Phenomena (1985)

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Phenomena is a 1985 Italian horror film directed by Dario Argento. An edited version of the film was released in the United States under the title Creepers.

Jennifer Connelly stars as a young girl who arrives at an eerie Swiss boarding school where the students are being butchered by a serial killer. With the help of a wheelchair user entomologist (Donald Pleasence), she discovers she has special psychic powers, and uses them to pursue the killer. It was Argento's first film to be shot in English, although only the scenes of Connelly and Pleasance together were shot sync sound.

Argento himself stated: "Phenomena was inspired by something I heard about insects being used to solve crimes, and because insects have always fascinated me I began to make a story around this idea. You know, it's a terrible thing, but there are many insects that are disappearing. Becoming extinct. But most people only want to kill them. You know, insects have souls, too; they're telepathic... amazing. People want to save the whales and dolphins, but nobody wants to save the insects. I'm a vegetarian, because I don't want to kill things to eat."

Plot

A lost tourist, Vera Grandt (Fiore Argento), is chased by an unseen assailant and beheaded in the Swiss countryside. Sometime later, her head is taken to forensic entomologist John McGregor (Donald Pleasance) by Inspector Rudolf Geiger (Patrick Bauchau) and his assistant, Kurt (Michele Soavi). McGregor estimates the time of death as eight months prior.

Jennifer Corvino (Jennifer Connelly), insect-loving daughter of a movie star, arrives at the Swiss Richard Wagner Academy for Girls, chaperoned by Frau Brückner (Daria Nicolodi), who places her with roommate Sophie (Federica Mastroianni). While sleepwalking through the academy and out onto the roof, Jennifer witnesses a student being murdered. She awakens and falls, fleeing into the village and eventually becoming lost in the woods. McGregor's chimpanzee attendant Inga (Tanga) finds her and leads her to him. Witnessing her apparent interaction with his insects, McGregor comes to believe she has a special gift for telepathy with them. After sheltering with him overnight, she returns to the academy and is subjected to a brain scan by the school doctor (Antonio Maimone) in a bid to cure her somnambulism.

Following an ilicit tryst the same night, Sophie is murdered. Sleepwalking once again, Jennifer finds herself outside the school building and in guided by a firefly to a maggot-covered glove. When other students taunt Jennifer for her connection to insects, she summons a swarm of flies which covers the entire building, then faints. Convinced that Jennifer is insane and possibly responsible for the killings, the headmistress arranges for her to be transferred to a mental hospital for the criminally insane. Jennifer flees to McGregor's home just in time to evade the transfer.

McGregor identifies the maggots as those of the Great Sarcophagus fly, which is drawn to decaying human flesh. He gives one to Jennifer in a glass case and suggests she use it to help track the murderer. Near the now abandoned house where Vera Grandt was attacked, the fly becomes agitated, leading Jennifer to discover a severed hand but she is frightened off by a real estate agent. Inspector Geiger arrives moments later and learns that the house was abandoned eight months ago.

Later that night, McGregor is murdered in his home after Inga is distracted and locked outside. Wandering the woods, the chimpanzee discovers a straight razor in a garbage bin. With nowhere left to go, Jennifer calls her father's lawyer Morris Shapiro for help. Instead of sending cash for a plane ticket, however, he alerts Brückner, who finds Jennifer at the bank waiting for the money to be wired. Jennifer agrees to stay at Brückner's house overnight.

Once there, Brückner explains that the mirrors are all covered because they upset her son, who is profoundly mentally disabled. She then demands that Jennifer take some anti-fever pills. The girl agrees and locks herself in the bathroom for privacy, but after finding more maggots in the room she purges the pill. Suspicious and enraged, Brückner imprisons Jennifer in the house.

Meanwhile, Inspector Geiger arrives after learning that Brückner was the tenant of the house where Vera Grandt was attacked. Shortly afterward, he can be heard screaming as Jennifer engineers her escape through a large hole in the floor that leads through a tunnel to a dungeon. Geiger, disfigured and chained to the wall, grabs at her and she tumbles into a pool full of decaying, maggot-infested corpses. Brückner appears and attempts to finish them off, but Geiger frees himself and holds her off long enough to allow Jennifer to escape.

In the basement, Jennifer finds Brückner's son, Patua (Davide Marotta), with a hideously deformed face. He chases Jennifer onto a motorboat and attempts to kill her, but she summons a swarm of flies that attack him and cause him to drown in the lake. Swimming ashore, she is greeted by Morris Shapiro (Mario Donatone), who has arrived in respone to her earlier phone calls. Before he can rescue her, Brückner appears out of the darkness and decapitates him. Moments later, Inga arrives and kills Brückner with the razor.

Directed by Dario Argento - Produced by Angelo Jacono, Dario Argento - Written by Dario Argento, Franco Ferrini - Starring Jennifer Connelly, Daria Nicolodi, Dalila Di Lazzaro, Donald Pleasance, Patrick Bauchau - Music by Claudio Simonetti, Fabio Pignatelli, Bill Wyman, Simon Boswell - Cinematography Romano Albani
Editing by Franco Fraticelli - Distributed by Titanus, New Line Cinema (USA, theatrical), Anchor Bay Entertainment (USA, DVD) - Release date(s) January 31, 1985 (Italy) August 2, 1985 (USA) - Running time 110 min - Edited version: 82min - Country Italy - Language Italian, German, English - Budget $3,800,000 (estimated)

From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phenomena_(film)