Trauma (1993)

Director:

Dario Argento

Writers:

Franco Ferrini (story) and
Gianni Romoli (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

12 March 1993 (Italy)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Some Nightmares Haunt You. Some... Can Kill You.

Plot:

A young man tries to help a teenage European girl whom escaped from a clinic hospital after witnessing the murder of her parents by a serial killer and they try to find the killer before the killer finds them.

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Serial Killer | Stabbing | Murder Witness | One Word Title

Cast

Christopher Rydell	...	David Parsons
Asia Argento	...	Aura Petrescu
Piper Laurie	...	Adriana Petrescu
Frederic Forrest	...	Dr. Judd
Laura Johnson	...	Grace Harrington
Dominique Serrand	...	Stefan Petrescu
James Russo	...	Capt. Travis
Ira Belgrade	...	Arnie
Brad Dourif	...	Dr. Lloyd
Hope Alexander-Willis	...	Linda Quirk
Sharon Barr	...	Hilda Volkman
Isabell O'Connor	...	Georgia Jackson (as Isabell Monk)
Cory Garvin	...	Gabriel Pickering
Terry Perkins	...	Mrs. Pickering
Tony Saffold	...	Ben Aldrich
Peter Moore	...	Mark Leneer
Lester Purry	...	Sgt. Carver
David Chase	...	Sid Marigold
Jacqueline Kim	...	Alice (as Jacqui Kim)
Rita Vassallo	...	Rita
Stephen D'Ambrose	...	Pale man
Bonita Parsons	...	Prime woman
Gregory Beech	...	Deal man
Kevin Dutcher	...	John Miller
Kathy Quirk	...	Gare Grayson
E.A. Violet Boor	...	Mrs. Potter
Les Exodus	...	Reggae Band
Onesmo Kibira	...	Reggae Band
Innocent Mafalingundi	...	Reggae Band (as Innocent Mifalingundi)
Charles Petrus	...	Reggae Band
Lance Pollonais	...	Reggae Band
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Fiore Argento	...	Farraday Clinic receptionist (uncredited)
Ric McCloud	...	Police Detective (uncredited)

Directed by
Dario Argento

Writing credits
Franco Ferrini		(story) and
Gianni Romoli		(story) (as Giovanni Romoli) and
Dario Argento		(story)
Dario Argento		(written by) and
T.E.D. Klein		(written by)
Ruth Jessup		(additional dialogue)

Produced by
Dario Argento	....	producer
Chris Beckman	....	line producer
T. David Pash	....	executive producer
Andrea Tinnirello	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Pino Donaggio

Cinematography by
Raffaele Mertes

Film Editing by
Bennett Goldberg
Dario Argento		(uncredited in English language prints)

Casting by
Ira Belgrade
Louis DiGiaimo

Production Design by
Billy Jett

Art Direction by
Nance Derby

Set Decoration by
Jacqueline Jacobson Scarfo		(as Jacqueline Jacobson)

Costume Design by
Leesa Evans

Makeup Department
Greg Funk	....	special makeup effects
Lori Guidroz	....	hair stylist: Ms. Laurie
Desne J. Holland	....	key hair stylist (as Desne Holland)
Desne J. Holland	....	key makeup artist (as Desne Holland)
Will Huff	....	special makeup effects
Tracey Levy	....	assistant key hair stylist (as Tracey Lea Roden)
Tracey Levy	....	assistant key makeup artist (as Tracey Lea Roden)
Christopher P. Martin	....	special makeup effects (as Christopher Martin)
Cheryl Ann Nick	....	assistant key hair stylist (as Cheryl Nick)
Cheryl Ann Nick	....	assistant key makeup artist (as Cheryl Nick)
Tom Savini	....	makeup artist
Tom Savini	....	special makeup effects

Production Management
Steve Barnett	....	post-production supervisor
Andrew Sands	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Daniel Carrey	....	second second assistant director
Philip Elins	....	second assistant director
Rod Smith	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Joel Benton	....	property master
Bob Hedstrom	....	construction coordinator
Michael Morgenthal	....	assistant art director
Cory Schubert	....	on-set dresser

Sound Department
Jack Bornoff	....	boom operator
Timothy A. Carpenter	....	sound effects editor
Paul Coogan	....	sound recordist

Special Effects by
Paul Murphy	....	physical effects supervisor

Stunts
Jack Gill	....	stunt coordinator: car crash
Ky Michaelson	....	stunt coordinator
Ky Michaelson	....	stunts
Donna Quinn	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Steve Austen	....	24 frame video operator: Intervideo
Chris Barry	....	grip
Richard Cantu	....	first assistant camera
Nick Cupkovic	....	best boy electric
Scott Fischel	....	generator operator
Kirk R. Gardner	....	Steadicam operator (as Kirk Gardner)
Kirk R. Gardner	....	camera operator (as Kirk Gardner)
Judah Hannah	....	video assistant support services
D.J. Harder	....	second assistant camera
Kevin Kennedy	....	key grip
Dennis Lynch	....	second assistant camera
Bruce Macaulay	....	still photographer
Edgar Martin	....	best boy grip
Michael Marzovilla	....	gaffer
Michael 'Flash' McDonald	....	electrician
Thomas O'Connor	....	grip
Carlo Ontal	....	still photographer
Mike Rivard	....	videographer
Chris Skutch	....	dolly grip (as Christopher Skutch)
Chris Skutch	....	key grip (as Christopher Skutch)
Jerome Thelia	....	videographer
Chris Van Zant	....	electrician
Niel Williams	....	grip (as Neil Williams)

