StageFright

Michele Soavi’s directorial debut. Dario Argento’s former assistant director showcases ample formal rigor in service of a clumsy script that sees an escaped psychopath terrorize a theater troupe.

I appreciated Soavi’s restraint. Rather than show off, he tries to elevate the material. But the theater troupe cast pack no charisma and elicit no sympathy. Clad in an owl mask rendered laughable by large eyeholes, the killer fails to terrify and does himself in via a fit of inanity.

Still, Soavi shines. I can’t imagine this cast delivering this material any better. It’s not a good movie, but one that announces Soavi as a master technician.