Phenomena (1985), aka Creepers

PS, this is the version I saw. You'll see what I mean by how beautiful it looks.

"She's not normal. She's diabolic!"

The monkey, as cute as he is in the film bit off a part of Jennifer Connelly's finger off during a scene and it had to be reattached in a hospital.

Elizabeth Arden and Estée Lauder were bitter rivals for decades.

When a prized racehorse that Elizabeth was feeding an apple to had bit the tip of her finger off, someone told Estee. She remarked,

“Well is the horse ok?”

"The use of insects in forensic investigations: An overview on the scope of forensic entomology"

I saw this movie with a friend and his BF when it came out under the name Creepers, and while I was underwhelmed, I remember the BF complained it was the worst film he'd ever seen.

In the '90s the original length version - which was not only about a half hour longer than the American release, but I think had scenes in different order - looked so different (and was much more watchable), it made me think of the expression, "See it again for the first time."

Ouch! And here was I thinking how cute the chimp was!

I thought it was interesting that the costumes were done by Armani in this film.

I really liked it--much better than Suspiria. It's Argento's favorite film.

I really like Suspiria, but I do think there were elements of this that were done better here than there, R8. Interesting that it is his favourite of his films.

It's such a weird little film in a lot of ways, but it just adds to it all.

Some of the dialogue is so weird, but there was a part I liked where Donald Pleasence is talking about knowing what it is like to be an outsider, having other people feel pity, revulsion and so on... I can't remember the quote, but I thought that was actually a good line of dialogue, and perhaps is something Argento understood himself.

I'm not too keen on the heavy metal music used, but the electronic score with the bel canto singing is really great and effective.

R9, dialgoue is never Argento's strong suit. Thank dubbing for that.

R9, I think Phenomena is most personal film which is why he holds it in high esteem.

Giorgio Armani did costume design for this. I was kind of surprised by that when I noticed it in the credits.

I loved this movie when I first saw it because it was so bizarre. Does the dialogue sound better in Italian?

R13, so was I!

R14, I haven't watched this movie in Italian, apart from the few scenes where it switched, but I know in other films the English translation often doesn't quite get the exact feeling across the Italian one does. Having said that, the dubbing sounds kinda odd in every language haha.

R12, that really interests me. Do you know why it might be so personal to him?

I have to say, that guy getting decapitated right at the end as he goes to save Jennifer was really unexpected, even though I should expect shock endings.

Italian horror films are a bore. They always sound like shit because they shoot with no sound (it ain't 1929) and dub everything later.

It always seemed as if Connelly and Pleasance were recorded live for the most part and everyone else was dubbed. I really love Daria Nicolodi's unhinged performance at the end and that final jump scare with the deadly pane of glass is really effective. It might get me some side eye if I say this around certain people, but I like the Creepers cut more. It gets to the point a little quicker and flows better. It was my first exposure to the film, so maybe that has something to do with it.

This was one of the last truly bizarre and wild films that Argento did. His work from the 90's on always feels a little too clean and safe like he was trying to break into the American market instead of going wild with the set design, lighting, death scenes, and camera moves like in his 70's and 80's output. He shot himself in the foot that way. That's what made his films so interesting and unique.

[quote]but I like the Creepers cut more.

I saw someone say this on Reddit just yesterday. I've not seen it so I can't comment. I like the flow of the long version I saw, but I would be curious to see it as Creepers too.

[quote]like he was trying to break into the American market

I think he was with Trauma, unless I'm mistaken. And I think I heard La Sindrome di Stendhal was originally to be filmed in the US as well.

On what the poster above was saying about dubbing, I actually feel Phenomena is the last of his films where the dubbing seems charming and adds to the oddness of the film, rather than just looking dodgy, if that makes sense? I found it more intrusive in Opera and feel that if they had only used proper sound in Stendhal, then that would've helped improve that film immeasurably. (It actually was a pretty good later film, I thought.)

I'd love to know why Phenomena is so personal to Argento. That sounds interesting.