Speed Racer – A Review by Kyle Jonathan

by 39frames, posted in Film Review

 

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Speed Racer

2008.  Directed by Lilly & Lana Wachowski.

A bacchanal of cheesy excess, the Wachowski’s Speed Racer is a unique incarnation of the family film, bringing the eponymous anime serial to life.  Featuring the directors’s patented theme of artistic rebellion against authoritative control, Speed Racer also delivers a blitzkrieg of CGI visuals and a heartwarming story about familial love conquering all.

Speed is an 18 year old racing prodigy, living in the shadow of his brother Rex who died on the track.  He races for his family’s independently owned company, valuing his personal tribe and the art of racing over fortune and fame.  Speed is approached by Royalton, CEO of a mega corporation, and offered the contract of a lifetime.  After he rejects the offer, Royalton retaliates by placing a bounty on Speed’s head, one that other drivers are eager to collect.  Speed finds an ally in another independent racing company who asks him for help in The Crucible, the circuit’s most notorious race, in order to ensure that their company will not be consumed by Royalton’s empire.  Things become further complicated when Speed is joined by Inspector Detector and the mysterious Racer X, a crime fighting duo who are desperate to put an end to Royalton’s schemes once and for all.

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The film took 60 days to shoot entirely on green screen.  David Tattersall’s trippy cinematography captures the the cartoonish action in an explosion of neon.  The framing is all over the place, with the backgrounds melding with the characters to optically dazzle and confuse whenever the cars are engaged in vehicular combat. Kym Barrett’s costume designs are flawless reproductions from the show, while Hugh Bateup’s art direction recreates not only iconic scenes, but double’s down on the outright insanity of the visual acrobatics.  Stephanie Fowler’s makeup has a synthetic quality, allowing each character to mimic their animated counterparts with frightening accuracy, a quality that takes some time getting used to.

The turbulent editing during the race scenes captures the CGI mayhem with a lightning cadence, doubling down on Speed Racer’s relentless visual assault.  The action is mostly harmless, with peril never being a factor, but that is part of the charm.  The technical gadgetry of the race cars has a neo steampunk feel that is one of the many intriguing aspects of the world Speed Racer creates.  Despite the epic run time, many details of the actual universe in which the saga takes place are sadly never explored, using the bulk of the narrative to focus on the contests and the internal struggles of Speed’s family.

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The Wachowski’s script has a infectious B movie vibe that replaces traditional acting with ludicrous pantomiming.  Every cast member is playing a preconceived role with virtually no freedom to explore the depths of their characters. However, this is not so much a weakness as it is a testament to the directorial vision.  The idea was to make a living cartoon and the result is exactly that, complete with the logical flaws that accompany an animated universe.  Roger Allam as Royalton chews up the excessive scenery by portraying his character as a walking symbol of corporate greed.  Matthew Fox gives a surprisingly good performance as the tough guy Racer X and it’s his story line that elevates the entire affair above the endless clones of family films.  Speed Racer has a lot to say when it gives the time to think on its themes of family and artistic freedom, but these moments are few and far between.

Ultimately, this an overlong confusing mess of a film that is a perfect representation of the Wachowski’s volume of work.  They consistently pick interesting concepts that, if accomplished, would completely change the game with respect to the medium.  Like Cloud Atlas, this is one of the most unique cinematic experiences out there, offering of the first attempts at creating a live action film that is a complete copy of its predecessor.   Sometimes, too much, is too much, and the film suffers as a result, collapsing in the final leg of it’s bloated story line.  Despite these concessions, witnessing this film for the first time is truly an unforgettable experience.

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Available now for digital rental, Speed Racer uses a painfully loyal adaptation as a means to once again allow the Wachowski’s to saber rattle against authority, while also presenting a touching story about the sacrifices we all make for our families.  A one of kind visual delight, Speed Racer is a flawed, but poignantly resplendent experiment that succeeds far more than it fails.

Recommend.

