Phenomena (1985)

Director:

Dario Argento

Writers:

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

Release Date:

2 August 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Fantasy | 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:

Slit Throat | Beheading | Stabbed In The Head | Disturbing | Stabbed In The Hand

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

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

Thanks
Carlo Zini	....	thanks

Production Companies

• DACFILM Rome

Distributors

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

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:

New Zealand:R16 | Argentina:16 (re-rating) | Netherlands:16 | Argentina:18 (original rating) | 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:

Shot in English and dubbed into Italian.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: After killing the professor, the killer gets in a car and drives away. In the next shot, it shows the killer’s point of view from inside the car as the monkey jumps onto the windshield. But you can clearly see off to the right, a large pine tree branch, and that the car really isn't moving at all.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Death Is Beautiful: Michele Soavi Directs Dellamorte Dellamore (2006) (V)

Soundtrack:

Valley Bolero

a great and weird film

for years this dario argento film has only been available in america in a butchered 82 minute version called Creepers. anchor bay entertainment graciously decided to rerelease this movie in its almost uncut 110 min. version (almost meaning that it's still missing 6 minutes of dialogue from the italian version) and it is definitely the version to see. jennifer connelly plays a girl sent away to a swiss boarding school where a killer has been murdering girls in various ways. jennifer has the most unique ability to communicate with insects and this ability plays heavily into later events in the movie. donald pleasance plays a retired professor who studies insects who befriends connelly ( and his pet monkey almost steals the film) the events that transpire in the film are surreal yet somewhat coherent. like most of argento's films, notably Suspiria, this movie has an almost dreamlike feel to it. it may not make complete sense at times but the style definitely saves it.

i would have to rank this as my second favorite argento movie (with Suspiria being first and Tenebre being third). and remember not to rent american version titled Creepers and check out the original version.