Discus Maximus
New and nifty dvds
By Marc Savlov, Fri., Dec. 7, 2001
Dario Argento's Suspiria
Anchor Bay Entertainment ($44.98)
Directed by legendary Italian giallo filmmaker Argento, this genuinely creepy tale of a European ballet academy run by witches has been at the top of every genre fan's must-have DVD want-list for years now. Various Japanese import-only Laserdisc and bootleg versions have surfaced in the past, but this first-rate three-disc set from Anchor Bay is the first time Argento's breathtaking horror show has made it to American DVD. "Worth the wait" doesn't even begin to sum up the sheer excellence of Anchor Bay's swell packaging of this limited edition set. Disc one features a remastered score by prog-rock Argento regulars Goblin and a new film transfer supervised by the director and cinematographer Luciano Tovoli; disc two is an hourlong documentary that for the first time assembles virtually the entire cast and crew (even Udo Kier!); and disc three is an audio-only CD with the film's jarringly atmospheric soundtrack. There are also the usual trailers, TV and radio spots, and even a batch of DVD-sized reproductions of the original lobby cards. Rarely has a DVD release so zealously captured a filmmaker's vision for home release. Even on that 22-inch Philco, this puppy still growls.