Two Cents is an original column akin to a book club for films. The Cinapse team will program films and contribute our best, most insightful, or most creative thoughts on each film using a maximum of 200 words each. Guest writers and fan comments are encouraged, as are suggestions for future entries to the column. Join us as we share our two cents on films we love, films we are curious about, and films we believe merit some discussion.
The Pick
Dario Argento was a known quantity throughout the 70’s, but the surprise success of his seminal Suspiria with American audiences in 1977 afforded Argento previously unknown resources to indulge his darkest imaginings.
Working again with (uncredited) collaborator Daria Nicolodi, Argento quickly went to work on what he dubbed “The Three Mothers trilogy”, with each film following a different witch-queen as she assailed the world of mortals and sanity (Suspiria is about the Mother of Sighs, and the decades-delayed follow-up would be about, and named for, The Mother of Tears).
For the Mother of Darkness, Argento prepared Inferno. Along with Nicoldi helping to craft the story, Argento brought in multiple generations of horror masters to help him realize a surreal journey into an underground world of monstrous alchemists and hidden witches, all existing just out of sight of the sane world of day. The legendary Mario Bava assisted on the film’s designs and special effects and even stepped in to direct when Argento was laid low due to illness, while future cult icons William Maniac Lustig and Lamberto Demons Bava (son of Mario) also had roles in the production.
Inferno follows brother and sister, Mark (Leigh McCloskey) and Rose (Irene Miracle), as they investigate the old apartment building that Rose has taken residence in in New York City. Rose becomes convinced that ancient evil lurks beneath her domicile, and it’s not very long before madness and murder begin following the duo wherever they go. But can they unlock the secrets of “Mater Tenebrarum”, or will doom catch them first?
Despite Suspiria’s popularity, Fox buried Inferno for five years before allowing a paltry theatrical run in 1985. Contemporary reviews were mixed, with many comparing the film unfavorably to Argento’s earlier triumphs. Argento himself would later identify Inferno as his least favorite of his work, owing to both this reception and the grueling film shoot (marked by illness). But today, Inferno has a devoted cult following, with many citing the film as perhaps Argento’s masterpiece, and the crown jewel in the “Three Mothers” saga.
With a new Suspiria heading our way, we thought it only fitting that this Halloween season be marked with a trip into the nightmare realm of Dario Argento, and his Inferno.
Next Week’s Pick:
We’re finishing out the season strong with one of the greats. One of the most influential and beloved horror films of all time, low budget shocker The Evil Dead pioneered the “cabin in the woods” trope, launched the careers of star Bruce Campbell and brothers (director) Sam and (actor) Ted Raimi, and was followed by two sequels, a remake, and even a TV series which recently ended its three season run. Go back to the cabin — or dare we hope, for the first time? — with us as we watch: THE EVIL DEAD!
Would you like to be a guest in next week’s Two Cents column? Simply watch and send your under-200-word review on any MCU film to twocents(at)cinapse.co anytime before midnight on Thursday!
Our Guests
It had been a few years since I revisited Inferno, so I fired up Shudder (seriously, thank goodness for that awesomely curated streaming service) and gave it a fresh look. I like this movie a lot, although I wouldn’t say it’s my favorite Argento. There are some impressive kills — more gruesome than Suspiria — and for better or worse more plot and exposition. In fact the story of Inferno is almost like a matryoshka doll, with each mystery opening only to reveal another — Rose investigates the Three Mothers; Sara investigates Rose’s investigation; and ultimately Mark is left to investigate everything. In addition Inferno retains the awesomely vivid colors and production design of its predecessor. Unfortunately Leigh McCloskey as Mark is no Jessica Harper, and his character seems increasingly dense as he takes far longer than the viewer does to put the various pieces of the plot together. Also the score by Keith Emerson usually left me wishing for Goblin, although the cue that plays in the film’s last 15 minutes or so is quite good. Overall Inferno is a film that certainly follows Suspiria in concept and style, but without quite reaching the same heights as that earlier film. That said, above-average Argento is still worthy of attention. In many ways it feels like a transitional film, as I can see in certain sequences hints at the style/tone of Argento’s slightly later film Phenomena. If you must watch one Dario Argento film, watch Suspiria — but if you enjoy Suspiria, you’ll probably enjoy Inferno too.
Verdict: Treat (@T_Lawson)
Brendan Agnew (The Norman Nerd):
Yeah, it’s…preeeeeeeeeeetty good?
