Search - Mother of Tears (Ws Sub) on DVD

James B. (wandersoul73) from LINDALE, TX
Reviewed on 6/24/2009...

A very fitting end to Argento's witch trilogy.

This Mother made me shed tears alright... tears of joy!

D. Wilson | NY by way of Cali | 09/28/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If there is one thing that two seasons of the often underwhelming TV series Masters Of Horror gave us, it was a rejuvinated Dario Argento. The Italian director delivered a pair of entries(Jenifer and Pelts) that stand not only as some of the best from the series, but also some of the best material(and most extreme) that he had done in nearly 10 years(Opera from 1987 being his last great work in my opinion), and showcased that he still had the ability to disturb and entertain. Gone was much of his famous trademarks-- inventive camerawork, use of heavy colored lighting, and artistic quirkiness; which were now replaced with more straightforward and solid pacing and scenes of shocking grue. With Mother Of Tears, Argento uses that same aforementioned formula from his Masters Of Horror episodes, except now stretched into full-length form AND used to complete his 28-years-in-the-making "mothers" trilogy of films(begining in 1977 with Suspiria, and it's sequel Inferno from 1980). The movie follows Sarah(poorly acted by Dario's own daughter Asia Argento), a museum worker who unwittingly unleashes the evil of the Mother of Tears on Rome when she opens an ancient cask... hijinx ensue and feature some of the Italian maestro's most excellent moments of depravity ever, including(but not limited to) stangulation by one's own intestines, baby cannibalism, and impalement(Cannibal Holocaust style!). Throw in some solid atmoshere, brisk pacing, tons of nudity(even some full-frontal for the gents), and a fantasic jump scare towards the middle of the movie(so good I had to watch it twice in a row), and we have a definite winner here(all that was missing was a soundtrack by Goblin). Between the joy of seeing Dario Argento's return from Hacksville(where Tobe Hooper and George Romero unfortunately still reside) and the amount of fun watching this provided, I have no choice but to deliver a rare 5 star rating... not to mention that I feel the film does catch some unnecassarily harsh critism due to Argento being the director; let's face it, if this was some nobody fresh out of film school he'd be heralded as the "next big thing" in horror cinema. Still, this isn't a true return to form for Argento as far as his classic style is concerned... it IS a return for Argento to making a great horror movie though(and that's a start right?)-- ABSOLUTELY RECOMMENDED!"

Not Suspiria, but a lot of fun.

Puzzle box | Kuwait | 09/10/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"There seems to be alot of mixed reviews for Dario Argento's Mother Of Tears, the latest conclusion to the trilogy of the three mothers which began with Susperia and followed up with Inferno. It's the type of film that you either love or hate, while the film wasn't exactly perfect I still thought it was quite enjoyable and very entertaining. The main reason why some people were complaining was because of the acting was horrible, I also agree with this but then again Argento's films are known for their bad acting so I'm already used to that and the storyline was incoherent and there were a couple of weak characters but what really makes this film great was the stylish cinematography and over the top death and gore scenes which were just amazing, there was some stuff in here that was truly shocking even for me and I didn't even expect that.

Dario Argento still knows how to create an artistic death scene, he definitely has not lost his touch. I honestly thought it was way better than most of his recent stuff. And to think that some Argento fans were disappointed by this, the film was great but it did have a few flaws but all these flaws aside I have to admit that it was his best film in years. Anyway the film was about a mysterious urn, which is dug up during an excavation. The urn is then sent to Rome Italy for study where an archeologist named Sarah (Asia Argento) gets her hands on the mysterious object and proceeds to study it alongside her friend Giselle. However when Giselle is brutally murdered before Sarah can even start the background check on the artifact, she begins to realize that something sinister lurks within the urn and it has it's sights set specifically on her. Terror and chaos is unleashed upon Rome and Sarah who is very skeptical of the occult discovers that she has some exceptional powers. After witnessing a grizzly murder, the ominous kidnapping of a friend's son and a group of witches that seem intent on killing her, she goes on a quest to find the cause behind the madness and discover the extent of her powers. The plot might sound cheesy but its not, the film had a very weird and dark atmosphere and it had a couple of creepy and horrific scenes that are guaranteed to satisfy any hardcore Argento fan. Theres this one scene that starts off at the beggining of the film where Gisele who is Sarah's friend gets disembowled then gets strangled by her own intestines while being stabbed repeatedly in the mouth and stomach and its all shown in graphic detail, that basically shows how gory this film is. There is also a short but amusing cameo from Udo Kier as a priest who helps out Sarah.

