Italian Gothic Horror Films (1980-1989)

by Roberto Curti

  although very valuable, is not 00 percent reli-

  were filmed abroad and financed with foreign

  able, as sometimes the dates registered don’t

  money but helmed by Italian directors. dami-

  correspond to the actual ones (see, for instance,

  ano damiani’s Amityville II: The Possession

  the case of Argento’s Inferno). still, it is useful

  (982) was produced by an Italian mogul,

  to date a movie’s production properly.

  

  2 A Note on the Entries unlike previous decades, box- office

  lease. some of these titles fall flatly into the

  grosses were sometimes problematic to find,

  Gothic genre, while others feature minor or

  due to the lack of proper sources (such as

  sparse Gothic elements, so I have decided to

  maurizio baroni’s invaluable Platea in piedi

  discuss them in a comprehensive essay for the

  volumes, which stop at 979) or sometimes

  sake of explaining their common production

  the unreliability of data. I have taken advan-

  history and their main traits and themes, while

  tage of various sources, including Roberto

  giving much more room to those that have

  Poppi’s Dizionario del cinema italiano. I film

  proper Gothic qualities. the second appendix

  dal 1980 al 1989 and, starting from 985, the

  covers Gothic made- for-tv films, with two

  issues of the monthly magazine Ciak si gira

  series produced by Reteitalia during the

  with the list of the year’s top 00 box- office

  decade, namely “Brivido giallo” (consisting of

  films, but for some of the more obscure titles

  four films directed by lamberto bava) and “Le

  the grosses were not available.

  case maledette” (four films directed by lucio

  the entries are listed under their original

  Fulci and umberto lenzi). In both appendices,

  Italian title, followed by the english title (re-

  the entries are arranged in chronological order,

  ferring to the u.s. theatrical or video release)

  according to their shooting dates; for “Brivido

  in brackets and italics. If there was no english

  giallo,” they are arranged based upon their

  language release, a literal translation is in-

  original air date.

  cluded, but not set in italics. Please keep in

  the information bits provided through-

  mind that the films are mentioned throughout

  out the text are the result of thorough research

  the text under their original Italian title, for

  from a variety of sources such as academic

  instance Quella villa accanto al cimitero, not

  texts and essays and other assorted material

  The House by the Cemetery.

  (interviews with filmmakers, producers and

  the book features two appendices. the

  actors, old newspaper articles and reviews,

  first covers direct- to-video releases, namely

  ministerial papers and archives). Whenever

  the eight films of the series “I maestri del

  possible, I located and consulted the original

  thriller” (a.k.a. “Lucio Fulci presenta”), which

  scripts deposited at the luigi Chiarini library

  were never submitted to the rating board and

  of the Centro sperimentale di Cinematografia

  didn’t receive any certificate for theatrical re-

  (CsC) in Rome.

  Abbreviations

  The following abbreviations are used in the credits list for each entry

  Crew

  dresser; se: special effects; so: sound; soe:

  special sound effects; sP: still photographer;

  AC: Assistant camera; ACo: Costume as-

  sPFX: special make-up effects; ss: script su-

  sistant; ACon: Assistant continuity; Ad: As-

  pervisor/script girl; stC: stunt Coordinator;

  sistant director; Ae: Assistant editor; Amu:

  svFX: special visual effects; W: Wardrobe/

  Assistant makeup; APd: Production design as-

  seamstress.

  sistant; Artd: Art director; Asd: Assistant set

  designer; b: boom man; bb: best boy; C: Cam-

  era; Chel: Chief electrician; CHoR: Choreog-

  Production

  rapher; Co: Costumes; Con: Continuity; d:

  directed by; diald: dialogue coach/dialogue

  Adm: Administrator; AP: Associate pro-

  director; doP: director of photography;

  ducer; eP: executive producer; Gm: General

  dubd: dubbing director; e: editor; el: elec-

  manager; PA: Production assistant; PAcc: Pro-

  trician; GA: Gaffer; Hair: Hairdresser; KG: Key

  duction Accountant; PCo: Production Coor-

  grip; lt: lighting technician; m: music; mA:

  dinator; Pm: Production manager; PR: Pro-

  master of arms; mix: sound mixer; mu:

  duction runner; PRod: Produced by; PPs:

  makeup; oe: optical effects; Pd: Production

  Post-Production supervisor; Ps: Production

  designer; PrA: Press attache; Prm: Property

  supervisor; Pse: Production secretary; PseA:

  master; s: story; 2ndAd: 2nd Assistant

  Production secretary assistant; um: unit man-

  director; sC: screenplay; sd: set decoration/set

  ager; uP: unit publicist.

  3

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  Italian Gothic Horror Films,

  980–989

  The films are listed alphabetically within each year.

  Notes are given at the end of each entry.

