HERE BE WITCHES 13 • Suspiria (1977) & Inferno (1980) with Clarisse Loughrey

In this episode, we go deep on two witch horror classics: Suspiria (1977) and Inferno (1980), both directed by Dario Argento.

Suspiria was the film that shot Argento to international fame, after it became an unexpected box office hit. It follows an an American ballet student, Susie (played by Jessica Harper) who transfers to a prestigious dance academy in Germany but realizes, after a series of brutal murders, realises that the academy is actually a cover-up for a coven of witches, all bowing down to the Mother Suspiriorum, aka the founder of the academy, Helena Markos. After the runaway success of Suspiria, Argento was tasked to deliver a follow-up. Inferno, released three years after Suspiria, provides a lot of backstory to the The Three Mothers, exploring how the three witches set up shop in Freiburg, Rome and New York City, where Inferno is set. Our protagonists are many, but mostly siblings Rose Elliot, a poet living in New York, and Mark, a student in Rome. When Rose disappears, Mark goes to the States to try to find out what happened to his sister, and encounters the Mother of Darkness, the most terrifying of the Three Mothers.

This episode our guest is The Independent's chief film critic, Clarisse Loughrey, and we discuss the sensorial appeal of Argento's work, his unique take on violence and fear, *that cat scene* in Inferno, the relationship between The Three Mothers and where their power comes from. 

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To coincide with our season of films and events, Here Be Witches, we will be focusing this first series on exploring all things witchcraft on film. Each episode, we will dive deep into films and TV shows that we can’t necessarily screen. Each episode, we’ll be joined with special guests to dissect and discuss a film or show, its legacy and the way witches are represented.

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Our special guest this episode is Clarisse Loughrey, find her on @clarisselou