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Inferno/Phenomena

Inferno/Phenomena

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Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Freaky and Stupid.
Review: This was one of the worst movies that I have ever seen in my life! Video Renters Beware, you wouldn't want to rent this movie because of how stupid it is. It was so freaking boring and stupid I wouldn't even want to pay attention to this movie one more time! I HATE it!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: 80's horror you probably never seen
Review: I am just getting into Argento but i think what you need to do to enjoy his films is forget about the acting, and watch the way he works the camera and sells suspense. from the moment you turn the movie on you start to feel like this is going to be really good.

The way he uses the Swiss Countryside and Goblins score, make this movie pretty creepy. Jen Connelly has this cosmic link with inscects and all these murders are going on, and the flies are telling her whats up. or something like that. Look the story's not the point. Watch the movie and you will be shocked at the murders, the motives, and the monkey? I enjoyed this film. I am usually not freaked out by horror films but this on will do it.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Why this movie is great
Review: ~First off I'm a movie buff, but I gonna spare the readers of these reviews the mind numbing anilitical crap that fills most of all other reviews. Here are the reasons why this movie flat out rocks!
1. An excellent blend of horror,suspence and thriller.
2.Utterly unique and interesting plot and story.
3. Cool 80's metal/hard rock soundtrack featuring Iron Maiden, Motorhead etc.
4. Errie and very unique score.
5. Good acting especially by Donald Pleseance
6. If this movie is overdubbed(as~~ is the case with almost all Italian horror movies) you cant tell.
7. Last but least, the movie is actually a bit frightining.~

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Phenomenal...
Review: Dario Argento did it again.Perfect film as only he can make.In Phenomena beauty meets darkness,gothic atmosphere meets bloody murders/not much,but it doesnt matter here/,and this all,as always,is presented with "living camera" and finest direction.We dont running anywhere,the atmosphere is slow,you can taste the beauty of Switzerland,thinking about the story.Fans of Italian horror wont be dissapointed,they get giallo and supernatural film in one.Always when you finished watching this film,the feelings that you got will not dissapear soon.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Yuck. Suspiria was just a fluke.
Review: After seeing the incredible 'Suspiria' I went out and got all of Argento's films. What a waste of money. 'Phenomenon' on this disc was good, but 'Inferno' was just embaressing. What a mess.

Instead of this, buy the incredible 3 disc Suspiria set from Anchor Bay. It's outstanding.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Two of Dario Argento's Most Underrated Films
Review: Anchor Bay Entertainment had the great sense to pair up two of Dario Argento's most overlooked and underappreciated films... When people think of the "Italian Hitchcock", they often think of his brilliantly orchestrated giallos (DEEP RED, TENEBRAE) or, particuarly, his masterpiece... SUSPIRIA. It's no surprise then, when compared to these magnificent films, INFERNO and PHENOMENA often get overlooked by fans. However, with both movies conveniently packaged together on a great double-pack, fans of the maestro, and Italian horror in general, have the opportunity to give these great films a second look.

We'll start off with INFERNO, a film that many fans, myself included, didn't think too much of initially. This is partly because INFERNO is the sequel to the phenomenal SUSPIRIA and the second film in the "Three Mother's Trilogy". Of course, when you compare any film to SUSPIRIA (in my opinion, it's easily the greatest horror film ever shot in color), you're likely to be disappointed. However, something happened when I looked at the film a second time that I didn't expect... The film actually improved upon my second viewing. To summarize the plot of the film is useless and, much like Argento's wildly plotted giallos, it's the images that are more important. However, if you must know, the film concerns a student, studying music in college, who goes to visit a strange building in order to find out what happened to his sister. The plot doesn't really get any deeper than that, but that's where the brilliance in this film lies (admittingly, something I missed the first time I saw it). Dario Argento sets up a situation, and then lets the visuals carry the story to it's explosive climax. And the visuals are, in my opinion, the greatest that Argento has ever set to film... Colors are lush and vivid, with almost every single scene highlighted in a variety of hues... The effect is somewhat like watching a moving painting, and this certainly adds to the surrealist nature of the film. Combine that with tense chase sequences, a dark atmosphere, a fantastic musical score, and an exciting and completely satisfying conclusion and you have a masterpiece. I've grown to love it so much that I consider it to be Dario Argento's second greatest film, after SUSPIRIA. My new found appreciation for the film might have something to do with the glorious new widescreen transfer from ANCHOR BAY ENTERTAINMENT.