  1980

  Blow Job (Soffio erotico) (Blow Job—Erotic

  Countess Angela, who helps Stefano pick a win-

  Whiff)

  ning horse. In return she asks them for a ride to

  D: Alberto Cavallone. S and SC: Alberto

  her villa in the countryside because she wants Ste-

  Cavallone; DOP: Maurizio Centini; M: Ubaldo

  fano to help her “pass the gate.” During the trip

  Continiello; E: Alberto Cavallone; AD: Michelan-

  they meet some surreal characters, including a

  gelo Pepe; AC: Carlo Marotti; ChEl: Armando

  biker whose head looks like a skull. At the villa,

  Dramis; El: Costante Martinelli, Aldo Gentili; KG:

  a sinister- looking butler named Alphonse awaits

  Gaetano Barbera; G: Aldo Negretti; MU: Silvana

  them. Strange things ensue: Angela puts a spell

  Petri; SO: Pietro Spadoni; SS: Emilio Taliano.

  on Diana, who becomes ill; Stefano goes looking

  Cast: Danilo Micheli (Stefano Vicinelli), Anna

  for a doctor and meets a young, beautiful woman

  Massarelli (Diana), Anna Bruna Cazzato (An-

  named Sibilla, who gives him a magic powder to

  gela), Mirella Venturini (Sibilla), Valerio Isidori

  cure Diana. The Countess and Diana leave Ste-

  (Alphonse), Antonio Mea (Hotel Concierge);

  fano alone in the villa and go to a ball; in the mid-

  uncredited: Martial Boschero (Hotel Customer),

  dle of the night, Sibilla comes out of a mirror and

  Guya Lauri Filzi (Woman at Party), Hassen

  takes Stefano to a cave where she hypnotizes him,

  Jabar (Masked Party Guest), Pauline Teutscher

  and they make love. Then Stefano finds hi
mself

  (Suicidal Woman). PROD: Martial Boschero for

  again in the villa, in the middle of an inexplicable

  Anna Cinematografica [and Pietro Belpedio, un-

  ritual which turns into an orgy: Diana, seemingly

  credited, for Distribuzione Cinematografica 3];

  in a hypnotic trance, dances with the guests in

  PM: Martial Boschero; PSe: Maria Ludovica

  turn, regardless of him. The mysterious biker

  Bologna. Country: Italy. Filmed in Riolo Terme,

  shows up and turns out to be a woman with a

  Ravenna and Cesena, Italy. Running time: 80 min-

  skull mask; she starts a primitive tribal dance,

  utes (m. 290). Visa n. 74774 (.7.980); Rating:

  and all those she passes by drop dead, until she

  V.M.8. Release dates: .7.980 (Italy), 6.2.

  and Diana are the only ones left in the room.

  984 (Spain); Distribution: Distribuzione Cine-

  Diana becomes mad at Stefano and falls out of a

  matografica 3. Domestic gross: 42,37,000 lire.

  window. Stefano is left alone with Angela: she and

  Also known as: Blow Job—Dolce lingua (Italy, al-

  Sibilla are one and the same, a powerful witch

  ternate title); Blow Job (Trabajo de absorción)

  who absorbs her lovers’ energy in order to rein-

  (Spain).

  carnate into a new body. Stefano confronts and

  Stefano and Diana, two young and penniless

  apparently destroys them by shattering the huge

  actors, flee from a hotel without paying the bill,

  mirror in the salon. Then he suddenly finds him-

  taking advantage of a woman’s suicide. Later, at

  self back at the hotel. The woman who has com-

  a racetrack, they meet a scarred older woman,

  mitted suicide is revealed to be Diana. Amidst the

  

  6 1980 Blow crowd, Stefano glimpses Sibilla and Alphonse,

  for free to the production but asked to be on set

  staring at him…

  when the explicit sex scenes were shot. The ex-

  Always a controversial filmmaker, who had

  treme poverty shows throughout the film, shot

  managed to cut for himself a niche as a singular

  on a shoestring and harmed by inadequate ac-

  auteur whose works blended eroticism, politics

  tors, especially the bovine- looking Dario

  (especially Third World- related themes) and ex-

  Micheli. Yet the result is strangely fascinating,

  perimental film style, by the late 970s Alberto

  and certainly doesn’t deserve the crass contempt

  Cavallone had made the transition between

  (and lack of critical depth) reserved to it by some

  erotic cinema to hardcore porn. “It is a deliber-

  biased historians of Italian porn.

  ately pornographic film, but with a political con-

  The director’s mystical and esoteric inter-

  tent. A movie about violence as a means of com-

  ests are well in evidence here. The story is spiced

  munication and knowledge in a repressive

  with literary references that vary from Carlos

  society.” This is how he announced Blue Movie

  Castaneda’s writings to Aldous Huxley’s 94

  (978), labeling it as “Italy’s first hard- core

  essay on drugs, The Doors of Perception. As the

  film… . The characters discuss like in a progres-

  director explained, “the whole film was focused

  sive comic book, shoot, copulate and sodomize,

  on the possibility of escaping from our own bod-

  kill and ejaculate in a mixture where everything

  ies, by modifying sensorial perceptions through

  is dream. The only reality is sex, with its func-

  the use of drugs or self- concentration.” Blue

  tions pushed to the extreme.”2 But his choice was

  Movie conveyed a stark, grim and matter- of-fact

  also dictated by the rapidly shrinking market,

  view on the contemporary world, in which con-

  and the impossibility to mount the projects he

  sumerism leads to alienation and madness; Blow

  wanted to make (such as Dream, a violent rape-

  Job, on the other hand, is a metaphysical and

  and-revenge tale set entirely in a department

  elusive, even escapist fantasy which nevertheless

  store). Even though his films—most notably

  exudes the same pessimistic feel. Significantly,

  Spell—Dolce mattatoio, 977—were advertised

  at one point Sibilla says: “The world is tired, its

  as Italy’s answer to Walerian Borowczyk and

  end is near, people have lost the will to live… . ”

