INFERNO

(Dario Argento, 1980)

Inferno, the second installment in the Three sisters trilogy, is one of Dario Argento's most unique and hallucinatory films. It somehow manages to out-weird Suspiria despite the usual budgetary restraints. The oversaturated color scheme from Suspiria is let loose here, and bright red, blue, and magenta light provide some very appealing visuals. Keith Emersons soundtrack, with its brooding piano and orchestral cues, is a treat for the ears. Especially jarring is the wacky synth tune playing while Sara is in the cab.

As with Suspiria, and really any Argento film, the story comes second to the visuals. In this instance, the story is VERY loosely patched together. I actually had to watch it three times before I could figure out just what was going on! Inferno is about a music student named Mark, who travels to New York to find his sister Rose after she goes missing. Rose had discovered that the apartment she lived in was home to a powerful witch, the Mother of Shadows.

I don't want to tell you the entire story, as I would prefer that anyone who hasn't seen Inferno should just do so. There are so many twists and turns and random instances in this movie that it truly does play out like a nightmare on film. It's as if Dario decided to throw logic out the window altogether here, and it works in his favor. There are some extremely gory set-pieces, and if one simply stops trying to make sense of it and goes along for the ride, it is quite a delightful experience.

The only downside to Inferno is the atrocious dubbing (which we've come to expect), the bad acting (Irene Miracle looks distant and awkward in most of her scenes), and a few cheesy gore effects. Some might also moan about the scene with a mouse being eaten by a cat, but I would be more concerned about the treatment the CATS were getting! Mario Bava helped with some of the visual effects, including the unforgettable and mind-boggling underwater room scene. I should also mention that this features the lovely Daria Nicolodi, Scream Queen of Italy! Ten out of Ten!

Buy It Now

HELL'S GATE aka Le Porte Dell'Inferno

(Umberto Lenzi, 1989)

(description from IMDB user review)
"A man who has recently broken the world isolation record in a labyrinthine cave encounters seven ghostly monks who, seven hundred years after their execution during the inquisition, attempt to free themselves from damnation by killing seven heretics—the record-breaker and his would-be rescuers."
And that about sums it up!

Lenzi must have been absolutely exhausted when he made this, having just done House of Lost Souls, House of Witchcraft, Ghosthouse, and Hitcher In The Dark... his heart just isn't in it...not that he put THAT much into his movies, but he's really stretched thin here! We have the usual stock horror images of cobwebbed skulls, tarantula attacks, bleeding pictures, and walls of fire. Heads are crushed and eyes are gouged, but it almost feels like a "Best Of" compilation, with images and deaths lifted from Ghosthouse, House of Lost Souls, and Lucio Fulci's The Beyond.

I am a bit of a softie for Umberto, so I can't say Hell's Gate is a complete write-off. The underground location works, Barbara Cupisti is always a welcome face, and I really dig them Batman-style camera angles. Also, love it or leave it, Lenzi's films do have a rather unique style. And randomly exploding electronics and glass jars. Either way, it's recommended. I have yet to find an copy with English subs, and as far as I know, this hasn't been released in N America at all. Best of luck with the downloads!