Mother of Tears

Dario Argento may be a little overrated, but still is one of our most successfully exported directors. Profondo Rosso, Suspiria, L'uccello dalle piume di cristallo are surely milestones in the horror/thriller janre; and also the more recent Phenomena was, at least, worth watching. Unfortunately, La terza madre is awful. So ugly that is somewhat beautiful. The acting is dreadful, the dialogues are unbearable and the story is totally inconsistent, but not inconsistent in the old-times onirical and fascinating way (Suspiria-like), just in a stupid way. Was it trashier Daria Niccolodi appearing as Obi Wan-Kenobi, or the fake * of Mater Lacrimarum? Hard choice. On the bright side, the gore-effects by Stivaletti are very good.

A rating of 1 is the minimum I could give this ludicrous film. I wish IMDb introduced negative marking to warn intelligent viewers from keeping away from moronic films such as this. Simply put, the film is stupid on all fronts - Acting - 0\10 (Asia Argento cannot even walk without making you realize what a bad actor she is); Script - 2\10; Direction - 0\10; Dialogues - negative 10; Consider this, the film is replete with stupid, nonsensical scenes such as - an old man who can barely walk when he enters the scene, suddenly becomes as active as a young man, in the same scene!; In the train station a gang of the bad witch's followers walk around behaving like a pack of rabid dogs and the public hardly reacts!. You would normally ignore such stupid scenes if the acting was at least B grade class, but that is the bane of this film. Not one factor works in the movie's favor.

I saw this with my boyfriend tonight and he thought it was really gross and scary, too scary for him, which is weird because the two of us have sat through about 7 different Argento films. I would think he would know what to expect by now! :) The Mother of Tears is over the top in the gross-out department, but Argento is a true master of it. It is so extreme and stylized that I found myself saying out loud in the theater how disgusting a murder was at first, only to let out a laugh when it was over, part relieved and part thrilled. For example, a woman gets her teeth knocked out, stabbed and strangled with her own intestines and that is only the warm up to other murders to come. The view the audience gets of the torture tools, especially the double eye gouger and then the intensity of the killing coupled with the bright red blood...you can't take it seriously and that's the point. It is a roller coaster ride with a great director, who seems to get better all the time. I feel this one was worth the wait and over the amount of years Argento has perfected his style all the more. Gone are the slow moving, boring in-between scenes of Suspiria and Cat o' Nine Tails, it is replaced with a solid quick plot line and a whole lot of suspense. We learn a lot about the Three Mothers too. Odd as it sounds, the thing that scared me the most with the monkey when it screamed. I liked the witches running around Rome too...not to mention the Contiki bus (now doing the "Second Fall of Rome" tour!) that passes by. Asia Argento's acting skills have improved a lot over the years, her English is good and I didn't think the acting was all that bad. I loved the subplot with her mom and how her character was connected to Suspiria. Overall, the movie was excellent. The violence was crazy in a fun house sort of way, with a curve here, a jumping out there and the roller coaster way Argento makes his scenes, hey we went over a bump and that's scary but wait, there's more you weren't expecting...I would also like to add the violence though really gross and dark is quick, it goes with the plot and doesn't overextend its welcome. It is just enough violence. I think this might be my favorite Argento film and may buy it when it comes out on DVD, since it is only here in a theater for a week, but I am very happy to see it in a theater, it is the first time I have seen his work on the big screen.

