Feb 7, 2020
HERE BE WITCHES 13 • Suspiria (1977) & Inferno (1980) with Clarisse Loughrey
In this episode, we go deep on two witch horror classics: Suspiria (1977) and Inferno (1980), both directed by Dario Argento.
Suspiria was the film that shot Argento to international fame, after it became an unexpected box office hit. It follows an an American ballet student, Susie (played by Jessica Harper) who transfers to a prestigious dance academy in Germany but realizes, after a series of brutal murders, realises that the academy is actually a cover-up for a coven of witches, all bowing down to the Mother Suspiriorum, aka the founder of the academy, Helena Markos. After the runaway success of Suspiria, Argento was tasked to deliver a follow-up. Inferno, released three years after Suspiria, provides a lot of backstory to the The Three Mothers, exploring how the three witches set up shop in Freiburg, Rome and New York City, where Inferno is set. Our protagonists are many, but mostly siblings Rose Elliot, a poet living in New York, and Mark, a student in Rome. When Rose disappears,…