Italian Gothic Horror Films (1980-1989)

by Roberto Curti

departing radically from the voodoo- related

  the Public Cinematographic Register on Febru-

  mood of Zombi 2, and linking the film to Fulci’s

  ary 22, 980, credited solely to Sacchetti and still

  previous work, most notably Non si sevizia un

  titled La paura. However, this as well displays

  paperino (972), which also featured a priest as

  46 1980: Paura a source of evil. The Catholic doctrine and im-and Tommy are dispatched while making out in

  agery becomes associated with damnation in-

  their car. Here, the link between “forbidden” sex

  stead of salvation: the opening scene features an

  and punishment becomes blatant, and the infa-

  inscription on a gravestone (“The soul that pines

  mous moment in which Rosie starts crying tears

  for eternity shall outspan death”) which in ret-

  of blood makes for yet another subtly blasphe-

  rospect sounds like a bitter parody of the Gospel’s

  mous image, possibly inspired by Messiah of Evil

  “promise of eternity,” and Father Thomas smear-

  (973) but with a more direct significance for

  ing Emily’s face with a disgusting substance filled

  Italian audiences, as it refers to the Catholic

  with living worms looks like a perverted rendi-

  “miracles” of the bleeding Virgin Mary statues

  tion of the baptism ceremony.

  (such as the Madonna Addolorata in Giampilieri,

  Sacchetti’s script hints at another key Gothic

  Sicily).

  element, the return of the repressed: the under-

  But the story also has its share of flaws,

  ground crypt where the climax takes place, hidden

  which look more like the result of unconvincing

  behind Father Thomas’ gravestone, looks like a

  tampering with the original concept than an at-

  dark half, a parallel world nourished by the sins

  tempt at a dreamlike mood. Rather than as a co-

  of the living which lies in wait to rise to the surface

  herent whole, the action proceeds in fits and

  and take its revenge at the opportune moment

  starts, with bizarre non sequiturs such as the col-

  (the memory of the hidden passage behind the

  umn of fire that appears in the New York apart-

  fireplace in La maschera del demonio comes to

  ment where the séance has taken place, perhaps

  mind). The film connects even deeper to the

  a remnant of the original concept of linking the

  Gothic tradition by way of another typical element

  living dead plague to the Salem witches. On the

  of the genre, the séance. As Mary, MacColl plays

  other hand, the gory and suspenseful set- pieces

  a psychic heroine with many traits in common to

  sometimes barely make sense themselves, as

  Sette note in nero’s Virginia Ducci, a damsel- in-

  with the case of the appearance of the elderly

  distress who remains basically powerless through-

  dead woman in Sandra’s house.

  out the movie—a Cassandra of sorts who predicts

  Despite its budgetary shortcomings (which

  terrible ruin but cannot do anything to stop it. Her

  called for several cost- cutting choices, such as

  fragility, which makes her a “dweller of the twilight

  the same night- time shots of Dunwich repeated

  void,” a link between two worlds, is best expressed

  throughout the movie) and a cast that is not up

  in the premature burial scene by the pictorial

  to the task (except for MacColl and Lombardo

  image of the flower petal which falls from the rose

  Radice, that is), Fulci develops suspense with a

  on Mary’s chest, after a feeble breath emanates

  commanding knowledge of the medium. This

  from the young woman’s lungs, revealing that she

  leads to some show- stopping moments such as

  is, indeed, still alive. It is moments like this

  the scene in which Peter saves Mary from pre-

  (already described in detail in the script, it must

  mature burial: here the thrills come not only

  be added, yet beautifully rendered on screen)

  from the race against time, but by the fact that

  which illustrate the measure of Fulci’s sensibility

  the savior might actually harm the woman he is

  and care toward the genre.

  trying to rescue, as the reporter goes at the coffin

  Characterizations are kept to a mini-

  with a pickaxe whose edge penetrates inches

  mum—Emily (Antonella Interlenghi) is barely

  from Mary’s eye. It must be noted that Sacchetti’s

  introduced before she is mercilessly dispatched,

  script features only one pickaxe blow, while Fulci

  only to return later as a zombie—and often hint

  triplicates them, like a Russian roulette with

  at sexual repression. Gerry (Carlo De Mejo) is

  three bullets. As gratuitous and preposterous as

  a psychoanalyst (not Fulci’s favorite profession

  it may be, it remains a top- notch sequence,

  by far) who we assume is hopelessly in love with

  which not only reprises the likes of Dreyer’s

  the beautiful Sandra (Agren), who in turn is in-

  Vampyr, Corman’s The Tomb of Ligeia and

  troduced while discussing her incestuous desires

  Freda’s L’orribile segreto del dr. Hichcock in a re-

  toward her father. Bob the village idiot—intro-

  freshing way, but also plays with Fulci’s own

  duced via an impressive exterior shot outside

  oeuvre, from Sette note in nero to the splinter-

  his abode—keeps an inflatable sex doll in his

  in-the-pupil scene of Zombi 2.9 In turn it would

  shack and is said to be literally a son of a bitch

  become a classic, openly quoted by Quentin

  (being retarded, he is also among the first to ex-

  Tarantino in Kill Bill: Vol. 2.0

  perience paranormal visions of the impending

  The director is immensely aided by Fabio

  apocalyptic events), while Rosie (Daniela Doria)

