Michele Soavi

Stagefright alternative full frame

This is an alternative vision showing what can happen to a film during postproduction and edit, in this case, we see an example of how the aspect ratio of a full (squarer looking) 35mm negative frame is trimmed to achieve a letter-box widescreen format. This is an academic musing, which provides the complete picture (pun intended) but it is not the director’s desired and final release framing.

We noticed some fans enquiring about the full pre-widescreen version: here it is!

Description

Soavi intended his film to be called Aquarius – or aquarium – alluding to the viewer being able to see the action as if it took place inside a fishbowl. Cleverly constructed to heighten suspense, the director intentionally mixes fake with reality: showing us the ‘real’ serial killer of our film as he infiltrates a group of stage actors rehearsing overnight in an isolated place; he kills and takes the place of the actor whose role in the play is that of a killer permanently hidden under a giant owl head! His identity unseen, the now real killer-owl stalks and dismembers the troupe one by one!

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