Deliria (1987)

Director:

Michele Soavi

Writers:

George Eastman (writer)
Sheila Goldberg (dialogue)

Release Date:

8 February 1987 (Australia)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

The theatre of death

Plot:

A troupe of struggling stage actors is rehearsing for a small-town production of a play. Everything...

Plot Keywords:

Play | Murder | Theater | Panic | Cruelty

Awards:

1 win

Cast

David Brandon	...	Peter
Barbara Cupisti	...	Alicia
Domenico Fiore	...	Police Chief (as Dom Fiore)
Robert Gligorov	...	Danny
Mickey Knox	...	Old Cop
Giovanni Lombardo Radice	...	Brett (as John Morghen)
Clain Parker	...	Irving Wallace
Loredana Parrella	...	Corinne (as Lori Parrel)
Martin Philips	...	Mark
James Sampson	...	Willy (as James E.R. Sampson)
Ulrike Schwerk	...	Betty
Mary Sellers	...	Laurel
Jo Ann Smith	...	Sybil
Piero Vida	...	Ferrari
Richard Barkeley	...	Dr. Porter

Also Known As:

Bloody Bird
Sound Stage Massacre
Stage Fright
StageFright: Aquarius (International: English title)

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

Italy

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Norway:18 | Argentina:16 | Australia:R | France:-12 | UK:18 | USA:Unrated | West Germany:18 | Italy:VM14 | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Company:

DMV Distribuzione

Trivia:

The loud classical music that Wallace blasts over the theater system is from Sergei M. Eisenstein's film Stachka (1925).

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the security office, there are two copies of the exact same issue of Time magazine - one in the drawer and one on top of the desk.

Quotes:

Ferrari: It's looking fine just the way it is, i think you've pushed the erotic angle about as far as you can.
Peter: the "Erotic Angle"? Mr Ferrari, where have you been all these years?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Death Is Beautiful: Michele Soavi Directs Dellamorte Dellamore (2006) (V)

Soundtrack:

Mystery Rouge

An impressive debut from the director of 'The Church' and 'Cemetery Man'

Italian horror film directors like Dario Argento, Lucio Fulci, and Mario Bava enjoyed prolific careers for decades, but for as many talented horror directors in Italy there were, there were three times as many inept ones. By the late 1980s the Italian horror film market was beginning to dwindle and it needed a shot of life in the arm, and fast. In 1987 a young up and coming director, once known for bit parts in such classics as 'Demons' and 'City of the Living Dead' introduced the world to his first feature film and for a first it's a memorable one.

Pros: Performances are good all around. Briskly-paced. Some very intense and extremely bloody murders. An excellent and at times creepy score from Simon Boswell, who went on to score Lamberto Bava's 'Demons 2' and 'The Ogre.' Director Soavi should be applauded for such a strong debut. He also does a good job of keeping things unpredictable. Some chilling sequences, like the chase near the end.

Cons: A few of the characters are really unlikable and you'll want them to bite it quick. It makes sense to have cops outside to watch the place, but their scenes are nothing but worthless filler. A really lame and unnecessary final few minutes.

Final thoughts: Just when the Italian horror business seemed to be on it's last legs, this director's work came along and kept it going for a while longer. It may not be among the genre's greatest, but it's a worthy part of it. Too bad Soavi hasn't done a horror film since 'Cemetery Man' because he's proved that he's no one hit wonder.

My rating: 3.5/5