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40 Years Later, ‘Suspiria’ is Still a Horrific and Beautiful Work of Art

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suspiria

Today marks the 40th Anniversary of the American release of Dario Argento’s seminal film, Suspiria. While a remake is in the works, many feel that the original is a sacred piece of art that could not be recreated. The saturated colors, cavernous sets, hair-raising score, and off-putting tone of the film make it truly iconic.

So today, let’s take a minute to revisit the immeasurable beauty of Dario Argento’s Suspiria.

via Giphy

First off, the visual tone of the film is incredible. The vibrant hues are a far cry from the usual dark and gritty scenes we’re used to in horror films. Each set is lush and bright, but the colors used are mostly unsettling shades of the primary colors – deep reds, dark yellows and rich blues.

By containing only primary colors, the bold palette overwhelms the senses. The use of secondary colors would create a feeling of balance, so by only providing us with shades of red, blue, yellow, black and white, we feel overpowered. It’s a subtle way to create a reaction from your audience, but it’s effective.

via Tumblr

Scenes shot in this color scheme are usually set in tight hallways or enclosed spaces. As a result, each room, each scene, feels like the walls are closing in on you. When lighter shades are used, the rooms are open, but shot from afar. The subject seems small and insignificant, showing signs of distress in a room that would normally seem bright and calm.

The architecture is stunning and dreamlike. Patterns and accents are used liberally to create a busy scene, even when the camera is stationary.

via Amino

The sets themselves are gorgeous and I really could go on and on about the design, because it’s one of the elements that really sets this film apart. The way the colors and the pressured tone of the film communicate together is beautiful.

Now, let’s add in the music.

Goblin’s persistent score teases us with gravelly, barely audible whispers over top of a repetitive, simple tune. The effect is maddening and creates tension in a way that many modern filmmakers cannot.

As doe-eyed Suzy (in an untouchable performance by Jessica Harper) explores the school through the climax of the film, the music steadily pounds. It’s unrelenting. Sometimes less is more, but in Suspiria, Argento layers more and more on top until you’re stifling under all the pressure.

Speaking of the climax, let there be no mistake – the film is a work of art, but it’s not just a pretty picture. Brutal horror is part of this whole gore-geous package. The blood is vibrant, and the deaths are cruel and creative. Each kill is shocking, but they all fit in with the unnerving yet beautiful aesthetic.

via Giphy

The tone itself is one of dreamy confusion. Because some of the actors were speaking English, others Italian or German, all of the lines were dubbed over in English. When watching the film – if you weren’t aware of the language barrier – you feel like you’re going a bit mad trying to figure out why some of the actresses lips don’t line up with the dialogue.

In Suspiria, young Suzy is trapped in a mystery, traipsing through her memories to try and piece the puzzle together. When she comes to the school, she is thrown into the middle of a strange environment. The audience understands her struggle as we work to comprehend the situation ourselves.

The tension creeps through the film as students are killed in vicious and violent ways. It grows to a climax and explodes – literally – across the screen.

Through the credits, we hear the dying screams of those trapped inside the school. The horror stays with you through to the very end – there is no release until the film is truly over.

via Tumblr

Suspiria proves that horror is not just revving chainsaws, dark spaces, and torture porn. It is a finely crafted work of art. All elements of the film come together to create an incomparable classic that still holds up 40 years later.

Are you dying to know more about Suspiria? Check out this list of 10 Fun Facts about the film!

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7 Great ‘Scream’ Fan Films & Shorts Worth a Watch

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The Scream franchise is such an iconic series, that many budding filmmakers take inspiration from it and make their own sequels or, at least, build upon the original universe created by screenwriter Kevin Williamson. YouTube is the perfect medium to showcase these talents (and budgets) with fan-made homages with their own personal twists.

The great thing about Ghostface is that he can appear anywhere, in any town, he just needs the signature mask, knife, and unhinged motive. Thanks to Fair Use laws it’s possible to expand upon Wes Craven’s creation by simply getting a group of young adults together and killing them off one by one. Oh, and don’t forget the twist. You’ll notice that Roger Jackson’s famous Ghostface voice is uncanny valley, but you get the gist.