  Frizzi’s score. The composer had already collab-

  1980: Paura

  47

  Mary (Catriona McCall) is rescued from the coffin where she was buried alive in a French lobby card for Paura nella città dei morti viventi.

  orated with Fulci on several films since the mid–

  with gross moments of gore (with special make-

  Seventies, including Sette note in nero and Zombi

  up effects by Franco Rufini and Rosario

  2, and his work in Paura della città dei morti

  Prestopino2) which seem only too preoccupied

  viventi ranks among his best: the unorthodox

  to shock and disgust the viewer. Interestingly,

  choice of instruments—such as the jangling,

  the film’s most celebrated graphic horror mo-

  arpeggioing acoustic guitars in the track appro-

  ments are not included in the original story nor

  priately titled Irrealtà di suoni (Unreality of

  in the CSC script. The scene with Rosie and

  Sounds), or the Mellotron in Apoteosi del mistero

  Tommy in the car is absent in the former, which

  (Apotheosis of Mystery)—enhances the film’s

 
features the bit where Woody is devoured by cats

  dreamlike, irrational mood. Frizzi was particu-

  in a rubbish dump instead. It can be found in

  larly satisfied with the use of the Mellotron to

  the CSC draft, yet, it climaxes in a decidedly dif-

  convey a feeling of dread: “I was born musically

  ferent way. After witnessing the ghastly appear-

  at the time of the great success of The Beatles

  ance of the dead priest, the two teenagers try to

  and The Rolling Stones. I knew that they had

  drive away, but their car won’t start; maggots

  used the Mellotron (the harmonizing flutes in

  start falling from the sky like rain, covering the

  The Fool on the Hill, for instance, were a Mel-

  windshield and windows and obscuring their

  lotron). I inquired if I could find one in Rome,

  sight. The vehicle is surrounded by zombies and,

  rented it and learned how to play it. The best

  in a Romero- inspired image, “dozens of livid,

  zombie voices you can find on the planet.” Frizzi

  fleshless arms penetrate inside the car,” before

  would reuse Apoteosi del mistero with some vari-

  the script cuts abruptly to another scene. There

  ations in his scores for …E tu vivrai nel terrore!

  is no trace whatsoever of the scene’s highlight,

  L’aldilà and Un gatto nel cervello (990).

  the infamous intestine barfing bit, which seems

  These atmospheric scenes rub shoulders

  to have been a last- minute addition.

  48 1980: Paura Bob’s death, the film’s most infamous gory

  special effects guys turn up with a rather uncon-

  highlight, is also quite different from the original

  vincing replica of Doria’s face.

  story and the CSC script draft. Here, after Bob

  As Fulci once claimed, “what I am really

  is discovered by Ann’s father, he manages to es-

  scared of are TV news. My nightmares, or Ar-

  cape, but the man shoots him in the leg and

  gento’s, are imaginary. Whereas TV news show

  blows up his knee. The badly injured Bob is sur-

  real nightmares lived daily by real people.”4 Not

  rounded by the villagers, who tie his leg to a car’s

  surprisingly, the film’s most infamous gory high-

  fender and drag him around. One of the boy’s

  light, Bob’s atrocious death, leaves any super-

  legs gets stuck, and the scene climaxes in the

  natural implication aside. Fulci described it as

  gruesome sight of Bob being graphically quar-

  “a cry I wanted to launch against a certain type

  tered like in a medieval ordeal, before the eyes

  of fascism.” It is an astonishing portrayal of

  of his torturers. Incidentally, the same scene was

  human evil, as opposed to the ghostly curse that

  described in a very similar way in Sacchetti’s

  forms the movie’s core: an act of gratuitous, ex-

  original story: the only difference is that Bob is

  treme violence, symbolically directed to the

  not shot by Ann’s father, but stabbed in the leg

  same body part as the zombies’ attacks, the

  by a little girl. In its early conception, the se-

  brain—and therefore by extension to free, indi-

  quence was even closer in tone to the lynching

  vidual and independent thought. It implies not

  of the maciara (Florinda Bolkan) at the hands

  just unspeakable horrors that are far more ter-

  of the villagers in Non si sevizia un paperino. It

  rifying than any revenant in the film (namely, a

  was possibly dropped due to budgetary reasons

  father’s unspoken incestuous desires, a nod to

  and replaced by a simpler (although even more

  Fulci’s own version of Beatrice Cenci as well as

  shocking) version, in which the meek, retarded

  to Sandra’s early monologue in the film about

  Bob has his skull drilled from side to side by the

  incest), but also a grim meditation on the state

  jealous father (Venantino Venantini) of the girl

  of modern society, where savage fury and hatred

  he was hanging out with. According to Geleng

  are barely concealed under a façade of civilized

  this was Sacchetti’s idea.3

  behavior, and are pushing to come loose at any

  Finally, in the CSC script the zombies don’t

  minute in the form of violent repression at the

  squash their victims’ skulls but simply bite them

  expense of the weak and the marginalized. The

  (offscreen, in Sandra’s case), and poor Peter Bell

  revolt of the undead takes in turn the form of a

  ends up with his throat ripped open by Sandra.

