Aenigma (1987) * 1/2 (out of 4) Italian horror from Fulci is his spin on the CARRIE-type tale. The film takes place at a female boarding school where one of the unpopular girls has a prank played on her, which leaves her in a coma. Soon after that a new girl enters the school and becomes possessed with the coma girl's spirit, which leaves to revenge. This is one of the director's least known films and there's probably a reason for that. Considering that it's not very good and that it came towards the end of the Italian horror craze, it's no wonder the movie has been forgotten over the past couple decades. This film should be remembered somewhat better just because of some of the horrid death sequences, which are the real reason to watch this film. There's not too much gore but we get an incredibly bizarre sex scene where our hero eats away at her lover. If that wasn't strange enough we get perhaps the dumbest death sequence in Fulci career and that's the scene where a girl just lays in bed while snails kill her. Yes, snails. The other death scenes are pretty generic, although Fulci does wrap them up in a nice atmosphere and one sequence inside a museum works pretty well. There's a subplot involving the new girl dating the coma girl's doctor but this just drags things down. The performances aren't anything special but they're not too bad either. In other words, typical Italian stuff. If someone is new to Fulci then they shouldn't start here but if you must watch everything the guy made then jump right in.

Bizarre, corny, but reasonable entertaining Fulci rip on "Carrie" takes the premise one step further. The unfortunate victim of a college prank gone terribly wrong when those who humiliated her caused poor Kathy(Mijlijana Zirojevic)to walk out in front of a moving car, she lies brain-dead in Intensive care on life-support. But, even in these terrible conditions, the need for revenge drives Kathy's vengeful spirit to possess the host of nervous-breakdown beauty, Eva Gordon(the simply gorgeous Lara Naszinsky who I wished would never leave the screen she's so easy on the eyes)into eliminating those who caused her harm. When each murder is about to be set-up and executed, Kathy experiences violent emotion which bewilders Dr. Robert Anderson(Jared Martin, who many might remember from the short-lived, but great, "War of the Worlds" series)whose in charge of her care. Kathy should not be experiencing anything in her worsening state, so when she, all of a sudden, shows signs of aggression after such states of silence it doesn't make sense in a clinical way. Meanwhile, we come to understand that the methods used against each victim stems from their own dreams, with unusual results. The gym instructor's own reflection attacks(he's quite an egomaniac for whom Kathy adored and the major culprit in the dirty prank that went awry)him, one student is attacked by snails(!), one girl is attacked by a Greek statue(!), another girl can not escape a room where the vision of her boyfriend beheaded remains on the bed(she falls to her doom in a state of panic from the dormroom window), and Dr. Anderson himself experiences a grisly dream where his new lover, student Eva, chews chunks of flesh from his torso and mouth.When Eva is sent away after too many violent temper tantrums and rebellious-type behavior(said to perhaps effect the other female students, in a negative was, that attend the St. Mary's Boston college), her lover Anderson starts a relationship with Jenny(Ulli Reinthaler). The doc sure loves the student body..yuk, yuk. So we see the wrath of Eva/Kathy, who escapes from her asylum home, as she confronts Jenny attempting to find Anderson's office. Will Jenny escape where others failed? While I'll be the first to admit that this flick makes little sense whatsoever, it sure has the same visual energy Fulci had a talent for expressing even with the hokiest of story-lines. The bizarre nature of the crimes against the victims is enough(..although most aren't that gory)to warrant at least one viewing. Good electronic score. Hilarious dated foot-note..you'll notice lots of posters featuring popular heroes and movies at that time(Tom Cruise/Top Gun poster, Sly Stallone/Rocky III poster, etc)in the 80's, I'm guessing Fulci added to give his Italian flick a more "American feel." Kathy's mother, the maid of St. Mary's, seems to have a red glow in her eyes and she plays a heavy role in either stopping the carnage or letting it continue. Either way, she understands that her beloved daughter is on the rampage.

OK I agree with most of the comments here. The movie is pretty bad....thus far the worst of Lucio's films (that I've seen). Some of the sets were interesting, the music was good too. Was it me or did the music that was played over the miniature city sets sound like the music from Aliens? Another question, the Tom Cruise Poster and the Yoda Poster, did they need special permission to add those in the film? OK to kill you all, some lyrics from the intro song (head over heels): Put on your makeup your eyes are blue enough tonight is special for you you're gonna see that dream come true put on your red dressyou gotta look your best tonight is waiting for you he's gonna make that dream come true you've got that feeling deep inside loving the first time in your life falling head over heels and you just can't stop falling into the arms of a lover falling over head over heels baby from the top and you hope it will go on forever!

I am not surprised to see mostly negative reviews for Fulci's 1987 "Carrie" inspired "Aenigma". It does not stand up to his late 70's/early 80's gore epics that you all are familiar with. But wait, let's remember that Fulci is still visually inventive in 87, with lots of great camera moves and flair. The man knew how to tell a story, folks. He may have been a jerk to his colleagues, but what a great craftsman. He was trying to make a US style teenager quasi slasher popcorn movie here, a lighter less horrifying type of deal. I think it should also be said that this was well cast. The beautiful college girls each play their roles with unique personalities, something you won't find in most US films of this type. The geeky girl in the red dress is a hoot, and so is the famous snail scene. Best of all is the English new wave/pop sappy romance song that sets up the audience perfectly. It's an interesting and engaging story, even if it is clearly inspired by Carrie. And unlike so many other horror films, the ending is rewarding, logical AND suspenseful. I still haven't seen a Fulci film that I don't like, and this is no exception...check it out!