Diabolique (1996)

The wife and mistress of the sadistic dean of an exclusive prep school conspire to murder him.

Director:

Jeremiah S. Chechik

Writers:

Pierre Boileau (novel), Thomas Narcejac (novel),

Stars:

Sharon Stone, Isabelle Adjani, Chazz Palminteri

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sharon Stone	...	Nicole Horner
Isabelle Adjani	...	Mia Baran
Chazz Palminteri	...	Guy Baran
Kathy Bates	...	Det. Shirley Vogel
Spalding Gray	...	Simon Veatch
Shirley Knight	...	Edie Danziger
Allen Garfield	...	Leo Katzman
Adam Hann-Byrd	...	Erik Pretzer
Donal Logue	...	Video Photographer #1
Diana Bellamy	...	Ms. Vawze
Clea Lewis	...	Lisa Campos
J.J. Abrams	...	Video Photographer #2 (as Jeffrey Abrams)
O'Neal Compton	...	Irv Danziger
Bingo O'Malley	...	Gannon
Stephen Liska	...	PHP Officer

Storyline

The wife and mistress of a cruel school master collaborate in a carefully planned and executed attempt to murder him. The plan goes well until the body, which has been strategically dumped, disappears. The strain starts to tell on the two women as a retired police investigator who is looking into the disappearance on a whim begins to think that they know more than they are telling, and their mental state is not helped when their victim is seen, apparently alive and well by one of the pupils.

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Plot Keywords:

mistress | school | murder | naked woman | french teacher | 

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Taglines:

Two women. One man. The combination can be murder.

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Genres:

Drama | Horror | Thriller | Mystery

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence/terror, sexuality and language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

22 March 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

Diabólicas

Filming Locations:

Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, USA

Box Office

Gross:

$17,100,000 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

ABC Productions, Marvin Worth Productions, Morgan Creek Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Sharon Stone and the film's producer James G. Robinson fell out over her refusal to do a nude scene.

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Goofs

The lines of text on the computer monitor reach the bottom of the screen start scrolling. In the close-up, the text is just starting to be written again.

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Quotes

Mia: I'm not gonna be able to do this.
Nicole: Well, I suggest you try. It isn't like you burnt the toast, Mia. You killed your husband. It's all off the chart demerit-wise. Understand?
Mia: You are so calm. Look at you. Your hair is done. You've got makeup on.
Nicole: This is a day like any other day. We did what we have to do and it's done. Ok? It was self-defense. You've been taking it fot too long and you finally said fuck off. Good for you. Fuck him. Fuck them.
Mia: Everything but fuck you.
Nicole: Roughly. Now, come on!
[...]

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Connections

References Psycho (1960)

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Soundtracks

"In The Arms Of Love"
Written by Marco Marinageli and Frank P. Maddlone
Performed by Sherry Williams

User Reviews

Diabolique

A tyrannical school principal terrorizes his fragile wife with heart disease and his cynical mistress as well (both are teachers in the couple's private school). The two women plot to kill him, but after the murder their plan starts to fall through. The body disappears, then more and more signs become apparent to prove: he is alive.

The real mystery is why anyone had to remake a classic French thriller that was imitated so many times before, why it had to be done so terribly, cast so wrongly and acted in such unsubtle way - and why anyone on earth should care the whole stuff.