Phenomena (1985)

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.

Director:

Dario Argento

Writers:

Dario Argento (screenplay), Dario Argento (story),

Stars:

Jennifer Connelly, Daria Nicolodi, Fiore Argento

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jennifer Connelly	...	Jennifer Corvino
Daria Nicolodi	...	Frau Brückner
Fiore Argento	...	Vera Brandt
Federica Mastroianni	...	Sophie
Fiorenza Tessari	...	Gisela Sulzer
Dalila Di Lazzaro	...	Headmistress
Patrick Bauchau	...	Inspector Rudolf Geiger
Donald Pleasence	...	Professor John McGregor
Alberto Cracco	...	UBS Bank Teller
Kaspar Capparoni	...	Karl, Sophie's Boyfriend (as Gaspare Capparoni)
Mario Donatone	...	Morris Shapiro
Antonio Maimone	...	EEG Doctor
Davide Marotta	...	Patua, Bruckner Child
Fulvio Mingozzi	...	Mr. Sulzer
Francesca Ottaviani	...	Nurse

Storyline

Jennifer Corvino, the daughter of a famous actor, has had trouble with sleepwalking for some time. Her doctor said that it can develop a split personality. She discovers her alternate personality when she stays at a boarding school that was once the home a Richard Wagner. But someone has been killing the students, and it relates only indirectly to the criminal sanitorium nearby. So it's up to "the two greatest detectives the world has ever known, or should I say, unknown"

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Plot Keywords:

insect | entomologist | sleepwalking | serial killer | scottish | 

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Taglines:

From Dario Argento the Master of Terror

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Genres:

Horror | Mystery

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Certificate:

X

Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian English German Swiss German Danish

Release Date:

2 August 1985 (USA)

Also Known As:

Creepers

Filming Locations:

Elios Studios, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Box Office

Budget:

$3,800,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

DACFILM Rome

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min 116 min (integral) 110 min (re-release) 82 min (edited)

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film was inspired to Dario Argento after he learned that insects are sometimes used during murder investigations.

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Goofs

Lots of the scenes with the larvae, the amount of the larvae changes. One good example is the 'glove', there's first only three larvae on it which she also seems to shook off, then later on when inspecting it under the microscope it seems to be filled with larvae.

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Crazy Credits

The English language credits claim that this film was "shot in Panavision." This film was shot with Panavision cameras and Panavision spherical lenses for the European spherical widescreen format of 1:1.66.

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Connections

Referenced in Rosso Recollections: Dario Argento's Deep Genius (2011)

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Soundtracks

"The Maggots"
Performed by Simon Boswell

User Reviews

Phenomena rocks the boat.

This movie seems to be either loved or hated. Those that love it seems to be Argento fans that have succumbed to the style and imagination. Those that hate it seems to get annoyed at script flaws, soundtrack, actors etc.

Most of the criticizers seems to have missed the point. Dario Argentos movies is supposed to be watched and experienced, not dissected looking for flaws etc. which is true for most movies. I have the ability to turn the criticizer off when I watch movies, especially when it comes to horror/fantasy/scifi. They're movies, not documentaries, and they're not supposed to reflect your reality. Think of them as dreams, and we all know that dreams are most often illogical, strange and wonderful. That's the frame of mind I have when I watch Argento movies. And Phenomena is great in that aspect since it builds upon imagination.

Phenomena was the first Argento movie I watched, and it turned me into a big fan of his work. Donald Pleasance is great as useful, and Jennifer Connelly made many of us aware of how much we all want to meet her (at least the male audience). I watch this movie in much the same way as I did Suspiria (masterpiece), as a fantasy horror, a sweet nightmare. The first scene, where the Danish girl misses the bus and looks for help is unforgettable. The fact that the rest of the cast is a bunch of young and inexperienced teenagers is something most of the viewers familiar with Italian horror are used to.

Would I recommend this? Absolutely, it's one of the better Argento movies. Who would like it? Anybody with an open mind and interested in prime italian fantasy/horror.