Suspiria
After being unimpressed with recent horror movie releases I decided to give
vintage horror a try and watched Suspiria. It tells the story of a young
girl who travels to Europe to attend a prestigious ballet academy. Once she
gets there she discovers things are not quite as they seem. One girl runs
screaming from the building as she arrives - never a good sign. People go
missing and other unusual acts occur that lead her to determine something
isn't quite right. Thus begins her pursuit for the truth.
Although this was filmed in the 1970's and has plenty of the expected cheesy
effects and moments, it was actually pretty good. The sound track was scary
and fit perfectly with the movie. There were also a lot of jump moments
which make any horror movie good. The thing I liked most was the overall
feeling of the movie. Horror movies today rely on blood and guts to scare
the viewer. What used to be called slasher movies have become the accepted
norm of the horror genre. Suspiria was created back in the day when there
was a huge difference between horror and slasher. There is very little gore
but a lot of thrill and gore, both of which make a movie not only enjoyable
but timeless. Aside from hairstyles and some dialogue, this movie hadn't
aged. That same compliment cannot be said for Friday the 13th or any Freddy
movie.
All in all, if you are looking for a good, cheap thrill, check out Suspiria. I recommend turning off the lights, lighting a few candles, and bundling
up in your favorite blanket. It has it's slow moments, as any 70's movie
does, but if you get past them you'll enjoy the story.
I would give Suspiria an overall grade of B.
Suspiria gets a grade breakdown as follows:
Story: B. Typical "what's going on, let's find out" type story.
Acting: B. Not amazing but not awful either.
Visuals: N/A. I can't really answer without considering today’s special
effects and such a comparison is unfair to any movie made prior to the last
5 years.
Originality/Innovation: B. At the time, pretty original I would imagine.
Enjoyability grade: C. Not action packed and bit dry and boring, but still
good.
Overall grade: B. Good 'night in with friends' movie.
DVD extras: A - but with reason. Ever since I was a kid I had a clip in my
head, a memory that I couldn't place: Sitting on the couch, brushing my
mothers hair, watching TV when this commercial comes on. There is an erie
song being sung in this "la la la la" type voice of a child. On screen is
the back of someone's head that slowly turns and reveals a skull. I
remember screaming and leaving the room every time it came on. I had never
placed what it was for or anything... till now. That commercial was an ad
for Suspiria. When I saw that commercial on the DVD extras, I freaked out
and felt like a small child again. So, when you watch the commercial,
pretend you are 4 years old and relive the horror as I did.
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