User reviews

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"

This movie seems to be either loved or hated. Those that love it seems to be Argento fans that have succumbed to the style and imagination. Those that hate it seems to get annoyed at script flaws, soundtrack, actors etc.

Most of the criticizers seems to have missed the point. Dario Argentos movies is supposed to be watched and experienced, not dissected looking for flaws etc. which is true for most movies. I have the ability to turn the criticizer off when I watch movies, especially when it comes to horror/fantasy/scifi. They're movies, not documentaries, and they're not supposed to reflect your reality. Think of them as dreams, and we all know that dreams are most often illogical, strange and wonderful. That's the frame of mind I have when I watch Argento movies. And Phenomena is great in that aspect since it builds upon imagination.

Phenomena was the first Argento movie I watched, and it turned me into a big fan of his work. Donald Pleasance is great as useful, and Jennifer Connelly made many of us aware of how much we all want to meet her (at least the male audience). I watch this movie in much the same way as I did Suspiria (masterpiece), as a fantasy horror, a sweet nightmare. The first scene, where the Danish girl misses the bus and looks for help is unforgettable. The fact that the rest of the cast is a bunch of young and inexperienced teenagers is something most of the viewers familiar with Italian horror are used to.

Would I recommend this? Absolutely, it's one of the better Argento movies. Who would like it? Anybody with an open mind and interested in prime italian fantasy/horror.

(****1/2 out of *****) My personal favorite Argento picture, this stars a young Jennifer Connelly (who would later go on to win a best supporting actress oscar for "A Beautiful Mind") as an American student in a snobby Swiss boarding school that is being terrorized by a brutal serial killer. Helping Connelly find the murderer are crippled Donald Pleasance, his intelligent primate assistant, and the entire insect world, with which Connelly has an unexplainable psychic connection. This movie may be short on sense and logic, but it more than makes up for it with outrageous style and bizarre uniqueness. It's like a twisted fairy tale, with heroic flies, disfigured killer midgets, and vengeful chimpanzees with straight razors. As in Argento's "Opera," some of the use of annoying late ‘80s metal bands (like Iron Maiden and Motorhead) doesn't work half as well as the ominously beautiful score composed by Claudio Simonetti. Argento's never been a great writer of dialogue, so some of the lines seem pretty stilted, and you also have to put up with some so-so acting from a good majority of the cast (also, unfortunately, typical of a lot of Argento's movies), but these things are easy to overlook in the midst of the nightmarish beauty and creepy atmosphere on display here. Also stars Daria Nicolodi in a more wicked role than usual and Patrick Bauchau as a police detective.

HIGHLIGHT: The plot becomes more and more freakishly surreal until Connelly finds herself, first, in an underground tunnel, following the extension cord of a telephone (a scene reminiscent of Alice in a seriously frightening Wonderland), and, later, in a filthy pool full of human bones and maggots.

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)

¨Creepers¨or ¨Phenomena¨ is a nice Giallo full of grisly killings , suspense and bizarre intrigue. A teenager(Jennifer Connelly), with an amazing and unusual capability to communicate with insects , is moved to an exclusive Swiss girls' boarding school ruled by a rigid principal (Dalila Di Lazzaro) . As there happens several murders with bloody and creepy executions . Meanwhile the series killer goes on a real massacre on various unfortunate victims in a string of loathing murders. The girl who has a most unusual relationship with insects might help solve some gruesome killings. Slowly more people are found dead and a scientific (Donald Pleasence)expert on insects investigates the strange killings committed by a mad murderous running amok and with numerous suspects .

Dario Argento's great success is compelling directed with startling visual content. This frightening movie is plenty of thrills, chills, body-count and strange color with phenomenal results. This is a classic slasher where the intrigue,tension, suspense appear threatening and lurking in every room, corridors and luxurious interior and exterior. The movie belongs to Italian Giallo genre that was invented by Mario Bava along with Riccardo Freda(Secret of Dr. Hitchcock) , they are the fundamental creators . These Giallo movies are characterized by overblown use of color with shining red blood, usual zooms, and utilization of images-shock . Later appears the maestro Dario Argento with his typically stylish Giallos, he is another essential creator of classic Latin terror films. Argento's so-so direction is well crafted, and as always more inclined toward violence and lots of killings . This genuinely mysterious story is well made and is one of the best ¨Giallo¨ with oneiric, effective aesthetic ; it packs lots of gore, guts and twists plots . This is a trademark terror work for the Horrormeister Argento with high tension quotient and equally high suspense by means of an ever-fluid camera that achieves colorful shots . Noteworthy for intelligent edition work that tightens the mystery, glimmer use of color and distinctive utilization of shock images. Sometimes weak screenplay is added by nice but gory special effects with insects .Screeching musical score by Goblin with stereophonic whispers combining to fortissimo soundtrack which help achieve incredible creepy moments and adding hard rock by Motorhead , Iran Maiden , among others.The terror pieces are well staged with eye-opening flair-play and contain obscure tracks to the denouement of the script . The motion picture is originally directed by Dario Argento, one of those film-makers who set off simple for frightening us to death. His period of biggest hits were the 70s when he directed the animals trilogy: ¨Four flies over gray velvet,The cat of nine tails, Bird with the crystal plumage¨, after he directed ¨Suspiria, Inferno, Tenebre¨ and of course ¨Deep red¨. This bloody fun plenty of graphic gore and weirdness may not be for all tastes but to be liked for Argento connoisseurs especially .

