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 | Apartment | Europe | Ballet School

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Jessica Harper	...	Suzy Bannion
Stefania Casini	...	Sara
Flavio Bucci	...	Daniel
Miguel Bosé	...	Mark (as Miguel Bosè)
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
Massimo Anzellotti	....	sound effects editor (uncredited)

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)
• Les Films Jacques Leitienne (1977) (France) (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)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2010) (Australia) (TV)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2010) (Australia) (video) (VOD)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (2002) (2004) (Finland) (TV)

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)

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:

USA:R | Australia:R | Canada:R | France:-16 (DVD rating) | Italy:VM14 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | West Germany:18 | Ireland:18 | Norway:(Banned) (video rating) | Norway:(Banned) (1977-2003) (cinema release) | Finland:K-18 (2001) | Norway:18 (DVD rating) (uncut) (2005) | 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) | South Korea:18 | India:A | Hong Kong:III

Filming Locations:

BMW Building, Munich, Bavaria, Germany

Company:

Seda Spettacoli

Trivia:

Star Jessica Harper said in interviews that the most frightening scene in the film for her was the grand finale where everything explodes and shatters around her as she flees the academy. Harper said that the rigged explosions where quite unnerving as they were placed close to her on the sets.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Pat is drying off, we see through the window, some washing hanging on the line. Then in an outside shot, we see the same washing, but now arranged differently.

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 Angels & Demons (2009)

Soundtrack:

Markos

Superb horror film

Susie Bannon (Jessica Harper) goes to a dance academy in Germany to study. It turns out its run by a witches coven and they'll kill anybody who threatens them...

That's about it for plot. There IS a plot but it jumps all over the place...but it doesn't matter. This movie is fascinating just to look at and hear it. The settings are truly bizarre and done in eye-popping color. They're complimented by the excellent use of color and lighting. Also the group Goblin contributes to it a downright terrifying and LOUD score which really starts to work on you. The murder scenes are graphic--VERY graphic. The opening double murder is shocking and bloody. There are many great sequences that you just look at in wonder HOW this was done. My favorite is when Sarah (Stefania Casini) is being stalked through the academy late at night by an unseen evil force.

Director Dario Argento has made a true masterpiece of horror. Its short on plot but the visuals and music more than make up for any of its drawbacks. The acting is good--especially by Joan Bennett (obviously enjoying herself) and Alida Valli who just LOOKS scary...especially those teeth of hers. Harper is also very good considering she was acting opposite people who didn't speak English! The poor dubbing is a little distracting but this is still a horror masterpiece. A must-see. TRY to see it in a theatre.