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.)