Phenomena has long been one of my favourite Dario Argento films. It definitely seems to be a love-it-or-hate-it kind of film, even more so than most Argentos, and I think it's his most unjustly underrated piece of work to date.

A 14-year-old Jennifer Connelly shines in the lead role, playing a sleepwalker who has a bizarre telepathic bond with insects and uses them to help her solve a string of gory murders at a girls boarding school in the Swiss Alps. She is one of my favourite Argento heroines, a tough, brainy and eccentric little girl somewhere between Nancy Drew and Snow White. She deserves special credit for taking on some truly gruesome scenes, like when she falls into a pit of maggots, slime and rotting corpses. As for the rest of the cast, Donald Pleasance is good as the wheelchair-bound Scottish entomologist and Daria Nicolodi has fun with a small but juicy role.

Argento really let his imagination run wild making this one. Phenomena is a surreal, magical and surprisingly beautiful film, as much a dark fairytale fantasy as it is a horror film. It's visually stunning and I loved the incongruity of having all this gory mayhem happen against the picturesque backdrop of the Swiss Alps. Claudio Simonetti's electronic score is perfect, particularly the haunting main theme with its 80s synths and choral soprano vocals.

With its girls boarding school setting and unseen killer on the loose, Phenomena can be taken as a companion piece to Argento's earlier classic Suspiria (1977). But the introduction of slimy maggots, a razor-wielding pet chimp and six million buzzing insects set it apart. It all descends into glorious chaos for the Grand Guignol climax, which is perhaps the most thrilling house-of-horrors funhouse ride Argento has yet given us.

A remarkable film.

It's surrealist but feels trippy.. not in a good way. Because the plot itself doesn't match with the oniric atmosphere. The soundtrack has its highs and lows. This movie could've been WAY more incredible, but Dario didn't explore all the potential.

Overlooked masterpiece from the great Dario Argento is simply one of his best films of the 80's and arguably his most bizarre work!

Young girl, who has a psychic bond with insects, must use her powers to try to stop the mad killer that's terrorizing a Swiss boarding school.

Director Argento has often proclaimed this to be his personal favorite of his films and it's not hard to see why. Story-wise Phenomena combines all of the elements of Argento's other films; a crazed serial killer, a touch of the supernatural, a detective-mystery, and a sense of being like a fairy tale. It's a story that draws one in, from the startling opening murder sequence to the horrific climatic twists! The plot is completely off-beat, giving the audience no idea of what to expect at any moment. As always, Argento's direction has a splendidly flashy style and gives the whole film a unique, strange atmosphere. Lending all the more to the weird atmosphere is the glorious music of Goblin, who provides some of their finest work here. In addition Iron Maiden also serves up a great metal-rock number. The special FX are quite impressive, especially the shockingly good makeup work - just wait for the finale!

The cast is also pretty good, and thankfully the dubbing isn't as bad for this film as it is for some Italian movies. Young Jennifer Connelly (only 15 here) does an enchanting performance. The late-great Donald Pleasance is good as always as Connelly's befriended scientist. Daria Nicolodi does a terrific turn as Connelly's teacher.

Some hail it and some misunderstand it, but frankly Phenomena ranks well with Argento's other incredible films. Be sure to catch it in its full-length uncut version and not the horridly cut U.S. release entitled 'Creepers'.

**** out of ****

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.

My review is based on uncut Italian print,which runs 110 minutes.A young Jennifer Connelly can communicate telepathically with insects.The area she arrives in is being terrorized by a psychotic killer,who has been murdering coeds and making off with their decapitated bodies.Desperate for clues,a police inspector visits an entomologist Donald Pleasance("Halloween","Death Line")and eventually Pleasance and Connelly team up to find the killer.It all has something to do with Daria Nicolodi and the deformed creature she keeps chained in the basement.Wonderful atmosphere,gorgeous cinematography and plenty of gruesome gore make this one a must-see.Argento goes totally over the top in "Phenomena" with a swimming pool full of maggots and rotting corpses,a mad dwarf,a razor wielding monkey and grisly decapitations.Great heavy metal songs by Iron Maiden and Motorhead plus a nice musical score by Goblin.10 out of 10.