Mother of Tears (2007) *** 1/2 (out of 4) Third film in the "Three Mothers" trilogy following Suspiria and Inferno. The film opens with an ancient urn being found in a cemetery in Rome. The urn is taken to a museum where Sarah (Asia Argento), an art student, opens in and unknowingly unleashes the witch known as the Mother of Tears. Soon witches begin coming to Rome to pay their respects to the Mother and this here unleashes rape, violence and suicide throughout the city and it's up to Sarah to bring it to an end. It's no secret that I found the first two films in this series to be highly overrated. Yes, they're technically brilliant but the stories never worked for me and I also thought they lacked suspense but that's not the case with this final film in the trilogy because Argento proves his skill with a masterful little film that's not great but it's still pretty damn close. Argento does a great job at creating a truly wicked atmosphere and one that makes you feel as if all of these events are happening and that the world is being overtaken by these witches. There's a certain dread and creepiness running throughout the entire film and there's also a couple scenes that are certain to make you jump. There's also an extremely large amount of graphic violence and gore, which is certainly a throw back to the Italian pictures of the 1970s. I won't ruin any of the sequences but these are certainly the most graphic and brutal scenes from a horror film in many decades. Asia turns in the best performances I've seen from her as the woman who gets into something she was never expecting. There are a couple emotional scenes with Asia's character and her mother's spirit (played by her real mother, Daria Nicolodi), which the actress pulls off very well. Udo Kier also has a nice cameo. The story this time out is a lot easier to follow than the previous two films and again I think this is a major plus. Five writers are credited with the screenplay and I think they got the elements just right. I was letdown by the ending, which I felt happened way too fast and simple but outside of this I really enjoyed this movie. The music score by Claudio Simonetti is also very good and delivers some nice tension to the film. There are a couple poorly used CGI effects but thankfully all of the gore scenes are the real thing. How long has it been since we've seen brutal killings without the use of CGI? One of the scenes look fake but the rest are very gruesome and realistic. The opening murder sequence is brutally done but it gives the opening in Suspiria a run for its money.

The movie started with a big handicap: it was a sequel to not one but two classic horror movies and it was natural that not everybody was going to like it. But, truth is, it is a pretty good movie, although a little flawed. In an age when the revival of exploitation movies is all the rage (see Saw or Hostel for instance) it is a rare treat to see one of the forefathers of European horror movies (Argento) pay his tribute to another one (Fulci), because the movie felt more like something Fulci would have done. The violence is over the top brutal, the sleaze abundant and the plot thin and does not make that much sense. What alienates many viewers is the subtlety of the movie. Although it treads more into the fantasy element of the Mothers mythos, the lightning, the music, the set pieces are not assaulting the senses (unlike, say, Suspria), instead they prove a calm before the storm. And storm it is: we see savage mutilation, sexual torture, cannibalism and all the likes that make most of the modern Hollywood "nasties" pale in comparison. Only the last 15 minutes bring Inferno to mind (and it is only natural) Overall, the movie works adequately, but not perfect. There are some scenes that really do the trick (the chase being the highlight), being eerie or otherworldly, but one too many times the scope of the movie is so large that fails to give a strong impression on the viewer. and the ending... as in the other two movies of the trilogy is week. Overall, as a sequel to Suspiria it fails, but as a stand-alone movie, it is pretty good as a splatter movie with a budget (compared to most contemporary movies in the same category).

I just saw this movie at the Toronto International Film Festival and it's entertaining, gory fun. The movie begins with the unearthing of an ancient burial in Rome. The urn is taken to a lab for examination and when it's opened it brings some evil witches back to life. This starts an epidemic of evil across the city of Rome and the fun begins. It's not up there with some of the classics Dario Argento films, but I found it quite enjoyable (in the gruesome-Argento fashion) and it had a few genuine shocks which got a strong reaction from the audience. In fact, I can only think of one weak part of the movie. There's a long scene where the main character, played by Asia (Dario's daughter) is walking down these long series of basements and sub-basements searching for the witches who are causing all the trouble. It's a long scene which is clearly meant to add to the tension of the final scene that's coming. However, there's no music. The old Argento would have had some electro-pop soundtrack pounding away cranking up the tension. You would need a strong stomach with this movie, there's some pretty graphic violence and the Dario's proverbial maggots make an appearance. It's not Suspiria, but it's still a lot of fun.