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DOCTOR STRANGE–A REVIEW BY TIM FUGLEI

by tfuglei, posted in Film Review

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Countless clickbait headlines roam around the internet on the back of Marvel Studios and their 14 blockbuster films, begging readers to enjoy conjecture, rumor, even falsehoods about their upcoming properties.  It seems people can’t get enough of producer Kevin Feige’s massive comic book to screen empire. They are the undeniable box office champions of the cosmos in 2016, with no sign of slowing down assuming they can gracefully age their current stars and add new ones to an expansive interlocking series of hero and villain yarns the likes of which has never been seen elsewhere (so far, that includes from their primary competition over at DC/Warners).  After the expansive and somewhat tedious Captain America: Civil War, which along with the preceding Avengers sequel and Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice tried, as if on a dare, to cram as many superheroes together in one bloated cinematic run time as possible, Marvel now has given its fans a more traditional, fleet origin story for one of its prized properties, the Sorceror Supreme himself, Doctor Strange.  Steven Ditko’s creation for Marvel Comics back in the 1960s introduced a psychedelic element to the printed kingdom that is almost the exact opposite of the technology-rooted Iron Man that launched the movie universe. The result is a fun ride with a new ensemble to enjoy, as always loaded with recognizable Hollywood faces and now spiked with visuals that put to shame even the most cosmic exercises they’ve already attempted.

Benedict Cumberbatch puts on his best American accent (which, to be fair, is probably not THE best American accent you’ll ever catch a Brit on screen passing off on us, but it ceases to be a distraction quickly which is a victory in itself) and introduces us to Steven Strange, superstar surgeon and arrogant citizen of the galaxy.  A surprisingly common modern danger sends him literally off the rails in his sportscar, and before we’ve barely gotten to know him his hands are useless in an operating theater.  Modern medicine fails him, of course, and the action switches to Nepal, where he’s tipped off there may be a solution outside of the Western world.  Chewitel Ejiofor’s Mordo and Tilda Swinton’s Ancient One take him under their wing after a false start or two, and we’re on the way towards the once proud doctor becoming a mighty magical warrior.  They are of course in need of more soldiers in helping to protect Earth from mystical foes, and said foes (led by the ever icy Mads Mikkelsen) are of course rallying to bring death and mayhem to all, justified by the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s standard villainous logic of bringing about some form of twisted golden age through allowing evil to take the reins.

If this all sounds a bit familiar for those of us who’ve been consuming comic books on celluloid for years now, it is.  However, Doctor Strange has many things going for it that help override the familiarity of yet another “promising miscreant called up to greatness” starter story for a new character.  First is Cumberbatch, who may hold several copyrights on charming snarkiness, and he manages to make a potentially unlikable protagonist fit right in alongside the likes of Tony Stark and Peter Quill.  The rest of the cast do their characters credit too, from Ejiofor’s steadfast moralist to Swinton’s playful master magician harboring a secret or two.  Rachel McAdams has a somewhat thankless role as a former love interest of Strange’s, but their easy chemistry and her humorous annoyance with the mystical goings on that the Doctor brings into her hospital make every scene she’s in a fun one to watch.  So as usual, Marvel remembers that character counts, and give you just enough to care as threats increase.  Above and beyond this, director Scott Derrickson delivers what is easily the best looking Marvel film to date, with Inception-style world bending taken several levels above what anyone’s put on screen before.  This also feels like one of the more action packed entries into the MCU; once the story really gets going, we’re treated to a grand mashup of martial arts and supernatural powers slamming characters around in high combat style.  And unlike many other entries in the genre, a clever path to victory is well developed and used to save the day instead of One Last Big Fight.  With a quick runtime of 115 minutes, the film doesn’t overstay its welcome while adding the standard Marvel post credit teasers to prepare audiences for what’s coming next with these heroes and more.  Finally, Derrickson and his co-writers Robert Cargill and John Spaihts show an understanding of and love for the source material that represents the true bedrock of this studio’s success.  All in all, another entertaining ride from the Marvel Movie Machine, giving us the equal parts familiarity and newness that the brand promises and delivers like clockwork.

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THE EXPENDABLES – A Review by Frank Mengarelli

by Frank Mengarelli, posted in Film Festivals, Film Review

THE EXPENDABLES is that hard R-rated film that hits the sweet spot for adults craving adult oriented action and humor with past and present staples of actions cinema. Sylvester Stallone crafts not only a film, but a hugely successful franchise, around himself and his movie star buddies. The film is so much fun to watch, watching these ancient relics double-fisting machine guns and laying waste to anyone in their path.

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Sure, the film is riddled with hammy dialogue, campy acting, ridiculous character names, and obnoxious action – but that is EXACTLY what this film should be, and is. Sylvester Stallone is one of cinema’s most unsung and undervalued auteurs. This is a guy, who has made catastrophic career choices; yet he’s been able to resurrect his career four, count it, four times due to his directing and writing abilities. Rocky, Rambo, Expendables, and now his reinvention of Rocky in last year’s CREED.