We have gathered five fan films/shorts related to Scream that we thought were pretty good. Although they can’t possibly match the beats of a $33 million blockbuster, they get by on what they have. But who needs money? If you’re talented and motivated anything is possible as proven by these filmmakers who are well on their way to the big leagues.

Take a look at the below films and let us know what you think. And while you’re at it, leave these young filmmakers a thumbs up, or leave them a comment to encourage them to create more films. Besides, where else are you going to see Ghostface vs. a Katana all set to a hip-hop soundtrack?

Scream Live (2023)

Scream Live

Ghostface (2021)

Ghostface

Ghost Face (2023)

Ghost Face

Don’t Scream (2022)

Don’t Scream

Scream: A Fan Film (2023)

Scream: A Fan Film

The Scream (2023)

The Scream

A Scream Fan Film (2023)

A Scream Fan Film
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Another Creepy Spider Movie Hits Shudder This Month

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Good spider films are a theme this year. First, we had Sting and then there was Infested. The former is still in theaters and the latter is coming to Shudder starting April 26.

Infested has been getting some good reviews. People are saying that it’s not only a great creature feature but also a social commentary on racism in France.

According to IMDb: Writer/director Sébastien Vanicek was looking for ideas around the discrimination faced by black and Arab-looking people in France, and that led him to spiders, which are rarely welcome in homes; whenever they’re spotted, they’re swatted. As everyone in the story (people and spiders) is treated like vermin by society, the title came to him naturally.

Shudder has become the gold standard for streaming horror content. Since 2016, the service has been offering fans an expansive library of genre movies. in 2017, they began to stream exclusive content.

Since then Shudder has become a powerhouse in the film festival circuit, buying distribution rights to movies, or just producing some of their own. Just like Netflix, they give a film a short theatrical run before adding it to their library exclusively for subscribers.

Late Night With the Devil is a great example. It was released theatrically on March 22 and will begin streaming on the platform starting April 19.

While not getting the same buzz as Late Night, Infested is a festival favorite and many have said if you suffer from arachnophobia, you might want to take heed before watching it.

Infested

According to the synopsis, our main character, Kalib is turning 30 and dealing with some family issues. “He’s fighting with his sister over an inheritance and has cut ties with his best friend. Fascinated by exotic animals, he finds a venomous spider in a shop and brings it back to his apartment. It only takes a moment for the spider to escape and reproduce, turning the whole building into a dreadful web trap. The only option for Kaleb and his friends is to find a way out and survive.”

The film will be available to watch on Shudder starting April 26.

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Part Concert, Part Horror Movie M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘Trap’ Trailer Released

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In true Shyamalan form, he sets his film Trap inside a social situation where we aren’t sure what is going on. Hopefully, there is a twist at the end. Furthermore, we hope it’s better than the one in his divisive 2021 movie Old.

The trailer seemingly gives away a lot, but, as in the past, you can’t rely on his trailers because they are often red herrings and you are being gaslit to think a certain way. For instance, his movie Knock at the Cabin was completely different than what the trailer implied and if you hadn’t read the book on which the film is based it was still like going in blind.

The plot for Trap is being dubbed an “experience” and we aren’t quite sure what that means. If we were to guess based on the trailer, it’s a concert movie wrapped around a horror mystery. There are original songs performed by Saleka, who plays Lady Raven, a kind of Taylor Swift/Lady Gaga hybrid. They have even set up a Lady Raven website to further the illusion.

Here is the fresh trailer:

According to the synopsis, a father takes his daughter to one of Lady Raven’s jam-packed concerts, “where they realize they’re at the center of a dark and sinister event.”

Written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, Trap stars Josh Hartnett, Ariel Donoghue, Saleka Shyamalan, Hayley Mills and Allison Pill. The film is produced by Ashwin Rajan, Marc Bienstock and M. Night Shyamalan. The executive producer is Steven Schneider.

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