StageFright: Aquarius (1987) Deliria (original title)

Director:

Michele Soavi

Writers:

George Eastman
Sheila Goldberg (dialogue)

Release Date:

8 February 1987 (Australia)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

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 | Theater | Murder | Panic | Cat

Awards:

2 wins

Cast

David Brandon	...	Peter
Barbara Cupisti	...	Alicia
Domenico Fiore	...	Police Chief (as Don 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 (as Jo Anne Smith)
Piero Vida	...	Ferrari
Richard Barkeley	...	Dr. Porter
Sheila Goldberg	...	Nurse
Danny Gordon	...	Dancer (as Dany Gordon)
Claude Jurman	...	Dancer
Mark Parkinson	...	Dancer
Helen Porter	...	Dancer
Dominique Portier	...	Dancer
Rackel Roskoff	...	Dancer
Frank Senica	...	Dancer
Simone Sadon	...	Dancer (as Simone Sardon)
Albert Schultz	...	Dancer
Sandi Schultz	...	Dancer (as Sandy Schultz)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Michele Soavi	...	Young Cop (uncredited)

Directed by
Michele Soavi		(as Michael Soavi)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
George Eastman		(as Lew Cooper)
Sheila Goldberg		dialogue

Produced by
Joe D'Amato	....	producer (as Aristide Massaccesi)
Donatella Donati	....	producer

Original Music by
Guido Anelli
Simon Boswell
Stefano Mainetti

Cinematography by
Renato Tafuri

Film Editing by
Kathleen Stratton

Costume Design by
Valentina Di Palma

Makeup Department
Paola Bianchini	....	hair stylist (as Sidney Le Roy)
Maria Grazia Mazzolini	....	makeup artist (as Grace Ginsburg)
Adriana Sforza	....	hair stylist (as Paula White)
Pietro Tenoglio	....	makeup artist (as Peter Moore)

Production Management
Antonio Tacchia	....	production manager (as Tony Hood)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Claudio Lattanzi	....	assistant director (as Clay Millicamp)

Art Department
Rubina Michettoni	....	assistant art director

Sound Department
Davide Castrati	....	sound recordist (as David Lee)
John Gayford	....	post synch director
Hubrecht Nijhuis	....	sound engineer

Special Effects by
Robert Gold	....	special effects (as Robert Gould)
Dan Maklansky	....	special effects
Roland Park	....	special effects
Alan Sloane	....	special effects

Stunts
Steve Lucescu	....	stunt double
Giovanni Ukmar	....	stunts (as John Ukmar)

Camera and Electrical Department
Saul Barry	....	electrician
Patrizio Basili	....	grip (as Peter Brockman)
Mark Caruso	....	grip
Carlo Alberto Cocchi	....	still photographer (as Jeff Hest)
Frank Cusimano	....	grip
Renato Doria	....	camera operator (as Jimmy Cohn)
Albert Ellis	....	grip
Jeff Herbert	....	electrician
Enrico Maggi	....	camera operator (as Hanry May)
Arthur Malone	....	electrician
Daniele Massaccesi	....	assistant camera (as Daniel Kalehoff)
Silver Murray	....	lighting technician
Salvatore Napoletano	....	grip (as Jerry White)
Roberto Nicosia	....	still photographer (as Robert Vinci)
Alfred Reed	....	lighting technician
Lawrence Ross	....	electrician
Peter Schrag	....	electrician
Bob Siegel	....	electrician
Paul Siegel	....	electrician
Elio Terribili	....	grip (as Brian Taitt)
Ugo Tucci	....	grip (as John Dunn)
Sam Winston	....	grip

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Kuo Ami	....	wardrobe
Mirella Pedetti	....	seamstress

Editorial Department
Giuliana D'Angeli	....	assistant editor (as July D'Angelo)
Enrico Grassi	....	assistant editor (as Henry Robinson)

Other crew
Carlo Caputo	....	production accountant
Vivi Levitt	....	continuity (as Vivy Levitt)
Mary Noolite	....	production assistant
John Therrien	....	production assistant
Charles Wallach	....	paymaster

Production Companies

• DMV Distribuzione
• Filmirage

Distributors

• Anchor Bay Entertainment (USA) (DVD)
• Another World Entertainment (2008) (Denmark) (DVD)
• Beam Entertainment (Japan) (DVD producer)
• Blue Underground (2007) (worldwide) (DVD)
• CMV Laservision (2008) (Germany) (DVD)
• Creative Axa Co. Ltd. (Japan) (DVD)
• DMV Distribuzione (1987) (Italy)
• Firebox (2008) (Finland) (DVD) (disc includes two versions 1.85:1 & 1.33:1)
• Hipervídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Luminous Film & Video Works (video)
• Video Instant Picture Company (VIPCO)

Also Known As:

"Deliria" - Italy (original title)
"StageFright" - USA (DVD title)

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

Italy

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Norway:18 | Argentina:16 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Finland:K-15 (uncut) (2008) | Finland:K-16 (heavily cut) (1991) | Portugal:M/16 | Australia:R | France:-12 | UK:18 | USA:Unrated | West Germany:18 | Italy:VM14 | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Company:

DMV Distribuzione

Trivia:

During a screening at the Fantasia Film Festival fans threw white feathers from the theater balcony which showered down on the audience in a homage to the haunting finale of the film.

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:

Peter:Don't just stand there, KILL HER!
[Irving Wallace retrieves a knife from his waist]
Peter:What's the knife got to do with anything?
[Irving Wallace starts stabbing Corinne]
Peter:yeah, that's it.

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