Gresh854 In anticipation for Luca Guadagnino's remake of Suspiria, I decided to watch the 1977 original for the first time. Suspiria is slasher horror done right, because it's always molded around in mystery that entices you with a well-constructed lore rather than just faulting you in some typical, random, psycho-killer story. Of course, I can't go without mentioning the scenery and overall build of the film's setting/set pieces. It's all just the damn near definition of "perfection." Not only is this probably the most visually magnificent horror movie ever made but it also might just be the best scored horror film of all-time (I'd have to think about it). The score alone is an absolute masterpiece that makes most movie soundtracks look like amateur-work. I have but one major flaw with the movie which is the fact that there's a near 5-minute scene dedicated to a truck-load of exposition that feels heavily forced. Other than that, Supiria certainly lived up to the hype, and as a well-rounded horror fan, I can recommend this movie to just about any respectable horror junkie, any film-lover who is into artsy pictures, and undoubtly to any neo-art finatic. (Verdict: A)

Scott LeBrun The lovely and appealing Jessica Harper stars in this horror classic as Suzy Bannion, an American ballet dancer who travels to Europe to study and train. Arriving at the German school known as Tam Academy, she soon witnesses various strange goings-on, and comes to a horrifying realization regarding the identities and motives of the top dogs at this school."Suspiria" ranks as the personal favorite Dario Argento film for this viewer, and is definitely one of his most famous. The story, concocted by Argento and his former partner / sometime leading lady Daria Nicolodi, isn't necessarily a great one, but then great storytelling has never been Argentos' true strong suit. It's not what you watch his films for; you watch them for the virtuoso filmmaking, and it's on full display here.One thing you notice right away is how powerful the film is visually. It's a marvel of eye-popping images, colorful lighting choices, and fluid camera work. Certainly cinematographer Luciano Tovoli plays a big part in why this film works as well as it does.Overall, it's a stunning if not perfect marriage of stifling atmosphere, the beautiful brutality that hardcore horror fans crave, the dark and twisted nature of many a fairy tale, and the sometimes overpowering but compelling music score by renowned Italian prog-rock group Goblin. It features an amazing murder set piece within the first dozen or so minutes, and rarely lets up until an abrupt but creepy finale. Some scenes in "Suspiria" are iconic and have burned their way into the minds of its audiences over the decades.The performances are generally engaging: Ms. Harper, 40s icon Joan Bennett, Italian character actress Alida Valli, the great German cult actor Udo Kier, the distinctively featured Giuseppe Transocchi, handsome Miguel Bose, Stefania Casini (playing Suzy's new friend Sara), and sultry Barbara Magnolfi as the sardonic Olga.Well worth watching for any horror fan, especially now that the film has been restored and the picture looks more gorgeous than ever.Nine out of 10.

moonspinner55 American ballet student Jessica Harper goes to Europe to attend famous dance academy, but the school is a front for a witches coven. Italian director Dario Argento's most successful thriller in the States (thanks to an effective ad campaign) is also his most derivative film up to this point, using several other movies as stylistic reference points. The elaborate look and ambiance of "Suspiria" is truly original, however, and Argento's use of color is striking; for those unable (or unwilling) to follow the plot, at least the picture provides a memorable visual experience. Harper has an appealing presence and a pithy way of speaking, though the supporting performances are uneven, often confounding and inscrutable. The mechanisms of the loosely-hinged story--usually the least-important aspect of an Argento picture--come together neatly at the finish line. Weaving a hypnotic web, Argento ensnares viewers with shock cuts but holds his audience with a rapt attention to atmospherics. **1/2 from ****

secowski Normally, I don't like horror movies because I find many of them ridiculous that is highly arisen from bad story lines, weak construction of characters, and their unstoppable screams throughout movie. But... I like Suspiria which attracted my attention to itself from the beginning and this interest never stopped. Filming of the opening scene Suzy arrived to Germany in a stormy and rainy day, and two mystery words that Pat said when she is fleeing from the ballet school was a precursor of an above-average horror movie. Along with the murder of Pat, I admitted that I will see the color RED every second in the movie. Blood is RED, locality is RED, wine is RED, and shooting is also RED... Director's use of crimson in scenes extremely fits in this movie when we think that the all witches desire to kill someone who stands up to them. This contributes fifty percentage to the movie's success!The rest of Suspiria's achievement comes from Goblin which is an Italian progressive rock band. This band composed the soundtrack of Suspiria and well-known one is title track "Suspiria" comprised of old fashioned keyboard tunes which pulls you into darkness. Besides, death call arises when you hear the voice of witch in background. I listened it all night. Did you?These two reasons are enough to like Suspiria or spare time at least, but the irrefutable fact of the movie is that IT IS HARD NOT TO ABANDON YOURSELF TO THRILLER.