Suspiria (2018)

"Suspiria" (2018, Luca Guadagnino K Period Media, Frenesy Film Company, Videa Mythology Entertainment, Memo Films, Vega Baby) is the arthouse re-imagining of the 1977 Dario Argento film of the same name.

Susie Bannion (Dakota Johnson) leaves Ohio and enrols in a dance academy in West Berlin. She becomes the favourite of the instructor, Madame Blanc (Tilda Swinton), but begins to suspect that something very strange is going on at the school as she and her friend Sara (Mia Goth) begin investigating. At the same time, a psychologist (also Swinton in impressive prosthetics making this, minus some minor roles, an all-female cast) is investigating the school after the disappearance of  his patient, Patricia (Chloë Grace Moretz), who had left journals stating that she believed the matrons of the school to be witches.

Cards on the table I did not love this film. I found the length excessive with long winded shots and scenes that seemed artsy for the sake of it, rather than a statement or style. The film's pacing was tedious and I found the plot to be somewhat incoherent (and that's saying something from me, a fan of some of the most incoherent B-movies ever made). The whole side-plot with the Doctor seemed unnecessary and the grim styling, which I'll get to below, coupled with the pacing made the film seem even slower. Unlike the original, the remake also didn't have a strong memorable score. In honesty, I can't imagine how this could be achieved without infringing on the original, but I felt that I barely noticed the score at all.

That's not to say that I didn't find things I liked about the film. The styling and colouration of the original could not be matched or recreated without seeming like a pointless copy, so I admire the direction of Guadagnino to go his own way. The style seems consistent with West Berlin in the 70s. The scenery is also reminiscent of the original but much more drab, grey and gritty. I also appreciated that the film was immersed completely in its German setting. As a German language learner I was thrilled to pick up most of the German dialogue without the need of subtitles. However, for non-speakers of the language it perhaps made a long film feel even longer.

The body-horror elements were really good; lots of bone breaking, gut spilling and pants pissing, and a very chaotic and Giallo-homage ridden scene filled to the brim with nude dancers and grizzled old witches. However, the journey to reach the payoffs was long and, although the gore and effects were stunning, even these scenes seemed overly long and lingered too much which, for me, robbed them of some of their effect.

While I didn't hate the film, I am unlikely to watch it again and view it as an experience as a genre fan, rather than a piece of entertainment. Clearly it just isn't for me.

[Image: K Period Media, et al]

Hani

Knucklebones

"Knucklebones" (2016, Mitch Wilson, Midnight Releasing) is a supernatural slasher film.

Julin (Neesa Avery) had thought things were going well until her fiance ended their relationship. To cheer her up her friends decide to take her with them on a misguided night of partying at an abandoned factory which was the site of a brutal and mysterious massacre several decades previously. The friends come across a creepy, arcane looking dice game which includes amongst its pieces, some old human knuckle bones. Of course, being young and merry, the friends decide to play the game and accidentally conjure up the demonic presence of Knucklebones (Tom Zembrod) who makes it his business to brutally slay everyone in his path.

A fun genre entry which follows a well-trodden, but no less entertaining, slasher plot and format. The titular demonic entity has elements of some familiar antagonists such as Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees in that he's talkative (obviously a Freddy trait rather than a Jason one), seemingly omnipotent, disfigured and menacing. Our cast of killer-fodder are fairly standard beautiful characters (some in short-shorts) but this familiarity works to the film's benefit. Protagonist Julin, however, goes above and beyond the typical final girl role and takes command of her fate.

The kill scenes are well put together and imaginative with some nice bone breaking effects and the right dose of cheese. We're also treated to some cheesy Nazi experimentation and a nicely grim hand scene.

While it's not trying to break the mould, the film delivers an enjoyable B-movie slasher worthy of a view. Currently available on Amazon Prime.

[Image: Midnight Releasing]

Hani

Suspiria

"Suspiria" (Dario Argento, 1977, Seda Spettacoli, Produzioni Atlas Consorziate) is a supernatural Giallo horror set in Freiburg, Germany.

Suzy Bannion (Jessica Harper) is a young American ballet student who enrols at a prestigious German dance academy. In a memorable opening scene she arrives at the school at night during a thunderstorm to find the building locked up. Before giving in and leaving to try again during the day she glimpses what appears to be another student leaving the school in a panic and running into the woods. The next day Suzy is welcomed to the school by the stern Miss Tanner (Alida Valli) and headmistress, Madam Blanc (Joan Bennett), but learns of the grim murder of one of the students; the girl she saw running the previous night... During her studies, and having befriended neighbouring student, Sara (Stefania Casini), Suzy begins to suspect that something very grim is going on at the academy...

An intriguing film that enjoys stunning scenes. The lavish styling, setting and lighting are some of the most recognisable in film. The scoring by prog-rock band Goblin is also very unique, striking and effective. I am also a fan of the wardrobe. Every character is adorned in some beautiful garment or quirky suit - it's a real stylish piece of cinema.

