SUSPIRIA Movie Review

An American dancer (the petite, frail-looking Jessica Harper) arrives at a strange European ballet school and finds she has to do some fancy pirouetting to get out of the way of all the bodies, blood, and mayhem. Italian fear-master Dario Argento directed this certifiably weird cult item in 1977, and its American release was spotty. Some cities saw the film in a pruned, less gory version, while others claimed to be running the original cut, complete with a then-avant-garde multi-channel stereo soundtrack. The full, widescreen version of Suspiria has shown up recently on premium cable channels, but however you see it, see it. Argento's horror films are unique in their ability to recreate the mood and look of a bad dream, yet they also capture the undeniable visual majesty of an unleashed, full-throttle psychotic episode. His careful attention to the psychological impact of color, shadow, and sound effects is akin to a great illusionist's ability to create an elephant out of thin air; it provides his moldy, Tales from the Crypt—style plots with a lot more staying power than they deserve. Suspiria is easy to laugh off, but images and unexpected shocks will return to you later at remarkably inappropriate moments. For a maker of horror films, that's the ultimate compliment. With Joan Bennett, Alida Valli, and (horrors) Udo Kier. Music by Goblin.

NEXT STOP … Four Flies on Gray Velvet, Creepers, Dawn of the Dead

1977 (R) 92m/C IT Jessica Harper, Joan Bennett, Alida Valli, Udo Kier, Stefania Casini, Flavio Bucci, Barbara Magnolfi, Rudolf Schuendler; D: Dario Argento; W: Dario Argento, Daria Nicolodi; C: Luciano Tovoli. VHS, LV, Letterbox, Closed Caption FXL