Tubi Thursday: Stage Fright (1987)

 A whole bunch of big names for fans of Italian Horror united for this Film!

Michele Soavi.
George Eastman.
Joe D'amato.
Simon Boswell.

This is...

A local Theater is finishing up their preparation for a bizarre Stage Musical based on a fictional Character known as the Night Owl.

It's like if Dario Argento made Fame...off-Broadway.

The Plot hinges upon a pair of massive coincidences, so bear with me...

One of the Dancers hurt her ankle, so she sneaks out to a Hospital.

A Mental Hospital, that is.  
No, really.

While getting aid, a famous killer escapes and hides out in their car.

Back at the Studio, he kills the friend and sneaks in...

The Director (who puts the DICk in Director) fires the lady, but then keeps her around later.

The Police stake out the building when the body is found, while he locks everyone inside to practice!

The Show must go on...and is now about the real Killer!

Said Killer eventually kills and takes the place of Brett, the guy in the killer's outfit.

Brett is Giovanni Lombardo Radice, by the way, which either means lots to you...or nothing whatsoever.

The killer manages to take out the new Lead Actress under the guise of rehearsal, before being chased off.

He somehow knows the Building better than everyone and picks them off one at a time.

Meanwhile, two Cops sit outside uselessly.

The Cast is whittled down to- and this will shock you- a Final Girl and the Killer.

Can she survive?
Stream it to find out.

A fun, stylish Film that feels both very '80s and very Italian.

From me, that's a compliment btw.

As mentioned, the Plot hinges upon our stupid Leads going to a Mental Hospital for a sprained ankle.  That and the Cast watching him literally kill someone before they go '...wait a second.'

The kills are very creative and the gore is effective without being too over-the-top mostly.

I'd prefer to see it Subbed, but whatever.

It's such a weird, but simple premise and I kind of love it.  Given that this guy would go on to make The Church, I was happy to see how well this turned out.

It's not Soavi's greatest Film, but it is possibly the dawning of the age of...

A very strange and ridiculous Film in all of the right ways.  If you like '80s Italian Horror, check it out.