It takes a certain audacity to remake Suspiria, Dario Argento’s 1977 supernatural horror film. The original is a vibrant, neon, phantasmagoria of sight and sound, and blood. It is a film unto itself. One that only Argento could make. How anyone could look at that film and think it needed to be remade is beyond me. And yet here we are. Luca Guadagino, a director best known for Call Me by Your Name, a lush, quiet little film about a gay love affair between a student and an older man, is apparently that audacious.
Buy Suspiria (2018) on Blu-rayWhen I first heard it was being remade, I was not at all interested. It seemed like just another quick cash-in on the seemingly never-ending horror nostalgia train. Then I saw the cast list including Dakota Johnson and Tilda Swinton. Then I heard Thom Yorke was doing the soundtrack. Then I saw the trailer and I was most intrigued.
The reviews are all over the place. I have my doubts that it will be anything but a train wreck, but I’m sure interested in finding out. I had oh so very much wanted to catch it in the theater, but various events conspired against me so now I’m thrilled its finally hitting Blu-ray. Read Kent Conrad’s review.
Also out this week that looks interesting:
All That Jazz (Criterion Collection): Getting a Blu-ray release separate from a combo pack, Bob Fosse’s semi-autobiographical drama stars Roy Schneider as choreographer/director Joe Gideon, who tries to find some sanity while popping pills, sleeping with every woman he lays his hands on, and simultaneously working on a stage musical and a Hollywood film.
In the Heat of the Night (Criterion Collection): Norman Jewison’s Oscar-winning drama stars Sidney Poitier as a Philadelphia detective who is forced to help Rod Steiger’s bigoted police chief from the Deep South solve a murder.
Doctor Who: The Complete Eleventh Series: Jodie Whittaker is the 13th Doctor, the first woman to ever do so, while Chris Chibnall takes over the show runner’s duties. I was really excited about this season before it aired. A new Doctor is always fun and I was really interested to see what they could do with a female lead. I’ve not yet seen the last couple of episodes and I hate to say it but it’s been disappointing so far. Whittaker has been great and I like the companions more or less, but there are too many of them, making it difficult to really get to know them individually. But the biggest problem has been in the villains. Doctor Who is a series known for its great bad guys, but so far in what I’ve seen of this season, the villains have been completely forgettable. I’m crossing my fingers that this will be resolved. That its problems can be chalked up to having a completely new crew and cast. Here’s hoping.
The Wife: Glenn Close stars as the perfect wife to Jonathan Pryce’s writer. She’s sacrificed everything to his art, giving up her own talent and dreams and ignoring his many infidelities but on the night he is set to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature, she hits her breaking point.
The Night Is Short, Walk on Girl: Shout Factory! and GKIDS brings this Japanese animated film to American audiences. It’s about a girl who embarks on an insanely long night of partying where she encounters an increasingly eccentric set of characters. I’ll have a full review up soon.
The Nutcracker and the Four Realms: Lasse Hallstrom and Joe Johnston directed this Disney adventure based upon the famous Christmas ballet (and the book it was based upon). It looks visually stunning but the reviews were brutal.
Reign of the Supermen: Sequel to the DC Animated film The Death of Superman, this one finds the world mourning the superhero’s death while multiple new heroes emerge all claiming to be Superman reborn. Will they be able to stop a new deadly threat targeting Earth? As I haven’t seen the first one, it may be awhile before I find out.
All the Colors of Giallo: Severin Films is releasing this three-disk compilation piece that doesn’t actually feature any films but is full of giallo trailers, giallo music, and various giallo lovers talking about the genre. I suppose it serves as a really nice companion piece to all the giallo films you already own.
All the Colors of the Dark: It would be quite silly for Severin to release a big giallo companion set without actually releasing a for-real giallo the same week. This one comes from Sergio Martino and stars Edwidge French as a woman who joins a satanic cult out of fear that a man is trying to kill her.
Mondo Bizarro/Mondo Credo: A collection of supposedly real (but doubtlessly completely fake), hidden-camera footage that features bizarre and titillating scenes like a voodoo sequence from the Bahamas, Lebanese slave traders, prostitute interviews, and lots of naked breasts.
