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 Wax Mask

"The Wax Mask" (1997, Sergio Stivaletti, Dario Argento, Lucio Fulci, Cine 2000, Mediaset, France Film International, Italian International Film) is a wax museum film.

Fulci died making this film and so I'm not 100% sure how true the end result is to his script, but it is indeed a lot of fun to watch.

With a kind of incidental Steampunk style (incidental because, as far as I'm aware, there was no such genre as 'Steampunk' in 1997), The Wax Mask tells a tale set in 1900s Paris. We see a couple brutally (and hilariously) butchered by a man with a clawed metal hand. We also see a young girl, their daughter, cowering under the bed.

Years pass and said young girl is now a costume maker working at a wax museum. The museum has gained some disrepute due to its gory collection of sculptures and, after the death of a young man who was dared to stay the night, the museum becomes more and more creepy.

It's fun, gothic and a little gory. The effects are nice and the props are awesome. The story is a little average as far as wax museum films go, but there's a nice added Frankenstein element which is fun. 

I'm not a huge fan of the ending, however, which seemed a little diverted from the rest of the film's styling, and I think I prefer the Italian version with the subtitles to the dubbed English, which can make the acting seem a little odd.

All in all, worth your while, but not a great representation of Argento, Fulci or Stivaletti.

[Image: Cine 2000]

 

Hani