Written
& Produced by Tonino Cervi,
FX by wizard Sergio Stivaletti; debut project for director Gianfranco
Giagni
Original Italian title: IL NIDO DEL RAGNO (Spider Labyrinth)
also known as SPIDER'S LABYRINTH and TONINO
CERVI'S SPIDER LABYRINTH
director: Gianfranco Giagni (with producer/writer Tonino Cervi)
starring: Roland Wybenga · Paola Rinaldi · Margareta von Krauss · Claudia
Muzi · William Berger
special effects: Sergio Stivaletti
Roland
Wybenga plays Alan Whitmore, an American university professor specializing
in theology and ancient dead languages. He is part of a clandestine project
called Intextus, comprised of scholars from around the globe who are collaborating
translations for portions of a specific religious project. One of the
correspondents - Prof Roth in Budapest – has stopped communicating
with the group and has seemingly disappeared. Since Roth's input is crucial
to the project, Prof Alan Whitmore is sent to Hungary to find him or discover
what has happened. As soon as Alan steps off the plane, he is engulfed
in a foreboding, hostile whirlwind. Assisted by Genevieve, Prof Roth's
secretary, Alan does indeed find the missing researcher, but good fortunate
soon turns to chaos when Roth is murdered under mysterious circumstances.
Evidence points to the supernatural with strong Spider overtones,
as Alan gets ensnared in a cobweb of occult horrors.
This
brilliantly crafted nightmare is the debut project by director Gianfranco
Giagni (written and produced by Industry kingpin Tonino Cervi). Mr Giagni
began his career in the late '70s as an assistant director to filmmaker
Mauro Bolognini. He then began working with Tonino Cervi on his film NAKED SUN (1984). Cervi originally wrote this screenplay for
himself, but when his health began to suffer, he handed the project to
Gianfranco. While SPIDER LABYRNTH obviously contains
many Cervi techniques (he reportedly oversaw many of the key scenes),
it is still considered Giagni's film. He was responsible for the scent
of eroticism and the deliberate horror pacing. After this production,
Mr Giagni left Cervi's production company and went to Italian television
where he helmed the shockingly good Valentina series (1989-91).
A string of award-winning documentaries followed. He still is active in
European TV work today.
An
Italian film in English language; widescreen format (16:9), totally uncut
version (89 minutes), DVD encoded for ALL REGION NTSC WORLD FORMAT. Extras
include trailers.
Violence/Sexual
Themes/Nudity
for Mature Audiences