Mother Of Tears definitely feels and looks like an Argento film. It has the Italian setting, the use of some Italian dialogue and alot of bloody moments. Then there's also the strange, creepy and weird moments which Argento is famous for adding into his brand of horror films. The story of the movie is intriguing and very eerie, as it follows the third witch of the "Mother" series The Mother Of Tears, a witch who thrives and derives her powers from the pain, suffering, and death of others. Along with the power to drive people to murder, suicide, and madness she also has many followers, including a group of witches. As you'll see in the film most of these witches have really bad hair and makeup and some of their acting was way over the top and laughable. Anyway the film was definitely worth while and was nicely shot with some great atmosphere and locations and plenty of memorable scenes in it making this one of Dario Argento's best although Asia's acting could have been alot better, I highly recommend this to Italian horror fans check it out."

For DIE-HARD ARGENTO Fans ONLY! The Legendary Director retur

Woopak | Where Dark Asian Knights Dwell | 09/25/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Legendary horror filmmaker Dario Argento returns as writer and director, the man has definitely made a name for himself for his mischievous flair and touch of the macabre. MOTHER OF TEARS: The Third Mother is the supposed third installment in his "Three Mothers" trilogy which began with "Suspiria" and its follow up "Inferno". Now, the question on everyone`s mind; is it worth the wait after more than 2 decades?



When an ancient artifact becomes uncovered in an old cemetery, it proves to be the harbinger of doom. The murder of an art historian is just the beginning as Sarah Mandy (Asia Argento) is caught up in a frightening situation that she doesn't have the knowledge to grasp. Sarah is pursued by forces beyond her understanding and she enlists the aid of museum specialist Michael Pierce but he proves ineffective. Amidst the widespread chaos that ensues in Rome, Sarah then approaches a local exorcist and even an alchemist for aid in hopes of uncovering the mystery of her mother and her connection to a coven of evil witches. Mother Lachrimarum (Moran Atias) has risen and plans to orchestrate the second fall of Rome unless Sarah can find her hidden power and stop this dark witch.



The Italian maestro of horror returns to his tale of witchcraft, chaos, evil and darkness. Part of me is very pleased that the legendary horror director had stepped up to finish his "witches" trilogy. After the very disappointing "The Card Player", one wouldn't be hard-pressed to think that he has lost his touch but thankfully, his "Masters of Horror" entry "Pelts" did have its moments and it gave hints that Argento still had it. Thankfully, amazon friends Puzzle Box and Dave K. have caused me to lower my expectations, nothing could compare to "Suspiria", which is arguably Argento's finest film, so I approached this film with an open mind. While "Mother of Tears" may somehow fit the trilogy, if you elevate your expectations, it may result in a timid laughter.



The film does start fairly strong. The discovered ancient artifact is an interesting enough concept although it is a hugely unoriginal one. Then again, what could past for a TRULY original horror film anyway these days? Sometimes I feel that Horror filmmaking may have already peaked and it shouldn't be how original a horror film is but what the director does with a concept. The film does have a fair amount of blood and gore, in this unrated version, we get to see more gruesome deaths and nudity. Death by intestine strangling, literally screwing the mouth open, a spear driven to women's vaginal areas, infant slaughter, impalements, all contribute to the film's main draw: "Brutality". Argento doesn't hold back when it comes to these elements.



The plot elements does have potential. Sarah's investigation into her past displayed a lot of ambition, accompanied by eerily creepy scenes mildly enhanced by CGI with the old-school blood and gore. I found some elements mildly interesting but unfortunately, these scenes were only used to delay the film's outcome. The proceedings didn't exactly help the film's resolution and I felt that it started running out of gas in the 45 minute mark. I also felt that the chaos caused by the supposed "rise" of Mother Lachimarum is severely underused. Where is the army when all these hinted wanton acts of violence, rape and murder is occurring? Some characters were merely plot devices, supporting characters were so unconvincing and once they served their purpose, you guessed it, they will suffer a grisly death. Some scenes were also too convenient.



The dialogue in the film feels a little too perfunctory for my tastes. It just proved too "card board" and it isn't helped along by the casts' very "robotic" acting. I also wondered whether the film was dubbed in English and was originally meant for another language. The so-called "Mother of Tears" was too underwhelming; after all the overlong dialogue and fact-finding, this is how she is finally overcame? I'm NOT spoiling anything, as you would know that the bad guy has to be beat. I have to admit that Moran Atias' scenes of almost "very" nude may be worth the price of the dvd itself.



Ultimately, Dario Argento's heart seems to be in the right place when he made this film. However, it was quite obvious that he was being held back due to the film's measly budget. The blood, guts and gore were very nice to look at, (despite the fact it isn't anything new) and the back story of the "Three Mothers" does tie up some loose ends. However, the film does feel that it came straight out of the Hollywood oven and made to fit more "mainstream" tastes. Still, the film is a decent dose of lusty, brutal fun that is a welcome change from all the horror remakes we've been plagued with of late. The film does feel quite ridiculous and rather rudimentary. But it's very nice for fans of Dario Argento to witness that the horror legend can still dream up ludicrous mayhem and violent deaths.



Recommended Timidly, RENT it first [3 Stars]





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