Phenomena

Phenomena is a fairly low-budget cult horror film from Italian director Dario Argento released in 1985, also under the title of "Creepers" (in an edited version). Creepy internet guys may be pleased to note that the movie stars an underage Jennifer Connelly as well as a supporting cast of nubile young girls, all of whom spend much of the film traipsing about in clingy white shirts and panties. Aside from that, and the fact that this movie was a direct influence (read : ripoff source) for a popular series of cult horror video games known as "Clock Tower", there aren't a whole lot of compelling reasons to watch it.



The movie's setting in the Swiss mountains is interesting at least, and provides for some scenic backdrops. The movie opens with a sequence that is so stereotypical as to be hilarious; a young girl misses her tour bus, and due to having decided to wear nothing but a flimsy see-thru shirt in the cold and windy weather, has to hastily retreat to the first house she sees. Letting herself in, she calls out "I'm a foreigner! And I'm lost!". Unfortunately the only inhabitant is some unknown sadist who takes her down with a pair of scissors and sends her head over a nearby waterfall.

Jennifer Connelly then arrives on the scene as the newest student at an all-girls boarding school. It turns out that there have been a string of murders of young girls in the area, and while sleepwalking she witnesses another one. This also leads her to make friends with Donald Pleasance, who plays a wheelchair-bound etymologist, and his trained monkey companion. Jennifer also discovers she has some weird power over insects. Of course from here there is the usual killing, chasing, etc.


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For the time period, the special effects and scares aren't too bad. The dialogue is uninspired though, and the acting is pretty stiff all around. The characters also do such ludicrously stupid shit (in typical 1980s horror movie style) that it stretches the bounds of credibility too far and detracts from the film. The soundtrack is also really, really odd - a mix of typical horror stuff, but during many of the chase/scare scenes the film busts out with this random Iron Maiden song that basically destroys any tension that may have been building. Maybe hair metal seemed a lot more frightening when it was new, I dunno.

Anyway, as mentioned it's only probably going to be interesting as a curiosity piece for video gamers, horror buffs and pedophiles.



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