Suspiria 40th Anniversary Edition (1977)

I can't even imagine what audiences in 1977 felt when they stepped into that dark theater to see Dario Argento's 'Suspiria'. When I first saw the film as a teen, I was blown away by just how bizarre, confusing, beautiful and blood drenched it is so thinking what people thought back when this kind of thing was truly unique and rare they must have lost their minds. Even 40 years later and having seen it again on this beautiful new Blu-Ray from Synapse, I am still mesmerized and pulled in by 'Suspiria' and if you've yet to check out this dark fairy tale there's no better time.

The story is simple on the surface: a young ballet student named Suzy Bannon (Jessica Harper) travels to a distinguished dance school in Germany, only to find herself targeted by a coven of witches. Italian horror films are notorious for having very little story or dialogue but rather having the visuals help the audience along. Naturally, this turns off a lot of audiences but 'Suspiria' is one of Argento's easiest films to follow. Whether that is a contributing factor as to why audiences speak so much more highly of it than his other works is debatable, but I think it is a good starting point for new fans.

The story isn't really important in 'Suspiria' to be honest, but rather its excellent directing, beautiful and haunting cinematography, and of course the disturbing and unforgettable horror scenes. The film's bright and colorful nature was a deliberate choice, as Argento had wished the film to look like the classic Walt Disney film 'Snow White' and you can see that in the color scheme. You can also see the film as a whole being inspired by the classic Disney cartoon, with the young dark haired heroine, witches, and even little things like images of hearts etc. It's a throwback to the original versions of these tales and could easily come off as an old tale if not for the contemporary setting.

Really, I think the only real negatives you can lob at 'Suspiria' are its narrative and acting. The audio was not recorded during the filmmaking process, but rather dubbed in after the fact. This was a common technique that still continues today in order to help widen the audience better, but it can lead to somewhat stiff dialogue that doesn't always match the intense sequences, even though the actors are doing their best to match it. As I said before, the story can leave people confused unless you are always following it which can be too much for some viewers and I get it. To be honest, it took me a couple of watches to fully appreciate 'Suspiria' and I would imagine that is the case for most.

The final aspect that really sells this film is the amazing music by Italian band Goblin, who would produce the score to 'Dawn of the Dead' a year after this film but I think 'Suspiria' is by far their best work. From the moment that haunting theme begins, I was hooked and I feel that more than a lot of films is a major factor in pulling in its audience. It's such a memorable score that you will hear it in your head for days, especially if you find yourself in a long hallway of an empty hotel like I did after my first viewing of this film.

So there you have it, 'Suspiria' is pretty much perfect in my eyes but I must again say that it will take more than one showing whether you like it or loath it. It's a shame modern horror movies are so dreary and muddy looking and I feel that its not only overdone, but somewhat lazy. Even classics like 'Halloween' had some color to it dammit and 'Suspiria' is a perfect example of style really helping with your enjoyment of horror films.

The 2-Disc Blu-Ray release from Synapse is now available and has documentaries, interviews, and commentaries along with a beautifully remastered 4K picture. Check it out.

10/10

The Strangers: Prey At Night (2018)

'The Strangers: Prey at Night' is not a sequel in any kind of sense beyond these three lovely people you see above. You could almost consider the film a remake of the 2008 film, but with a lot more emphasis on style, genuine tension, likeable protagonists this time, and overall I think it's a far superior film. Now, let's be realistic: the film didn't take a decade just to perfect the original's many flaws, but when you see 'Prey at Night' you may very well have that feeling. Firstly, the victims (or heroes) are much more likeable this time around. They consist of a family having a crisis with their rebellious teenage daughter (I know but trust me, it gets better). Despite their cliche bickering at the beginning of the film, they quickly become more deep and by the end you are cheering for these poor folks (quite literally at my screening).

Next we come to my favorite thing about this film: it's highly stylish production value. This is one of the best looking horror films I've seen in a while, with lots of cold thick fog all around and even a giant neon lit swimming pool scene that just screams 80's, which I am always for in more movies. The music is also quite good, obviously taking inspiration from John Carpenter mixed with some Bonnie Tyler and other 80's pop music (seriously need to stop talking about the 80's don't I?). Speaking of Carpenter, the director Johannes Roberts clearly has a love for the master of horror, as he takes the good things about Carpenter's films without relying on too many modern horror tropes. Sure, they're are a few jump scares but surprisingly there are very few and little to no gore beyond some blood splats (and a creative use of blood as a visual shot which I won't spoil).

We also get some nice references to the classic horror films 'Christine' and 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre' that may have flown over the heads of 99% of the younger audience in my theater, but will leave any horror fanatic grinning. I also love that this movie has fun with its premise and doesn't wallow in misery and torture like the previous film did. The mid 00's was over-saturated with torture and gore with no clever twist or tongue in cheek humor thrown in and it really drug that era of modern horror down. With the recent trend of bringing back the retro style films like 'Beyond the Gates' and yes 'Strangers 2' we can have our horror and our bloodshed, but still feel like we're riding a rollercoaster on celluloid.

