Imago mortis (2009)

A series of strange murders take place in an European school of cinema and nobody, except the professors, seems to understand what's happening.

Director:

Stefano Bessoni

Writers:

Stefano Bessoni (story), Giulia Graglia (story),

Stars:

Geraldine Chaplin, Oona Chaplin, Alberto Amarilla

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Geraldine Chaplin	...	Countess Orsini
Oona Chaplin	...	Arianna
Alberto Amarilla	...	Bruno
Leticia Dolera	...	Leilou
Álex Angulo	...	Caligari
Jun Ichikawa	...	Aki
Silvia De Santis	...	Elena
Francesco Carnelutti	...	Ermete Astolfi
Kenji Kohashi	...	Ozu
Lorenzo Pedrotti	...	Sebastiano
Franco Pistoni	...	Girolamo Fumagalli
Paolo De Vita	...	Orfeo
Matteo Danese	...	Matteo
Francesco Martino	...	Richard
Anna Cuculo	...	Miss Niccolodi

Storyline

In the 1600s, long before the invention of photography, a scientist named Girolamo Fumagalli was obsessed with the idea of reproducing images. He discovered that by killing a victim and removing the victim's eyeballs, it was possible to reproduce on paper the last image imprinted on that person's retinas. He named this technique 'thanatography'. Today, the same kind of gruesome ritual and abominable crime recurs within the walls of an international school of cinema.

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Plot Keywords:

eyeballs | eyes gouged out | film school | early technology | eyes wide open | 

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Genres:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Spain] Official soundtrack site

Country:

Italy Spain Ireland

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 January 2009 (Italy)

Filming Locations:

Turin, Piedmont, Italy

Box Office

Budget:

$3,700,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Pixstar, Telecinco Cinema, Industrial Illusions Distribution

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Richard Stanley worked on two drafts of the script while he and Maggie Moor were on vacation in Italy, staying in Rome as guests of Dario Argento. However, the movie was totally re-written by director Stefano Bessoni and Luiso Berdejo.

User Reviews

Really waited for this, but maybe was not the case...

Went to the premiere yesterday and I was a bit disappointed. Nothing new (but this is forgivable) , at time confused and rushed, with some plot holes in the writing (people start missing and die and no one cares? No one calls the police???) and the suspense wasn't always very suspenseful. Some references to the first Argento, some blood but not too extreme, and a final revelation (the mysterious "Imago Mortis") that when finally is captured on a picture my only reaction was "So what???". To say the truth someone in the theater walked away well before the end credits... But I must admit that I've liked the director's style : it's more a psychological thriller than an all-out horror. Unfortunately not all the actors were convincing in their roles (at times too much melodrama, I'm afraid) but some ideas were interesting. Maybe it's the philosophy and the bizarre science described in the story that I've liked more. Not the worst movie experience, but nothing that remains afterward. At least for me. Geraldine Chaplin was in it maybe to help the career of someone she loves: it's one of the good things in the movie, so maybe she was right. We'll see if this "Imago Mortis" will have more life. But through eyes very open...