Suspiria

June 4, 2018 9:37 AM

Teaser trailer for Suspiria, Luca Guadagnino's remake of Dario Argento's 1977 classic.
posted by sapagan (37 comments total)

My initial thought was "why bother", but that actually looks pretty good, and enough like its own thing. It's been a good couple years for horror cinema.
posted by codacorolla at 9:41 AM on June 4, 2018 [2 favorites]

That's a really good trailer. People get all bent out of shape about remakes, but there have been a lot of great horror remakes: The Blob, The Thing, The Fly, & The Ring to name the more obvious contenders. Hopefully this remake falls into this category.
posted by Kinski's Ghost at 9:54 AM on June 4, 2018 [4 favorites]

It is incredible that this remake finally got made. It had been tried a number of times with people like David Gordon Green (of all people) attached and Eli Roth being rumoured.

Luca Guadagnino is an interesting choice for director and followup to the director's excellent Call Me by Your Name. In media he's explicitly said that his Suspiria is not a direct remake. In an interview with the Guardian:

"Every movie I make is a step inside my teenage dreams, and Suspiria is the most remarkably precise teenage megalomaniac dream I could have had. I saw the poster when I was 11 and then I saw the film when I was 14, and it hit me hard. I immediately started to dream about making my own version of it. So in a way it makes me smile when I hear people say, “How dare you remake Suspiria. Typical commerce-driven mentality.” I was just a boy who had seen a movie that made him what he became. So that’s how I am approaching it: a homage to the incredible, powerful emotion I felt when I saw it."

Having recently watched the 4k restoration of the original I forgot how incoherent it is. Narrative isn't an important part of the film - more mood, atmosphere and its colours (though it uses standard Kodak colour stock it was printed with a three strip Technicolor process which gives it that distinctive look). The new film looks more coherent though but the palette looks more muted. In anycase, looking forward to it.
posted by Ashwagandha at 9:58 AM on June 4, 2018 [14 favorites]

I always feel like Swinton's best roles are the ones where she can fully channel the crazy, so that's excellent casting there. I'm meh on Johnson. I'm a big fan of all three of the original films in the trilogy (Inferno is my favorite though) and I'm hoping that they'll at least carry _some_ of the thematic visuals over. I tend to fall into the bucket of people who'd prefer to see new things over remakes, but I know full well I'll see this.
posted by librarianamy at 9:59 AM on June 4, 2018 [1 favorite]

The whole appeal of Suspiria for me is its hip 70's Italian modernist style. The lurid colors, the funky psych-rock soundtrack, the rube goldberg style deaths, the total lack of sense... It's the perfect mix. This trailer looks competent enough, but for me it totally misses the point. I don't watch Suspiria for the chills, I watch it for the bonkers aesthetic. A muted color palette, suspenseful orchestral hits, and a grim mood, none of this hits the spot for me.
posted by One Second Before Awakening at 10:08 AM on June 4, 2018 [14 favorites]

I recently saw the restoration on the big screen, too, and it sours me on this remake all the more. It's hard to put into words; it's one of those things that's the product of so many little things falling into place to create a whole gesamtkuntswerk, intentional or no. It's the same reason every attempt to recreate Dark Shadows has fallen flat, no matter how much more money, time, or technology the retreads have had than the original did. It's like trying to recreate a dream.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 10:17 AM on June 4, 2018 [6 favorites]

I'm a huuuuuuuuuuge fan of the original and was turned off immediately by the idea of a remake. Then I heard it was being helmed by Luca Guadagnino (Call me By Your Name) and I became mildly interested... enough not to dismiss it out of hand. Then I heard that he wasn't trying to make a second version of the same plot, but rather was using the premise and the name as a vehicle for trying to recapture the grand guignol and operatic grandeur of the original. And I remember thinking I was still not convinced this was going to be a good film, but that this is exactly the approach someone would take if they were going to go about this the right way. I was a little conflicted upon hearing he wouldn't be going for the garish color palette (which is the start of the original film, imho) but the grimy 70s aesthetic he's using instead still gives me a similar feeling of unease.

