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Badmovies.org Forum  |  Movies  |  Bad Movies  |  STAGEFRIGHT (198?) « previous next »
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Author Topic: STAGEFRIGHT (198?)  (Read 9010 times)
zombie no.one
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Oookaay...


« on: July 25, 2007, 04:33:01 PM »

I risk-purchased this DVD after reading the back, where the notes say - and I quote - "One of the most beautiful and suspenseful horror movies of the 1980s" (it doesn't say anywhere exactly what year in the 80s it was made, but that's kinda irrelevant). this is one of the biggest lies ever told on the back of a DVD. straight up. I have never seen a worse horror, or perhaps a worse movie in my life. Not 'so-bad-it's-good' bad, just plain sucky. A ballet dancing guy in an owl mask runs around and kills people, to the strains of an 80's fusion jazz-lite soundtrack...there is potential for a good movie there perhaps, but not in this film.

Has anyone else here seen it... am I missing something vital, or is it really this terrible?

Directed by Michael Soavi, if that helps...never heard of him.
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DodgingGrunge
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« Reply #1 on: July 25, 2007, 05:54:41 PM »

Michele Soavi was a very promising Italian horror movie director, protégé of one Dario Argento.  If memory serves, he dropped out of sight to spend time with his family as his child had some sort of terminal illness.  He has come back to do a few TV spots, but nothing major.

His films are definitely worth checking out, though.  Stage Fright was his first real project (1987).  It is decent, stylish, full of violence, not terribly well-acted but then, name an Italian horror movie that is.  He also directed The Church, which I was not very fond of.  But his true gem is Cemetery Man, starring none other than Rupert Everett!  It isn't often you get a unique spin on zombie mythology.  Nor, for that matter, do you frequently see a bus full of boy scouts go off a cliff...  Lookingup  Definitely worth a viewing!
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zombie no.one
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Oookaay...


« Reply #2 on: July 25, 2007, 07:14:06 PM »

okay thanks. you obviously thought more of Stagefright than I did. I literally turned off 3/4 way through. having said that, I only recently discovered Dario Argento through watching Deep Red, which I was blown away by... so maybe I will have to check more of this guy's films out. Stagefright is all in english though there's no subtitles. how much of a protege was he, because I know sometimes 'name' directors will lend their names to substandard works from time to time (Tarantiono has done this recently with Hostel - no offence if you liked Hostel but I thought it sucked)
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DodgingGrunge
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« Reply #3 on: July 25, 2007, 07:35:55 PM »

The thing to keep in mind with Stage Fright was it was horrendously underfunded.  And Italian.  TeddyR  Other than Deep Red, have you seen any other Italian horror movies you liked?  It is a polarizing genre to be sure.  What about something silly like Demons, or heaven forbid, any Fulci zombi flick?

If you can handle those, then you should definitely give Soavi's Cemetery Man a shot.  There is finally an uncut Region 1 DVD available with a gorgeous transfer.  It is based loosely on the Italian comic series Dylan Dog.  Essentially, Rupert Everett is the engineer at a cemetery, along with his silent sidekick Gnaggy.  Sometimes, not all the time, but sometimes, the dead come back to life.  And it is his job to beat them back into the grave.  That's the overview, of course there's also mistaken identity, casual sex, casual sex again, and again, some murder, intrigue, boy scouts off a cliff...  It is darkly funny and what's more, original!  Personally, it is one of my favorite horror movies.

In fact, I think I'll watch it right now.  *neener neener neener*  TongueOut
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zombie no.one
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Oookaay...


« Reply #4 on: July 25, 2007, 08:00:42 PM »

hah...no, I will look out for Cemetery Man. I saw the trailers for Demons I & II on the Deep Red extras and was not impressed really. looked like 80's zombie schmuck to be fair, but I haven't seen them, so...maybe.
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Torgo
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« Reply #5 on: July 25, 2007, 08:29:47 PM »

Terry Gilliam was so enamored by Michele Soavi's visual style on Stagefright that he hired him as 2nd assistant director on The Adventures of Baron Munchausen.

Yes, Stagefright is a bad film, but the visual style of the movie, while completely derivative of Argento at this point, is still fantastic.

I always liked the part at the beginning in which they throw the dummy of the girl during the big musical number that the cast is rehearsing.   TeddyR
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DodgingGrunge
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« Reply #6 on: July 25, 2007, 08:54:29 PM »

hah...no, I will look out for Cemetery Man. I saw the trailers for Demons I & II on the Deep Red extras and was not impressed really. looked like 80's zombie schmuck to be fair, but I haven't seen them, so...maybe.

Yeah, that's precisely what Demons 1 & 2 are.   TeddyR  God help me I love them demons...
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Torgo
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« Reply #7 on: July 25, 2007, 08:56:29 PM »

I liked the 1st Demons flick but the sequel almost got tossed out of the window by myself trying to sit through it.

Cemetary Man is fantastic though.
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Mr_Vindictive
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« Reply #8 on: July 26, 2007, 11:28:19 AM »

I'm a big fan of Savoi's.  Behind Argento, he's my favorite Italian director. 

