Review of Suspiria (1977) by Joe C — 04 Jan 2015

From Mario Bava to Lucio Fulci, Italy has done a nice line in horror films that are drenched in neon-red gore and covered in lashings of ominous atmosphere, all without making the blindest bit of sense.

But it's Dario Argento's bizarre masterpiece, about a young girl stumbling upon a coven of witches, that stands head, shoulders and pointy nose above the rest. It's a nightmarish coloring book at 48 fps, with such stunning visuals, contrasted with such intentional avoidance of common sense that the brain can't make sense of what the eyes are seeing.

Truly terrifying, augmented by an unforgettable score by Argento's own band, Goblin, and filled with the sort of insane set-pieces for which Argento is famous, Suspiria has all of his Gothic flamboyance on display in this operatic horror, draping his bodily carnage in the gloss of art.