Imago Mortis

{{Infobox film

| name = Imago Mortis

| image = Imagomortis1.jpg

| caption = Promotional poster

| director = Stefano Bessoni

| producer = Álvaro Augustín
Sonia Raule
Javier Ugarte

| writer = Luiso Berdejo
Richard Stanley

| starring = Geraldine Chaplin
Oona Chaplin
Alberto Amarilla
Leticia Dolera

| music = Zacarías M. de la Riva

| cinematography = Arnaldo Catinari

| editing = Raimondo Aiello

| distributor =

| released = {{Film date|2009|01|16}}

| runtime = 113 minutes

| country = Italy
Spain

| language =

| budget =€3 million

| gross =

}}

Imago Mortis is a 2009 Italian-Spanish film directed by Stefano Bessoni. The supernatural thriller stars Geraldine Chaplin and is the first major screen appearance of her daughter, Oona. Richard Stanley, one of the film's scriptwriters described the film as a "Sort of a neo-giallo taking off from Dario Argento's Four Flies on Grey Velvet by way of Umberto Lenzi's Spasmo and DaVinci Code."[http://www.shocktillyoudrop.com/news/topnews.php?id=397 Italian Horror Suffers Ocular Trauma in Mortis] Shock Till You Drop. 2 June 2007 Speaking about his hopes for the film, Bessoni said; “My film aspires to del revive fantasy cinema, as is happening in Spain”. It was released in Italy on 16 January 2009.{{cite web|url=https://www.cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/89276/|title=Imago Mortis: Bessoni revives fantasy genre|work=Cineuropa - the best of european cinema|accessdate=21 June 2020}}

Plot

Bruno (Amarilla), a student at the rundown FW Murnau Film School comes across the thanatoscope, an ancient instrument of death. The instrument, created by scientist Girolamo Fumagalli immortalises on a plate the last image seen by the victim’s retina. The school's teachers, led by Countess Orsini (Geraldine Chaplin) are involved in a secretive plot concerning the instrument.

Cast

Reception

The film debuted at no. 5 in Spain, grossing $309,175 in its first week.International Box Office. Variety. 3–9 August 2009 The film took nearly €460,000 on its opening weekend in Italy.[http://www.thewildeye.co.uk/blog/latest-news/new-italian-cinema/imago-mortis/ Imago Mortis] The Wild Eye. 20 January 2009

Zacarías M. de la Riva was nominated by the International Film Music Critics Association for Best Original Score for a Horror/Thriller film.Stone, Sasha. International Film Music Nominees. AwardsDaily. 29 January 2010

References

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