It's been a good while since I saw Stagefright but I do recall liking it quite a bit.  I'm not sure if there is a domestic DVD release, but I'll have to see about purchasing it now that my memory has been refreshed.

As for Cemetery Man; it's one of the best of the 90s.  Everett does an absolutely amazing job as Dellamorte.  The film is extremely surreal and I love the fact that nobody stays dead.  They either come back as zombies or as another person all together.  Cemetery Man also introduced me to the absolutely gorgeous Anna Falchi.  Her scenes are...well...entertaining to say the least.   Wink
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__________________________________________________________
"The greatest medicine in the world is human laughter. And the worst medicine is zombie laughter." -- Jack Handey

A bald man named Savalas visited me last night in a dream.  I think it was a Telly vision.
Torgo
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« Reply #9 on: July 26, 2007, 08:11:40 PM »

Cemetery Man also introduced me to the absolutely gorgeous Anna Falchi.  Her scenes are...well...entertaining to say the least.   Wink


Yes, indeed! 

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Torgo
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« Reply #10 on: July 26, 2007, 08:24:10 PM »

Has anyone else seen Soavi's film The Church?

It's the only movie that I've even seen in which someone commits suicide by impaling themselves with a jackhammer.    Buggedout
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Mr_Vindictive
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« Reply #11 on: July 26, 2007, 08:38:54 PM »

I saw The Church about ten years ago or so when I was going through a "rent anything horror" stage.  I had recently fell in love with the genre and the local video store had a HUGE rack of horror vhs.  I'm talking about 600-700 different films to choose from.  And with a 7 day 7 dollar deal, I was in heaven.

Anyway, The Church was quite good from what I recall.  The end reminded me a lot of Demons in that it's a closed space with a bunch of crazy sh** going on and people getting slaughtered.  The jackhammer scene was truly the shining moment of the film.  I did find the scenes with Asia Argento to be a bit uncomfortable.  If I remember correctly, someone seriously wanted her despite the fact that she was underage.

As for that photo of Anna Falchi...wow!   Buggedout TeddyR TeddyR Buggedout
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__________________________________________________________
"The greatest medicine in the world is human laughter. And the worst medicine is zombie laughter." -- Jack Handey

A bald man named Savalas visited me last night in a dream.  I think it was a Telly vision.
Torgo
Frightening Fanatic of Horrible Cinema
****

Karma: 537
Posts: 5278



« Reply #12 on: July 26, 2007, 08:46:13 PM »

I saw The Church about ten years ago or so when I was going through a "rent anything horror" stage.  I had recently fell in love with the genre and the local video store had a HUGE rack of horror vhs.  I'm talking about 600-700 different films to choose from.  And with a 7 day 7 dollar deal, I was in heaven.

Anyway, The Church was quite good from what I recall.  The end reminded me a lot of Demons in that it's a closed space with a bunch of crazy sh** going on and people getting slaughtered.  The jackhammer scene was truly the shining moment of the film.  I did find the scenes with Asia Argento to be a bit uncomfortable.  If I remember correctly, someone seriously wanted her despite the fact that she was underage.

As for that photo of Anna Falchi...wow!   Buggedout TeddyR TeddyR Buggedout


The only Soavi movie I have yet to see is The Sect.   I think that Anchor Bay released that a while back but I haven't gotten around to tracking it down.

Yeah, in The Church, that guy in his 30's gets possessed and basically tries to rape Asia Argento from what I've gathered which is messed up as she was only 15 or 16 at that time.  I need to get The Church on DVD as well as Anchor Bay also released the unrated cut a while back but yet again my money has been tight.

Anna Falchi is one of the supreme beauties IMO.  I've always had a thing for Italian women.

Here's another fave pic of hers.

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Mr_Vindictive
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« Reply #13 on: July 26, 2007, 09:04:33 PM »

You're killing me with all these Falchi photos!

Anyway I caught a documentary a few years back about Dario Argento (possibly on IFC) and it had Asia talking about her relationship with her father.  She was saying that she had no idea what to make of the man as he has had her raped and murdered in numerous films.  If I'm not mistaken, Argento produced The Church for Savoi. 
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__________________________________________________________
"The greatest medicine in the world is human laughter. And the worst medicine is zombie laughter." -- Jack Handey

A bald man named Savalas visited me last night in a dream.  I think it was a Telly vision.
DodgingGrunge
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Consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds.


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« Reply #14 on: July 26, 2007, 09:12:51 PM »

You're killing me with all these Falchi photos!

Anyway I caught a documentary a few years back about Dario Argento (possibly on IFC) and it had Asia talking about her relationship with her father.  She was saying that she had no idea what to make of the man as he has had her raped and murdered in numerous films.  If I'm not mistaken, Argento produced The Church for Savoi. 

Sure, Argento produced The Church.  But he also directed Stendhal Syndrome, in which Asia Argento is raped numerous times across the film's duration.  A film so deplorable that none other than Troma picked up the rights for the American release!  Haha... strange family.

Asia's semi-autobiographical film Scarlet Diva is far more explicit than any project connected with her father.  She wrote, directed, produced, and starred in this gem.
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