Dario Argento has often expressed his fond appreciation for PHENOMENA, often citing it as his favorite film. Needless to say, it's definitely unusual for a Dario Argento film. The crazy plot has something to do with a murderer who is killing girls at a school in Switzerland. Jennifer (played by Jennifer Connelly in an early film role) is a teenager who has a very peculiar ability... she can communicate telepathically with insects. There's even more to the plot, including a chimpanzee wielding a scalpel, but to tell you any more would ruin the surprise... That's right, this one's got everything including the kitchen sink and, amazingly, it all manages to tie together at the end. Many people have often criticized Dario Argento's use of heavy metal music during some of the film's key scenes (my favorite song was "Flash of the Blade" from Iron Maiden), but I felt that it added another layer of confusion to an already confusing plot... Part of the appeal of this film lies in it's unpredictability, and rest assured, there are numerous times when you just won't believe what you're seeing on screen. Just when you think you've got the film pretty much figured out, Argento throws in some wildly unexpected plot-twist from out of left field that puts a whole new spin on the film. Overall, it's a pleasingly bizarre film that somehow manages to work in the end.

There's really nothing to complain about here... two fantastic Dario Argento films all in one set. In terms of priority, you might want to get the DEEP RED/TENEBRAE DVD set first, as those films are more essential, but by all means get this one too, if only to own the absolutely essential INFERNO. Now if only Dario Argento would get around to filming the third film in his "Three Mother's Trilogy"... that's something that I'm sure his fans would love to see!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: One Of Argento's Best
Review: This has to be one of Dario's best films! I love the whole fairy tale type story. The score is wonderful and Jennifer Conelly is great! SOme people say this is a very gory film, it isn't. When it does show gore there is SOMETIMES a lot but its nothing that will make you sick. Don't even try CREEPERS, which was cut by 28 minutes! Ths is the way the film was meant to be!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A Unique Horror Movie from the Master of Horror Cinema
Review: Dario Argento is a brilliant filmmaker whose well of creativity is seemingly bottomless. Phenomena is a spooky tale of a young girl (Jennifer Connelly) who moves into a boarding house while a serial killer is on the loose. The daughter of a famous actor, Jennifer's character has a hard time fitting in with the other girls, especially after the other girls find out she sleep-walks, witnesses murders in her dreams, and communicates with insects. The movie plays like IT'S a dream and Argento uses his camera to increase this illusion. The murder scenes are done from the perspective of the killer so all you see of the murderer is a hand wearing a black glove. It's a good movie, but not Argento's best (I liked Opera & Tenebre better), which is why I gave it four stars. See it for some original scares.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: good stuff
Review: i saw this moons ago under the title "creepers". Anchor bay has done it again. The print looks great and sounds good. Speaking of sound, has anyone ever seen a film with a moodier score? that music in the beginning when the girl is walking to her doom is excellent. The film takes place almost entirely in the dark. its got a rather nasty killer. its got jennifer connely. go buy it.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Dario Argento's Creepers
Review: I want to start this review with a personal story. When I was in elementary school, I saw "Looking for Mr. Goodbar" starring Diane Keaton. Keaton was naked, I was in love. I was a movie buff, even back then, so I decided to write my own movie. It was called "Looking for Mr. Goodbar 2," in which Keaton's character survived her stabbing, and kept sleeping with other men. This dramatic milestone ran eight pages, in screenplay form, and I was very proud of my sophisticated use of the F word throughout. Then I showed it to my dad...I did not try another screenplay until I was in college, and it still sucked.

Why the story? First, this will serve as proof that I thought up the idea for Goodbar 2 if Hollywood tries it (anything's possible, just look at "Species II"). This also draws an analogy to the script for "Creepers." "Creepers" is one of the most juvenile-written movies of our time.

Argento is such a good director, there are scary scenes here, scenes you have never seen before. Connelly is gorgeous, but a little stiff as an American girl who is sent to a boarding school in Switzerland, and becomes involved in solving a series of murders. Pleasence is wasted, as he always is, as a bug doctor who befriends Connelly.

There are two different good film ideas in the script. One is "A crippled bug doctor and a young student solve some horrific murders at a Swiss boarding school." The second is "A young student gets through her lack of friends by finding out she can communicate with bugs." Blending the two ideas is a serious flaw. There are parts of this that scared me to death, and parts where I yelled "oh, Dario!" because what he was giving me as a viewer was so poorly thought out.

I realize I saw the butchered 82 minute version of the film but there are plot points in here that are so beyond the reach of belief, they must be seen to be believed.

"Creepers" is creepy, and I recommend it, but with severe conditions.

The 82 minute version is rated (R) for physical violence, strong gore, and profanity.


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