Suspiria (1977) is Dario Argento’s lurid, unreal masterpiece. Its garish palette (it was one of the last films made in Technicolor), baleful sound design and stylized brutality force us through the looking glass in more ways than one. Little did I know when I discovered this that it would be my initiation into the world of giallo and, by extension, the glorious universe of all things Eurosleaze. I chose it for the podcast not only because it is a bona fide international horror classic and a cacophonous symphony of mood and atmosphere, but because it set me on a most satisfying path and helped me to understand a little better that low, and even vulgar, art can be as legitimate and powerful as those things with loftier aspirations that are endorsed in more genteel circles. So get off your high horse and check out Suspiria with us!

What you’ll find in this episode: stained glass and razor wire, Ericca’s fear of sloths, witches and Goblins, and the pleasure of low art.

– Cole

Links and Recommendations:

Check out Suspiria on IMDB.

Ericca’s further viewing pick of A Quiet Place in the Country.

Cole’s further viewing pick of The Strange Color of Your Body’s Tears.

A nice breakdown of the giallo genre.

Put on your black leather gloves and kill a few minutes with this giallo title generator.

Goblin performing the theme from Suspiria on Italian television in 1977.