Suspiria (1977)

Director:

Dario Argento

Writers:

Dario Argento and
Daria Nicolodi
(more)

Release Date:

12 August 1977 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

The Only Thing More Terrifying Than The Last 12 Minutes Of This Film Are The First 92.

Plot:

A newcomer to a fancy ballet academy gradually comes to realize that the staff of the school are actually a coven of witches bent on chaos and destruction.

Plot Keywords:

Ballet | American | Sinister | Europe | Coven

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Jessica Harper	...	Suzy Bannion
Stefania Casini	...	Sara
Flavio Bucci	...	Daniel
Miguel Bosé	...	Mark
Barbara Magnolfi	...	Olga
Susanna Javicoli	...	Sonia
Eva Axén	...	Pat Hingle
Rudolf Schündler	...	Prof. Milius
Udo Kier	...	Dr. Frank Mandel
Alida Valli	...	Miss Tanner
Joan Bennett	...	Madame Blanc
Margherita Horowitz	...	Teacher
Jacopo Mariani	...	Albert
Fulvio Mingozzi	...	Taxi Driver
Franca Scagnetti	...	Cook
Renato Scarpa	...	Prof. Verdegast
Serafina Scorceletti	...	2nd Cook
Giuseppe Transocchi	...	Pavlo
Renata Zamengo	...	Caroline
Alessandra Capozzi	...	Dancer
Salvatore Capozzi	...	Dancer
Diana Ferrara	...	Dancer
Cristina Latini	...	Dancer
Alfredo Raino	...	Dancer
Claudia Zaccari	...	Dancer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dario Argento	...	Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Giovanni Di Bernardo	...	Police Inspector (uncredited)
Daria Nicolodi	...	Woman at airport (uncredited)

Directed by
Dario Argento

Writing credits
Thomas De Quincey		(book "Suspiria de Profundis") uncredited
Dario Argento		and
Daria Nicolodi

Produced by
Claudio Argento	....	producer
Salvatore Argento	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Dario Argento
Agostino Marangolo		(as Goblin)
Massimo Morante		(as Goblin)
Fabio Pignatelli		(as Goblin)
Claudio Simonetti		(as Goblin)

Cinematography by
Luciano Tovoli

Film Editing by
Franco Fraticelli

Production Design by
Giuseppe Bassan

Costume Design by
Pierangelo Cicoletti

Makeup Department
Maria Teresa Corridoni	....	hair stylist
Pierantonio Mecacci	....	makeup supervisor
Piero Mecacci	....	assistant makeup artist (as Pierino Mecacci)
Aldo Signoretti	....	assistant hair stylist

Production Management
Federico Tocci	....	unit manager
Lucio Trentini	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Antonio Gabrielli	....	assistant director

Art Department
Davide Bassan	....	assistant art director
Enrico Fiorentini	....	set dresser
Massimo Garrone	....	assistant set dresser
Maurizio Garrone	....	assistant art director
Aldo Taloni	....	set constructor

Sound Department
Nick Alexander	....	dubbing editor: English
Luciano Anzellotti	....	sound effects
Mario Dallimonti	....	sound recordist
Federico Savina	....	sound re-recording engineer
Corrado Volpicelli	....	boom operator

Special Effects by
Germano Natali	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Alberto Altibrandi	....	gaffer
Francesco Bellomo	....	still photographer: action stills
Riccardo Dolci	....	assistant camera
Enrico Fontana	....	assistant camera
Mario Moreschini	....	key grip
Idelmo Simonelli	....	camera operator
Giuseppe Tinelli	....	assistant camera

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Tiziana Mancini	....	wardrobe mistress
Bertilla Silvestrin	....	seamstress

Editorial Department
Piero Bozza	....	first assistant editor
Roberto Olivieri	....	second assistant editor
Rick Greenhead	....	telecine colorist (uncredited)

Music Department
Maurizio Guarini	....	musician

Other crew
Massimo Brandimarte	....	production coordinator
Ferdinando Caputo	....	production accountant
Carlo Du Bois	....	production accountant
Francesca Roberti	....	continuity
Federico Starace	....	production coordinator
Nino Vendetti	....	unit publicist
Rosetta Calavetta	....	voice dubbing: Joan Bennett (uncredited)
Manlio De Angelis	....	voice dubbing: Udo Kier (uncredited)
Bruno Di Bartolomei	....	assistant cashier (uncredited)
Vittoria Febbi	....	voice dubbing: Barbara Magnolfi (uncredited)
Simona Izzo	....	voice dubbing: Susanna Javicoli (uncredited)
Flaminia Jandolo	....	voice dubbing: Eva Axén (uncredited)
Giorgio Piazza	....	voice dubbing: Rudolf Schündler (uncredited)
Emanuela Rossi	....	voice dubbing: Jessica Harper (uncredited)

Thanks
Mario Bava	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Seda Spettacoli

