Horror fans are unlike any other breed of cinephile. We go to great lengths to unearth little known facts about our favorite feature films. Because of that, it’s a challenge to find trivia that will pass fact checking and surprise dedicated fans. But, in spite of that, we have taken it upon ourselves to attempt to unearth some lesser-known details about Dario Argento’s supernatural horror film Suspiria. Read on for ten things you probably didn’t know about Suspiria.
The film utilized three-strip Technicolor technology.
At the time Suspiria was made, three-strip Technicolor was an archaic technology but the film was printed using the three-strip Technicolor process. It was the utilization of that process that allows for the picture to showcase such rich and vibrant colors in the finished version of the film.
Daria Nicolodi had to fight to get a screenwriting credit for Suspiria
The actress and screenwriter says that she didn’t even know if she would be given an onscreen credit for her efforts until several days before the film’s premiere. As a result, she chose not to seek a screenwriting credit for the 1980 follow up Inferno.
Director Dario Argento used the film’s score on set to startle his performers.
Argento reportedly played the Goblin soundtrack at full volume on set to illicit an unsettled reaction from the cast when filming was taking place.
The production process rarely involved recording any audio during filming.
It was always the plan to dub the film after production. Since all of the dialogue was going to be looped in postproduction, there wasn’t a pressing need to capture the dialogue during filming.
Fulvio Mingozzi plays the same role in both Suspiria and Inferno
The actor has a small role as a cab driver in both films.
Daria Nicolodi was originally slated to play the lead role
It’s been suggested that Nicolodi was replaced because the studio wanted an American actor for name recognition and to make the film more easily marketable in the states.
Jessica Harper was cast based on her performance in The Phantom of the Paradise
After it was determined that Daria Nicolodi wouldn’t be playing the lead role, Argento chose Jessica Harper for the part, based on her portrayal of Phoenix in The Phantom of the Paradise.
Suspiria is based, in part, on stories told by Daria Nicolodi’s Grandmother.
Argento and Nicolodi reportedly got the idea for the script from stories that Daria Nicolodi’s Grandmother would tell about attending a German dance academy where witchcraft was being covertly practiced.
Suspiria is the first Italian film to utilize a Steadicam
Several shots in the film make use of the Steadicam. It was a brand new technology at the time Suspiria was made.
Dario Argento told Jessica Harper and Stefania Casini not to make waves in the pool scene
The director was trying to create a tranquil look in that scene and asked the actresses to limit their motions in order to achieve it.
