Stage Fright (1987) Revisited – Horror Movie Review

The Real Slashers video series is venturing away from North America with its latest episode. While all of the slasher movies covered in the series so far have been from the U.S. or Canada, the film covered in the new episode – which you can see in the embed above – is an Italian classic: director Michele Soavi’s 1987 feature debut, Stage Fright (watch it HERE)! A movie that features a slasher wearing an owl mask.

Scripted by Anthropophagus madman George Eastman (under the name Lew Cooper) and Sheila Goldberg, Stage Fright has the following synopsis:

In an old, obsolete theatre, a performance group are rehearsing for their new play The Horror Musical, a drama inspired by the real life events connected to sadistic mass murderer Irving Wallace. As the group rehearse, they are totally unaware that Irving has escaped the confines of his mental institution and is about to put some reality into their world of make believe. The slaughtered body of the wardrobe mistress is found outside the theatre, devastating the entire cast. Seizing on the murder as an opportunity to promote his play, the director moves the opening night forward, forcing the actors to rehearse that night, all night, by locking them in the theatre. In the panic that follows, the key is lost! The entire cast realize that they have to face a night of terror confined in the theatre, knowing that Irving is in there with them, hiding, prowling, selecting his next victim.

The film stars David Brandon, Barbara Cupisti, Mary Sellers, Giovanni Lombardo Radice, Jo Ann Smith, Robert Gligorov, Piero Vida, Loredana Parrella, Ulrike Schwerk, Domenico Fiore, Mickey Knox, James E. R. Sampson, Clain Parker, Eastman (under the owl mask), and Soavi.

Here’s what Real Slashers is all about:

Ahhh the 80’s. A simpler time where the blood ran red, the boobies swung freely, and the weed was copiously smoked. A time where rampant killers were simply excuses for excessive sex and over the top murder. Yes, we’re looking at an era where the slasher movie ran wild over cinemas everywhere. Today, we’re looking at “Real Slashers.”

The show is Written, Narrated, and Edited by Tyler Nichols, Produced by John Fallon, and Executive Produced by Berge Garabedian.

What do you think of Michele Soavi’s Stage Fright? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

A few sample episodes of Real Slashers can be seen at the bottom of this article. To see more, and to check out some of our other shows, head over to the JoBlo Horror Originals channel – and subscribe while you’re at it!