Phenomena (1985)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Dario Argento

Writers:

Dario Argento (screenplay)
Dario Argento (story)
(more)

Release Date:

2 August 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Jennifer Has A Few Million Close Friends. She's Going To Need Them _All_.

Plot:

A young girl, with an amazing ability to communicate with insects, is transferred to an exclusive Swiss boarding school, where her unusual capability might help solve a string of murders.

Plot Keywords:

Insect | Sleepwalking | Boarding School | Serial Killer | Chimpanzee

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Jennifer Connelly	...	Jennifer Corvino
Daria Nicolodi	...	Frau Brückner
Dalila Di Lazzaro	...	Headmistress
Patrick Bauchau	...	Inspector Rudolf Geiger
Donald Pleasence	...	Professor John McGregor
Fiore Argento	...	Vera Brandt
Federica Mastroianni	...	Sophie
Fiorenza Tessari	...	Gisela Sulzer
Mario Donatone	...	Morris Shapiro
Francesca Ottaviani	...	Nurse
Michele Soavi	...	Kurt, Geiger's Assistant
Franco Trevisi	...	Real Estate Agent
Fausta Avelli	...	Schoolgirl
Marta Biuso	...	Schoolgirl
Sophie Bourchier	...	Schoolgirl
Paola Gropper	...	Schoolgirl
Ninke Hielkema	...	Schoolgirl
Mitzy Orsini	...	Schoolgirl
Geraldine Thomas	...	Schoolgirl
Tanga	...	Inga
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Nick Alexander	...	Real estate agent (voice: English version) (uncredited)
Dario Argento	...	Narrator (Italian version) (voice) (uncredited)
Franca Berdini	...	Teacher (uncredited)
Kaspar Capparoni	...	Karl, Sophie's Boyfriend (uncredited)
Alberto Cracco	...	UBS Bank Teller (uncredited)
Carolyn De Fonseca	...	Frau Brückner (voice: English version) (uncredited)
Antonio Maimone	...	EEG Doctor (uncredited)
Davide Marotta	...	Patua, Bruckner Child (uncredited)
Fulvio Mingozzi	...	Mr. Sulzer (uncredited)
Marisa Simonetti	...	Schoolgirl (uncredited)

Directed by
Dario Argento

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Dario Argento		screenplay
Dario Argento		story
Franco Ferrini		screenplay
Franco Ferrini		story

Produced by
Dario Argento	....	producer
Angelo Jacono	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Simon Boswell
Goblin

Cinematography by
Romano Albani

Film Editing by
Franco Fraticelli

Production Design by
Maurizio Garrone
Nello Giorgetti
Luciano Spadoni
Umberto Turco

Costume Design by
Giorgio Armani
Marina Malavasi
Patrizia Massaia

Makeup Department
Carboni	....	hair stylist
Patrizia Corridoni	....	hair stylist
M. Garrone	....	special makeup effects artist
Pierantonio Mecacci	....	makeup artist
Rocchetti	....	hair stylist
Sergio Stivaletti	....	special makeup effects artist
Barbara Morosetti	....	assistant makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Cesare Jacolucci	....	production manager
Angelo Jacono	....	production manager
Marcel Just	....	unit manager: Switzerland (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Bettina Graebe	....	second assistant director
Michele Soavi	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Roberto Giancaterini	....	property master
Mario Grilli	....	set painter
Renato Lori	....	set dresser
Osvaldo Monaco	....	property master
Giuseppe Pagnotta	....	construction grip
Giuseppe Pagnotta	....	property master
Rina Villani	....	set dresser

Sound Department
Nick Alexander	....	sound effects editor
Vito Catania	....	boom operator
Franco Fraticelli	....	supervising sound editor
Sergio Graziani	....	dubbing sound
Giancarlo Laurenzi	....	sound mixer
Federico Savina	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby
Danilo Sterbini	....	sound mixer

Special Effects by
Antonio Corridori	....	special effects
Danilo Bollettini	....	special effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Luigi Cozzi	....	special optical effects

