Suspiria - overrated? (COMBINED with "Suspiria: what a dud!") (1 Viewer)

[Dave Morton]

I too, bought the 3 disk set after all the hype. After watching it I thought it was OK. Nothing was that great about it. Maybe for the time is was good and maybe we're spoiled by all the computer stuff that is done now. I thought it was a B horror film at best.

 

[Paul_D]

We had a good discussion on this exact topic a few months back in this thread Suspiria - overrated?
Needless to say I didn't think all that much of the film. It is utterly amazing in some ways, and a bitter disappointment in others.

 

[Paul_D]

Resurrected the thread so as to create a situation in which there are two Suspiria threads active on the exact same topic. Moderators... which one will it be?

 

[Michael Reuben]

Moderators... which one will it be?

Both. The threads have now been merged.

M.

 

[David Wilkins]

I think that "Suspiria" is a "context" film. A great deal depends upon when you first saw it--particularly with regards to your age--or with your development of film appreciation.

I saw the film when it was first released, and at the time, it was particulary unique, or seemed so. I bought the disc based on those old impressions, and, I must say that with the passage of time, the film didn't hold me in its grasp. A lot depends upon what aspects of film you enjoy most.

I don't think it's a classic that can be universally recommended. It fits a certain niche--little more, IMO.

 

[Matthew_Millheiser]

Suspiria has two things going against it:
It ain't scary -- Very little suspense or general moodiness. I think the most laughable moment was when that girl fell into that huge coiled mess of steel wire
. It was built up as the huge terrifying moment, and all I could do was roll my eyes and stuff another twinkie down my gullet.
It's boring -- The movie contains too many long, lifeless stretches which made it a real chore to maintain interest.
This is all subjective and IMHO, of course. I know other people love it and it's respected in lots of horror fan circles, but man, it does nothing for me.

 

[Zen Butler]

In the voice of Comic Book Guy.."Best Score Ever"

I dug the Goblin score, my buddy is obsessed with them. He has a crap load of their music.
I saw it under a "no-hype" condition back on LD, I enjoyed the mood, lighting. Even at that time though, I found it a bit over-rated. He has better films

 

[Dome Vongvises]

Seems I was the only person on this Earth born with "easily amused" syndrome.

 

[Paul_D]

The movie contains too many long, lifeless stretches which made it a real chore to maintain interest.

With the benefit of a few months to think about it, this is my main complaint argument against the film. The 'slow' passages are plainly designed to build suspense, but all they do is serve to accentuate how weak the shock scenes are when they come. Tension is the intent, but boredom is the result.

 

[DeanWalsh]

I think when people say these things about SUSPIRIA they misrepresent it and mislead others that have never seen it.

 

[BarryS]

I'm in the "didn't like it" crowd. I tried, I really did, but I failed to enjoy this movie. Twice I've watched it and twice I've been bored to death. The story just doesn't interest me at all. It was an absolute struggle to make it through the whole film. I did like a two things about it, though:

- The music is very effective and creepy.

- The cinematography is great. The use of bright colors

such as pink, red, green etc, is striking.

On the other hand, it's boring, only moderately suspenseful and the dubbing is terrible.

In my opinion.

 

[Randy Korstick]

Hmmm...

Well I guess this is another case of too much gore, CGI and fast paced MTV editing of films from the last 10 years or so ruining this movie for many who are seeing it for the first time. I saw it on Laserdisc for the first time in 1987 and it and several other Argento films blew me away. I couldn't believe how many of the current horror films of the 80's had copied and ripped off Argento. Films like Friday the 13th, Halloween and Nightmare on Elm Street. These films all took Argentos camera angles, lighting and use of music.

I have been an Argento fan ever since. I have never found this movie boring and that statement really puzzles me. I guess compared to the fast paced MTV editing style of the 90's it can be discribed as slow but I can't see boring. I like horror films deliberately paced to build suspense and mood. A murder every 5 minutes is boring in my book.

As for the film being overated thats a big stretch. To be overated something has to be widely accepted by mass audiences as being great. Argento has been almost a complete unknown in the U.S. until his films started being released on DVD by Anchor Bay. He is still only highly praised by a cult following of horror fans in the U.S. so this film and many of his others are still underated for what they brought to the horror genre if anything. Overated no, but it just may not hold up for first time viewers raised on horror films from the last 10-15 years.

 

[Steve Christou]

I saw Dario Argento's Suspira at the cinema with some friends back in the late 70's and it scared the crap out of us, I remember the stereo surround with creepy breathing sounds coming from the back speakers making us all uneasy, extremely effective use of sound.
Loved the music I bought the Goblin soundtrack the very next day.
I can understand watching it today for the first time maybe an underwhelming experience for some members, but like it or not, it is a horror masterpiece, and in my opinion still the best Italian horror film ever.

 

[Paul_D]

Well I guess this is another case of too much gore, CGI and fast paced MTV editing of films from the last 10 years or so ruining this movie for many who are seeing it for the first time.

That's a sound explanation - for those that don't like the film, blame MTV. :rolleyes

 

[Steve Christou]

That's a sound explanation - for those that don't like the film, blame MTV.

Well thats a perfectly rational explanation Paul, any horror film that doesn't cut away every 2 seconds will put todays young audiences to sleep instantly.

 

[Randy Korstick]

Paul

Steve already answered one question as good as I could.

As for it being overated:

Overated is a term used when everyone claims something is great and then many others feel it isn't. So if something like Suspiria is a cult title and barely known by the U.S.public it is ridiculous to say it is overated. Whether you like it or not is opinion of course but since it was ground breaking for its time and is still not that widely known in the U.S. it makes more sense to say underated than overated. Its kind of like if you mentioned a little known underground band that you like and I say they are overated you would find that a little ridiculous since they are not widely known. Maybe in the U.K. Suspiria is better known but in the U.S. it was almost unknown outside of cult horror fans until the DVD came out.

 

[Randy Korstick]

One thing I would ask is who is Suspiria overated by?

If the answer is the cult horror fans that like it and the Horror film critics that praise it. Well then you are talking about a group of people who are the most passionate and most knowledgable about horror films so then there has to be something about this film for them to claim it is great.

But the general public does not claim it is great so that is why I ask how can it be overated?

 

[Paul_D]

it makes more sense to say underated than overated.

Amongst horror fans, Suspiria is like a Holy Grail of horror. I don't think it deserves that status.
That's my only point.

 

[Randy Korstick]

Quote:

Sorry Randy, that's wrong. It only takes one inflated opinion to make something 'overrated'.

Wheres your proof that your definition is correct?

Quote:

Amongst horror fans, Suspiria is like a Holy Grail of horror. I don't think it deserves that status.

That's my only point.

Amongst Horror fans? If by that you mean Cult Horror fans then yes but Holy Grail is a little extreme. General Horror fans are still discovering who Dario Argento is, so that is my point. The movie is a matter of taste and that taste I believe is affected by the Horror movies you were raised on which is my point about the MTV style of filming(meaning fast paced and quick cuts) but I think your assumption that it is overated is an extreme assumption.

 

[Paul_D]

. Vb. To assess too highly.

Notice there are no conditions stipulated as to how many people need to participate in this 'too high assessment' to validate the use of the word. i.e. You claim a 'everyone' must think something better than it is to make it 'overrated', when really it is perfectly appropriate to use when describing 1 opinion.