Here is an exclusive report from Alan Jones with some on set pictures.
Alan Jones writes:
‘MAGIC IS ALL AROUND US’
I witnessed Italian Horror History being made on November 15, 2006. In a distinctively Dario rococo decorated apartment on the Corso Govone in the swankiest of Turin neighbourhoods, three generations of Argentos came together as one. Finally. There was Dario and Daria Nicolodi, joking and laughing, doting on their grand-daughter Anna-Lou as all three lovingly watched Asia act out one of the key scenes in THE THIRD MOTHER, the hugely anticipated sequel to SUSPIRIA and INFERNO. When Daria took her first, admittedly, hesitant steps on set, it was like royalty had arrived. The atmosphere was incredible and every single person in the crew was clearly conscious of what a momentous occasion was actually happening before our very eyes. After decades of arguments over the authorship of SUSPIRIA, the subsequent infighting, recriminations and relationship fall-outs, here were the key players in the saga together again at last. And with their world famous actress daughter, continuing the beloved horror mythology they created in the presence of grand-daughter Anna Lou, who looks a dead-ringer for Daria. I admit I was so overcome, I cried. And then laughed, because in context of this sequel being about the Mother of Tears, it seemed entirely appropriate. Director of photography Frederic Fasano (SCARLET DIVA, DO YOU LIKE HITCHCOCK?) noticed my emotional response and just said one word “Magic”. Which set me off even more because it made me think of Jessica Harper’s line in SUSPIRIA, “Magic is all around us”. It certainly was that night and everyone was touched by it. In all the years I’ve been ‘stalking’ Dario, I’ve had many memorable moments. None will ever equal this night.
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The sight you never thought you'd see -
Daria Nicolodi (Elisa Mandy) back on an Argento set
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For the first time in our long association Dario has asked me to be discreet over certain aspects of THE THIRD MOTHER. He wants you all to be as shocked as possible by some of the outrageously obscene set pieces he has devised with co-writers Jace Anderson and Adam Gierasch (TOOLBOX MURDERS). Although many of you will have read my ‘controversial’ script review on this site, much of what I described in that has now fallen by the wayside. Character names and the ending have been changed, sequences shifted in the narrative and improvised by Dario seconds before they were shot. This is the first film he’s directed without extensive storyboards because he wanted to be “in the moment”. Asia’s performance as Sarah Mandy, an art history restoration student, whose destiny is tied in with the re-born Mother of Tears, is part of that experimental flux too. Once the film completes shooting in mid-December, extensive post-production will provide the visual lustre we are all expecting from a sequel fighting the shimmering sublime looks of both SUSPRIA and INFERNO. Fasano will only reveal at this point that the film will begin in cold muted colours before gradually getting redder and redder as it progresses towards the epic climax.
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| Asia is Sarah Mandy, here getting her make-up re-touched
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Let me set the record straight over a few facts. The title is definitely THE THIRD MOTHER/LA TERZA MADRE. MOTHER OF TEARS was never in the running as far as Dario was concerned. That was the title the originally contacted American sales agent Myriad wanted for international distribution. It was the title on the script I read. But, as of now, Myriad (the JEEPERS CREEPERS duo) is out of the picture. Instead the Italian company Medusa (THE CARD PLAYER) bit the bullet, bolstered by the fan anticipation (every location has been besieged by on-lookers) and wholly financed the film themselves. Myriad may still be involved at some future point but as Dario told me, ‘All this film needs to sell it is a poster saying THE THIRD MOTHER, the tag-line ‘the sequel to SUSPIRIA and INFERNO’, over a picture of Asia looking gorgeous”.
