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Directed By
Dario Argento
Written By:
Dario Argento, Franco Ferrini
Cast:
Jennifer Connelly, Donald Pleasence, Daria Nicolodi, Dalia di Lazzaro, Patrick Bauchau, Fiore Argento, Michele Soavi, Dario Argento, Davide Marotta, Alberto Cracco, Federica Mastroianni, Fiorenza Tessari, Mario Donatone, Francesca Ottaviani, Franco Trevisi, Marta Biuso, Geraldine Thomas, Franca Berdini, Sophie Bourchier, Alberto Cracco, Paola Gropper, Antonio Maimone, Fulvio Mingozzi, Mitzy Orsini, Marisa Simonetti, Fausta Avelli, Tanga, Kaspar Capparoni, Ninke Hielkema
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Creepers (Phenomena) (1985)
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Movie Review by Zara 
January 24th, 2007
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Better known as PHENOMENA
I'm not going to pu**yfoot around this review with one of my build-ups. PHENOMENA is fantastically, insanely, gloriously BAD. It's that kind of bad that makes me hark back to the days when I would curl up on the living room couch with my dad on a Sunday afternoon and watch Elvira crack jokes at the horrible B movies that she was hosting. It's so bad it almost made me piss myself with laughter, I loved the damn thing that much. It's so bad that it was one of the best DVD watching experiences I've had all year, curled up on the couch with my own daughter and my two sisters, shrieking hysterically over every ludicrous plot twist.
PHENOMENA is another one of those 80's horror slash wanna-be suspense movies where there is an unidentified killer going after teen girls. Centered in the "Swiss Transylvania," it follows the teen daughter of an American movie star (not as if that bit of info is of any importance since the girl never pulls the clout that a movie star's kid should) as she enrolls in a boarding school where girls have been disappearing and coming up dead. Factor in a handicapped entomologist who relies on a chimp for a nurse and then take into consideration that this young girl has an ESP type connection with insects and you've got yourself one priceless piece of cinema.
I'm not sure if this was supposed to play out better in director Argento's native Italian, but the script is tantalizingly stupid, the acting is deliciously cut-rate and the play-by-the-numbers plot almost orgasmic in its utterly ridiculous inconceivability. But it gets better! The entire film is scored with heavy metal music that plays over every twist. Why go for the simplicity of the choreographed breathing of Friday the 13th when you can slam it home with a little Iron Maiden? Better yet, nothing but nothing screams "CLASSIC!!" like a chimp hell-bent on revenge! PHENOMENA is sinfully, decadently bad and I f*cking loved it.
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 | JR
Jan 24, 2007 7:44 PM
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If I may be so bold as to add a few things about this film to the wonderful Awesome Zara's reveiw.
It stars Donald Pleasance and Jennifer Connelly, so fans of those actors take note, as this film is occasionally overlooked. Giallo fave Daria Niccolodi makes an appeaance as well.
Also, be sure you see the film titled Phenomena, and not Creepers: Creepers is a heavily edited, nonsensical version of the film (28 minutes cut!!!!). Dario Argento's Phenomena runs for about 112 minutes!!!
Some of the soundtrack is scored by Bill Wyman, so Rolling Stones fans should take note!! |
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