Phenomena (1985)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Dario Argento

Writers:

Dario Argento (screenplay)
Dario Argento (story)
(more)

Release Date:

2 August 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Jennifer Has A Few Million Close Friends. She's Going To Need Them _All_.

Plot:

A young girl, with an amazing ability to communicate with insects, is transferred to an exclusive Swiss boarding school, where her unusual capability might help solve a string of murders.

Plot Keywords:

Insect | Serial Killer | Sleepwalking | Boarding School | Chimpanzee

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Jennifer Connelly	...	Jennifer Corvino
Daria Nicolodi	...	Frau Brückner
Dalila Di Lazzaro	...	Headmistress
Patrick Bauchau	...	Inspector Rudolf Geiger
Donald Pleasence	...	Professor John McGregor
Fiore Argento	...	Vera Brandt
Federica Mastroianni	...	Sophie
Fiorenza Tessari	...	Gisela Sulzer
Mario Donatone	...	Morris Shapiro
Francesca Ottaviani	...	Nurse
Michele Soavi	...	Kurt, Geiger's Assistant
Franco Trevisi	...	Real Estate Agent
Fausta Avelli	...	Schoolgirl
Marta Biuso	...	Schoolgirl
Sophie Bourchier	...	Schoolgirl
Paola Gropper	...	Schoolgirl
Ninke Hielkema	...	Schoolgirl
Mitzy Orsini	...	Schoolgirl
Geraldine Thomas	...	Schoolgirl
Tanga	...	Inga
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Nick Alexander	...	Real estate agent (voice: English version) (uncredited)
Dario Argento	...	Narrator (Italian version) (voice) (uncredited)
Franca Berdini	...	Teacher (uncredited)
Kaspar Capparoni	...	Karl, Sophie's Boyfriend (uncredited)
Alberto Cracco	...	UBS Bank Teller (uncredited)
Carolyn De Fonseca	...	Frau Brückner (voice: English version) (uncredited)
Antonio Maimone	...	EEG Doctor (uncredited)
Davide Marotta	...	Patua, Bruckner Child (uncredited)
Fulvio Mingozzi	...	Mr. Sulzer (uncredited)
Marisa Simonetti	...	Schoolgirl (uncredited)

Directed by
Dario Argento

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Dario Argento		screenplay
Dario Argento		story
Franco Ferrini		screenplay
Franco Ferrini		story

Produced by
Dario Argento	....	producer
Angelo Jacono	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Simon Boswell
Goblin

Cinematography by
Romano Albani

Film Editing by
Franco Fraticelli

Production Design by
Maurizio Garrone
Nello Giorgetti
Luciano Spadoni
Umberto Turco

Costume Design by
Giorgio Armani
Marina Malavasi
Patrizia Massaia

Makeup Department
Carboni	....	hair stylist
Patrizia Corridoni	....	hair stylist
M. Garrone	....	special makeup effects artist
Pierantonio Mecacci	....	makeup artist
Rocchetti	....	hair stylist
Sergio Stivaletti	....	special makeup effects artist
Barbara Morosetti	....	assistant makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Cesare Jacolucci	....	production manager
Angelo Jacono	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Bettina Graebe	....	second assistant director
Michele Soavi	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Roberto Giancaterini	....	property master
Mario Grilli	....	set painter
Renato Lori	....	set dresser
Osvaldo Monaco	....	property master
Giuseppe Pagnotta	....	construction grip
Giuseppe Pagnotta	....	property master
Rina Villani	....	set dresser

Sound Department
Nick Alexander	....	sound effects editor
Vito Catania	....	boom operator
Franco Fraticelli	....	supervising sound editor
Sergio Graziani	....	dubbing sound
Giancarlo Laurenzi	....	sound mixer
Federico Savina	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby
Danilo Sterbini	....	sound mixer

Special Effects by
Antonio Corridori	....	special effects
Danilo Bollettini	....	special effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Luigi Cozzi	....	special optical effects

Stunts
Eleonora Quaranta	....	stunts
Giorgio Ricci	....	stunt coordinator
Attilio Severini	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Alberto Altibrandi	....	gaffer
Gianlorenzo Battaglia	....	underwater photographer
Francesco Bellomo	....	still photographer: action stills (as Franco Bellomo)
Aldo Bergamini	....	assistant camera
Alfredo Ciarpelloni	....	grip
Maurizio di Stefano	....	electrician
Sergio Dori	....	electrician
Cesare Emidi	....	grip
Luciano Giusepponi	....	grip
Giancarlo Mereschini	....	grip
Agostino Pascarella	....	key grip
Nicola Pecorini	....	Steadicam operator
Leandro Punturi	....	grip
Stefano Ricciotti	....	camera operator
Alessandro Rinaldi	....	second assistant camera
Otello Santoro	....	electrician
Vittorio Tonin	....	electrician

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Giovanna Jacono	....	wardrobe
Marina Malavasi	....	wardrobe assistant
Patrizia Massaia	....	wardrobe assistant

Editorial Department
Piero Bozza	....	first assistant editor
Sergio Fraticelli	....	assistant editor
Roberto Priori	....	second assistant editor