Casting Department
Barbara Shelton	....	local casting
Andi Wulff	....	extras casting (as Andrea Wulff)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Allyson Brown	....	wardrobe supervisor
Susan Strubel	....	wardrobe assistant

Editorial Department
Jim Schimmerhorn	....	assistant film editor

Music Department
Pino Donaggio	....	orchestrator
Victor Giukovl	....	conductor
Natale Massara	....	orchestrator

Transportation Department
Paul Giorgi	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Jon Bergholz	....	location manager
Dea Cantu	....	script supervisor (as Dea Hickox)
David Diamond	....	set production assistant
Paul Draper	....	dialogue coach
Holly Edwards	....	assistant production coordinator
Martin Allan Kloner	....	set production assistant (as Martin Kloner)
Beth Ann Lundin	....	assistant location manager (as Beth Lundin)
Michael Lupu	....	language coach: Romanian
David Ray Martin	....	assistant production coordinator
Jessica Molitor	....	physical effects assistant
Barbara Pastrovich	....	set production assistant
Nikki Porter	....	unit publicist
Abigail Sheiner	....	production coordinator
Paolo Steffan	....	synthesizer programmer
Cid Swank	....	unit publicist
Luciano Tartaglia	....	production accountant

Production Companies

• ADC Films
• Overseas FilmGroup

Distributors

• Republic Pictures (1993) (USA) (theatrical)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Astro Distribution (1995) (Germany) (video) (laserdisc)
• Beam Entertainment (Japan) (DVD producer)
• Creative Axa Co. Ltd. (Japan) (DVD)
• Delta Vidéo Diffusion (1994) (France) (VHS)
• Ekaterinburg Art Home Video (EAHV) (Russia) (VHS)
• Laser Paradise (2003) (Germany) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Bulgarian Symphony Orchestra  music performed by
• Editdroid  edit in
• Encore Video  film to video transfer
• Film Finances Italia S.r.l.  completion bond
• Inter Video  24-frame video playback
• Interlock Studios  sound effects
• Leggs Inc.  grip/electric equipment
• Lighthouse Inc.  pee wee dolly equipment
• LucasArts Entertainment Company  video to laserdisc transfer
• Minnesota Film Board  the producers wish to thank
• Mitchell, Silberberg & Knupp  legal services
• Northern Lights Travel  travel provided by
• Producers & Artists Services  payroll services
• The Minneapolis Film Office  the producers wish to thank

Also Known As:

Aura's Enigma (USA) (working title)
Dario Argento's Trauma (USA) (complete title)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence and terror, and for some sexuality and language.

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

Italy | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

USA:Unrated (unrated DVD version) | Italy:VM14 | Australia:MA | Germany:18 | UK:18 | USA:R | Argentina:18 | Finland:K-18

Filming Locations:

Hopkins, Minnesota, USA

Company:

ADC Films

Trivia:

Argento's usual collaborating rock band Goblin was originally suggested to write and perform the music score for the film, but were declined by the American producers who wanted something more friendly to the American audience, therefore Pino Donaggio's orchestral score was used.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in May (2002)

Soundtrack:

The Loss

Underrated, but no masterpiece

There are some good stuff here to be sure. Argento-fans tend to rate this way down on the scale and criticize it for being to "americanized". I don't agree. Sure, there is a certain sense of "half-baked Argento" here and there, but I don't find that to be a minus point. If anything, being made in the states, it has more convincing performances and the production values can not be faulted. It's look may seem aneamic if viewed beside "Suspiria" or something more of Argento's more gaudy creations, but I think that this is intentional. Cinematography it absolutely top-notch, conveying a suitably spooky atmosphere to many scenes. The story is fairly straight-forward for an Argento movie, but not standard fare, and if this had been made by a newcomer it would have been hailed as very solid suspenser indeed. The plot twists and turns even if the outcome isn't too much of a surprise. However, one thing really bothers me about "Trauma". The sfx-work by Tom Savini is truly awful. Some scenes, like the one in the elevator-shaft, start creepy enough but are ruined by the effects overall cheesiness (the falling head is only laughable instead of frightening). Shame on you, Savini! Bring on Sergio Stivalletti! Another thing that's not very good is Pino Donaggios score, which he seems to have composed in his sleep. It's not bad, it's just that it seems so routine. Compared to "Deep red" and a few others, this is not Argento at his best. But even Argento at half-speed is better and more interesting than most directors produce within a lifetime.