Stage Fright

                                                                

 

                           The theatre of death

 

The film takes place in a theater late at night as a troupe of actors are rehearsing a musical about a mass murderer known as the Night Owl. The show's leading lady, Alicia (Cupisti), sprains her ankle and she and the wardrobe mistress, Betty (Schwerk), sneak out of the rehearsal to go to a doctor. But the closest medical facility is a mental hospital. The psychiatrist on duty is only happy to help, but the wardrobe mistress notices a restrained patient on a bed lying in a room behind bars. The doctor tells them that it is Irving Wallace, a former actor who went berserk and killed over a dozen people. Unbeknownst to any of them, Wallace has killed one of the attendants with a syringe and sneaked out of the asylum, hiding in the back of Betty's car.

Once they arrive back at the theater the over-bearing director (Brandon) fires Alicia for leaving during rehearsal. She packs her things and gets ready to leave, but makes a terrifying discovery in the parking lot...Betty's murdered corpse (struck with a pickaxe).

After the police have taken the body away and stationed two patrol officers in the parking lot to keep an eye on the premises, the director has one of his actresses hide the theater's key so no one can leave, as he has decided to alter the play's script. Instead of being an anonymous killer, he renames the show's antagonist Irving Wallace, and he wants everyone to stay the night and begin immediate rehearsals with the new material. But things become even more nightmarish when the real Wallace (seemingly incensed over this mocking portrayal of him) disembowels the actress who hid the key, and the remaining members of the cast and crew realize that there is no way to escape the (now armed with a knife, axe and chainsaw) psychopath's clutches.

 

 

     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Copyright(C) 2007 - 2020. All rights reserved.

 

                            

   

Directed by Michele Soavi
Produced by Joe D'Amato
Donatella Donati
Written by George Eastman
Sheila Goldberg
Starring David Brandon
Barbara Cupisti
Music by Simon Boswell
Guido Anelli
Stefano Mainetti
Distributed by Anchor Bay Entertainment
Release date(s) February 8, 1987
Running time 94 mins
Language English
Budget $1,000,000 (estimated)

      

 

HORROR HOME