Phenomena has a lot of potential. It has great cast with Donald Pleasance and young Jennifer Connelly, and a lot of stylish things going on, but as a whole it's a little bit of mishmash. On the other hand it's quite cutesy but then there are some very disgusting special effects (cool!) Then there's also heavy metal music, which is also cool, but all these elements don't go together perfectly. Also the plot could be better. It seems like trying to be too many movies simultaneously. I would have liked the insect theme explored more (Early on it is revealed that the main character has some kind of supernatural connection to insects.) But then there's also a murderer, and should I say a monster... In some ways the movie reminds me of Argento's Inferno which also has weird scenes that don't make much sense but that movie worked better as a whole, with the right kind of music and such.

I like Phenomena but every time I watch it I expect a little bit too much, and it's not as great as I hope it to be. But still, if you like weird horror that is fairytale-ish and grotesque at the same time, and can be a bit cheesy at times too, then check it out.

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.

Dario Argento brings us a very nice horror-mystery that adds as usual for Argento some great visuals, great music and a couple of big name actors.

Jennifer Connelly plays Jennifer Corvino a young student who has been transferred to a somewhat uppity Swiss boarding school. Within the first scene of the film we learn that there is a serial killer running around killing young girls. The first victim in the film is played by Dario's own daughter Fiore. Connelly learns that she though has a wonderful gift and is able to communicate with insects. Donald Pleasance also stars in this film who if you are like me think of him as a big name in horror. Daria Nicolodi and Michele Soavi also appear in the film.

The film also has some beautifully haunting music by Claudio Simonetti, which really adds to the film like all of his work. This would be a great soundtrack as heavy bands like Iron Maiden and Motorhead also play tunes in this film.

A weird combination of ideas, but really I suppose that is Dario Argento for you. Although the film doesn't stray too far off the path that you the viewer believe is set forth before you. Watch out for 82 minute cut called CREEPERS. It was that cut that I first watched this film. I really did enjoy it, but it is harder to follow and the longer cut adds approximately 30 minutes more material. Written by Dario Argento and long-time collaborator Franco Ferrini.

There's a lot going on in 'Phenomena (1985)' (and I mean a lot), arguably too much. However, it only works as well as it does because it's so chock-full of utter madness. Somehow, its bizarre individual elements all coalesce into one gloriously strange experience that's as enjoyable as it is unexpected. Teaming up a young Jennifer Connelly as a teenager who can psychically communicate with insects and an older Donald Pleasence as a wheelchair-using etymologist with a monkey nurse who looks after him against a mysterious, leather-gloved, maggot-coated killer who targets innocent girls and keeps their decomposing corpses, the picture makes its way through a variety of Giallo subgenres with its own unmistakably Argento aesthetic and quintessentially Goblin score. Although its narrative is ever-so-slightly loose - yet simultaneously overcrowded - and the pacing does take a notable hit during the second act, the feature fully overcomes its flaws when it hits its final movement. It's pretty much impossible to relate the sheer joy that comes from the absolute belter of a finale which builds and builds until it reaches perfection just before the credits roll and the music gets you dancing in your seat. It's certainly not perfect, but its highlights tend to make up for its weaker aspects. It's delightfully strange.

This Is A Review Of The Uncut Version.

Dario 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), "Profondo Rosso" of 1975, "Suspiria" of 1977 or "Tenebrae" of 1982. While the brilliant Giallo "Profondo Rosso" and the supernatural Horror masterpiece "Suspiria" are Argento's greatest achievements, "Phenomena" is a personal favorite. Accompanied by one of Goblin's most outstanding scores, "Phenomena" is a visually stunning and incredibly suspenseful blend of Giallo elements and supernatural Horror, and a 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...

Argento is a master of suspense and atmosphere more than he is a master of logic, but Phenomena is intense enought to forgive some logical flaws. While the plot may not be the most logical one ever written, it works perfectly. Then 15-year-old Jennifer Conelly is outstanding in this, 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 horror film as visually and acoustically stunning 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 creepy as hell from start to finish. It is also easily one of Argento's most brutal movies. Phenomena was also released under the title "Creepers" in the US, but that was a mutilated version cut by 29 minutes, so the 111 minute version is essential. Stunning and absulutely phenomanal!

I never comment on movies but omg this movie deserve more than 6.8 it's amazing and the music is amazing. it beats any horror movie I have seen so far because of the ambiance. I give it 8. dont always follow imdb votes when u want to watch something just follow your heart !

Memorable and different to modern horror An eerie film with a good cast, some fun practical effects and a nice premise. The soundtrack was also very memorable and different.

The film is basically an 80s slasher, however with teenagers who are actually played by actors the right age which makes a nice change.

