Question 1

Why did Dario Argento originally want the ballet school students to be much younger?

Accepted Answer

Argento's original idea was for girls no older than 12, but the studio and his father/producer denied it because such violent content with children would likely be banned. He raised the age limit to 20 without rewriting the script.

Question 2

What surprising film inspired Suspiria's color scheme?

Accepted Answer

Director Dario Argento had cinematographer Luciano Tovoli watch Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) to model this film's color scheme after it.

Question 3

Who was the uncredited actress playing Helena Markos, and how was she found?

Accepted Answer

According to Jessica Harper, the actress playing Helena Markos was a 90-year-old former prostitute whom director Dario Argento found on the streets of Rome, Italy.

Question 4

How did Dario Argento use music to get scared performances from the actors?

Accepted Answer

Argento composed creepy music with the band Goblin and played it at full blast on set to unnerve the actors and elicit genuinely scared performances.

Question 5

What was used to simulate maggots falling from the ceiling in wide shots?

Accepted Answer

For the wide shots of 'maggots' falling, the crew dropped grains of rice onto the actresses from above.

Suspiria

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