OK, Mother of Tears is not Suspiria. A lot of people is disappointed because this movie is not as good as Suspiria...bad news for you: Suspiria is a masterpiece and is very tough to found movies as great as that. The good news is that Mother of Tears is a very good horror movie. The third part of the trilogy is IMHO better than Tenebrae and is one of the best Argento movies in a long, long time. Good scares, a lot of gore (this must be the goriest Argento movie) and very entertaining overall. There are a lot of bloody and great scenes, amputations, decapitations, impaling. If you like ultra gore you will like this, If you like Argento you will like it (if you don't expect a new Suspiria) and if you are just a horror fan, I'm sure you will like this too.

This was one of the biggest disappointments for me in a long time. If you've ever heard the name Dario Argento - it's probably because in 1977 he crafted one of the most stylish and genuinely creepy horror movies of all time, called "Suspiria". It's one of my personal favorite movies of all time, from one of my favorite directors. If you can appreciate horror, or even if you can't but you're an open minded person, I suggest you give SUSPIRIA an hour and a half of your life because it's unlike any other horror experience you will ever have. SUSPIRIA was intended to be the first movie in a series of three, known as the "Three Mothers Trilogy". After Argento's crowning achievement, he did the 2nd in the series in 1980 which was called "Inferno". Although Inferno was just as stylish and just as mysterious, it was not quite as effective or fulfilling as Suspiria in the end. Yet, it is still a bizarre cult classic. The soundtrack from Keith Emerson is probably even better than the movie itself. Anyways...Argento decided to hold off from finishing off the trilogy, and ended up holding off for 30 YEARS..., so finally in 2007 he decided it was time to create the finale, The Mother of Tears. What can I say? There are maybe one or two gratuitous murders that are worthy of the Argento name, specifically the very first in the movie which comes out of nowhere and may have you clenching your mouth to make sure your teeth are still there. It is always lovely to see Argento bringing back actors and actresses from classic Italian horror films - in this case it's Coralina Cataldi from his awesome 1987 film, Opera, and the roller-coaster ride that is DEMONS 2. Aside from a few memorable deaths, this movie really has almost NOTHING to offer. It is nice to see someone making movies about black magic, demons, and sorcery since no one else really does that anymore. The concepts are wonderful but unfortunately NOTHING is pulled off effectively here. For one, the CGI totally abolishes the legitimacy of the movie. It's some of the cheesiest CGI i've had to bare with in some time. I figured Argento would be smarter than this - but then again, he is getting really, really old... Asia Argento (the director's daughter and lead actress) can act but she isn't given much to work with here. The script, as usual with Argento's films, is the weakest part. The dialogue is far too basic to keep your emotions invested in the characters. No one else stands out as a particularly great performer either. The saddest thing of all is that the movie completely lacks atmosphere. The setting and atmosphere was always the absolute BEST part of the director's classic films. And the fact that one of my favorite bands of all time, Goblin, provided the majority of soundtracks heavily added to that. But they've been out of the picture since his 2001 movie, Sleepless. The sets were completely plain and in no way stand out. I appreciated the shots of the creepy old mansion like building towards the very end, but even that building looked fake and CGI-induced...and it was clear that it was not actually filmed there - which took a lot away from the entire finale. The finale was probably the most depressing part. It felt extremely rushed, and aside from that, the "lead villain" who is supposed to be "the most evil of the three mothers" was SO half assed. A good looking chick with nice tits and some black make up around her eyes?????? c'mon!!!!!!! what IS this?!?!?! I wanted to laugh at it but was way too saddened by the film overall to have a good time with it. And then all of a sudden, it's over... I was so let down! I guess I'll have to depend on Asia Argento to make good movies instead from now on. Her last one, The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things, was a masterpiece of it's own kind!!! See it!