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| Adam Gierasch and Jace Anderson at the Andezeno cemetery location
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Dario wanted to make THE THIRD MOTHER now because of the artistic freedom he had on his two ‘Masters of Horror’ episodes, JENIFER and PELTS. (Most of the crew went to the Italian premiere of PELTS at the Turin Film Festival on November 12. It was the usual camera flashing, autograph-hunting, mob madness). He explains, “I had producers telling me I could do whatever I wanted, no censorship. With no restrictions on my imagination ideas for THE THIRD MOTHER suddenly bubbled over like sparkling champagne”. With these ideas fashioned into a wonderfully evocative screenplay by Anderson and Gierasch, with fabulously meaningful touchstones to both prior films, Dario has come up with a “Kandinsky slice of burnished surreality, where savage sexual imagery will compete with the hard violence to gloriously shocking effect”. Think SOCIETY on a grander scale for an insight into what you can expect the cruellest and most beautiful Mother (played by stunningly tall DAYS OF LOVE Israeli actress Moran Atias) to indulge in.
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| Dario at the PELTS premiere in Turin, Coralina on right
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I went to three locations during my time in Turin. One was a cemetery in Andezeno about 24 km from the city. That’s where the urn containing the Mother of Tears’ ashes is discovered. The second was the Molinette Hospital where Sarah’s lover Michael Pierce (Adam James, THE ROAD TO GUANTANAMO, and numerous Brit TV series) looks in on a comatose Monsignor Brusca (Franco Leo, FELLINI SATYRICON) and discusses supernatural forces with Padre Milesi (Tommaso Banfi). Both of those locations were spent in the company of writers Anderson and Gierasch who I must tell you I adored. They know how important THE THIRTD MOTHER is to Dario’s fans. It is to them too and touchingly so. The third was the already mentioned apartment scenes where Sarah takes refuge with her lesbian friend Marta (Valeria Cavalli, Lamberto Bava’s A BLADE IN THE DARK), and her lover Elga (Silvia Rubino). It’s there white witch Marta teaches Sarah how to summon up the ghost of her mother Elisa (Nicolodi) via an enchanted powder puff. This complicated scene featured Latin-style chanting, much dialogue, green screen special effects and Asia making my spine-tingle with her acting intensity.
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| Dario by the grave where the Mother of Tears ashes are discovered
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The role of Sarah is one Asia asked for. She summoned Dario to Paris, where she was making Olivier Assayas’ BOARDING GATE, and said she wanted to read the script. She loved it. “There are still issues between me and my father”, she said. “But I had to be in it. It’s the family heritage and it’s an honour to be a part of it. The shock is how calm and comfortable Dario is making it!” Indeed. In one of the most candid interviews Dario has ever given me, he said, “Look, I know people haven’t liked a lot of my recent films. I was being experimental in my career and I learned a lot from it - enough to get me to the place where I can direct THE THIRD MOTHER with ease. I haven’t felt any pressure despite the massive expectation out there. I’m doing what I know is great work. I never expected to feel that way over such a pivotal movie. If I was scared at any point in my thoughts about making it, such feelings have long since vanished. We’re moving fast, Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni (playing Giselle, Sarah’s work mate) and Udo Kier (Padre Johannes, the exorcist) are back in the fold where they belong, Asia is giving an amazing performance and the Brit actors (including Cristian Solimeno, playing detective Enzo Marchi) are terrific. SUSPIRIA and INFERNO were fairytale based. THE THIRD MOTHER is not. It’s an entirely modern take on newly invented horror mythology because that’s what this tortured and confusing world needs right now”.
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| DP Frederic Fasano shoots into the grave
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With the Cannes Film Festival asking Dario to complete the film in time for consideration as a 2007 competition contender, THE THIRD MOTHER is on brilliant course to herald a new era in the Argento universe. “If anyone is expecting me to give up, forget it”, he exclaims. “My mother is 91 years old and still going strong. And so will I be”. The exciting news doesn’t stop there either. Depending on the Cannes outcome, which will impact on its Italian release dates, Dario and Asia have agreed to attend the proposed UK premiere at FrightFest 2007. I’ve also asked Coralina, Adam James and writers Anderson and Gierasch to be there too for what should be a truly fabulous event. THE THIRD MOTHER’s glorious reign begins…
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| It's official: LA TERZA MADRE clapperboard
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