Alternate versions for
Phenomena (1985)

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• The 2004 DVD release from Legacy Entertainment, Inc. (LDVD 9040), under the title "Creepers", lists a running time of "Approx. 110 min." However, the version on the DVD is the highly edited 82 minute version, panned and scanned, and with certain words in the dialog bleeped out.
  
  
• Original version, released in Italy and other parts of Europe, includes a number of scenes left out of the American version, mostly of key dialogue including:
  • Jennifer tells her roommate how her mother left with her lover on Christmas when she was eight;
  • Jennifer eats baby food and explains that she is a vegetarian;
  • John McGregor shows his book on communicating with insects and explains how insects can be used to help solve crimes;
  • Andi Sexgang is shown on Sophie's television performing "The Quick and the Dead";
  • Motorhead's "Locomotive" continues to play in the background during the scene where Inspector Geiger visits the asylum;
  • Iron Maiden's "Flash of the Blade" continues to play as Diezla Sulzer is pursued by the killer in a suspense sequence cut from the U.S. version;
  • Morris Shapiro's unavalability is played like a horror cliche in the U.S. version; here Jennifer is told he is with his family for Passover.
  • Jennifer is given an electroencephalogram after her first sleepwalking attack.
  
  
  
• In addition to the above, some gory scenes featured in the original Italian version were removed from the US release:
  • the scissors stabbing the girl's hand during the first attack;
  • inspector Geiger's breaking his thumb to get out of the hand cuffs;
  • the blade through the back of the head and out the mouth scene.
  
  
  
• The cuts already listed apply to the US and UK version, which is usually titled "Creepers". These cuts amount to around 28 minutes. In addition, the UK censor removed 6 seconds of violence to a woman's face being razor slashed from the cinema version, and 17 seconds from the video release (which edited the same scene even further). The 2000 Platinum Media DVD release (as "Phenomena") restored the BBFC cuts and presented the film in its full original version.
  
  
• A recent US DVD release from Anchor Bay, under the original title "Phenomena", restores all of the cuts above and is almost the same as the Italian full uncut version: however this version is missing two scenes:
  • The scene in the bus where the old woman asks Jennifer to close the window on the bus.
  • The scene in which Mrs. Bruckner tells Jennifer that she is not allowed to use her phone to call Mr. Shapiro.
  
  
  
• The scenes not included in the Anchor Bay DVD release of Phenomena were supposedly omitted because this was requested by the director.
  
  
• The uncut version was released in the UK in 2000 under the original title 'Phenomena'. The cut version is under the title Creepers, though the original Australian release (titled "Creepers,") is actually the same as the American "Director's Cut" (titled "Phenomena.)
  
  
• There is a 116 minute DVD version of Phenomena available from Dragon Entertainment which has scenes not present in the Anchor Bay DVD release. Some of these additional scenes have only Italian audio available. The picture and sound quality is said to be not as good as the Anchor Bay release.
  
  
• The Anchor Bay version also makes some minor cuts during the following scenes:
  • The struggle between Jennifer and Daria Nicolodi in the bathroom has been trimmed.
  • A few frames of the Inspector struggling with Daria Nicolodi in the basement have been removed.
  • The end credits are missing an additional 10 seconds of music.
  
  
  
• Old German Video-Version by NEW VISION was cut in many places to reduce violence
  
  
• The 2004 DVD release from Legacy Entertainment, Inc. (LDVD 9040), under the title "Creepers," lists a running time of "Approx. 110 min." However, the version on the DVD is the highly edited 82 minute version, panned and scanned, and with certain words in the dialog blooped out.
  
  

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