So did I have any problems with 'Prey at Night'? Well, of course I did as every movie has their little problems. I feel the main problem with the movie is that despite a much more satisfying end product than the original, I feel that too much was still left unexplained. How did the killers know that this family would visit this exact location? Why is this particular stalking feel so much more prepared than the seemingly random attack on the couple in the last movie? The level of detail that the killers go through for this particular family just gives me a nagging feeling that they are specifically targeting this family but without explanation.

I also feel that like the previous movie, everything seems to feel too much like a dark ride. What I mean is, that everybody would have to go to these exact spots at the exact right time in order for this movie to work the way it does. Yes, scripts are structured this way but most films don't feel so mapped out once they are fully filmed and presented. My final little nitpick would be that they doubled the ending. No spoilers here, but they should have ended the movie before they did but instead they add on a last scene scare that doesn't even make sense when you've seen the movie for yourself. Almost as if the studio tacked it on for sequel potential which always annoys me.

'The Strangers: Prey at Night' is a way better film that it deserves to be. A film a decade in the making by a tiny studio based on a film that only had a modest success at the box office should have been an absolute failure. Instead, we get a film that I feel is superior to the original in almost every way and it comes highly recommended from me.

8.5/10

The Strangers (2008)

Director Bryan Bertino had a somewhat difficult task on his plate when he first made 'The Strangers'. The home-invasion genre is nothing new in films, and without some real unique talent behind the scenes it can quickly turn into generic fodder. Luckily, 'The Strangers' doesn't fall into that line but it does emerge with a few scars here and there. The film stars a young couple played by Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman as they arrive home late from a party. They are distant from each other and right from the beginning you already feel something is wrong and it won't be getting any better. The isolated little home also gives this awkward feeling as you see strong implications of a failed romantic encounter or perhaps a marriage proposal gone wrong, which leaves you uncomfortable even before the horror begins.

But once it does start up, the film goes at a really quick pace going from scene to scene with each attempt at escape feeling more and more desperate. The best scenes in 'Strangers' aren't always the loud tense scenes either, with one of my all time favorite in the whole of horror films being a small, almost unnoticeable scare in which one of the killers is standing right behind Liv Tyler and you as the viewer are just screaming for her to turn around. It's scenes like these that made 'The Strangers' stand out during the late 00's when most horror scenes you'd see during that time were what the critics liked to call "torture porn" like the 'Saw' and 'Hostel' series. I feel that it was another factor in the film feeling fresh at the time despite its pretty basic and commonly used premise. Seeing the film just recently thanks to Scream! Factory however has me seeing the cracks more clearly.

I feel that the movie gives a good isolated feeling throughout, but at the same time I feel that it also gives it a somewhat unrealistic feel. It's almost as if this house isn't heard or seen by anyone once the sun goes down. A later home-invasion film 'You're Next' worked just as well with its isolated themes but it also showed that there was a world nearby, which I felt made it even more tense. The characters in 'You're Next' try to call on their neighbors for help, only for the killers to be one step ahead and have already bumped them off. This would have made 'The Strangers' work even better I feel and would give the movie an even bigger sense of hopelessness and fear. The film's two protagonists are also a big issue with the film, with Scott Speedman's bland and almost indifferent attitude at times really having me root for the trio of killers.

I hear a lot of the negatives thrown at Liv, but I feel that's a bit unfair and may just be bias. Speedman never seems like he truly cares for this woman and only protects her when it seemingly benefits himself. I'm not entirely sure that it's intentional for his character, but I didn't feel nearly as much compassion for him due to his overall attitude and stupid decisions throughout. A good example is when someone actually arrives at the house, not knowing what's going on. He clearly and loudly calls out their names in this tiny house, and yet they don't know he's there and as you can imagine, it doesn't end well. But again, Speedman quickly brushes this encounter off as if nothing happened and he goes onto the next scene.

My last point is more of a disappointment/nitpick rather than a negative on the film itself. I feel that the ending is effective and creepy as hell, it's still disappointing at the same time. I think it's best to split the ending in two to best explain: the image used in the review is the good half, as it's become both an iconic horror image but it also manages to have one of the creepiest and unsettling taglines for the film (Because you were home...). Then you have the last half, which ends the film on a quick cheap jump scare like hundreds of other films. I feel leaving the audience with the quote scene and never revealing the true fates of the characters would have worked so much better. It may have been a studio request, considering a sequel was greenlit almost instantaneously (and yet didn't release until an entire decade later.) but it really deflates the creepy ending.

'The Strangers' still works even ten years after it first hit theaters. I remember working at my local theater and seeing it with some co-workers alone at a midnight screening and it scared the hell out of all of us. It doesn't work the same on Blu-Ray/DVD and the issues I highlighted do stick out more than that first screening, but at the same time I think it can be even more terrifying watching it in your living room at night. I know many people whose greatest fear is someone breaking into your home, so imagine them sitting down at night and you show them this...they're going to hate you and never let you come over for movie night ever again. I still recommend 'The Strangers' to my horror friends all the time and will definitely be first in line for this Friday's 'Prey at Night' sequel.

7.9/10