Stage Fright [Blu-ray]

Director: Jerome Sable Jerome Sable

Overview

The young students at a prestigious performing-arts camp fall prey to a murderous psychopath in this darkly comic slasher film featuring Meat Loaf and Minnie Driver. As a young girl, Camilla Swanson dreamed of becoming a theater actress like her mother (Driver), who was brutally murdered following her Broadway debut in a musical called The Haunting of the Opera. Years later, a teenage Camilla (Allie MacDonald) and her younger brother Buddy (Douglas Smith) are working in the kitchen of a performing-arts camp when she crashes the audition for their big summer production -- a Kabuki-style revival of The Haunting of the Opera -- and she lands the role made famous by her late mother. As rehearsals get under way, however, a maniac turns the theater into a slaughterhouse, and the murders seem to be linked to Camilla's tragic past. But while desperate producer and camp owner Roger McCall (Meat Loaf) convinces the eager young actors that the show must go on, there may be no one left to take the stage when the curtains part on opening night.

Product Details

Release Date:	07/08/2014
UPC:	0876964006873
Original Release:	2014
Rating:	R
Source:	Magnolia Home Ent
Region Code:	A
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Language:	English
Time:	1:28:00
Sales rank:	31,140

Special Features

The making of Stage Fright; Deleted scenes; Im memory of a fallen camper; Stage Fright sing-along; Interview with writer/direcor/co-composer Jerome Sable and Co-Composer Eli Batalion; The evolution of the set design; AXS TV: a look at Stage Fright; Commentary with writer/director/co-composer Jerome Sable and co-composer Eli Batalion

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Allie MacDonald	Camilla Swanson
Douglas Smith	Buddy Swanson
Brandon Uranowitz	Artie Getz
Minnie Driver	Kylie Swanson
Meat Loaf	Roger McCall
Kent Nolan	Joel Hopton
Ephraim Ellis	Sam Brownstein
Melanie Leishman	Liz Silver
Thomas Alderson	David Martin
James McGowan	Victor Brady
Eli Batalion	Oleg Penderecki
Steffi DiDomenicantonio	Bethany
Leanne Miller	Sheila Kerry
Adrianna Di Liello	Lithpy
Greg Dunham	Higgins
Dan Levy	Entertainment Reporter
Rick Miller	Alfonso
Tristan Slade Mitchell	Ernie
Chelsey Pozdyk	Whitney
Jeni Ross	Ginger
John Stead	Opera Ghost
Darren Summersby	Tobe

Technical Credits

Jerome Sable

Jerome Sable	Director,Screenwriter
Jonas Bell Pasht	Producer
Ari Lantos	Producer
Tiffany Canfield	Casting
Mark Musselman	Executive Producer
Bernard Telsey	Casting
John Buchan	Casting
Jason Knight	Casting
Joe Barrucco	Sound/Sound Designer

Editorial Reviews

It's no secret that the line between comedy and horror is a particularly fine one, but even the most fearless of genre filmmakers rarely possess the confidence to try to add musical numbers into that fickle mix; in his debut feature Stage Fright, director Jerome Sable attempts just that. Thanks to his perceptive talent for riffing on horror and theater tropes, as well as a keen ear for a catchy tune, Sable largely succeeds at this endeavor. It's only in the bloody dash to the finish line that the cracks begin to show, but by then, few who have stuck with Stage Fright through its breezy 88-minute running time will find that to be cause for total condemnation. As a young girl, Camilla Swanson dreamed of becoming a theater actress like her mother (Minnie Driver), who was brutally murdered following her Broadway debut in a musical called The Haunting of the Opera. Years later, a teenage Camilla (Allie MacDonald) and her younger brother Buddy (Douglas Smith) are working in the kitchen of a performing-arts camp when she crashes the audition for their big summer production -- a Kabuki-style revival of The Haunting of the Opera -- and lands the role made famous by her late mother. As rehearsals get under way, however, a maniac turns the theater into a slaughterhouse, and the murders seem to be linked to Camilla's tragic past. But while desperate producer and camp owner Roger McCall (Meat Loaf) convinces the eager young actors that the show must go on, there may be no one left to take the stage when the curtains part on opening night. With Glee finding success on the airwaves, it was only a matter of time before the show's influence bled over onto the big screen. Thanks to their penchant for music and mayhem, Sable and his songwriting partner Eli Batalion have crafted a movie that owes as much to that contemporary TV hit as it does to such cult films as The Rocky Horror Picture Show (most obviously in the casting of Meat Loaf) or Brian De Palma's Phantom of the Paradise. Given the broad range of influences and targets on display, it would have been relatively easy for Sable to lose sight of his goal, but despite taking his time with the setup by exploring the surprisingly gruesome murder that sets the story in motion, his playful riffing on theater stereotypes and horror tropes (the creepy maintenance man, the killer's corny one-liners) keeps the mood light and the laughs flowing for those in the know. That would have been a difficult task to pull off had Sable not assembled a talented young cast capable of capturing just the right tone. Fortunately, in that respect, he succeeded admirably. As the traumatized yet ambitious Cammila, MacDonald mostly earns our sympathy, despite making a few questionable judgment calls in order to get her big break. While the rest of the characterization is frequently limited to shorthand, Thomas Alderson, Ephraim Ellis, and Brandon Uranowitz are standouts as, respectively, the outwardly gay stage manager, the closeted actor, and the sleazy director. Somewhat surprisingly, it's film and music veteran Meat Loaf who has trouble with the vocal requirements in a key scene that finds him convincing the campers to cover up a shocking murder until opening night; his character continues to prove troublesome, at least story-wise, as Sable attempts to connect the dots during the movie's blood-soaked climax. Still, it's hard not to be charmed by a film that hits most of its satirical targets with such knowing accuracy, and that occasionally manages to get your toes tapping with its show-tune-inspired melodies. Stage Fright is a cult hit in the making for fans of movies like Repo! The Genetic Opera and Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, as well as a campy treat to savor with all of your misfit friends.