Sarah Mandy,an American studying art restoration at the Museum of Ancient Art in Rome,examines an urn found at an ancient,decrepit grave near Viterbo.Bound within are the relics of a witch known as the Mother of Tears,Mater Lachrymarum.Breaking the seal heralds the return of the beautiful yet malefic sorceress' powers and Rome is plunged into chaos.A wave of suicides and crime sweeps over Italy's capital as witches congregate to pay homage to their reborn queen.Sarah must eventually discover her latent supernatural powers with the help of her deceased mother and confront Lachrymarum at the opulent Palazzo Varelli."The Third Mother" actually bears very little resemblance to "Suspiria" or "Inferno".The film is not as beautiful as the most famous Argento's works.The gore is pretty extreme and some killings are extremely vicious and bloody as hell."La Terza Madre" feels more like a Fulci film in so far that the narrative is only a vehicle to the gore scenes.Unfortunately some scenes are downright terrible with the use of awful CGI and the climax is weak and disappointing.Still I quite enjoyed this film and you should too if you are a fan of earlier works of Italian maestro.

I saw 'Mother of Tears' last Friday and left quite devastated. I went in excited but with low expectations knowing that the colorful visuals of the prior films (1977's Suspiria and 1980's Inferno) would not be replicated. Argento has been quoted that he wanted this one to have a realistic and brutal tone, unlike the dream-like surrealism of the previous two. The opening credits/score were actually pretty decent but sadly what followed wasn't. Soon after a coffin with an urn inside is discovered near an Italian cemetery, Rome is threatened by the resurrection of the Mother of Tears and her evil little monkey. Meanwhile the viewer is assaulted by a movie that is so poorly written, acted, staged and as promised, without the trippy splendor of the director's heyday. The first murder felt rushed and was not very shocking - the idea of it is vile (a woman having her teeth bashed out, stomach slit open and then being strangled by her intestines) but at the same time it feels filmed in a detached manner - no tension or atmosphere. Maybe it was the atrocious acting, the by-the-numbers pacing - but most of the time I felt like I was in one of those "haunted" houses around Halloween-time where the actors (and in this case the director) try too hard to shock and scare - and all one ends up with is indifference. Then we are treated to a boring cat and mouse chase between Asia Argento's Sarah (probably the worst performance in a Dario Argento movie ever!) and the second coming of witches and these witches are not as elegant and well-spoken as Joan Bennett - no, these witches giggle and frolic around Rome like they escaped some bad 80's goth convention. Early on, a woman throws her baby over the bridge and you see the arm pop off mid-way sans blood - what should be horrific is chuckle inducing. I know Argento was wanting to give this chapter a more realistic feel but is he kidding?!? This doesn't feel realistic at all. The fall of Rome just involves a few people fighting in the streets, those pesky 80's witches and a priest that conveniently notes there has been a rise in exorcisms as of late while Sarah hails cabs and conveniently runs through all the "chaos", going from one character to the next to learn more about her own special powers and the Mother of Tears and how all three films tie together - which is over-written and lazy. And we ultimately learn that Sarah's mum, Elise Mandy (first played by Daria Nicolodi in Inferno) was a powerful white witch and fought with Mater Suspirium from Suspiria. And when Elise comes back from the grave like Obi Wan, all Sarah can do is annoyingly scream, "Mommy! Mommy!". Oh, there is another dead baby in the second act also which is more realistic-looking but at this point it's so obvious that you are watching a movie and a bad one at that - that the image has no real shock or power. Then after all the running around, we arrive to the conclusion where Sarah destroys the Mother of Tears by burning her gold glitter glue pink top deep within the catacombs of an old abandoned building and while trying to escape poor Sarah falls into a pit of goo, maggots, and skeletons ala 1985's Phenomena. There are a lot of winks like that to fans of his previous (and superior) films but I didn't go to 'Mother of Tears' for winks - I went hoping for the experience of a modern Italian horror masterpiece. What I got was a joke and a slap in the face to the previous films in the series. And when Argento has fans as big as Tarantino - why the hell is he co-writing with the lame screenwriters that wrote Tobe Hooper's last two direct to DVD duds?? What the 'Mother of Tears' could have been. Such sweet sorrow.