Stunts
Eleonora Quaranta	....	stunts
Giorgio Ricci	....	stunt coordinator
Attilio Severini	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Alberto Altibrandi	....	gaffer
Gianlorenzo Battaglia	....	underwater photographer
Francesco Bellomo	....	still photographer: action stills (as Franco Bellomo)
Aldo Bergamini	....	assistant camera
Alfredo Ciarpelloni	....	grip
Maurizio di Stefano	....	electrician
Sergio Dori	....	electrician
Cesare Emidi	....	grip
Luciano Giusepponi	....	grip
Giancarlo Mereschini	....	grip
Agostino Pascarella	....	key grip
Nicola Pecorini	....	Steadicam operator
Leandro Punturi	....	grip
Stefano Ricciotti	....	camera operator
Alessandro Rinaldi	....	second assistant camera
Otello Santoro	....	electrician
Vittorio Tonin	....	electrician

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Giovanna Jacono	....	wardrobe
Marina Malavasi	....	wardrobe assistant
Patrizia Massaia	....	wardrobe assistant

Editorial Department
Piero Bozza	....	first assistant editor
Sergio Fraticelli	....	assistant editor
Roberto Priori	....	second assistant editor

Music Department
Simon Boswell	....	composer: maggots scene music
Piero Bozza	....	music editor
Vincent Messina	....	music soundtrack producer
Fabio Pignatelli	....	musician
Claudio Simonetti	....	musician
Terry Taylor	....	musician

Transportation Department
Cartocci	....	transportation
Romana Transporti	....	transportation

Other crew
Ferdinando Armati	....	special entomological photography
Daniel Berquiny	....	owner of chimpanzee "tanga"
Ferdinando Caputo	....	chief production accountant
Giulio Cestari	....	production accountant
Antonio Corridori	....	special stage effects
Fabio Dell'uomo	....	assistant entomologist
Fabrizio Diaz	....	production secretary
Egle Friggeri	....	production secretary
Maurizio Garrone	....	animal and insect supplier
Sheila Goldberg	....	dialogue coach
Enrico Lucherini	....	unit publicist
Saverio Mangogna	....	production secretary
Giorgio Ricci	....	gunsmith
Renato Rinaldo	....	production accountant
Serenella Severini	....	production secretary
Enrico Stella	....	entomology consultant
Aldo Taloni	....	chief set builder
Vivalda Vigorelli	....	script supervisor
Carlo Zini	....	jewellery
Cesare Barbetti	....	voice dubbing: Patrick Bauchau (uncredited)
Maria Pia Di Meo	....	voice dubbing: Dalila Di Lazzaro (uncredited)
Sergio Graziani	....	voice dubbing: Donald Pleasance (uncredited)
Roberto Ornaro	....	production accountant (uncredited)
Ilaria Stagni	....	voice dubbing: Jennifer Connelly (uncredited)

Thanks
Carlo Zini	....	thanks

Production Companies

• DACFILM Rome

Distributors

• Titanus Distribuzione (1985) (Italy) (theatrical)
• New Line Cinema (1985) (USA) (theatrical) (dubbed)
• Media Home Entertainment (1985) (USA) (VHS)
• Creswin Distribution (1986) (Canada) (theatrical) (dubbed) (cut US version)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Roan Group, The (1999) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Dragon Film Entertainment (DFE) (2001) (Germany) (DVD) (long version)
• TF1 Vidéo (2001) (France) (DVD)
• MRA Entertainment Group (2004) (Australia) (DVD) (as "Creepers")
• Umbrella Entertainment (2004) (Australia) (DVD)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• EastWest Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• SBP (2006) (Argentina) (DVD)
• SBP (2006) (Argentina) (VHS) (re-release)
• Works Editora (2006) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Alliance Home Video (1996) (Canada) (video)
• New Line Home Video (1996) (USA) (video)

Other Companies

• Fratelli Cartocci S.r.l.  transportation
• Giorgio Armani  Jennifer Connelly's costumes
• Rocchetti e Carboni  wigs

