Suspiria (1977)
Look, I have tried to like Suspiria. I bought it on a whim when I was in high school because it was one of those “must-see” movies for anyone who even moderately liked horror. I didn’t like it then and it felt like a huge waste of money. Last night, I dusted off my copy of the DVD and watched it again to see if 10 years had changed my perspective of the film. It didn’t. I still can’t stand Suspiria. Sure, it’s got pretty colors and one great death scene (the film is the epitome of peaking early), but it’s a long, nonsensical slog of a film. The story doesn’t make much sense in regard to Mother Suspiriorum herself (she’s invisible and gets killed by a magic dagger to the neck? Alright). The climax of the film is really just the lead character walking through halls, and the final showdown is surprisingly brief. Also, I realize that the bad dubbing is part of the charms of giallo films (which I have learned is just not my favorite style of film), but Suspiria’s dubbing goes beyond bad into awful territory. It completely takes you out of the film. I do like the Goblin soundtrack though. Maybe the film just hasn’t aged well for me. Had I been alive in 1977 and able to see it in the theater, maybe I would have liked it, but fool me once Suspiria, shame on you. Fool me twice…well, you know how it goes.
So there you have it. These are three horror films that I just can’t bring myself to love, even though I probably should. What are some of your guilty displeasures? Let me know in the comments below, or if you want to get personal, Tweet me!
