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 (story), Franco Ferrini (story),

Stars:

Jennifer Connelly, Donald Pleasence, Daria Nicolodi

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	...	Brückner Son
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 | scottish | doctor | 

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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:

English Italian German Swiss German Danish

Release Date:

2 August 1985 (USA)

Also Known As:

Creepers

Filming Locations:

Wesendonck Villa, Rietberg Museum, Zurich, Switzerland

Box Office

Budget:

$3,800,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

DACFILM Rome

Technical Specs

Runtime:

116 min 110 min (re-release) 82 min (cut)

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

(working title)Director Dario Argento said that his idea for the look of the killer child came from the real genetic disorder Patau Syndrome, which causes severe deformation of the face. For this reason, Argento calls the child Patau, even though he is never named during the film.

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Goofs

(at around 1h 10 mins) 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.

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Quotes

[last lines]
Frau Brückner: [attempts to kill Jennifer with a slide] He was diseased; but he was my son! And you have... Why didn't I kill you before? I killed that no-good inspector and your professor friend, to protect him! And now... I'm gonna KILL YOU TO AVENGE HIM! Why don't you call your INSECTS! GO ON! CALL! CALL!
[Inga then attacks Frau and slashes her to death]

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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

References Shadow of a Doubt (1943)

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Soundtracks

Old Dark Hoise
(uncredited)
By Goblin
Performed by Goblin

User Reviews

Total Cult

In Switzerland, the teenager Jennifer Corvino (Jennifer Connelly), daughter of a famous actor, arrives in an expensive board school and shares her room with the French schoolmate Sophie (Federica Mastroianni). Jennifer is a sleepwalker, is capable of telepathically communicate with insects and has adaptation problem in the new school. While sleepwalking, she meets and becomes friend of a Scottish entomologist, Prof. John McGregor (Donald Pleasence), and his chimpanzee Tonga. Jennifer decides to help the investigation of Dr. McGregor about a serial killer that is killing young girls in that area.

It may sound ridiculous, but "Phenomena" has never been released on video in Brazil; only two days ago, "Phenomena" was released on DVD in Brazil and now I am glad to have this movie in my collection. The weird story of Dario Argento, one of my favorite directors, is a total cult, showing bizarre characters and situations, maggots, flies, deformed people, serial killer and lots of bodies and body parts. A fifteen years old Jennifer Connelly in her third work, extremely beautiful, shines in the very original role of a sleepwalker that is very connected to insects and develop the skill of communicate with them. Daria Nicolodi, the mother of Asia Argento and former mate of Dario Argento, has a minor, but very important role. And the versatile Donald Pleasence, in the role of a paraplegic researcher, is efficient as usual. The music score, with Goblin, Iron Maiden and Motorhead, is another great attraction of this movie. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Phenomena"