Sommerleigh Pollonais, Horror Head Writer
The spookiest of months is here so it’s time to dig deep into the genre and breakout those horror gems we love. But even the die-hardest of fans will tell you there’s always a movie that you missed, something that flew under your radar and what better time to check them off your list than now!
These movies aren’t ranked in any order but have all left an indelible mark on our beloved genre. They aren’t perfect by any means, but each one has that special something that makes them worth checking out, so here’s my Halloween haul for you, for the next 31 Days Robot Mango Reviews will be bringing you our Hidden Horror Gems of the 80’s and 90’s (and one from this year, just because we like you). Enjoy!
Day 1/31: Inferno (1980)
Who made it?
Director: Dario Argento (Suspiria, Deep Red, Phenomena)
What’s it about?
A writer named Rose purchases an old book that tells the story of the Three Mothers, witches and sisters who rule the world. Rose thinks she might be living in the building owned by the sister knowns as Mother Tenebrarum aka the Mother of Darkness. Getting in over her head Rose writes a letter to her brother Mark and asks him to come to New York. But Mark’s journey to Rose is haltered by the machinations of followers of the Three Mothers as his friends are brutally murdered.
Giallo films have always been in a league all their own and it’s legendary directors like Mario Bava, Lucio Fulchi and Dario Argento who paved the way. Suspiria is arguably Argento’s best-known work and as much as I enjoyed that movie, my personal favourite has always been Inferno. The characters aren’t well developed, the story is at times confusing (but this can be said for giallo in general – movies that I think are best enjoyed for their style rather than their substance) but Argento’s technical skills combined with the vivid colours, striking angles and, of course, the score makes this confusing but gorgeous movie a must see for fans of the man’s work. I would never recommend it as an introduction to giallo but it’s underrated as hell in my opinion and brings a level of beauty to the genre as only Italian horror did back then.
Favorite Scene
There’s a sequence that takes place underwater when Rose is searching the cellar of her building where she discovers a water-filled ballroom. Considering this was the 80s, I’m still amazed at how Argento pulled this one off. It’s gorgeous in every way with visuals that look like something out of a dream, or maybe in this case, a nightmare.
Fun Trivia
Famous Italian horror director Mario Bava was involved in various roles behind the scenes, including camera operator and visual effects artist. Star Irene Miracle went as far as to say Bava directed her in almost all her scenes which might makes this movie more of a Bava creation than Argento. He passed away shortly before its release.
And you can check out more giallo horror content below:
Sommerleigh of the House Pollonais. First of Her Name. Sushi Lover, Queen of Horror Movies, Comic Books and Binge-Watching Netflix. Mother of two beautiful black cats named Vader and Kylo. I think eating Popcorn at the movies should be mandatory, PS4 makes the best games ever, and I’ll be talking about movies until the zombie apocalypse comes. Double Tap Baby! Read More