I’m at a bit of a loss as to why Dario Argento’s Inferno didn’t quite work its magic on me. Make no mistake, I still enjoyed my time in the twisted tale of the second of The Three Mothers, with its deliberately dizzying dream logic and fantastical imagery. The sense of stepping into the otherworldly is intoxicating, with sequences of “falling” through holes and walking through surreally small doors recalling something like Alice stumbling through a hellish Wonderland. There are plenty of sequences where psychedelic experiences brush up against something so nasty that they can’t help but come to a sticky end, and Argento plays those notes just as skillfully as he did in Suspiria — and with even more gory abandon.
But some of that movie’s secret sauce just felt missing here. I know it’s arguably gauche to compare (even if being a thematic sequel invites comparison), but so much of my intoxication with that earlier film came from how deftly it set up and stuck to a specific main character perspective and central setting. Inferno seems to take digressions more often with characters you get to know just enough to wonder why you don’t spend more time with them rather than…I think his name was Mark? Look, he’s boring. His lack of direct action through much of the film helps differentiate Inferno from Suspiria in that one feels like confronting a mystery where here the “hero” is mostly just trying to survive the storm, but it’s also less involving (even if watching him get tossed about is quite fun).
Such complaints aside, this film is a head trip still very much worth taking, and the sort of alluring nightmare that I’m in no real hurry to awaken from.
Verdict: Treat (@BLCAgnew)
The Team
It seems my trend of enjoying Argento films that don’t involve any of the “three mothers” and caring very little for said moms continues. I love Deep Red, love Phenomena, really enjoy Opera… but Suspiria and, now also, Inferno do nothing for me. I know, I know, it’s an unpopular take, but I just can’t figure out how to get myself to care. I didn’t hate it, but Inferno really did nothing for me.
I can’t put my finger on what didn’t jive for me. It’s similar to my feelings on Suspiria. The elements seem to add up to being something I’d enjoy, but I can’t seem to find anything that grabs me. The acting felt strong, in that giallo overacting kind of way. The imagery and shots were well crafted. I just don’t get it.
Thus, I’m sorry to say, for me this is a TRICK.
Verdict: Trick (@thepaintedman)
There is exactly one way in which Inferno lags behind Suspiria: Argento’s band, Goblin, didn’t do the score. If Inferno had a signature sound that banged as hard as the iconic lullaby from Hell that was such an indelible part of Suspiria, I’d have no problem calling this the superior film. As it is, Keith Emerson’s score does a solid enough job at underlining the spooky goings on, but it doesn’t do enough to differentiate itself from every other keyboard-heavy horror score of that era.
And that’s a shame because, as I mentioned, I think in every other way this film might just be Argento’s masterpiece. He’s often praised/criticized for the ‘dream-like’ nature of his films, but Inferno to me is one of the few to actually feel like a bad dream that you have wandered into and cannot find your way out of. The film has no true protagonist, and it’d be a stretch to say it even has a plot. What it has is sequences of terror and death that unfold with a rhyme and rhythm unlike anything else in horror. At times, Inferno feels almost like an anthology film, repeatedly wandering off from the siblings allegedly at the center of the film so it might follow their neighbors down alleys that grow stranger and darker the longer you walk. For anyone who prizes structure and coherence in their horror, I can see why Inferno would likely drive you crazy, but somehow the combination of Argento and Bava working in tandem creates a dread-laced haze in which I am happy to wander.
Verdict: Treat (@theTrueBrendanF)
Inferno was one of the first films I ever watched in the giallo/Italian horror realm years ago, and may have even been my first Argento. As such, I didn’t have any framework of the “Three Mothers” or his other films (including Suspiria, which I didn’t actually watch until last year).
Coming back for seconds all these years later, I couldn’t really recall much about it — the celebrated underwater scene was etched in my memory, but beyond that I just had a vague recollection of really enjoying it, without remembering too many particulars.
But Inferno truly is a great film, both horrific and nightmarish, and stylish to boot, in Argento’s classic aesthetic. It definitely recalls Suspiria to be sure, though it changes things up a bit — there’s no central protagonist, which gives it a less distinct narrative, but adds more of a sense of delirious chaos. The series of revelations of what’s going on at the evil site provides more questions than answers (What’s with the underwater room and the hot dog vendor??), but that’s all just part of its mysterious, fever-dream charm.
Verdict: Treat (@VforVashaw)
Two Cents Verdict: Treat!
Next week’s pick: