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Writer's picturemzmacpherson

#31DaysofHorror, Week 2: Berberian Sound Studio (2012), Horror Homage

Updated: Oct 19, 2023

There are very few films in the October horror watchlist challenge that I have yet to see. Berberian Sound Studio is one of them and I was curious if it was as creepy and unsettling as the trailer made it seem. Sad to say, dear reader, I did not enjoy this film as much as I had hoped. It happens sometimes.

#31DaysofHorror, Week 2: Berberian Sound Studio with Toby Jones, analog fetish and giallo homage.

Berberian Sound System: Horror Homage to giallo and analog

If I had done more research on this film before viewing, I would have realized it might not be my cup of tea. See, I'm not a fan of giallo. There, I said it. I know that makes me seem uncivilized and "not a real fan of horror." So be it. I just don't enjoy the films in that genre with the gusto many others claim.


Now, analog, I love! The best things about this film are Toby Jones, the gorgeous close-up shots of the sound engineers doing their thing, and the actual sound design for the film. If you're a fan of Broadcast, you'll enjoy what they do here with the soundtrack.



#31DaysofHorror, Week 2: Berberian Sound Studio with Toby Jones, analog fetish and giallo homage.

Not a complete disappointment, though. I loved the initial awkwardness of the unfolding story and the reactions of Toby Jones' character Gilderoy. We get a lot of nationalist stereotypes about Italians and Brits. Still, the gorgeous cinematography, sound design, and Jones's adept and economical acting couldn't save this film for me. I'm sorry. I couldn't enjoy it.


#31DaysofHorror: Berberian Sound Studio trailer

Enjoy the analog goodness in the trailer here and see if you might enjoy the film more than I did. Many people did! It feels like it might be too artsy for its own good. And sometimes that's still interesting. For me...eh, not so much.


Let us know here at Big and Small Screen blog what you're enjoying this Halloween month. Did you create a watchlist? What's creeping you out the most?




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