 | This article has multiple issues. Please helpimprove it or discuss these issues on thetalk page.(Learn how and when to remove these messages) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
|
| Stage Fright | |
|---|---|
 Italian theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Michele Soavi |
| Written by |
|
| Produced by |
|
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Renato Tafuri |
| Edited by | Kathleen Stratton |
| Music by |
|
Production companies |
|
| Distributed by | Artists Entertainment Group |
Release date |
|
Running time | 86 minutes |
| Country | Italy |
Stage Fright (Italian:Deliria) is a 1987 Italianslasher film directed byMichael Soavi, and starringBarbara Cupisti,David Brandon, andGiovanni Lombardo Radice. The plot involves a group of stage actors and crew who lock themselves inside a theater for rehearsal of a musical production, unaware that an escaped mental patient is locked inside with them.
The film was an inspiration for theKannada-language filmIdu Saadhya (1989).[1]
Late at night, a theatre troupe rehearses a musical about the fictional mass murderer Night Owl. Domineering director Peter refuses to let anyone leave. When actress Alicia sprains her ankle, she and castmate Betty sneak out for medical help at a nearby mental hospital. There, Betty notices Irving Wallace, a former actor driven insane who previously went on a killing spree. Unseen, Wallace murders an attendant with asyringe and hides in the trunk of Betty’s car.
Back at the theatre, Peter fires Alicia for leaving. Outside, Wallace kills Betty with apickaxe to the mouth. Alicia finds the body and alerts the police, who station officers outside. Peter seizes the tragedy to rewrite the play with Wallace as the villain and demands the troupe stay to rehearse. Corinne secretly hides the theatre’s exit key on Peter's instructions.
Wallace dons the owl costume intended for the play and begins stalking the cast. Mistaken identities and confusion lead to multiple deaths: Corinne is strangled and stabbed, Ferrari is stabbed and hung, and Mark is killed when Wallace drills through a door. Peter and Danny witness Mark’s death and stick together. Onstage, Peter spots the killer on the catwalks but accidentally axes Brett, who is bound in the spare owl costume. Wallace then kills Sybil and Danny, injures Laurel and attacks Peter, severing his arm with a chainsaw before decapitating him with an axe.
Alicia regains consciousness to find a wounded Laurel hiding in the showers, but Wallace soon finishes her off. Alone, Alicia searches for the missing key, discovering Wallace has arranged the troupe’s bodies around the stage, feathered like part of the set. She retrieves the key and fends him off with a fire extinguisher before escaping to the catwalks. After a final struggle involving fire, she manages to flee the theatre and report to the police.
The next morning, Alicia returns for her watch. Security guard Willy notices the loaded gun she had found the night before and remarks he would have shot Wallace between the eyes. Newspapers report eight victims, but Wallace should be the ninth. Suddenly, a scarred Wallace lunges at Alicia, only to be shot in the head by Willy. Shaken, Alicia leaves the theatre, while Wallacesmirks at the camera, implying he has survived.
The film marks the directorial debut ofDario Argento protégéMichele Soavi and was produced byJoe D'Amato.[2]
Soavi stated that onStage Fright he "didn't feel ready to direct, but of course I said yes when I was offered a chance."[3] Soavi also blamed the film’s poor success due to post-production issues. “I was rather unsatisfied with the Italian version, in which less care was taken over the editing, the dialogue and the [dubbing]”. Soavi also noted that the music was changed for the Italian release and that overall domestic distribution of the film was poor.
Stage Fright was released in 1987. Outside of Italy, the film went under many names, includingBloody Bird,Aquarius, andSound Stage Massacre.
Before its release in Australia asStageFright, several violent scenes were cut to not be banned. As well, the 1986UK Avatar release viaVHS was altered, with 11 seconds cut before BBFC submission. Releases via theRedemption andVipco labels were left uncut.[4][unreliable source]
![[icon]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aWiki_letter_w_cropped.svg) | This sectionneeds expansion. You can help byadding to it.(August 2016) |
AllMovie awarded the film three out of five stars, writing: "Stage Fright is primarily for the horror audience but they are likely to enjoy its visually inventive approach to the usually humdrum slasher subgenre", calling the film "a good example of how style can triumph over substance in a genre effort" and praising Soavi's direction.[5]
On thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, 91% of 11 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.5/10. No critical consensus is provided.
