Olga. The one character that Suzy gets along with is Sarah, her roommate.

Suzy and Sarah become friends, and Sarah informs Suzy of some "secrets." Like almost always, I hate giving away spoilers, because... let's face it. Do you want to watch a movie if you already know exactly what's going to happen? If so: sorry, go to Wikipedia.

The deaths in the movie are interesting and different... examples include a girl falling into a room full of razor wire and struggling to get out, a dog accidently eating its man, and some other cool ones.

Do keep in mind, however, that the movie focuses more on style than it does on story. There isn't much dialogue... I would say there is more instrumental music than there are spoken words, actually. From what I've read, this seems to be a common theme in most of Argento's films. Whatever, I still loved it.

Go into the movie with an open mind, and no real expectations. It is cheesy at moment, and a little over-the-top, but I think that that's just part of its deliciously creepy charm.