  Dušan Makavejev, there was little or no room

  Dialogue was never Cavallone’s biggest

  for him as an independent director who worked

  asset, and such lines as, “I don’t know what got

  outside Rome.

  me today, I feel like a bitch in heat” are definitely

  Following Blue Movie, Cavallone split his

  not Shakespeare. But the protagonists’ words

  activity as a filmmaker into two. On the one

  convey the director’s disconsolate vision of the

  hand, he worked on television, returning to his

  present and link the film to his previous works.

  origins as a documentarist with the reportage

  Whereas Blue Movie was about a world smoth-

  Dentro e fuori la classe, broadcast in three parts

  ered by commodities such as Coca- Cola and

  (respectively titled Io sono … capisci?, Boh! and

  Marlboro cigarettes, the characters in Blow

  Il pezzo di carta) on Rai Uno from November

  Job cannot see beyond the merely phenomenal

  27 to December 2, 979, to very positive

  vision that today’s consumerist society has in-

  reviews.3 Parallel to that, he was now fully dab-

  stilled in them, and discuss even death in down-

  bling in hardcore porn.

  to-earth, materialistic terms. In the early scenes,

  Shot during the Summer of 9794 with the

  set in a cheap hotel, we meet the protagonists,

  working title La strega nuda (The Naked

  two young, penniless actors, Stefano (Micheli)

  Witch), Blow Job was an extremely rushed pro-

  and Diana (Anna Massarelli), who see a woman

  duction, officially financed by Martial Boschero’s

  throw herself out of a window from the room

  company Anna Cinematografica but in fact pro-

  above. Their reaction is telling: “We are made

  duced by Pietro Belpedio, one of the pioneers of

  of guts, of dampish matter,” Stefano comments,

  Italian porn with his company Distribuzione

  cynically comparing the dead woman on the

  Cinematografica 3. Boschero—the brother of

  floor to “an overturned bowl of spaghetti with

  actress Dominique Boschero and one of Caval-

  lots of sauce.” Thus, when the witch talks about

  lone’s closer collaborators—had a cameo as a

  a “key” to “open a gate,” referring to a threshold

  customer at the hotel in one of the early scenes.

  to another dimension, Stefano and Diana can

  Filming took place almost entirely in a villa near<
br />
  only interpret her words literally, unaware of

  Riolo Terme, in North- East Italy, near the city

  their real significance, because, as Sibilla tells

  of Faenza. Belpedio recalled that the villa be-

  Stefano: “You, like all the others, refuse to see

  longed to a dirty old man, who gave it almost

  beyond the images of your eyes… . ” They are

  1980: Blow

  7

  empty, desperately void inside: it’s no surprise

  hippie woman who exudes an earthier, sunny

  that Stefano confesses: “I have many air bubbles

  sexuality, yet equally mystical and mysterious.

  in my head… . Many white air bubbles.” But

  The result at times recalls Jean Rollin’s

  Blow Job’s ordinary, squalid everyday world

  films—take the sequence where Sibilla emerges

  proves permeable to forces and presences be-

  from the bathroom mirror and leads Stefano

  yond our comprehension. Magic is all around

  away in the night, which has the same striking

  us, as are doors (and mirrors, like in Inferno) to

  naivety as the grandfather clock scene in Le fris-

  other dimensions.

  son des vampires (970). Cavallone was especially

  Blow Job is the closest the director came to

  proud of the ensuing sequence where the witch

  making a proper horror movie: at times, it al-

  brings Stefano to a cave and makes him drink a

  most looks like a live- action version of one of

  magic potion, especially the 360° shots following

  the adults- only comics made in the 970s, such

  Sibilla from the man’s point of view, as she

  as Oltretomba or Storie Blu. Cavallone’s take on

  moves in circles around him like a predator and

  the main themes of Italian Gothic—the haunted

  then hypnotizes him with snake- like moves.

  house, the warped space/time continuity, the

  Other parts are definitely less successful: the ball

  gullible male hero, the duality between animate

  sequence in the darkened hall, with the enig-

  and inanimate—is imbued with the director’s

  matic participants carrying torches while danc-

  literary and cinephile tastes, with at times strik-

  ing a waltz and Alphonse directing a spotlight

  ing results. The recurring character of the skull-

  on them, and Stefano vainly trying to catch

  masked biker echoes Jean Cocteau’s Orphée

  Diana, looks like an excerpt from some thread-

  (90), and the plot itself is basically a reworking