Stallone took a film with an eighty million dollar budget that yielded 275million at the worldwide box office, and spurred two successful sequels. The subgenre of the hard R rated B action films have seemed to have slipped off the cinematic radar in past years. Either we get a tent-pole movie star grazing his way through a watered down PG-13 film, or we get some sort of intentional franchise starter with an over-the-hill star fighting alongside a fresh face who more times than not, lacks acting chops severely.

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THE EXPENDABLES goes for it, and resets the mold of that strain of films we have missed. Stallone headlines Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, Mickey Rourke, Jet Li, Terry Crews, Randy Couture, Steve Austin, Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Eric Roberts. Not to mention all the other wonderful additions Stallone recruited for the two sequels.

Stallone creates a world that takes place inside the movie world. These guys are big, tough, and ooze masculinity. The dialogue is akin to what we heard from the same actors in the 80’s, the practical explosions are bigger, and the CGI blood is absolutely egregious. The director’s cut of the film stands slightly taller, adding a bit more depth, and rounds out some of the more clunky characters in the film.

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While this film is nowhere near perfect, it is perfect for what it is. Dolph Lundgren lynching Somalin pirates, Stallone quick drawing a revolver and taking out six guys, Eric Roberts being over-the-top snarling through his teeth, Jason Statham putting his fist through skulls, Mickey Rourke looking obnoxious as ever yet putting on an acting clinic in his brief scene, and everything else you’d want from a hard R, quickly paced B movie filled with explosions and gunfire. THE EXPENDABLES and its two sequels is a feverishly welcome return from an auteur that refuses to be rendered obsolete.

M. NIGHT SHYAMALAN’S THE VISIT — A REVIEW BY NICK CLEMENT

by nlclement, posted in Film Review

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The Visit is a hoot. Combining odd humor and effective doses of familiar horror tropes, writer/director M. Night Shyamalan dropped this film in theaters just about a year ago, and it did strong business and was met with favorable reviews. And I can see why. It’s a fun movie. Nasty, clever, silly, and funny in equal doses, the narrative pivots on the sadistic notion that your otherwise pleasant grandparents might be up to some really bad stuff in their seemingly comfortable country home. Working with the brilliant cinematographer Maryse Alberti (Creed, The Wrestler, Velvet Goldmine), Shyamalan actually created a legitimate reason for the found-footage presentation that he offers up, and as a result, the jittery camerawork coupled with fast edits can’t help but unnerve the viewer in more than one instance, even if a few lapses of logic prevent the film from feeling truly air-tight. The performances are all extremely well done by the two annoying-on-purpose kids (Olivia DeJonge and Ed Oxenbould) and the sinister elderly couple (Deanna Dunagan and Peter McRobbie), with everyone getting their own individual moment(s) to shine while creating a hostile and potentially dangerous vibe as a group. Kathryn Hahn bookends the piece and is her usual awesome self. But it’s the level of humor in The Visit that really took me by surprise, as I’m always a big fan of movies that mix tones and aren’t afraid to be a little different. I hope the solid success of this film is merely a warm up to Shyamalan’s upcoming chiller, Split, because just from the trailer, that one seems loaded with promise.

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DAVID ANSPAUGH’S RUDY — A REVIEW BY NICK CLEMENT

by nlclement, posted in Film Review

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I could cry just THINKING of this movie, let alone watching it from start to finish or in bits and pieces or for just 30 seconds. The amount of personal triumph that is explored and honored in this rousing true life football story can never be underestimated; underdog stories are rarely this emotionally rewarding and dramatically effective. Directed with heart and soul by David Anspaugh (Hoosiers) and written with grace by Angelo Pizzo, the film features a splendid performance from Sean Astin as the titular hero, a guy deemed too small by so many, but who had the courage and determination to never back down from any challenge. The final scene of this film leaves a massive lump in my throat, and I can’t help but cheer and sob when Rudy leads his fellow teammates out of the Notre Dame dressing room and onto the field, in front of thousands of screaming fans. There’s a ridiculous cast featuring then-up-and-coming actors like Vince Vaughn and John Favreau, with old pros Ned Beatty, Robert Prosky, Jason Miller, and Charles S. Dutton providing solid anchors for everyone in the robust ensemble. Oliver Wood’s naturalistic cinematography hits all the perfect notes on the field and off, while the tremendous musical score by Jerry Goldsmith goes beyond inspiring and into realms of the sublime. The film states in a text crawl that as of the time of the film’s production, no other Fighting Irish team member has been carried off the field since that happened to Rudy Ruettiger – I hope that this is still the case.

