Diabolique (1996)

User Rating:

5.0/10   

Director:

Jeremiah S. Chechik

Writers (WGA):

Pierre Boileau (novel) and
Thomas Narcejac (novel) ...

Release Date:

22 March 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Thriller | Mystery

Tagline:

Two women. One man. The combination can be murder.

Plot:

The wife and mistress of a cruel school master collaborate in a carefully planned and executed attempt to murder him...

Plot Keywords:

School | Mistress | Murder | Murder Plot | Remake

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Sharon Stone	...	Nicole Horner
Isabelle Adjani	...	Mia Baran
Chazz Palminteri	...	Guy Baran
Kathy Bates	...	Det. Shirley Vogel
Spalding Gray	...	Simon Veatch
Shirley Knight	...	Edie Danziger
Allen Garfield	...	Leo Katzman
Adam Hann-Byrd	...	Erik Pretzer
Donal Logue	...	Video Photographer #1
Diana Bellamy	...	Ms. Vawze
Clea Lewis	...	Lisa Campos
J.J. Abrams	...	Video Photographer #2 (as Jeffrey Abrams)
O'Neal Compton	...	Irv Danziger
Bingo O'Malley	...	Gannon
Stephen Liska	...	PHP Officer

MPAA:

Rated R for violence/terror, sexuality and language.

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #34415) | Iceland:16 | Singapore:M18 | Australia:M | South Korea:18 | Philippines:R-18 | Argentina:16 | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 (video premiere) | Germany:16 (w) | Portugal:M/16 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18

Filming Locations:

Harmony, Pennsylvania, USA

Company:

ABC Productions

Goofs:

Continuity: The lines of text on the computer monitor reach the bottom of the screen start scrolling. In the close-up, the text is just starting to be written again.

Quotes:

Voguel: It's not your fault - it's *men*. Testosterone. They should put it in bombs.

Movie Connections:

Version of Les diaboliques (1955)

Soundtrack:

In The Arms Of Love

Isabelle Adjani, please fire your agent!

Poor Isabelle Adjani. She is one of the most beautiful women in the world and one of the finest actresses alive.(See "The Story of Adele H" for proof of both of these claims.) Yet somehow her agent (or whoever is responsible for these horrible decisions) keeps casting her in the worst American films he can possibly find. Did somebody say "Ishtar?"

The American version of "Diabolique" is a perfect example of how Hollywood can ruin a classic film. The original 1955 French film is a subtle, fun, nail-biting mystery that builds to a wonderful ending. In this silly remake, director Jeremiah Chechik takes out the fun and subtlety, throws in some nudity, then "builds" to that same, tired "bad guy trying to kill the good guy" ending we have seen a million times before. Please!

If and when Isabelle Adjani is cast in a decent American movie, she will become the biggest star in the world. Until then, our loss is France's gain.