From: wildman@athena.mit.edu (Timothy Worsley)
Subject: Re: _Susperia_
Reply-To: eprice@sybase.com
Organization: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Date: Mon, 9 Nov 1992 12:21:13 GMT

In article <1992Nov7.181436.25050@news2.cis.umn.edu>
donnell@tuna.micro.umn.edu (BogusMan) writes:

>In article <1992Nov6.165521.8315@noao.edu> kneale@noao.edu (ruth a. kneale) writes:
>>I've seen several mentions of a movie (?) called _Susperia_ on
>>here lately..in the 'scaries scenes' discussion.  A bunch of
>>us here in good ol' Tucson have been wanting to get together for
>>a good horror night...and this sounds good! However, I've never
>>heard about it before ( shame, shame, I know)...would anyone
>>out there mind telling me a bit about the movie?
>>
>>Posting or email responses are just peachy.
>>
>>Thanks in advance!
>>-- 
>>ruth a. kneale			I crave it all but don't get
>>rkneale@noao.edu		any of it as often as I'd like.
>
>After years of being one of the most requested titles to be released
>on videocassette, somebody finally let director Dario Argento prepare
>a directors cut, and released it as "Dario Argento's Susperia" <Magnum
>entertainment, perhaps>

First of all, it is SUSPIRIA (I, not E).  I emphatically second the
recommendation of my highly esteemed peer Judex that you get the director's
cut of this film.  If you can, rent the letterboxed laserdisc release.  I
had the pleasure to first see this movie in the theater, about a year ago,
and that is the best way, but somewhat hard to come by I'm afraid (and
*don't* see the edited, 92-minute, R-rated version -- if any theater tries
to get away with *that*, I recommend that you stab the person(s) who are
responsible seven times or so [in-joke for Argento fanatics]).

I probably wouldn't be too interested in horror movies at all if I hadn't
seen SUSPIRIA.  It's incredible.  Almost everything else pales by
comparison.

>It is a great movie, but you have to just kind of go with it. The plot
>is unimportant to the effect, essentially. The visual style, music,
>and thrust of the film is astounding!

All true.  The plot is irrelevant.  The plot is *stupid*.  But it's
unimportant.  (This is why you have to see it on the Big Screen with a good
sound system, or at least letterboxed and through a decent stereo or
something.)

>A student goes to a dance school in austria and discovers some very 
>weird goings-on. I only recommend the directors cut, and I suggest that
>you watch it LOUD on a Stereo VCR, in a mildly darkened room.

I second this advice too.  Turn the sound waaaay up and hopefully you'll
have a decent stereo hooked up to the VCR/LD-player.  In order to hear the
soft parts the loud parts will be very loud.  This is how it should be.

>Theatre viewings are recommended, but since the two times I saw it in
>the theater the prints were horrid, and severely cut, I recommend the
>Videocassette. although I cannot understand why they didn't letterbox it,
>since the widescreen framing is awesome!

I thought there was a videotape release that was letterboxed.  I might be
wrong.

>It is the first part of a loose trilogy based on Italian Folklore.

No, no, no, not Italian folklore at all.  It's based on Thomas de Quincy's
_Suspiria de Profundis_ [Sighs from the Depths], about the "Three Mothers",
the origin of all sorrow and suffering.  (The Mother of Sighs, Mother of
Tears, and Mother of Shadows/Darkness?)  SUSPIRIA is also partially
inspired by Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, believe it or not -- the
agressively artificial colors for example.  The original idea for the story
would have invovled a school for young girls where the teachers tortured
the children.  Somehow this is supposed to be closer to Snow White I gues??
:-)

>The 2nd part is "INferno" <Music by Keith Emerson> , and we are awaiting 
>the third.

Eagerly awaiting the third!

>Pretty much any Argento film is highly recommended, by me at least.

I second this too.

>Bird with The Crystal Plumage
Cut for US release.

>Deep Red
Original Italian title PROFONDO ROSSO.  Original running time is 121
minutes.  The US video release is 98 minutes.  Don't rent it.  The US
version *sucks*, it is incoherent and is missing a lot of gore too.

>Inferno
Supposedly available in a decent video version from Key Video I think??

>Creepers <aka Phenomena>
The original title is PHENOMENA.  It stars Jennifer Connelly.  Also has
Donald Pleasance.  Also has Michele Soavi in it (for you Italian horror
freaks). The original running time is 120 minutes I think.  The America
video release is 80 minutes!!!!  That's 40 minutes missing!!!  Lots of plot
was cut and lots of gore was cut too.  Don't rent it.  Boycott it.
Complain vocally about it.

>Opera <aka Terror at the Opera>
Ran for three weeks in Italy in 1987 in uncut form, before being hacked up,
I believe.  What a shame.

>Unsane <aka Tenebrae>
Original title is TENEBRE (this means "shadows" or something).  Argento
actually liked the American title for this one though.  The American video
release is cut as usual.  Don't rent it.  Boycott it.  Complain about it.

>Two Evil Eyes <One segment by George Romero, one by Argento. Romero's Bites>
Yeah, Romero's part was completely lame.  Argento's was mildly amusing but
I didn't like it as much as some of his other work.  I think this was
actually released intact.  Yeehaw.

Fans of Dario Argento should check out NIGHT CALLER, an insane film from
Hong Kong.  Look for it in Chinatown video stores.  Or if you're in the
northeastern US you can order it from NYUE Enterprises (61-A Walker St, NY,
NY), the cost is something like $20.

Have a horrifying day,

-Ed (not Tim), eprice@sybase.com (not wildman@...)
Newsgroups: alt.horror,rec.arts.books