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Nicolas Winding Refn’s Valhalla Rising: A Review by Nate Hill 

by natewatchescoolmovies, posted in Film Review

I would hazard a statement and say that Valhalla Rising is Nicolas Winding Refn’s most inaccessible film, to wider audiences. Despite the bleak, impenetrable horror of Fear X and the repulsive, Freudian filth of Only God Forgives, there’s just something so bare and primordial about Valhalla, a skeletal narrative that serves as a haunted shell for a story that is essentially the ‘anti story’, an acrid, backwards battle poem existing in a vacuum of space where genre tropes should be at play, and are mournfully absent. A lot of films set in ancient times just feel the need to give the proceedings a modern flourish, adding humour, bravery and many elements we identify with and are used to seeing. The reality is those times were probably not like that at all, and resembled a level of anthropological alienation that would confuse us. Refn casts exactly that kind of cloak over his film here, bringing us a dark, hollow world where primitive despair swirls about in the mists of the British Isles and the ocean far beyond. Refn is first and foremost concerned with his protagonists, striving to make them unique and challenging. The meek, confused griever playing detective (John Turturro in Fear X), the lonely, pent up vigilante (Ryan Gosling in Drive) and the bawdy, childish, anarchic brawling bull in a China shop (Tom Hardy in Bronson) were endlessly fascinating, but here he takes it a step further into the overgrown netherworld of the human psyhe. His outlet of exploration is a mute, feral Scandinavian warrior, simply called One Eye (Mads Mikkelsen), who is ready to inflict throat ripping, bone snapping carnage at the drop of a hat. This isn’t someone who kills for his own gain or goals though, and it’s in that characteristic that One Eye is different from every other lead in Refn’s tales. All the rest were forceful, extremely aware beings who were out to achieve clear cut goals, even if one of them was just to create as much self destructive chaos as possible. One Eye is a slave, someone’s property, and lays down the carnage hammer only when instructed to by his Saxon owners. This unfolds in a jarring opening act that you’ll need a strong stomach to fight through. The violence is scarily realistic and lands with the same sickening thud that skulls make when Mikkelsen bashes them on the jagged outcroppings of rocks which populate this austere terrain. As two warring clans squabble about who deserves sovereignty over One Eye’s terrifying talents, circumstances lead to his departure from the moors of Britain, on a boat captained by a Scottish warlord (the exceptional Gary Lewis) and with the companionship of a mysterious young boy (Maarten Stevenson). The boat drifts in a lilting trance for miles on end, seemingly headed nowhere, and it’s here that Refn let’s both his characters and audience off the leash and sends us headlong into the crushing blackness of a narrative that is maddeningly impossible to decipher. To try and think it out is to fail right off the bat; One must let this type of story wash over you and discern it’s meaning using the unconscious modes of thought that human beings have sadly forgotten amidst a flurry of science, reason and technology. The voyage across this sea is one out of time, out of mind and beyond rationality, and the land that lays at the far end of the crimson sunrise is one even more foreboding and secretive than the rocks they left behind. Encounters with a strange tribe, moody passages of time where One Eye seems to drift between dimensions of thought and animalistic contemplation, dimly perceived exchanges of dialogue that seem lost and misplaced among the pressing gloom, it all flows by like the fog on the water, making sense as an element existing in it’s place in nature, but unable to be reconciled by our minds, which always need to have the safety net of a “why” to break the great fall of the unknown. Sometimes there’s no explaining, no categorizing, because to do so is arrogant. Sometimes it’s just naked perception and acceptance, if you can bring yourself to that place. Refn can, and what’s more, he can create such feelings, which is what makes him so important as an artist. He understands the uncharted places on the territory of human experience, waiting to be mapped out like the strange new world One Eye and the boy visit, a world which may as well be a different planet to their eyes. It’s in this inaccessibility that he gives us what, although is certainly not his most enjoyable or commercially viable film, is definitely the one that says the most, if you possess and are willing to use the tools necessary to experience it. Difficult. Psychological. Troubling. Hypnotic. Beautiful. Masterpiece.

