PHENOMENA (1984)



PHENOMENA Italian poster artwork





JENNIFER CONNELLY.....Jennifer Corvino
DONALD PLEASENCE.....Professor John McGregor
DARIA NICOLODI.....Mrs. Bruckner
PATRICK BAUCHAU.....Inspector Rudolf Geiger
DALILA DI LAZZARO.....Headmistress

Produced and Directed by DARIO ARGENTO
Written by DARIO ARGENTO and FRANCO FERRINI


REVIEW BY CHRISTOPHER WEEDMAN


Dario Argento, referred to as "the Italian Hitchcock," is responsible for some of the most styllistically enthralling horror films of the past three decades: Deep Red, Suspiria, Inferno, Opera, etc. They are full of weird camera movements, unique camera angles, beautiful production designs, vivid photography, and some of the most repulsive images ever projected on to celluloid. His 1984 shocker Phenomena (released in the United States as Creepers) is no exception.

Phenomena is an unsettling yet very remarkable example of superb horror filmmaking. Jennifer Connelly stars as Jennifer Corvno, the daughter of a popular male movie star. Young Jennifer has been sent to Switzerland to attend an all girls' school, and she absolutely hates it there. Her classmates want nothing to do with her, because they are unable to come to terms with her strange special gift: the ability to telepahically communicate with all insects.

Jennifer soon finds a friend in a world renown entomologist, who desperately needs her help. Professor John McGregor (played by Donald Pleasence---in one of his many Italian slasher film performances) has been asked by the police department to help them find a knife wielding psychotic, who has decapitated several teenage girls. McGregor feels that with Jennifer's powers, she will be able to coerce a special fly, which possesses the ability to locate rotting flesh, to lead her to more bodies and possibly the killer.

The storyline is far from plausible and, except for fine performances by Connelly and Pleasence, much of the acting is of very low caliber (not even to mention the atrocious dubbing of the Italian actors voices). So, you may be wondering, "why is this guy giving this film three and a half stars?" Very simple. Phenomena is totally original and one hell of a terrifying film. What better qualities could you ask out of a horror movie?

Too many horror films are just carbon copies of what has already been popular; we are still constantly bombarded with rip-offs of Psycho, Halloween, The Exorcist, and Jaws. The great thing about viewing an Argento film is that you never walk out of the theatre saying you have seen this before. On the surface, you would think that Argento constantly repeats himself, because he almost always uses the crazed killer storyline, but that is not the case. Like Hitchcock (who used the "wrong man" theme constantly in his films), Argento uses his dazzling imagery to make each film distinguishable from the rest of the pack; it is always fascinating to see how he keeps reinventing the same storyline time and time again, and he always makes it remain so fresh and original. If you have never seen an Argento film, I urge you to watch one--it is quite a trip. Phenomena would be perfect for starters.



Review © 1997 THE MAN WITH THE HYPNOTIC EYE. All Rights Reserved.

Poster artwork courtesy of Tor Jonehag

Poster artwork © 1984 DACFILM ROME / INTRA FILMS WORLD SALES

Title and logo designed by Karen Rappaport




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