Of course there's not much character development but the film does have some scary bits. There's some rather bad ADR and dubbing too.

Jennifer C is really good in this film I thought, there's one really memorable scene involving a lot of insects. Another scene too is utterly horrifying and gave me a terrible shock. I do recommend this film actually but you will need to bare with it a bit.

Don't listen to the Italo-snob fan boys who try to justify this film's merit by praising the "texture" or telling you you've "missed the point." (Yeah, it's "all about the atmosphere," we get it now, sure.) All the positive reviews are coming from those who already know and like Argento's works -- this does not mean his works (or at least this particular work) are any good. At all.

"Phenomena" is painfully slow, with excruciatingly boring dialog scenes between Connelly and an entomologist, bad editing, a soundtrack only a lunatic could have thought was appropriate to this film (Iron Maiden during the most "suspensful" scenes?) and to top it all off, the day is saved by a monkey. Are you kidding me? Ah, but let's not forget. The film has "beautiful scenery" and is very "surreal." If I want to enjoy the view I will watch a nature documentary. The only good thing about this film were the last twenty minutes or so, but getting there is not worth the effort of sitting through all the ones preceding them.

A hint to this film's potential victims: "surreal" is code for "uninspired." There are three kinds of people who would ever subject themselves to this film. In the first category are those who worship Argento and the rest of his inept Italian filmmakers for whatever reason they do (or think they do). Argento could film air moving for ten minutes and they would be here in a heartbeat praising the "mood" of the work and talking about how the rest are missing the point. (It's about the atmosphere!) In the second category are the cinematically adventurous who heard or read about Argento somewhere and are now curious to see what the fuss is about. Go ahead. Nice to have seen at least one Argento film, though I would recommend "Trauma" instead, which can be called an actual film in the first place, and is actually quite good.

The third category, and those for whom I write this comment, are those who came to the film completely randomly and are looking here to see what it's about before they rent or buy it. To you gentle viewers: Stay... away... from this film.

It will not entertain you, it will not capture you, it won't even keep you awake. It will only test your patience, rack your nerves, and plunge you into the depths of incredulity, if not with its laughable soundtrack then with its sub par acting, inept editing, and with its monkey. Oh dear, the monkey....

Just leave it alone. Go watch something else.

This review applies to the US version that was released by Media Home Entertainment. It is 82mins. and is titled CREEPERS.

A young girl attending a Swiss girls school discovers that the school is plagued by a series of grisly murders. An extremely stylish offering by Italy's leading horror genre master. Quite original too, with some unusual sub-plots too that include our main characters ability to control insects and use them to track the killer. Even though this has about 30mins. cut out of it, it really doesn't show, and this offers plenty of gore for all of your gore hounds especially at the scary and exciting end. A really good film. My rating: 9 out of 10.

Arriving at a Swiss Academy for girls, Jennifer Corvino (Jennifer Connelly) gets embroiled in the workings of a serial killer. Her friends the insects and Professor John McGregor (Donald Pleasence) are on hand to help if possible.

Directed and co-written by horror legend Dario Argento, Phenomena is a mixed bag. Ignoring the butchered American version, which was titled Creepers, the full uncut version is still messy. Argento the director is doing good work here, which explains why the film has a sturdy reputation. His eye for striking imagery and horror scene staging is evident here for sure, but Argento the writer (along with Franco Ferrini) fails to string a decent enough narrative together. Pace is all over the place, the dialogue often boorish, while wasting Donald Pleasence is a crime against horror film making. Still, there's enough good Argento at work here to keep Phenomena above average, even if it's more for the eyes than the brain. 6/10

One good movie (Suspiria) and everybody starts adoring anything the guy does...

If you wanna spend a boring, painful, pointless evening it might be a good idea to suffer through this movie. Rarely have i ever seen such masses of implausible, unlikely but story-convenient plot twists. Amazingly the movie somehow still manages to be predictable, by being cliché... To add to box-office and stupidity they even put in a monkey. The dialog is full of pointless mid sentence breaks. You get the feeling they were trying to stretch the movie or that the actors forgot their lines. Even worse often the dialog is simply pointless, unnecessary for the characters and the storyline: "Yes","No","YES","NO","YES","OK, OK YES".

However, the worst thing of all for me was the incredibly stupid and unlikely behavior of the main character... NOBODY, no matter how scared, could possibly acted this stupid... i mean were used to horror-movie characters acting silly, but this was just too much. I mean, first the girl actually swallows pills that she declaredly suspects to be dangerous. She does so, ALONE in locked bathroom where she could have easily just flushed them or climbed out the window. Instead she barfs them out again shouting "POISON", "POISON". Then she leaves the bathroom and tries to call her attorney with the person who poisoned her standing right next to the phone... TOO MUCH.