PTS Presents ARTISAN’S WORKBENCH with CHAD KEITH

by Frank Mengarelli, posted in Film Review, Podcast

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unnamedPodcasting Them Softly is thrilled to present a discussion with production designer Chad Keith! Chad‘s newest film, Loving, from writer/director Jeff Nichols, hits theaters this weekend in limited release, with more cities being added each week to its nationwide roll-out. Some of Chad‘s other superb credits include this year’s absolutely incredible Midnight Special, Kumiko The Treasure Hunter (a PTS fave!), Take Shelter, Begin Again, At Any Price, Martha Marcy May Marlene, and Goodbye Solo. Chad has also worked on various short films, including Plastic Bag, from executive producer Werner Herzog and director Ramin Bahrani, and if you haven’t seen this little gem, head on over to YouTube and check it out, as it’s absolutely remarkable and thought provoking. This was a total treat and honor to be joined by Chad for a chat, and we hope you all enjoy!

SYLVESTER STALLONE’S RAMBO — A REVIEW BY NICK CLEMENT

by nlclement, posted in Film Review

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Sylvester Stallone’s blood-soaked 2008 Rambo reboot is an ultra-violent, nearly pornographic action flick that has very little else on its mind other than showing what happens when human beings are ripped apart by an assortment of small, medium, large, and extra-large fire arms, and in one particular instance, a rather famous knife. Seriously. There is an obscene amount of combat violence in this movie, all of it rather stunning to be hold, and if it becomes sort of computer-gamey because of all of the CGI blood-hits (what happened to good old fashioned squibs?), it’s no less rip-roaring and absurdly entertaining. The story that Stallone presents makes it easy to enjoy the carnage, as the baddies are beyond grotesque, rooted in some form of reality, and truly deserve what’s coming to them. The narrative hinges on Rambo being hired by a church pastor in an effort to save innocent missionaries who have been taken hostage by corrupt Burmese military units. And of course, there’s only one man who can save the day, and he’s more than ready for action.

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You must give Stallone credit where credit is due – he refuses to give up as an actor and director and seems to be having genuine fun every time you see him up on screen. The plot of Rambo might be threadbare, but the action scenes are ridiculously gory and beyond over the top, at times begging to be immediately replayed as some of the individual moments of bloodletting are jaw-dropping. As captured by cinematographer Glen MacPherson, the film has a rough and tumble visual aesthetic, with lots of shutter retention and shaky-cam, which gives it a visual immediacy to match the insanity of the action scenes, which allows it to stand apart from the mostly PG-13 competition. People are SHREDDED in this pissed-off and hot-blooded actioner, with Stallone taking out his creative (personal?) aggressions on an enemy that more than deserves what’s coming. Whenever this one pops up on the HD movie channels, I can’t help but stop for a moment and check it out, as this is a movie that talks the talk and walks the walk.

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OREN SHAI’S THE FRONTIER — A REVIEW BY NICK CLEMENT

by nlclement, posted in Film Festivals, Film Review

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Sometimes, a film sneaks up on you and takes you completely by surprise. That’s what happened when I viewed The Frontier, a very stylish neo-noir/contemporary western mash-up from director Oren Shai. The less you know about this crafty, twisty, and totally terrific gem the better, as it offers up narrative surprises to match its extremely sharp sense of aesthetics. Clocking in at an extra-tight 83 minutes, the screenplay concocted by Shai and Webb Wilcoxen tips its hat to various genre staples while presenting its own brand of down and dirty atmosphere and attitude. The story pivots on the actions of Laine (the excellent and striking Jocelin Donahue), a loner who drifts into a desert town and stumbles into a plan to rip off some cash from a group of volatile thieves who have taken up refuge at a sketchy motel run by a potentially duplicitous owner named Luanne (Kelly Lynch in an out-of-nowhere performance of complete control and command).

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What happens next I will leave for you to discover, but I will allow that the juicy scenario cooked up by Shai and Wilcoxen is thick with danger and potential violence, while various characters shuffle in and out of view, resulting in a film that feels compact yet bursting with possibilities. The supporting cast of Izabella Miko, Jim Beaver, Jamie Harris, A.J. Bowen, and Liam Aiken all turn in solid performances that perfectly fit the menacing milieu. On an aesthetic level, The Frontier is nearly impeccable, with extra-precise lensing coming from cinematographer Jay Keitel, who chose to shoot the project on 16mm film, and a creepy yet eclectic musical score composed by Ali Helnwein. The spare yet efficient production design by Lindsey Moran stresses open space and confined quarters, making great use of physical locations that project a sense of unease which adds another layer to the piece. Shai also co-edited the picture with Humphrey Dixon, and as a result, you get the sense that every single shot came out as fully intended by the director.

