A plot about an insane person in an owl mask slaughtering the entire cast of a musical needs no translation, but Amazon Prime offered only an English dub of “StageFright” (1987). Though I prefer subtitles, I gave it a shot. Since the slasher genre can be understood in visuals and the dubs are quite respectable, I appreciated this stylish, gory entry from Italian director Michele Soavi that appears on many lists of unsung Eighties slashers.
Unsung, but not without dance numbers, as “StageFright” immediately establishes that core theme of theater-based movies (often in the horror, crime or murder-mystery genres): the blurred line between fantasy and reality. Alicia (Barbara Cupisti) is seemingly a prostitute attacked on the mean streets, but it’s actually a scene from the musical.
After some admittedly convenient buildup where Alicia seeks out a doctor for her sprained ankle and an insane inmate escapes the mental ward at the exact same time, the story by George Eastman and Sheila Goldberg couldn’t be simpler. Someone, presumably the escaped inmate, begins picking off cast members one by one in creatively gory ways.
“StageFright” (1987)
Director: Michele Soavi
Writers: George Eastman, Sheila Goldberg
Stars: David Brandon, Barbara Cupisti, Mary Sellers
I love the mood of “StageFright,” as rain pours down almost in sync with the start of the murder spree. The action almost entirely takes place in the theater, where director Peter (Peter Gallagher … I mean, David Brandon) insists the show must go on. Publicity from the first murder will boost ticket sales of their struggling production, he says.
Soavi makes full use of racks of costumes, tables of props, stage-construction tools, the dangers of rigging and catwalks, and the nature of theatrical staging for a series of strong kill set-pieces. Plus, the killer is wearing a giant owl mask. The movie finds interesting angles on traditional slasher kills. For example, as one victim is attacked in a dark room, his colleagues see it from a hole in the ceiling above. The practical effects team does excellent work on the gore effects.
Super troupers
The social environment of the troupe is efficiently established – not exactly a hangout of friends, but various people working hard for a break and willing to work together to achieve it. They don’t have the best team chemistry, as Peter fires Alicia for sneaking out to the doctor, but once the killings start, priorities change.
While it’s hoary that they are locked inside – how many buildings can lock people inside? – at least it’s clearly established that they need to find the key in order to get out. Meanwhile, dark humor comes from the fact that two police officers (appropriately guarding the building, since the first murder happened) are sitting right outside in their police car, the rainstorm making it impossible for them to hear banging on the service door.
“StageFright” is not the fastest-moving slasher ever, as Soavi is content to indulge in mood-setting scenes, especially – and incongruously – toward the end. The score is out of the ordinary, featuring metal instrumental riffs, thus making cat-and-mouse scenes feel like action scenes and short-changing the scariness.
(SPOILERS FOLLOW.)
The “one last scare” sequence – wherein Alicia realizes the newspaper has reported one less corpse than there should be — is tasty. But I find it somewhat odd that the writers eschew a mystery and have the killer simply be the escaped crazy person. A backstory might’ve added something. I slightly prefer Hitchcock’s “Stage Fright” among theater-set films, because it posits a larger world.
(END OF SPOILERS.)
Even if the story beats land right between the eyes, the intimacy of the theater – both as a setting and as a culture – makes this a worthy style- and mood-based slasher. It’s hard to mess up a horror movie set in a theater in the middle of the night, and “StageFright” doesn’t.