I think this looks very interesting and I'm growing ever-so-cautiously excited to see it.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 10:24 AM on June 4, 2018 [4 favorites]

Interesting teaser. I was listening hard to the new soundtrack and how it responded to the original.
Good job with the eyeball-stretching letters.
posted by doctornemo at 10:25 AM on June 4, 2018

No one loves the plot of the original, and no one could surpass the execution of the original's technique. So keeping just the bare bones of the premise and using it as a vehicle to try to generate the same feelings of shock and dread through different means is a very, very smart way to honor the original and still produce something worthwhile and new.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 10:27 AM on June 4, 2018 [7 favorites]

The whole appeal of Suspiria for me is its hip 70's Italian modernist style. The lurid colors, the funky psych-rock soundtrack, the rube goldberg style deaths, the total lack of sense... It's the perfect mix. This trailer looks competent enough, but for me it totally misses the point. I don't watch Suspiria for the chills, I watch it for the bonkers aesthetic. A muted color palette, suspenseful orchestral hits, and a grim mood, none of this hits the spot for me.

So... because it's not the exact same as the original, got it.

I mean, that's kind of the point of a remake, no?
posted by Saxon Kane at 10:40 AM on June 4, 2018 [1 favorite]

Interesting teaser. I was listening hard to the new soundtrack and how it responded to the original.

It's Thom Yorke's first film score!
posted by Windigo at 10:54 AM on June 4, 2018 [1 favorite]

there have been a lot of great horror remakes: The Blob, The Thing, The Fly, & The Ring to name the more obvious contenders. Hopefully this remake falls into this category.

Well, it's not called The Suspiria, so that's one strike against it already.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 11:05 AM on June 4, 2018 [8 favorites]

Some teaser footage sounds pretty grotesque in a way the original wasn't.
posted by pxe2000 at 11:07 AM on June 4, 2018

The whole appeal of Suspiria for me is its hip 70's Italian modernist style.

I only watch films that feature a random room stuffed with razor wire. Lady Bird? Pretty good, but could have used a random room stuffed with razor wire. Three Billboards? More like "No Random Rooms Stuffed With Razor Wire Outside of Ebbings Missouri". Even classics like "The Philadelphia Story" are sorely lacking rooms full of razor wire. I mean seriously Katherine Hepburn could have done so much more playing off a room stuffed with razor wire.

I hope this remake properly recognizes this key element of the original.
posted by Kinski's Ghost at 11:15 AM on June 4, 2018 [16 favorites]

Well, it's not called The Suspiria, so that's one strike against it already.

They should have called it Suspirias, with a multiple suspirias to deal with this time instead of just the one.
posted by doctornecessiter at 11:22 AM on June 4, 2018 [8 favorites]

So... because it's not the exact same as the original, got it.

I mean, that's kind of the point of a remake, no?

I mean, yeah, but when you take something like Suspiria, which looks and sounds completely different from almost any other horror movie, and remake it without any of the factors that set it apart, then I don't see the point of remaking it. This thing looks and sounds like so many other horror movies. It seems like it's missing the point, or at least it's missing what I perceive to be the point.

I would have thought the value of remaking Suspiria would be to totally mix up the contemporary horror film scene by throwing in a totally over-the-top visually florid cocktail.