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And I really enjoyed observing how Shai and Wilcoxen subverted numerous expectations all throughout, starting with having a female lead in a role that 99% of the time might have gone to a male; the film is all the more successful and enjoyable because of this one simple decision. The film keeps you in its grasp all the way until the absolute final shot, and feels uncompromised at every turn. After making its premiere at the 2015 South by Southwest Film Festival, indie specialist Kino Lorber acquired the film for release in cinemas and on physical media. The Frontier is currently playing in limited theatrical release, and will be available to stream via iTunes, Amazon, VUDU, and Hulu starting November 8th. The Blu-ray and DVD are available for pre-order, with a December 6th street date. This is a fantastic piece of pure cinema that casts its spell immediately, never looking back, and staying true to its convictions all the way until the cut to black.

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Dario Argento’s Suspiria: A Review by Nate Hill 

by natewatchescoolmovies, posted in Film Review

How to describe Dario Argento’s Suspiria. A psychedelic, multicolored mood piece. Free from the bonds of rationality. Surreal and incoherent, using dream logic to disorient the viewer and lull us into a subconscious fugue state, swept away by the color and light, all shot through a prism of dazzling underworld enchantment, a fairy tale designed to shock and shake, and all the while presided over by Goblin’s rhythmic, haunting score, bewitching the proceedings even further and pushing the atmosphere of the film to elemental heights. No other horror film I’ve ever seen has had quite the same unique, spellbinding effect on me as this masterpiece. The opener still stuns, a kaleidoscope of stained glass splattered in blood, a jarring murder scene that is as beautiful as it is grotesque, setting the stage for the madness yet in store. You know those dreams where you’re making your way through some corridor, drenched in fear and awaiting some doom that’s just up around the bend, but suddenly you get there and nothing seems to make sense, circumstances are now different and all attempts to extricate yourself seem hopeless? That’s the kind of nightmare that young American ballet student Suzy Banyon (Jessica Harper) finds herself in. Arriving in Germany to a prestigious dance academy, she gets a fleeting look at some poor girl running from… something, far off in the woods. That being her introduction to the school isn’t a good sign, and it doesn’t get any better. The stern headmistress (Allida Valli would give Miss Trunchbull the creeps) is overbearing and nasty, the rest of the occupants strange and withdrawn, and something seems to live inside the walls, watching Suzy from unseen perches, with evil intent in store. Maggots, a possessed dog, witches, a serial murderer and homicidal German cooks don’t even begin to describe the gauntlet of terror she fights through. Well, they do, but the film really isn’t about those things, they’re just the walls of the gingerbread house, plain, right angled and sensibly threatening. The real horror and unease comes from atmosphere, the icing, sprinkles and decorative splendour on said house. Argento has always given more effort towards atmosphere and ambience, in favor of things like acting, story or editing. It can be silly sometimes, but in Suspiria’s case it really doesn’t matter much, because the hellish haunted house he fashions is worth every second of your attention. There seems to be a starkly colored hue pouring in through every window and behind every door, the academy itself is an ornate and impossibly detailed dark gem of architecture and artistry, the sets put together like a dizzying labyrinth funhouse of brightly lit orifices and shadowed alcoves where nothing seems to be in it’s rightful place, disorder and abstraction reigning supreme. And then there’s the score. Now one of the most iconic janglers in the horror genre, the trancelike nocturnal lullaby by Goblin is a riff that instantly stands your hairs up and sucks you right into each frame, accenting the colours, shapes and hallways with organic precision, as if the dark forces inside the academy were somehow generating this music of their own accord. I also note another track by the group that makes an appearance, a wheezy death cry called ‘Sighs’, signalling that witches are nearby and consequently upping the unease factor a few more notches. This is a film that seems to come straight from the unconscious mind, a technicolor patchwork quilt stitched together with bizarre ideas, supernatural mysteries and otherworldly hysteria, with only the briefest threads of logic woven in, almost as if to further throw us off balance, to tease us with a scenario that seems like it will play out ‘normally’, only to toss us right back into the deep end, back into bizarro world with Suzy and all the forces of the night, clamoring to get her. This is unquestionably Argento’s best, and most complete film, a maniacal masterpiece of gorgeous sights and sounds, a trip to atnother realm via our world, and a horror piece unlike any other.