A goth’s Dolce Vita

Dario Argento’s The Three Mothers trilogy began in 1977 with his occult masterpiece Suspiria, and the less-than-equal-but-still-
compelling 1980 Inferno. This long-awaited final offering about the apocalyptic second sacking of Rome by an unholy pack of demons gets lost in the back alleys of ’70s-era Italian horror films and unconvincing Cinecittà Studio sets. Lovers of blood and guts won’t be disappointed. But they’ll have to settle for a trio of dreadful dialogue, mediocre acting (aside from two fine cameos by Philippe Leroy and the inimitable Udo Kier) and ludicrous character behavior. Still, Argento diehards, who have waited 27 years, won’t wait to jump out of their theatre seats, and a young generation of neo-horror fans, raised on the torture-porn of Saw and Hostel franchises, should get an additional thrill from the La Dolce Vita-gone-Goth glam and a few truly gruesome scenes, Argento style.

The Mother of Tears takes place in contemporary Rome and begins in an unconsecrated section of church grounds, where workers unearth a mysterious 19th-century casket and urn. After the local priest (Tommaso Banfi) discerns the creepy content’s magical powers, he immediately sends it to Michael (Adam James), the director of Rome’s Museum of Ancient Art, but not before he falls deathly ill (of course). Michael’s two assistants, Giselle (Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni) and Sarah (Asia Argento), crack the urn’s wax seal and all hell breaks lose—literally. Three gargoyle-like creatures, now full-sized and embodied, tear into Giselle and strangle her with her own entrails. Sarah would be next, but for the mysterious beneficent voice that guides her to safety.

Immediately, the sky starts to fall on Rome as a violent power is unleashed: A mother throws her baby off a bridge, women are brutally raped, there’s an epidemic of suicides, church vandalism, fires, murders. (Bizarrely, citizens go on about their business as if everything were normal.) A series of jet-setting Furies (suspiciously resembling a stable of international high-fashion models) unleash their ferocity upon the unsuspecting populace. Meanwhile, Sarah, an orphan, discovers that her parents weren’t killed in that inexplicable auto accident. (Remember that mysterious voice that saved her life? Well, guess who?) Oh, did I mention the lesbian sex, the bevy of bare-breasted Satanists and the Tasmanian monkey? They’re all part of the devil’s playground.

Except for a brief display of Sarah’s courage, and her slog through Satan’s sewer, the film ends pretty predictably, sunrise and all. When Mater Lachrimarium, the Mother of Tears (Moran Atias), finally appears, it’s not only too little too late, but it’s also not scary.

Distributor: Myriad/Mitropoulos
Cast: Asia Argento, Cristian Solimeno, Adam James, Moran Atias, Valeria Cavalli, Philippe Leroy, Udo Kier and Jun Ichikawa
Director: Dario Argento
Screenwriters: Dario Argento, Jace Anderson and Adam Gierasch
Producers: Dario Argento and Claudio Argento
Genre: Horror
Rating: Unrated
Running time: 98 min.
Release date: June 6 ltd.