10 | March | 2011 | Through the Shattered Lens

If there’s one thing that BioWare seems to be doing quite well the last couple years it’s been how to hype up their rpg franchises whenever a new game is set for a release.

In early 2010 they premiered what I could only call a very cinematic launch trailer for Mass Effect 2 and during the Super Bowl halftime. This year we have another launch trailer but this time for Dragon Age II. This is a sequel to the very popular and acclaimed fantasy-rpg, Dragon Age: Origins, from BioWare and EA.

I’ve been playing the game now for the past three days and I will say that the trailer captures the game’s action quite well. The look of the game itself is only a step away from looking like the trailer animation. Maybe the third game will finally look like it’s own launch trailer in every way imaginable.

This launch trailer is the sort of marketing blitz which definitely has a chance to interest those not into such games. I know that if I had seen it and known nothing of the game itself I would be quite tempted to buy it and play it.

Suspiria is one of my favorite films for many reasons: the pre-Black Swan combination of horror and ballet, Dario Argento’s pop art-influenced direction, the infamous close-up of that beating heart, the “s is for snakes” conversation, and Alida Valli’s ferocious performance as the instructor from Hell. (That said, I would have gladly taken lessons from her because I think she would have inspired me to be more disciplined about dancing.)

And, of course, I love the music. As many critics have pointed out, the film’s soundtrack (composed by Goblin) provides this film with a structure that it might otherwise lack. Plus, it’s one of the few film soundtracks that’s actually scary if you listen to it around 3 in the morning with all the lights turned out. I speak from personal experience.

So, in honor of one of my favorite films of all time, today’s song of the day is Goblin’s brilliant Suspiria.

(The Suspiria soundtrack is apparently out-of-print in the U.S. However, it’s included in Anchor Bay’s 3-disc, 25th anniversary DVD. The DVD also comes with a featurette about the making of the soundtrack. It’s actually pretty interesting. Goblin’s Claudio Simonetti proves to be a charming and interesting interview subject.)