![]() ![]() The wacky elements are both exciting and a flaw within Phenomena. The traditional giallo elements fall away, and Argento is actually not too concerned about the act of killing rather, his emphasis is on Jennifer and her detective abilities as she begins to search for the killer using a specific type of fly as her guide. McGregor keeps a monkey as a nurse for Christ’s sake! Argento shares this character’s obsession with entomology, giving Jennifer a paranormal connection to insects that allows her to experience certain things, whether it be their fear or a sort of second sight that allows her to see the murders taking place. Even Phenomena‘s opening murder sequence feels like a replay of some of his other works, setting the tone for a relatively familiar giallo feature about an unseen killer murdering women in obscenely beautiful ways.īut Phenomena quickly transitions away from the norm. It features beautiful setpieces, interesting cinematography choices, and has the fortune of relying on the Swiss countryside setting for its lush colorful backdrop. And that’s not even the half of it.Īrgento’s opening moments are very reminiscent of Suspiria and Inferno despite Phenomena not being a part of the Mother trilogy: Jennifer (Connelly) heads to a strange all-girls school, encounters a ferocious headmistress, and deals with bullying due to her strange characteristics. Employing a very young Jennifer Connelly and an aging Donald Pleasance, the film follows a string of violent murders at a school for girls, told through the perspective of a woman who can emotionally connect with insects. His works were always strange and in some ways psychedelic, but Phenomena (or Creepers in the US) crosses the line from giallo realism into something far different, both less believable and crazier than some of the more stoically-rooted Italian horror slashers. Phenomena‘s title truly does encapsulate the scope of Dario Argento’s giallo film following seminal works Tenebrae, Suspiria, and The Cat o’ Nine Tails. The original 116 minute cut of the film is the subject of this review, ![]() Note: this is a review of Synapse Films’ two-disc Blu-Ray, not the extensive steelbook version. Year of Release: 1985 (original)/2017 (Blu-Ray) McGregor, Jennifer helps track down the killer(s?) because the police clearly don’t have a handle on it.Īctors: Jennifer Connelly, Donald Pleasance, Fiore Argento, Daria Nicolodi But Jennifer has a gift – she has a supernatural link with bugs – and working with the local entomologist/doctor/author/chimp owner Dr. Unfortunately, it’s the worst time of year for her to go there – not because of the Swiss winds, but because of a brutal killer lurking around the school killing all of Jennifer’s classmates. Jennifer is the daughter of the popular actor Paul Corvino, but she’s been sent to an all girls school in the Swiss countryside (called Swiss Transylvania) to spend her time. ![]()
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