Plot
Declared "my most personal film" by Italy's premier horror director Dario Argento, this production marked the director's return to the eerie thematic territory he pioneered in 1977 with the horror classic Suspiria. Much like that film, Phenomena conforms to the logic of nightmares. Jennifer Connelly stars as Jennifer Corvino, the daughter of an American film star, who enrolls in a prestigious Swiss boarding school under the tutelage of the prudish Mrs. Bruckner (played by frequent Argento collaborator and former beau Daria Nicolodi). Possessing a unique telepathic gift, Jennifer is capable of communicating with insects on an instinctive level, often while sleepwalking. This trait soon brands her a "freak" among her snooty classmates but makes her a valuable asset to entomologist Dr. MacGregor (Donald Pleasence), who is currently employing the innate forensic skills of insects to aid police in tracking a serial killer targeting the boarders at Jennifer's school. As Jennifer's tiny friends (including the corpse-hunting Sarcophagus Fly) guide her closer to the murderer's lair, everything from MacGregor's revenge-driven pet chimpanzee to Bruckner's monstrously disfigured son figure into the mix, providing not one but three shocking endings. Shot in English and re-dubbed for various European markets, this graphic thriller was released in drastically edited form as Creepers in the U.S. and England; Argento's original cut runs 110 minutes. ~ Cavett Binion, RoviReview
Bugs, blood, and rock & roll are the orders of the day in this creepy-crawly shocker from Dario Argento. Jennifer Connelly plays a teenager with a gift for communicating with insects -- a talent that comes in handy when she is sent to a Swiss boarding school where a killer has been slaughtering the students. Definitely not for the squeamish, Phenomena contains a series of bold, bloody special effects that are graphically captured by cinematographer Romano Albini. Among the best is the opening sequence in which a girl is stabbed on the observatory deck of a waterfall. The butchery amidst the natural beauty provides a chilling visual contrast while the camera holds on to a tremendous shot of the girl shattering a glass partition. The story, written by Argento and Franco Ferrini, is basically a twist on the serial killer formula, but it is effective because of the filmmaker's great sense of style and suspense. The revelation of the killer is well done and is just one of many fantastic shocks included in a scary, extended climax that features a pit of decomposed bodies, a decapitation, a monstrous mutant-child, a deadly insect swarm, and a razor-wielding monkey. In true Argento style, many scenes are backed by a heavy metal soundtrack that includes Iron Maiden and Motorhead, among others. Connelly has certainly grown as an actress since Phenomena, but her striking looks help to carry her performance. Donald Pleasence is excellent to watch, as always, although he is murdered in rather boring fashion considering Argento's talent for creative murder scenes. The costumes were done by Giorgio Armani. Version reviewed is the full 110-minute original cut. The bloodless U.S. version is titled Creepers and runs only 82 minutes. ~ Patrick Legare, RoviCast
- Jennifer Connelly - Jennifer Corvino
- Donald Pleasence - John McGregor
- Daria Nicolodi - Mrs. Bruckner
- Patrick Bauchau - Inspector Rudolf Geiger
- Dalila di Lazzaro - Headmistress
Credit
Giorgio Armani - Costume Designer, Dario Argento - Director, Franco Fraticelli - Editor, Iron Maiden - Composer (Music Score), Simon Boswell - Composer (Music Score), Motörhead - Composer (Music Score), Claudio Simonetti - Composer (Music Score), Goblin - Composer (Music Score), Bill Wyman - Composer (Music Score), Andy Sex Gang - Composer (Music Score), Pier Antonio Mecacci - Makeup, Sergio Stivaletti - Makeup Special Effects, Stefano Ricciotti - Camera Operator, Maurizio Garrone - Production Designer, Nello Giorgetti - Production Designer, Luciano Spadoni - Production Designer, Umberto Turco - Production Designer, Romano Albani - Cinematographer, Dario Argento - Producer, Renato Lori - Set Designer, Rina Villani - Set Designer, Dario Argento - Screenwriter, Franco Ferrini - Screenwriter| Phenom (2008 Film), Phedre (1968 Film) | |
| Phenomenal and the Treasure of Tutankamen (197z Film), Phenomenon (1996 Film) |
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