PopHorror Let's Get Scared
When it comes to Italian horror, few films are as widely praised and respected as Dario Argento’s SUSPIRIA. Do a search for “Classic Italian Horror” and this 1977 classic appears on every “Best Of” list you’ll find. Fans and critics alike consider it a true masterpiece of horror. Suspiria was released in Italy 40 years ago today. Take a look back with PopHorror!
Suspiria shocked Italian audiences for nearly a year before making its way to the United States in August of 1977. Critics celebrated its cinematic beauty, its production design and its unique directorial style. The film currently has an astonishing 93% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Italian progressive rock group Goblin provided the soundtrack for the film. Horror fans will recognize Goblin from their work on George A. Romero’s zombie magnum opus Dawn of the Dead (1978). Argento actually produced Dawn of the Dead in Europe where it was called Zombi. The soundtrack, like all things about Suspiria, is hauntingly beautiful. Have a listen…
Suspiria has had a spotty history of home video release despite its reputation as a classic. There is a 2 Disc DVD edition currently available, but the Blu-ray edition appears to be out of print (and only released in the U.K.). Synapse Films is currently working on a 4k restoration Blu-ray edition. It has been in the works since 2013 and no release date has yet been announced. That said, if you are a Suspiria fan with a LaserDisc player, you’re golden! Check this out…
The Synapse Films 4k restoration isn’t the only 4k restoration in development. A company by the name of TELEFilms is working from a separate 35 MM print and are looking to release their version in theaters in Germany. The trailer for this restoration looks fantastic!
David Gordon Green announced a Suspiria remake back in 2008. According to IMDb, the film will star Chloë Grace Moretz, Dakota Johnson, and Tilda Swinton. No trailer is available at this time. There’s surprisingly little information about the remake considering it’s supposed to be released sometime in 2017.
Dario Argento talked at length about the remake in a recent interview: “I’ve been waiting for this project to come about for so many years. The copyrights were bought about seven years ago. First, they belonged to 20th Century Fox, then they were handed over to some other companies, and so on.”
He goes on to claim he hasn’t been contacted at all about the remake and that he thinks the whole thing is a bad idea. “Well, the film has a specific mood. Either you do it exactly the same way — in which case, it’s not a remake, it’s a copy, which is pointless — or, you change things and make another movie. In that case, why call it Suspiria?”
It sounds to me like the project is off track. However, I’ll definitely be keeping my eye out for all things Suspiria in the coming months!
Happy 40th birthday, Suspiria! Here’s hoping for a legit 4k Blu-ray release and a return to Netflix streaming in the very near future!
