Synopsis
The movie Curtains (1983) follows a group of actresses brought to an isolated theater to audition for a demanding director’s upcoming film role, but a killer begins murdering them one by one.
Director Jonathan Stryker auditions actresses such as Samantha at a Toronto theater to star in his new film. When Samantha has a breakdown during rehearsal, Jonathan brings her to a remote mental institution to have her committed so he can manipulate her performance.
The movie Curtains (1983) shows Jonathan then inviting six actresses to the isolated theater under the pretense of auditioning for the role. However, a masked killer actually begins picking off the women one at a time. The deranged director subjects the women to increasingly unhinged manipulations to gain performance intensity.
As the actresses start disappearing, ice skater Patti and actress Brooke grow suspicious of the weird auditions. When the killer murders another actress during rehearsal, Patti and Brooke try to escape the theater but find no way out in the snowstorm. Convinced Jonathan is behind it all, Patti dons the killer’s mask and robe to attack Jonathan before the real killer murders Brooke and chases Patti onto the stage.
In the finale, Samantha escapes the hospital and kills Jonathan. Patti pulls off the killer’s mask to reveal Samantha, who wins the final audition role. The movie Curtains (1983) ends on her deranged stare.
Cast
- John Vernon as Jonathan Stryker
- Linda Thorson as Brooke Parsons
- Samantha Eggar as Samantha Sherwood
- Anne Ditchburn as Patti O’Connor
- Lynne Griffin as Patti O’Connor (voice)
Trivia
The film had a notoriously troubled production, with multiple rewrites and creative differences.
Director Richard Ciupka was replaced mid-shoot by producer Robert Guza Jr.
The movie was filmed at a real theatre north of Toronto.
Anonymous on November 1, 2023