STAGEFRIGHT (1988 - HORROR / SLASHER / GIALLO) ***1/2 out of ***** OR 7 out of 10
(Now, that's one cutthroat cast of characters...)
CAST: David Brandon, Barbara Cupisti, Giovanni Lombardo Radice, Joann Smith, Mary Sellers, Loredana Parrella, Martin Phillips, James Sampson, Ulrike Schwerk, Piero Vida, Robert Gligorov.
DIRECTOR: Michele Soavi
(WARNING: Some SPOILERS and compelling reasons to stay out of the acting/dancing business - straight ahead)
IT'S LIKE THIS: In our review for the awesome Slasher/Giallo CURTAINS (review # 230), we saw what happened when seven actresses up for the same role gathered in an isolated, snowbound mansion deep in the Canadian woods for a, shall we say, very unconventional casting call with the film's pervo director. Unfortunately, it turned out one of the lovely ladies wanted the part so bad she put on an "Old Hag/Witch" mask and proceeded to bump off the competition and make mincemeat out of them with a variety of sharp instruments. Sweetie, is that role really worth getting blood in your hair and breaking your nails over? Methinks not...
In our latest "31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN" review, we revisit CURTAINS' fucked-up premise of showbiz people offing one another to get ahead - but with a twist. The flick is the fabulous Italian Giallo/Slasher hybrid called STAGEFRIGHT (one word? those crazy Italians...) and it's even nuttier than CURTAINS, if possible. Then again, this movie is from Italy, so all bets are off. Anyhow, STAGEFRIGHT puts us smackdab among a group of actors/dancers rehearsing a musical in an isolated theater that seems to have only one functioning door (not a good sign) and not even a single working phone (an even worse sign).
The musical they're hard at work over is about (and please note that I am not making this crap up) a serial killer who wears a giant Owl Head mask and goes around killing prostitutes in the red-light district - in between dance numbers where he abruptly forgets he's there to cut bitches up and suddenly makes like a gyrating, feathered Michael Jackson, only much less graceful and coordinated. Trust me, you will never laugh at Bollywood movies again after seeing this surreal shit.
First, though, let's meet our "talented" actors/dancers/crew. First, we have stupendous asshole Peter (David Brandon), arrogant British director whose gigantic ego is obviously inversely proportionate to the size of dick. Then, we have lovely actress/dancer Alicia (Barbara Cupisti), who sprained her ankle because of Peter's demanding practice schedule and is thisclose to kicking him in the face. Then there's Brett (Giovanni Lombardo Radice), bitchy gay dude with a tongue sharper than a Santoku knife who plays the Owl Head killer. And who can forget trampy Sybil (Joanne Smith), a starlet so slutty she fucks her fellow performers right there on the stage in-between takes, to the delight of Brett who never fails to call her out on it. Meow, Sybil...
Oh, and we also have Laurel (Mary Sellers), dingy chick who gives blondes a bad name. Also kind of dopey is Betty (Ulrike Schwerk), redhead costume manager who really should learn not to forget things in her car. Not exactly a great role model for brunettes, either, is Corinne (Loredana Parella), a cock-tease chick who goes around looking like a mousy librarian but is obviously draining Peter's nutsac on a daily basis. Then there's Ferrari (Piero Vida), sleazy producer who clearly wants to spank Alicia's ass on a regular basis. Finally, we have Mark and Danny (Martin Phillips, James Sampson), two guys with about as much personality as a wet mop so let's just move on, shall we?
Our story gets off to a shitty start when Alicia finally decides she can't ignore her work-related ankle sprain any longer. She asks Betty to drive her to a hospital nearby so that a doctor can take a quick look at it before they continue with the all-night rehearsals being perpetrated on them by Peter The DoucheLord. Great idea, Alicia. Too bad that hospital turns out to be... a mental hospital for the criminally insane. Fortunately, even psychiatrists must know how to handle sprained ankles, because the one on duty agrees to help Alicia and Betty. Unfortunately, while he is treating Alicia, a vicious killer who's being kept in the hospital manages to escape and hide in the trunk of Betty's car. Long story short, Alicia and Betty bring back with them a little stowaway who sneaks into the theater - full of malice aforethought.