Distributors

• EMI (1977) (UK) (theatrical)
• Gloria Filmverleih AG (1977) (West Germany) (theatrical) (dubbed)
• International Classics (1977) (USA) (theatrical) (dubbed)
• Joseph Brenner Associates (JBA) (1979) (USA) (theatrical) (dubbed) (re-release)
• Wm. Lange & Associates (1979) (USA: Midwest) (theatrical) (dubbed) (re-release)
• Magnum Entertainment (1988) (USA) (VHS)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Works Editora (2004) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Atlantic Film (2005) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Future Film (2005) (Finland) (DVD)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2005) (Australia) (DVD)
• Emerald (2006) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Emerald (2006) (Argentina) (VHS) (re-release)
• Visual Factory (2006) (worldwide) (all media)
• Blue Underground (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Genius Products (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox (1978) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Produzioni Atlas Consorziate (P.A.C.) (1977) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Toho-Towa (1977) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Ízaro Films (1977) (Spain) (theatrical)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Blue Underground (2011) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-Ray)
• Fox Lorber (video)
• Nouveaux Pictures (2010) (UK) (DVD)
• Nouveaux Pictures (2010) (UK) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Nova Home Video (1989) (Canada) (VHS)
• Panorama Distributions (2009) (Hong Kong) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Germano Natali

Other Companies

• Anna Mode  costume house (as Sartoria Anna Mode)
• Ditta Rancati  set furnishings (as G.R.P. - Rancati - Cimino)
• E.C.E., Rome  camera and lighting equipment (as E.C.E. Rome)
• Fendi  leather goods
• Lembo Caracciolo  accessories
• Raphael Salato  footwear
• Rocchetti  wigs (as Rocchetti)
• Romana Trasporti Cinematografici S.r.l.  transportation (as Romana Transporti Cinematografica)
• U.T.I. Rome  international transportation

Also Known As:

"Dario Argento's Suspiria" - USA (promotional title)
"Suspiria" - Argentina, Spain
"Alarido" - Mexico
"Chock House" - Denmark (imdb display title)
"Flykten från helvetet" - Sweden
"Odglosy" - Poland (imdb display title)
"Sóhajok" - Hungary (imdb display title)
"Suspiria" - Brazil
"Suspiria" - Greece
"Suspiria" - France
"Suspiria" - Turkey (Turkish title)
"Suspiria - In den Krallen des Bösen" - West Germany (poster title)
"Suspiria - tappavat huokaukset" - Finland (TV title)

Runtime:

98 min | Germany:88 min | USA:92 min | Argentina:95 min

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian | Russian | English | German | Latin

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor) (prints) | Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (35 mm optical prints) | 4-Track Stereo (35 mm magnetic prints)

Certification:

UK:18 (video rating) (1990) (uncut) | UK:X (original rating) (cut) | New Zealand:R16 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Argentina:X (original rating) | Argentina:18 (re-rating) | Germany:18 (TV premiere) (2006) (heavily cut) | Germany:18 (theatrical rating) (1977) (cut) | Singapore:M18 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) (Original rating) | Canada:18+ (Quebec) (1977, re-rating) | Mexico:C | USA:X (original rating) | Chile:18 | France:-18 (original rating) | Spain:13 (DVD rating) (2004) | Italy:VM18 (orginal rating) | South Korea:18 | USA:R | Australia:R | Canada:R | France:-16 (DVD rating) | Italy:VM14 (re-rating) (1998) | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | West Germany:18 | Ireland:18 | Norway:(Banned) (video rating) | Norway:(Banned) (1977-2003) (cinema release) | Finland:K-18 (DVD rating) | Norway:18 (DVD rating) (uncut) (2005)

Filming Locations:

BMW Building, Munich, Bavaria, Germany

Company:

Seda Spettacoli

Trivia:

The woman playing Helna Markos is not credited. According to Jessica Harper, the woman was a 90 year old ex-hooker Argento found on the streets of Rome.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: During the opening cab ride to the school, Suzy asks the cab driver "has it been raining this hard for long?" As the driver turns back towards her just before responds you can see just outside the driver's window (on the left side of the shot) a pillar-like rotating piece of lighting equipment that is clearly the source of the red and yellow strobe lighting during the entire scene.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Narrator:Suzy Banyon decided to perfect her ballet studies in the most famous school of dance in Europe. She chose the celebrated academy of Freiburg. One day, at nine in the morning, she left Kennedy airport, New York, and arrived in Germany at 10:40 p.m. local time.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Class of 1984 (1982)

Soundtrack:

Markos

A masterpiece of the horror genre

I've seen hundreds of horror films (including all of Argento's work), and *Suspiria* is my unequivocal favorite. It is not a perfect film, but it comes closer than any other film in the genre. Everything until the last few minutes is masterfully orchestrated, combining skillful direction with chilling cinematography, not to mention a score that ties my stomach into knots every time I hear so much as a snip of its odd techno-funk beat. Unfortunately, the voice of the witch at the end turns masterful horror into overriding cheese, making the tagline ring all too true: there is *nothing* more terrifying on film than the first ninety minutes, but the last few fall somewhat short of genius.

That fact notwithstanding, *Suspiria* is a fine example of how horror movies should be made, and I sincerely hope that any director or screenwriter contemplating a horror film first sits down to watch this one so they can be reminded that the horror genre properly contains a good deal more than the simple-minded slasher flick that has become all-too-typical in American theaters. After all, no less a filmmaker than Wes Craven seems to have followed this advice, and it allowed him to move from such pitiful efforts as *A Nightmare on Elm Street* to *Scream*, the first (and thus far only) classic horror film of the 90's.