Phenomena

I first saw this movie as Creepers, the heavily cut American version of Phenomena. After watching the newly available uncut version I feel I have seen a full film. There are 28 additional minutes of footage found in the uncut original version, but almost all of it is dialogue that makes the first half sluggishly drag on without much happening. The second half, however, kept me very interested. Some say this movie is very predictable, and I have to agree. The plot is set up for you to expect certain things, and those things do happen, although not in the way you anticipated. It is hard to explain what I mean, but people who have seen this will probably understand. I really do like this movie, it seems very similar to Suspiria in style. That movie also had a slow start, but picked up towards the end. You can't really question a movie like Phenomena, it just unfolds before your eyes. Many people won't get it, and that's fine; Argento films aren't for everyone.

Dario Argento is a genius... this is a fact. The film starts off with a beautifully gory scene, then somewhat mellows out for a while. Some great scenes of night walking/dreaming/etc stand out, but it's not until about 2/3 of the way through the movie that it becomes a classic.

Beheadings, stabbings, and a pool of body parts ensue. But by far the creepiest thing of the movie is when the son who is left alone "with his crazy thoughts" turns around from his corner, revealing his face. This is possibly the scariest thing I have EVER seen on film... even scarier than the robot-butler-doll from Deep Red. And that's saying something.

An amazingly spooky and incredibly gory battle follows, leading up to the gorgeous, bloody end.

Dario Argento can do no wrong.

In Switzerland, the teenager Jennifer Corvino (Jennifer Connelly), daughter of a famous actor, arrives in an expensive board school and shares her room with the French schoolmate Sophie (Federica Mastroianni). Jennifer is a sleepwalker, is capable of telepathically communicate with insects and has adaptation problem in the new school. While sleepwalking, she meets and becomes friend of a Scottish entomologist, Prof. John McGregor (Donald Pleasence), and his chimpanzee Tonga. Jennifer decides to help the investigation of Dr. McGregor about a serial killer that is killing young girls in that area.

It may sound ridiculous, but "Phenomena" has never been released on video in Brazil; only two days ago, "Phenomena" was released on DVD in Brazil and now I am glad to have this movie in my collection. The weird story of Dario Argento, one of my favorite directors, is a total cult, showing bizarre characters and situations, maggots, flies, deformed people, serial killer and lots of bodies and body parts. A fifteen years old Jennifer Connelly in her third work, extremely beautiful, shines in the very original role of a sleepwalker that is very connected to insects and develop the skill of communicate with them. Daria Nicolodi, the mother of Asia Argento and former mate of Dario Argento, has a minor, but very important role. And the versatile Donald Pleasence, in the role of a paraplegic researcher, is efficient as usual. The music score, with Goblin, Iron Maiden and Motorhead, is another great attraction of this movie. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Phenomena"

No pun intended - also way too young to make any jokes about her. But maybe also the reason she was fearless in some aspects - especially considering the animals she had to deal with. Apparently she did have some issues with a scene or two (and her character motivation), but you can either say she was totally committed or way too young to understand certain things. I actually would go with the former - she is amazing in every respect.

All that being said, she is not alone in this movie. Though she is being left alone when it comes to story and logic points (like falling while sleepwalking and still going on - pretty strong sleepwalking power I assume). But you usually do not watch Argento movies for the logic ... and this is no different.

There are two versions of this, the longer italian cut and the shorter international cut (also released as "Creepers" in America apparently). While I understand that some might want a something shorter (no pun intended), it is better to go with the longer ... version. Even if it has a couple of fillers. It also has all the deaths in all their gruesome glory ... just saying.

Acting is quite decent - which also is not something that happens always in an Argento movie. Maybe it had to do with the fact that this had a mostly englsih speaking cast - so not much dubbing that had to be done - or speaking phonetically.

Watch this if you want to know why people think so highly of Argento - while you may have only seen his newer work and don't get it at all (not blaming or shaming you - those movies are horrible - but can be entertaining for all the wrong reasons)! Music and editing again is helping - though I wonder if anyone has called a psychiatrist - considering what Argento is doing to his own daughters ... well one of them here. But Asia will be getting a lot more "pain" and "suffering" later on too (later works/movies that is) ... but it is a movie and I am half kidding ... if you see a crime thriller in this or even a slight Hitchcock vibe (I don't see that particularly - but you may feel different)

Dario Argento is very good at lining up nice shots. If only he could hire someone to review the screenplays and point out all the errors. Any idiot of the street could do it for $10 an hour. Yes, yes, I know the whole "My movies are like a dream" crap, but it's hard to get absorbed in the dream when you keep being smacked over the head with plot inconsistencies and intensely moronic characters. Credit to Phenomena, Jennifer Connelly made one of the few appealing Argento protagonists, and generally didn't behave like a complete nitwit (with several exceptions). David Lynch's movies feel like dreams also, but don't pull you out of your suspension of disbelief with patent stupidity. If you don't know Argento, don't start here. If you've never liked Argento, this won't change your mind. There are some effective moments and nice shots that make the movie not a complete wash, but nothing to really justify it's existence.