About the Movie
After viewing only the
US version, entitled Creepers, which runs at
approximately 82 minutes long, I found Phenomena to
have much more footage intact, what with some 28
minutes being cut. Phenomena starts off with a
foreign tourist missing her bus, then discovering a
house, where she goes to ask for help, but ends up
being brutally ran down and killed by a stranger, who
breaks free from a prison of chains within the house.
The film then moves onto the residence of John
McGreggor (played by the wonderful Donald Pleasence,
who will not be missed), an entomologist, where two
detectives have joined him in trying to uncover the
murder of the girl, whose head was the only thing
they found of her. John McGreggor has a sweet and
often
amusing chimpanzee, who he loves dearly, and must
rely on for a lot, for he is crippled.
The film then introduces us to Jennifer Corvino
(the
beautiful Jennifer Connelly, in her second role),
all-american daughter of a famous actor, who is sent
off to a prominent all girls' boarding school in
Switzerland. Jennifer has a sleepwalking problem, but that's the least of her worries when Jennifer arrives to the school, and many of the girls start to disappear, as a vicious
murderer brutally kills them, all of the bodies or
clues containing maggots on them.
When Jennifer meets John McGreggor, she discovers
she
has the ability to communicate with insects
telepathically, as it is normal for many insects to
be just a bit telepathic...but is Jennifer normal?
Jennifer then sets off to stop the murderer with the
aid of her insect friends. Who could be the killer?
You'll find out in this weirdly terrifying film from
the Italian Hitchcock, Dario Argento, that will "make
your skin crawl!"
I love this movie! It's always been one of my
favorites, and my favorite Argento film, from the
very start to the maggot-infested conclusion. If you
enjoy films with optimum potential, creepiness, and a
fantastic soundtrack, then this is for you! By all
means, see this uncut and uncensored version under
the title of Phenomena, instead of the horribly
butchered Creepers. Check it out now!
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