  generational revenge: once she returns from the

  The living dead’s different modus operandi is one

  dead, Emily slaughters her parents, and the

  of the film’s most significant departures from the

  teenage zombies (Rosie, Bob, Tommy) assault

  subgenre’s canon: Fulci’s zombies are not driven

  the squalid bar where the middle- aged locals

  by a pathological hunger, but by a punishing

  spend their time idling, chatting and drinking.

  rage, which doesn’t aim at the consumption of

  But all this is barely and incoherently sketched,

  the bodies, but at the destruction of the minds.

  so much so that the living dead suddenly mate-

  This latter change further proves the direc-

  rialize out of nowhere and disappear likewise.

  tor’s willingness to detach from the Romero-

  Fulci and Sacchetti’s following collaborations

  inspired mayhem and follow a different ap-

  would result in much tighter scripts.

  proach to graphic violence. In his later horror

  Paura nella città dei morti viventi climaxes

  films, however, Fulci would perfect the mixture

  with an extended “good vs. evil” confrontation

  of subtle atmosphere and over- the-top gore with

  set in a huge underground catacomb riddled

  much more convincing results: here, the recur-

  with skeletons, an impressive set- piece built by

  ring images of zombies squeezing the brains out

  Geleng at the De Paolis studios. Fulci and Sac-

  of their unfortunate victims as if they were ripe

  chetti would reprise and improve upon the idea

  grapefruits are shoddy and unimpressive. Even

  of an underground hell, a parallel world of sorts,

  the much- discussed scene of Daniela Doria’s

  for …E tu vivrai nel terrore! L’aldilà. The result

  character barfing up her own intestines doesn’t

  is quite impressive, and the director was pre-

  live up to its fame, coming off as enthusiastic

  sumably very happy to get rid of his annoying

  but slapdash, and perhaps more in tune with

  leading man by having him dispatched by the

  some Hong Kong oddities as, say, Centipede

  zombies, thus promoting Carlo De Mejo’s Gerry

  horror (982, Keith Li), due to the actress’ will-

  as the savant hero. But Sacchetti’s early story

  ingness to actually barf baby veal intestines on

/>   envisioned quite a different denouement, with

  camera for the first part of the scene before the

  a sting in the tail. After dispatching Father

  1980: Paura 49

  Thomas and apparently delivering the place

  strong emotions aroused by the viewing could

  from evil, Mary and Gerry walk away in a snowy

  cause considerable damage to the entire vascular

  landscape. She explains to him that he was the

  system.”

  only one who could stop evil, because the spirit

  Critics were ambivalent toward the film.

  of Enoch is inside him. Then, suddenly, her

  The Corriere della Sera’s reviewer, Giovanna

  voice and feature change, “her eyes become evil,

  Grassi, wrote ironically that “lately Lucio Fulci

  and before Gerry can do anything she bites him

  seems to have been ensnared by some malevo-

  savagely on the throat. Red drops of blood fall

  lent living dead,”7 adding that “the passage from

  on the snow, while in Mary’s eyes a smile of

  giallo to horror, blow by blow, seems to harm

  black triumph appears.” Such a grim ending re-

  Fulci, who relies on truculent effects and orgies

  connected to the tradition of the Italian Gothic,

  of blood and gruesome murders in his attempt

  with the leading lady turning into a primary

  to relaunch Italian Fantastic cinema.” The re-

  force of evil (see La maschera del demonio, I

  viewer dismissed it as “incoherent and stretched

  Wurdalak, even Estratto dagli archivi segreti della

  beyond measure” and complained about its lack

  polizia di una capitale europea) and gave sense

  of atmosphere and bad acting, even though it

  to the references to the Book of Enoch which

  praised Lombardo Radice’s acting and Frizzi’s

  are lost on the screen.

  score.

  Whereas the CSC script draft for La paura

  On the other hand, La Stampa hailed the

  ends as follows. Just as Mary and Gerry return

  film as “a grand guignol with class” and gave it a

  to the surface, they meet John- John, the little

  surprisingly positive, if rather patronizing re-

  kid who is one of the few survivors of the zombie

  view:

  plague. “The kid runs toward them and hugs

  them.” The End. But the film features an unex-

  Until now, Lucio Fulci’s 20-year-old film career had

  pected coda instead. Mary and Gerry’s relieved

  dissipated amid “popular” products, appreciated by

  the less demanding audiences and mistreated or neg-