Suspiria Will Keep You in Suspense

Jessica Harper in Dario Argento's Suspiria

For as long as I can remember, Halloween has always been a favorite holiday of mine. I was always a very timid child, and the opportunity to face my fears head on was a rush of adrenaline enhanced by the unhealthy amounts of sugar I would eat later that night, only to later crash deep into a dramatic pit of despair once the high of candy and ringing strangers' doorbells wore off. Once I turned eighteen this beloved holiday became just another day, no longer permitted by social norms to knock on strangers doors while donning the uniform of a Star Wars princess or Power Ranger. This year, I ventured into Dallas with a dear friend to let Dario Argento make Halloween great again. Together, we attended the Texas Theatre's showing of Suspiria, my friend dressed as a Disney prince whose name escapes me and with myself in a black dress with a cloak covered in raven's feathers (previously purchased on the internet because it was too beautiful for price to be an option).

The Texas Theatre in Dallas is a historical monument, famous for being the location of the arrest of JFK's killer, Lee Harvey Oswald. Today it is known for showing old and independent films, particularly those with a cult following.

The film was prefaced with a performance from the Dallas Neo-Classical Ballet. Due in part to being an individual who has the grace and elegance of a newborn foal, I've always admired dancers, and there were instances in the ballet performance where I caught myself with my jaw dropped and eyes wide open in awe. The most stunning of their three performances was the first, a dance number set to Mussorgsky's Night on Bald Mountain which was choreographed to tell the story of a seance which summons "Satan herself" (as proudly stated by Nicolina Lawson, who introduced the performance). The two subsequent pieces centered around the theme of witches, so as to prepare the audience for the upcoming film.

Given that the horror genre is one which is close to my heart, Suspiria is a movie which I have revisited several times throughout my life, finding nostalgia in the strange dubbing, pastel colors, and feathered hair. However, it wasn't until watching it in a dark theater with the audio blaring that I was truly and deeply horrified, my heart racing and skin crawling from the whispers and pounding drums that make up the soundtrack courtesy of the Italian band Goblin. Listening to surrounding gasps of horror and disgust as a terrified and doe-eyed Jessica Harper plucks a stray maggot from her hair only helped solidify just how well this movie stands the test of time. Admittedly, some of the effects are rather dated, and I have always had some reservations regarding the ending feeling a bit more sudden than I would have preferred, but it still managed to chill me to my core.

The only piece which somewhat hindered my experience was that of several members of the audience. How the sort of person who would laugh at and mock Suspiria would somehow find themselves at a one-night only showing which was not advertised in mainstream cinemas is beyond me, but it was infuriating to be dragged out of a suspenseful conversation between two characters by loud and drunken laughter. Admittedly, there were instances where the audience laughed lightly at some campy instances from the very beginning of the film, but these moments were out of love and not an effort to treat a masterpiece of horror like another "so bad it's good" movie.

Rude audience members aside, I was thoroughly impressed by the event as a whole. The ballet performance was beautiful, the bartenders and staff of the theater were extremely kind and seemed to genuinely enjoy themselves just as much as the customers (making for a very fun and relaxed environment), and the film was even better than I remembered it from watching it at home last year. I sincerely hope that the Texas Theatre makes this a yearly occurrence, or ventures into having similar showings with other classic horror movies (Rosemary's Baby comes to mind, particularly).

I hope you all had a wonderful Halloween, even if you're at the age where you are no longer able to ask your neighbors for free candy.

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