Considered by critics a pinnacle of slasher movies, STAGEFRIGHT is now finally given the release it deserves, from a new 4K restoration, for us to marvel at the inventive genius of director Michele Soavi (Cemetery Man, The Sect, The Church) combining relentless graphic blood-splattered set pieces with his trademark witty filmmaking elegance – a quality not normally associated with slasher movies!Soavi intended his film to be called Aquarius – or aquarium – alluding to the viewer being able to see the action as if it took place inside a fishbowl. Cleverly constructed to heighten suspense, the director intentionally mixes fake with reality: showing us the ‘real’ serial killer of our film as he infiltrates a group of stage actors rehearsing overnight in an isolated place; he kills and takes the place of the actor whose role in the play is that of a killer permanently hidden under a giant owl head! His identity unseen, the now real killer-owl stalks and dismembers the troupe one by one!Schooled by Dario Argento and Terry Gilliam but with his own unique personal flair, Soavi’s first feature can finally be seen as intended, with this edition further benefitting from the director’s colour grading and framing indications given during a candid conversation filmed exclusively for one of the many Extras on this Special Edition disc.hunky doctor played by Andy Warhol’s superstar protégé, Joe D’Alessandro (also spelt Joe Dallesandro, he was lionised as ‘Little Joe’ in Lou Reed’s famed ‘Walk On The Wild Side’).”