Of course, it could turn out good, this is only a teaser.
posted by One Second Before Awakening at 11:27 AM on June 4, 2018 [1 favorite]

The shot of the notebook at 0:33 lays out the roster of the Three Mothers. Are they gunning for a full trilogy?
posted by Iridic at 11:27 AM on June 4, 2018 [2 favorites]

My initial thought was "why bother", but that actually looks pretty good, and enough like its own thing. It's been a good couple years for horror cinema.

yep. my thoughts exactly until I watched the trailer. I am caught! and La Swinton is in it!!! the tone and vibe seem sufficiently distinct from the original.
posted by supermedusa at 11:31 AM on June 4, 2018

A muted color palette, suspenseful orchestral hits, and a grim mood

you have described my catnip
posted by supermedusa at 11:34 AM on June 4, 2018 [4 favorites]

No one loves the plot of the original,

I'm not no one.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 12:21 PM on June 4, 2018 [1 favorite]

I mean, yeah, but when you take something like Suspiria, which looks and sounds completely different from almost any other horror movie, and remake it without any of the factors that set it apart, then I don't see the point of remaking it.

Or, that could be exactly the point of remaking it. Maybe. I mean, let's take Gus Van Sant's shot-for-shot remake of Psycho... that certainly was faithful to everything that made the original what it was, but it was also a piece of crap, unlike the identical original.

Here's a thought experiment: imagine everything about this film is the same, but it was titled Dance of Death or something, and you didn't know it was based on/inspired by Suspiria: does your reaction change?

I mean, we like what we like and we don't like what we don't like. But at the same time, the criteria by which we judge one film may have little application to another film. I suppose that only time will tell if this is a good and original remake or another example of Hollywood's lack of creativity. I guess it could even be both.
posted by Saxon Kane at 12:42 PM on June 4, 2018 [1 favorite]

There aren't a lot of situations when I feel like telling ghost stories as an adult, but when Suspiria comes up, I really enjoy slowly telling folks about that locked-door-razor-wire-courtyard scene. I think I'm commanded by the same itch that makes me tell obscure dad jokes and shaggy dog stories. Fucking masterful.

I'm a little bummed to see how washed-out the color pallet is, BUT the cinematography looks like it might be absolutely beautiful. I hope so. The original is a revelation, and the cast looks great.
posted by es_de_bah at 1:08 PM on June 4, 2018

Why not remake one of Argento's later films, many of which are actually bad enough to deserve a remake?

I mean, I'll totally see this, I'd just really like to see Stendahl Syndrome done better. Or the stupid techno one.
posted by aspersioncast at 1:15 PM on June 4, 2018 [3 favorites]

random room stuffed with razor wire

My friends and I always joke about it being speaker wire. And it is easily the most nonsensical scene in a movie made up of nonsensical scenes. And I say that from a place of love.
posted by Ashwagandha at 1:16 PM on June 4, 2018

I mean, yeah, but when you take something like Suspiria, which looks and sounds completely different from almost any other horror movie

I think there are a lot of films that look and sound like Suspiria, provided you have a taste for Italian horror and giallo films.
posted by Kinski's Ghost at 1:25 PM on June 4, 2018 [2 favorites]

No one loves the plot of the original,

I'm not no one.

Really? You love the plot? If you were describing what you liked about the original Suspiria, you'd say one thing was the progression of events and the logic that held them together? That's something you think is a strength? I'm not talking about just liking some of the plot points, mind you. We all like some of the things in the plot. But I don't think it's possible to explain the original by explaining the plot, because the plot--what there is of it--is mostly incidental and only exists as a canvas on which Argento can work with mood, with visuals and sound. It goes back and forth between silly and incoherent. I can hardly think of a film where plot is less important.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 1:44 PM on June 4, 2018

Hmm. In the title, the two 'i's are lower case.
ii...
posted by chainlinkspiral at 1:48 PM on June 4, 2018

I can hardly think of a film where plot is less important.

Pick any three Jess Franco films, watch them, and get back to me on this.
posted by Kinski's Ghost at 1:52 PM on June 4, 2018 [2 favorites]

I'm a little bummed to see how washed-out the color pallet is, BUT the cinematography looks like it might be absolutely beautiful.

It was a specific decision by the cinematographer to not include any primary colours.
posted by urbanwhaleshark at 1:55 PM on June 4, 2018

The shot of the notebook at 0:33 lays out the roster of the Three Mothers. Are they gunning for a full trilogy?

