Phenomena (1985)

Director:

Dario Argento

Writers:

Dario Argento (screenplay)
Dario Argento (story)

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

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 trained chimpanzee that plays Inga escaped into the woods at one point during shooting. After a few hours of searching she was found and returned to the set.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: After killing the professor, the killer gets in a car and drives away. In the next shot, it shows the killer’s point of view from inside the car as the monkey jumps onto the windshield. But you can clearly see off to the right, a large pine tree branch, and that the car really isn't moving at all.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The 100 Scariest Movie Moments" (2004)

Soundtrack:

Jennifer's Friend

Otherworldly beauty and terror!

Overlooked masterpiece from the great Dario Argento is simply one of his best films of the 80's and arguably his most bizarre work!

Young girl, who has a psychic bond with insects, must use her powers to try to stop the mad killer that's terrorizing a Swiss boarding school.

Director Argento has often proclaimed this to be his personal favorite of his films and it's not hard to see why. Story-wise Phenomena combines all of the elements of Argento's other films; a crazed serial killer, a touch of the supernatural, a detective-mystery, and a sense of being like a fairy tale. It's a story that draws one in, from the startling opening murder sequence to the horrific climatic twists! The plot is completely off-beat, giving the audience no idea of what to expect at any moment. As always, Argento's direction has a splendidly flashy style and gives the whole film a unique, strange atmosphere. Lending all the more to the weird atmosphere is the glorious music of Goblin, who provides some of their finest work here. In addition Iron Maiden also serves up a great metal-rock number. The special FX are quite impressive, especially the shockingly good makeup work - just wait for the finale!

The cast is also pretty good, and thankfully the dubbing isn't as bad for this film as it is for some Italian movies. Young Jennifer Connelly (only 15 here) does an enchanting performance. The late-great Donald Pleasance is good as always as Connelly's befriended scientist. Daria Nicolodi does a terrific turn as Connelly's teacher.

Some hail it and some misunderstand it, but frankly Phenomena ranks well with Argento's other incredible films. Be sure to catch it in its full-length uncut version and not the horridly cut U.S. release entitled 'Creepers'.

**** out of ****