Phenomena

A teenage girl sent to a Swiss boarding school discovers she can communicate with insects, and uses it to track a serial killer working in the area. Dario Argento took the idea from a French radio broadcast about a murder case solved through insect analysis. It was Jennifer Connelly's first leading role. The budget passed six billion lire, much of it spent on insects: some imported from Africa, others bred in Rome. For the famous tracking shot a real fly was tethered on nylon string. The set did not go well. A chimpanzee named Tanga proved unmanageable, scarring Daria Nicolodi, attacking Connelly and forcing the use of body doubles for some scenes. The animal escaped during exterior shooting and was gone for three days. In America New Line released it as Creepers in an 83-minute cut: over twenty minutes gone, scenes reordered, and Motörhead's Locomotive removed. Rotten Tomatoes sits at 76 percent from 25 reviews. The New York Times called the chimp the year's best supporting primate. Who it is for: giallo viewers and anyone curious about the strangest corner of eighties Italian horror. Who it is not for: anyone looking for logic. The plot dissolves entirely in the second half and Argento does not care.