Also a shout-out to the Red Army Fraktion / Baader-Meinhof gang. I’m hoping for some witch-inspired hard left terrorism.

Count me in as “friend told me about the trailer and I scoffed so hard my gullet nearly came out but then I watched it and now intend to see the movie and in fact am quite excited about it”.
posted by chappell, ambrose at 2:59 PM on June 4, 2018 [2 favorites]

Oh this looks exciting! It's reminding me of how much I love 70's movies.
posted by biscotti at 3:08 PM on June 4, 2018

If you artful, slow-burn 70s/early 80s style horror movies with Satanic themes, be sure to check out House of the Devil (2009) if you haven't already.
posted by treepour at 3:56 PM on June 4, 2018 [1 favorite]

Here's a thought experiment: imagine everything about this film is the same, but it was titled Dance of Death or something, and you didn't know it was based on/inspired by Suspiria: does your reaction change?

If I can't tell from watching it that it was based on/inspired by Suspiria, and it's not called Suspiria, then we're not having this discussion and I react to the film and evaluate it as it is.

When somebody makes a film that's so different from the source material that the title and and some circumstantials (e.g. both thrillers set against the backdrop of ballet), it invites one to wonder if it's just a cynical grab for free publicity. Would all these articles be written about Dance of Death? Would all these Argento fans and Suspiria lovers be talking about Dance of Death, positively or negatively? Would they be a guaranteed audience for Dance of Death, even if it was just out of curiosity? No; of course not.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 7:25 PM on June 4, 2018 [1 favorite]

I always understand having reservations about film remakes. I have them, too. But this film could have been put into less competent hands (and thankfully wasn't). Setting aside discussions of aesthetics and visuals for a moment, if you want a better idea of how Luca Guadagnino handles the on-screen nuances of fear, mystery and suspense, I'd recommend checking out his 2015 film "A Bigger Splash" if you've not already seen it. Visually, is he known as an Argento? A Jodorowsky? No. Of course not. (I'd say visually he's closer to Tarkovsky.) But when it comes to narrative, or subverting the narrative, his past work demonstrates a rare understanding of how to burrow a story's mystery into the viewer's soul - in a way that will both trouble and arouse their senses for a long time after the film has ended. I feel confident to trust that he has handled Suspiria with the same care.

That being said, it was the right move for him to not go for a "literal" remake of the film and to instead focus on creating a "homage to the incredible, powerful emotion [he] felt," as Ashwagandha quoted above. When someone covers a song I love, I don't want to hear an exact remake. That's boring, why do it? I want to hear someone respond and communicate that song's emotions in a still faithful yet new, original way. And I feel similarly about film remakes.
posted by nightrecordings at 7:28 AM on June 5, 2018 [1 favorite]

I'm guessing that they got this trailer ready and released this week specifically so that it could be attached to the wide release of Hereditary. Having only seen the trailer for Hereditary (which doesn't seem to give away much), and struggling to go into that one as spoiler-free as possible, it seems like this new Suspiria is trying to mine for the same dark-creepy arthouse horror vibe (as opposed to the technicolor-gonzo arthouse horror of the original Suspiria). There's room for both as far as I'm concerned; I trust Guadagnino to bring more to it than just doing a cash-grab remake.
posted by doctornecessiter at 12:24 PM on June 5, 2018

After watching the original again tonight (TubiTV appears to be the only streaming source offering it for free online), I've realized that there is only one living director who could do justice to Argento's aesthetic, with its garish, bright colors and artful compositions.

People of Metafilter: we need Wes Anderson's Suspiria.
posted by Saxon Kane at 7:36 PM on June 5, 2018 [3 favorites]

I would have vastly more respect for Wes Anderson if he tackled something as . . . not-twee as an Argento remake.
posted by aspersioncast at 8:26 AM on June 6, 2018 [1 favorite]