Harper provides a strong but sympathetic protagonist who spends the duration of the film working things out head-on and without shying away. As with most movies of this type, keeping up with the plot can be an exercise and it's the kind of film that seems to unlock more and more detail with each viewing. We are treated with action from the onset with stabbings, hangings, razor wire pits and reanimated corpses to keep us entertained.

There's very little reference made in the film, aside from the introduction, of it being set in Germany and the scenes involving Dr. Mandel and Professor Milius can seem a little jarring and out of place. But the beauty of this movie is in its stylish flair and the urgency of its pacing.

I was first introduced to this film at an all-night horror film festival and I have enjoyed many re-watches since then. It is also the first of Argento's "The Three Mothers" trilogy.

[Image:  Produzioni Atlas Consorziate]

Hani

The Meg

"The Meg" (2018, Jon Turteltaub, Warner Bros. Pictures, Gravity Pictures, Flagship Entertainment, Apelles Entertainment, Di Bonaventura Pictures, Maeday Productions) is a giant killer shark movie.

Jonas (Jason Statham) is a submarine rescue pilot who has been out of the business for a while following a rescue mission where he had to leave two of his crew mates behind after the stricken sub was hit by something very large, forcing the rescue vehicle to detach. As well as feeling tremendous guilt over the death of his friends, despite his actions saving everyone else aboard, Jonas' story about the submarine being hit by a giant creature is disbelieved by everyone. And he is assumed to have suffered a mental breakdown.

His services are once again required, however, when a deep sea exploratory mission financed by a millionaire (Rainn Wilson) and crewed by a varied team of scientists and engineers is trapped at extreme depths citing the aggressive presence of a gigantic shark; the megalodon.

This movie asks all the important questions. Can Jonas save this submarine crew? Will he fall for the daring and intelligent (although perhaps not the best at making decisions) Suyin (Li Bingbing)? Is Meiying (Sophia Cai) the most adorable, yet unsettlingly smart kid on screen yet? How many unrealistic submarine gadgets will we get to see while our heroes do battle with a huge shark? Will the humans inevitably destroy everything they find, as befitting the B-movie nature-bites-back trope we have come to know and love?

A genuinely fun action B-movie with some tongue in cheek humour, shiny, shiny gadgets and a big, bad killer shark. Jason Statham delivers a reluctant hero with his usual swagger and the film doesn't pretend to take itself too seriously, but enjoys a good budget, nice special effects and there are plenty of scenes featuring the titular Meg in full-on attack mode.

It's never going to be Jaws, but it wasn't trying to be in the first place.

[Image: Warner Bros. et al]

Hani

Angel Heart

"Angel Heart" (1987, Alan Parker, Carolco Pictures) is a neo-noir horror set in 1950s New Orleans.

Harry Angel (Mickey Rourke) is a New York P.I. who finds himself hired by the mysterious Louis Cyphre (Robert De Niro) to find a missing singer known as Johnny Favourite. As Angel gets further into his investigations he finds that things may not be as they seem...

An interesting thriller that takes the viewer on the unsettling journey with Angel as he slowly begins to unravel the nightmare he's found himself in and work out how he's connected. The film enjoys some dark imagery and, although for today's viewer it might seem clear from early on where the plot is headed, the journey is enjoyable. The dark noir atmosphere is punctuated by some effective gore and a haunting ending. There is also a violent and stylistic love scene featuring Rourke and Lisa Bonet which leads to a somewhat disturbing climax.

[Image: Carolco Pictures]

Hani

The Beyond

"The Beyond" (1981, Lucio Fulci, Fulvia Film) is a supernatural horror.

Liza ( Catriona MacColl) inherits the defunct Seven Doors Hotel in Louisiana and plans to reopen it. Unbeknownst to her. an angry mob had killed a suspected warlock in the hotel in the 1920s as he completed a disturbing painting which they believed would open a doorway to death.

Liza is determined to push on with her renovation of the hotel and dismisses any warnings telling her to stop; be they from the creepy blind chick, Emily (Cinzia Monreale), or the sudden, gruesome death of her plumber, Joe (Giovanni De Nava) during maintenance work in the hotel's basement. As things begin to get weird, Liza seeks help from Dr. McCabe (David Warbeck) who believes that there must be a logical explanation for all the weirdness. Much to their disappointment, they are soon proved wrong...

A fun, juicy Fulci classic that brings a lot of beautiful, dark imagery punctuated with a lot of gore and an equal amount of weird dialogue and somewhat meandering plot. We are also treated to the longest, most intense scene about a man's face being devoured by a mixture of real and puppet tarantulas ever. Complete with odd, chirpy sound effects!

The plot can be fairly incoherent and our characters are prone to bad decision making... The dead are coming back to life? Let's hide in the hospital morgue! But any fan of Lucio Fulci in general will probably find this film entertaining and worthy of  a watch. If you're feeling really keen you could enjoy the full Gates of Hell Trilogy and team this film up with its 1980 forerunner "City of the Living Dead" and its classy little sister (and personal favourite of mine) "The House by the Cemetery" (1981).

[Image: Fulvia Films]

Hani