Also Known As:

Creepers (USA)

Runtime:

110 min | 116 min (integral version) | USA:110 min (re-release) | USA:82 min (edited version)

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian | English | German | Swiss German | Danish

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Netherlands:16 | Argentina:16 (re-rating) | Argentina:18 (original rating) | New Zealand:R16 | Australia:R (as "Creepers") (DVD rating) (cut) | Australia:R (as "Phenomena) (DVD rating) (uncut) | Australia:R (original rating) | Denmark:15 (video premiere) | France:-12 | Italy:VM14 | Norway:18 (video premiere) | Spain:18 | UK:18 | USA:R | USA:Unrated (director's cut) | West Germany:18 | Finland:K-18

Filming Locations:

Elios Studios, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company:

DACFILM Rome

Trivia:

The role of creepy Patua Bruckner was played by a 26 year old dwarf in heavy makeup.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: The girl in the opening is allegedly Danish, but clearly speaks Norwegian.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The House That Freddy Built (2006) (V)

Soundtrack:

The Wind

Absolutely Phenomenal!

This Is A Review Of The Uncut Version.

Dario Argento's "Phenomena" of 1985 is an absolute masterpiece of horror coming along with an ingenious soundtrack by Goblin. Argento has enriched the Horror/Giallo genre by quite a bunch of brilliant films, including such stunning pictures as "The Bird With The Crystal Plumage" (1970), "Tenebre"(1982) and "Opera" (1987), "Penomena" is (in my opinion) his greatest achievement alongside his masterpieces "Suspiria" of 1977 and "Profondo Rosso" of 1975. A brilliant, extremely scary, stunning and visually breathtaking film, "Phenomena" is an absolute must-see for every Horror-fan.

Jennifer Corvino (Jennifer Conelly), the daughter of an American movie star, is sent to an elite girl's boarding school in the Swiss mountains, more precisely in a part of Switzerland referred to by locals as 'The Swiss Transylvania'. The area is currently terrorized by a serial killer of girls, whose victims are always heinously dismembered. Although a friendly and lovable person, Jennifer does not make too many friends in the boarding school, and due to her sleepwalking most of the other girls think of her as weird. But sleepwalking is not her only unusual characteristic. Jennifer loves insects, and insects also seem to have a strong affection for her. While Inspector Geiger (Patrick Buchau) is investigating the brutal murders, Jennifer befriends wheelchair-bound entomologist Prof Mc Gregor (Donald Pleasence), who helps the police with their investigations...

Then 15-year-old Jennifer Conelly's acting is simply outstanding, a perfect performance from the beginning to the end. The supporting cast is also very good, the great Donald Pleasence's performance as Prof Mc Gregor is just one of many very memorable performances in "Phenomena". As usual for Argento, the movie is impressively photographed on great, scary locations. Dario Argento has always placed great emphasis on impressive colors (especially red, of course), and hardly ever have I seen a movie as visually stunning and awe-inspiring as Phenomena. The brilliant Progressive Rock Soundtrack by Goblin manages to even intensify the suspense, and is one of the best scores I have ever heard in a horror film.

Partially a Giallo, and partially a horror film with psychic and transcendental elements, "Phenomena" is a creepy film that is scary as hell. It is also easily one of Argento's most brutal movies, and therefore maybe not the kind of film for people who are too sensitive when it comes to violence in movies. Phenomena was also released under the title "Creepers" in the US, but that was a cut (or should I say mutilated) version of only 82 minutes. I have always seen the uncut version, which runs about 111 minutes, and I definitely recommend anybody else to do so, since every minute of the movie is stunning and indispensable, and I can't even imagine which (certainly essential) 29 minutes they cut out in the other versions. A true masterpiece of horror cinema, "Phenomena" is, in my opinion, Dario Argento's greatest movie besides "Suspiria" and "Profondo Rosso". Superbly written and directed, outstandingly acted, impressively photographed and extremely creepy and scary from the beginning to the end "Phenomena" is absolutely phenomenal. A stroke of genius! 10/10