Music Department
Simon Boswell	....	composer: maggots scene music
Piero Bozza	....	music editor
Vincent Messina	....	music soundtrack producer
Fabio Pignatelli	....	musician
Claudio Simonetti	....	musician
Terry Taylor	....	musician

Transportation Department
Cartocci	....	transportation
Romana Transporti	....	transportation

Other crew
Ferdinando Armati	....	special entomological photography
Daniel Berquiny	....	owner of chimpanzee "tanga"
Ferdinando Caputo	....	chief production accountant
Giulio Cestari	....	production accountant
Antonio Corridori	....	special stage effects
Fabio Dell'uomo	....	assistant entomologist
Fabrizio Diaz	....	production secretary
Egle Friggeri	....	production secretary
Maurizio Garrone	....	animal and insect supplier
Sheila Goldberg	....	dialogue coach
Enrico Lucherini	....	unit publicist
Saverio Mangogna	....	production secretary
Giorgio Ricci	....	gunsmith
Renato Rinaldo	....	production accountant
Serenella Severini	....	production secretary
Enrico Stella	....	entomology consultant
Aldo Taloni	....	chief set builder
Vivalda Vigorelli	....	script supervisor
Carlo Zini	....	jewellery
Cesare Barbetti	....	voice dubbing: Patrick Bauchau (uncredited)
Maria Pia Di Meo	....	voice dubbing: Dalila Di Lazzaro (uncredited)
Sergio Graziani	....	voice dubbing: Donald Pleasance (uncredited)
Roberto Ornaro	....	production accountant (uncredited)
Ilaria Stagni	....	voice dubbing: Jennifer Connelly (uncredited)

Thanks
Carlo Zini	....	thanks

Production Companies

• DACFILM Rome

Distributors

• Titanus Distribuzione (1985) (Italy) (theatrical)
• New Line Cinema (1985) (USA) (theatrical) (dubbed)
• Media Home Entertainment (1985) (USA) (VHS)
• Creswin Distribution (1986) (Canada) (theatrical) (dubbed) (cut US version)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Roan Group, The (1999) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Dragon Film Entertainment (DFE) (2001) (Germany) (DVD) (long version)
• TF1 Vidéo (2001) (France) (DVD)
• MRA Entertainment Group (2004) (Australia) (DVD) (as "Creepers")
• Umbrella Entertainment (2004) (Australia) (DVD)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• EastWest Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• SBP (2006) (Argentina) (DVD)
• SBP (2006) (Argentina) (VHS) (re-release)
• Works Editora (2006) (Brazil) (DVD)
• New Line Home Video (198?) (USA) (video)

Other Companies

• Fratelli Cartocci S.r.l.  transportation
• Giorgio Armani  Jennifer Connelly's costumes
• Rocchetti e Carboni  wigs

Also Known As:

Creepers (USA)

Runtime:

110 min | 116 min (integral version) | USA:110 min (re-release) | USA:82 min (edited version)

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian | English | German | Swiss German | Danish

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Netherlands:16 | Argentina:16 (re-rating) | Argentina:18 (original rating) | New Zealand:R16 | Australia:R (as "Creepers") (DVD rating) (cut) | Australia:R (as "Phenomena) (DVD rating) (uncut) | Australia:R (original rating) | Denmark:15 (video premiere) | France:-12 | Italy:VM14 | Norway:18 (video premiere) | Spain:18 | UK:18 | USA:R | USA:Unrated (director's cut) | West Germany:18 | Finland:K-18

Filming Locations:

Elios Studios, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company:

DACFILM Rome

Trivia:

Director Dario Argento said that his idea for the look of the killer child came from the real genetic disorder Patau Syndrome, which causes severe deformation of the face. For this reason, Argento calls the child Patau, even though he is never named during the film.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Jennifer finds the small boy, she removes a sheet from a mirror. In the next shot the sheet is draped back over the mirror again.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The House That Freddy Built (2006) (V)

Soundtrack:

The Insects

Total Cult

In Switzerland, the teenager Jennifer Corvino (Jennifer Connelly), daughter of a famous actor, arrives in an expensive board school and shares her room with the French schoolmate Sophie (Federica Mastroianni). Jennifer is a sleepwalker, is capable of telepathically communicate with insects and has adaptation problem in the new school. While sleepwalking, she meets and becomes friend of a Scottish entomologist, Prof. John McGregor (Donald Pleasence), and his chimpanzee Tonga. Jennifer decides to help the investigation of Dr. McGregor about a serial killer that is killing young girls in that area.

It may sound ridiculous, but "Phenomena" has never been released on video in Brazil; only two days ago, "Phenomena" was released on DVD in Brazil and now I am glad to have this movie in my collection. The weird story of Dario Argento, one of my favorite directors, is a total cult, showing bizarre characters and situations, maggots, flies, deformed people, serial killer and lots of bodies and body parts. A fifteen years old Jennifer Connelly in her third work, extremely beautiful, shines in the very original role of a sleepwalker that is very connected to insects and develop the skill of communicate with them. Daria Nicolodi, the mother of Asia Argento and former mate of Dario Argento, has a minor, but very important role. And the versatile Donald Pleasence, in the role of a paraplegic researcher, is efficient as usual. The music score, with Goblin, Iron Maiden and Motorhead, is another great attraction of this movie. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Phenomena"