Next thing you know, Alicia and her pals are trapped in the theater - with a psycho killer who is eager to make up for lost time. I should also add that, just to make things more fucked-up and confusing, our killer kills Brett and steals the Owl Head mask and uses it to terrorize the others. Soon, it's looking like none of them will make it through the night - to say nothing of making it to opening night.
Who is the killer that escaped from the asylum and hitched a ride back to the theater with Alicia and Betty? Why is he targeting these "talented" actor/dancers". Who will be the last one standing to fight him to the death? Alicia? Peter? Laurel? Sybil? Corinne? Betty? Ferrari? Mark? Or will this actually be the Crazy Italian Giallo version of AND THEN THERE WERE NONE? Will anyone survive?
Who cares. I just want to hear Brett rip into Sybil again for being such a dirty whore. Fucking priceless....
BUT SERIOUSLY: In our Giallo Retrospective last year wherein we reviewed 51 Italian and North American thrillers, we discussed how the Italian Giallo Sub-Genre influenced American thrillers and horror films. Essentially, these colorful, stylish, operatic Italian thrillers paved the way for how thriller and horror films are made in the United States to this day. They also gave rise to the American Slasher Sub-Genre that started with HALLOWEEN and was furthered by FRIDAY THE 13TH - two American films that were significantly influenced by Italian Gialli.
What's interesting about STAGEFRIGHT, our next "31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN" review, is that it is a Giallo that came out after American Slasher films exploded and made their mark in the early 80s. It appears that director Michele Soavi (who was a protege of Gialli master Dario Argento) has purposefully mixed in some newer American Slasher tropes with the more baroque, traditional Giallo trappings. The result is an interesting hybrid of "old" and "new". On one hand, we still have the elaborate, stylized setpieces marked by colorful, arty violence that characterize the older Italian Gialli; on the other hand, we also have a much faster pace with the story unfolding in a single confined location over one night - which is exactly like the later American flicks like FRIDAY THE 13TH, HALLOWEEN, PROM NIGHT, TERROR TRAIN, and MY BLOODY VALENTINE.
As with any Giallo, STAGEFRIGHT's setpieces are appropriately over-the-top and grandiose. But there's less lag time in between these sequences than in more traditional Gialli. Largely because this movie has the faster pace that is common in American slashers. The result is an engaging mash-up that blends the best of each sub-genre. We get both the flamboyance of the Giallo and the no-nonsense pace of the American Slasher. The best of both worlds, as it were.
With most Gialli and Slashers, the acting is usually hit or miss. It's more "hit" than "miss" here, with most of the performers turning in vivid, entertaining performances that keep us engaged. British actor David Brandon is spot-on as Peter, the stereotypically demanding director. Brandon is enough of a pro, though, to give Peter some tiny shadings to keep him from turning completely into an asshole cliche. Italian actress Barbara Cupisti appeared in Dario Argento's near-masterpiece OPERA that same year, and she has a considerably larger role in STAGEFRIGHT. Essentially, she's the star - and she does a reasonable job carrying the film on her shoulders.
Speaking of OPERA, it's interesting to note that this film also deals with murders committed or centered around a theater environment - and also has nearly the same double-reversal ending wherein we get a final jump scare after a false conclusion. It must be Soavi's homage to his accomplished mentor. Like OPERA, STAGEFRIGHT also uses pounding rock music in many of its chase scenes, and the incongruity somehow works.
Speaking of chase scenes, STAGEFRIGHT boasts some solid ones - like any good Giallo or Slasher. The best one is a long sequence at the climax wherein Alicia, whose presence was overlooked by the killer, tries to retrieve the front door key from its position right next to the killer's feet as he lounges on the stage surrounded by the corpses of his victims (and Alicia's friends). It's a sequence that both Argento and Hitchcock would've been proud of - and Soavi makes it sing. Soavi would go on to make the interesting and impressive THE CHURCH and THE SECT, which further proved that he not only learned a lot from his mentor, but also has talent of his own to stand apart.
Quite simply, STAGEFRIGHT is a good mash-up of an Italian Giallo and an American Slasher - and ends up with the strong points of each sub-genre. The biggest compliment I can give this film is that Dario Argento could've made it. That's solid praise, indeed.
