If you grew up going to the movies in the 1970s and, specifically, if you
spent any time seeking cinematic thrills during the disco era, then you know
that the summer of 1977 was an acme for horror cinema. In 1977 there was
David Cronenberg's "Rabid," Larry Cohen's "God Told Me To," Charles Pierce's
"The Town That Dreaded Sundown," Curtis Harrington's "Ruby," Mario Bava's
"Shock," and Tobe Hooper's "Eaten Alive" (a film made in 1976 but released in
1977). The horror well in 1977 was never dry and, unlike the
parody-subjugated 1990s ("Scream," "I Know What You Did Last Summer"),
cinematic horrors in the late 1970s tended to be intelligent and disturbing
experiences.
But the best horror film released in the late 70s—and, arguably, the best
horror film of all time—was Dario Argento's "Suspiria" (1977, IMDb listing). Since this is
a DVD review, I'm not going to recapitulate the film's plot here. However, I
will sum it up in 25 words or less: An American ballet student arrives at a
prestigious German dance academy only to discover it is actually a front for
a coven of witches.
A few years ago, The Quality Video, Inc. VHS release of "Suspiria" was
promoted as the definitive version of Argento's film. However, it clocks in
at 92 minutes and the movie's tagline has been altered on the video
packaging. It reads: "The only thing more terrifying than the last 10
minutes of this film are the first 90!" The real tagline is—"The only thing
more terrifying than the last 12 minutes of this film are the first 92."
This may seem like nitpicking but with Anchor Bay Entertainment's recent
limited edition release of "Suspiria," discrepancies such as this are
addressed. However, the film actually clocks in at 98 minutes—so, in
actuality, both taglines are incorrect! Running time aside, Anchor Bay effectively offsets the video release by restoring the intent of the film. Incidentally, chopped versions of "Suspiria" are
available for download on Internet sites like movieflix.com.
Video:
Doing a side-by-side comparison of the DVD and the Quality Video, Inc.
tape release, its obvious how badly the VHS version ripped-off viewers.
First, on the Quality video, the film looks transferred from an already
damaged tape source. The image is cropped at the top, bottom, and sides and,
adding insult to injury, the film is panned and scanned, destroying
"Suspiria's" fluid camera work and seamless editing. The color
quality on tape is completely muffed as blues become off-grays and reds
turn into sickly browns.
The DVD is presented in widescreen (2.35:1) and the 3-color process
Technicolor is restored with incredible, three-dimensional depth. The blacks
are deep and bottomless while shades of blues, greens, and reds are
eye-popping and seductively vivid. Flesh tones are true and Jessica Harper's
wide-eyed beauty, which was completely obscured by annoying tape bleed, is a
welcome relief. Details such as intricate wall decorations, droplets of blood
and water, and writhing maggots are truly visionary. Seen in widescreen,
cinematographer Luciano Tovoli's camera prowls through blood-red hallways
with a breathless and dreamlike quality.
Audio:
THX digitally mastered, "Suspiria" comes with a variety of sound
options from Dolby Digital Surround EX and DTS, to Dolby Surround 2.0. The
score, composed and performed by Argento's in-house rock band Goblin (they
also did the music for George Romero's "Dawn of the Dead"), is mind blowing
and hits you where it counts—in the sternum. It's filled with subliminal
phrasing, sharp percussion and ethereal vocals, adding up to a truly frightening experience.
The DVD lets you choose from dubbed English, Italian or French language
versions. Even though the movie was internationally cast, Argento shot the
majority of "Suspiria" in Italian and the only misstep was not having the
Italian language version with an English subtitle option. (But that's a
personal issue—I've always been suspect of dubbing. However,
actress Jessica Harper says she performed her lines in English, so it
really is her voice we're hearing).
Geek Goodies:
Disc One: The extras include two trailers—an international and U.S. trailer
both in the letterboxed format. There is also a TV spot that is full screen
but shows plenty of wear and grain. Three radio spot advertisements clocking
in at 30 seconds apiece are included and are genuinely creepy. There is a
Daemonia music video that has Goblin playing the theme from the film
"live." The music video is the DVD edition's only real throwaway—it's dumb and
shot like a video from the early 1980s. Also included on disc one are talent bios and a stills and poster gallery. The film itself is broken into 25
chapters.
Disc Two: A real highlight for "Suspiria" freaks. This 25th Anniversary Disc
is a 52-minute documentary interviewing all of the principles involved in the
making of the film; from Argento and Harper to members of Goblin and Tovoli.
It's presented in Italian with an English subtitle choice. Anecdotal and
informative, it's amazing to see the faces behind such a strange film.
Disc Three: The previously unreleased CD audio soundtrack from the film.
Goblin used electric guitars, synthesizers, electronically altered vocals and
sharp percussion to add the terrorizing soul of "Suspiria". Want to freak
out your neighbors? Play it loud. The music still remains way ahead of its
time.
Filmfodder Grade: A
