Stage Fright

"Theatre of Delirium."

1987 1h 30m IT

😐

6.4

MID

★6.4TMDB · 255

Horror

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

While a group of young actors rehearse a new musical about a mass murderer, a notorious psychopath escapes from a nearby insane asylum.

“Theatre of Delirium.”

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Cast

Barbara Cupisti
Alicia
David Brandon
Peter
Robert Gligorov
Danny
Wanja Mary Sellers
Laurel
Giovanni Lombardo Radice
Brett
James Sampson
Willy
Jo Ann Smith
Sybil
Domenico Fiore
Police Chief

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Michele Soavi
Writers: George Eastman
Languages: Italian
Countries: Italy

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

90 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $1.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

39 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Michele Soavi, shot by Renato Tafuri. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Guido Anelli. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Rosanna Landi shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Barbara Cupisti and David Brandon and Robert Gligorov carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Theatre of Delirium.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Michele Soavi directs. Renato Tafuri behind the camera. Guido Anelli scores. Rosanna Landi cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Italy. Dialogue in Italian.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

190 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
2Shot for just $1.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
339 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
4Directed by Michele Soavi, shot by Renato Tafuri. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Guido Anelli. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Rosanna Landi shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Barbara Cupisti and David Brandon and Robert Gligorov carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "Theatre of Delirium.".
9IMDB entry: tt0092576 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 8 themes, including "panic", "psychopath", "theatre group", "murder".

The technical file

Cinematography: Renato Tafuri
Original score: Guido Anelli
Editing: Rosanna Landi
Costume design: Valentina Di Palma
Makeup / hair: Maria Grazia Mazzolini
Runtime: 90 min · 1h 30m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $1,000,000
Original language: IT
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Stage Fright (1987)

Also by

Michele Soavi

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Wuchak2022-11-05
★ 6/10
A mad slayer is loose in the theatre A group of stage actors are burning the midnight oil during a storm in the hopes of producing a hit, but a homicidal former-actor has escaped the mental asylum and they’re locked in the theatre with him. David Brandon plays the stressed director and Robert Gligorov one of the actors. "StageFright” (1987) is an Italian slasher, otherwise known as “Aquarius” and originally called “Deliria.” I was having trouble pinpointing the country of origin while viewing and so don’t let the fact that it’s an Italian production turn you away. It works just fine for English-speaking audiences and could’ve easily been shot in America, Canada or the UK. The moody synth-oriented score is reminiscent of Pink Floyd with bits of more energetic 80’s music thrown in later on. Barbara Cupisti (Alicia), Jo Ann Smith (Sybil), Loredana Parrella (Corinne) and Mary Sellers (Laurel) standout in the feminine department. At the end of the day, it’s a perfectly competent slasher with a quality (one-dimensional) setting and the kills/gore are well done if that’s your thang (I could care less). But there’s not enough human interest and, considering the resources, the director coulda done better shooting the women more effectively (not talking ‘bout nudity or sleaze), but he does good enough I reckon. The film runs 1 hour, 30 minutes, and was shot in Rome, Italy. GRADE: B-

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