Pauly Shore Is Dead
The Bellboy
Trash Humpers
TMNT (2007)
Thanks for the analysis, $#(#$*)(*#)$(*)(%*#)(^*(*#($&#%,, I'll definitely have to re-watch LDV with a new perspective. I trust your judgement, you're a good man.
Brad, as a lover of Death Proof, and Deadly Friend, it's odd to me that you'd make the argument of Phenomena being too silly to be a masterpiece. Especially after claiming that Argento's greatest, and pretty much only strength is making a visually captivating film. Which I'd agree with it being his biggest strength, yet I wouldn't say that it's exclusive.
The reason I love Phenomena so much is that it's a majestically captivating, adventurous, campy-horror-detective flick that's not afraid to be a little rough around the edges. It provides many impressive visuals, while not being as hellbent on being silky smooth like many of Argento's other flicks, which gives the film a fine raw edge that a much higher praised film, like Suspiria, lacks. Plus, Donald Pleasance (RIP), and Jennifer Conelly both did an outstanding job in each of their roles, and the ending is
fucking AWESOME, on-par with Sleepaway Camp.
I've never bothered with Creepers, and probably never will. I wouldn't wanna plague my brain with the remains of a slaughtered masterpiece. I'm not alone in my adoration either.
From IMDB -
Quote:
Absolutely Phenomenal! 19 January 2007 | by Benjamin Gauss (Salzburg, Austria) – See all my reviews
This Is A Review Of The Uncut Version.
Dario Argento's "Phenomena" of 1985 is an absolute masterpiece of horror coming along with an ingenious soundtrack by Goblin. Argento has enriched the Horror/Giallo genre by quite a bunch of brilliant films, including such stunning pictures as "The Bird With The Crystal Plumage" (1970), "Tenebre"(1982) and "Opera" (1987), "Penomena" is (in my opinion) his greatest achievement alongside his masterpieces "Suspiria" of 1977 and "Profondo Rosso" of 1975. A brilliant, extremely scary, stunning and visually breathtaking film, "Phenomena" is an absolute must-see for every Horror-fan.
Jennifer Corvino (Jennifer Conelly), the daughter of an American movie star, is sent to an elite girl's boarding school in the Swiss mountains, more precisely in a part of Switzerland referred to by locals as 'The Swiss Transylvania'. The area is currently terrorized by a serial killer of girls, whose victims are always heinously dismembered. Although a friendly and lovable person, Jennifer does not make too many friends in the boarding school, and due to her sleepwalking most of the other girls think of her as weird. But sleepwalking is not her only unusual characteristic. Jennifer loves insects, and insects also seem to have a strong affection for her. While Inspector Geiger (Patrick Buchau) is investigating the brutal murders, Jennifer befriends wheelchair-bound entomologist Prof Mc Gregor (Donald Pleasence), who helps the police with their investigations...
Then 15-year-old Jennifer Conelly's acting is simply outstanding, a perfect performance from the beginning to the end. The supporting cast is also very good, the great Donald Pleasence's performance as Prof Mc Gregor is just one of many very memorable performances in "Phenomena". As usual for Argento, the movie is impressively photographed on great, scary locations. Dario Argento has always placed great emphasis on impressive colors (especially red, of course), and hardly ever have I seen a movie as visually stunning and awe-inspiring as Phenomena. The brilliant Progressive Rock Soundtrack by Goblin manages to even intensify the suspense, and is one of the best scores I have ever heard in a horror film.
Partially a Giallo, and partially a horror film with psychic and transcendental elements, "Phenomena" is a creepy film that is scary as hell. It is also easily one of Argento's most brutal movies, and therefore maybe not the kind of film for people who are too sensitive when it comes to violence in movies. Phenomena was also released under the title "Creepers" in the US, but that was a cut (or should I say mutilated) version of only 82 minutes. I have always seen the uncut version, which runs about 111 minutes, and I definitely recommend anybody else to do so, since every minute of the movie is stunning and indispensable, and I can't even imagine which (certainly essential) 29 minutes they cut out in the other versions. A true masterpiece of horror cinema, "Phenomena" is, in my opinion, Dario Argento's greatest movie besides "Suspiria" and "Profondo Rosso". Superbly written and directed, outstandingly acted, impressively photographed and extremely creepy and scary from the beginning to the end "Phenomena" is absolutely phenomenal. A stroke of genius! 10/10
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And damn AC, I didn't know Schramm was by the same guy who did the Nekromantik films! I was actually planning on watching it tonight. I'm super pumped now.