Enea Ferrario (Mirko), John Stacy (Prof. Chiesi),
flesh- eating zombie, which results in the massacre
Alessandro Partexano (Lt. Guido Silvestri), Mar-
of Meyer and his men. But Stefano finds out that
cello Tusco (Dr. Melis), Aldo Sassi (Don Mario),
his wife has been kidnapped and murdered by the
Veronica Moriconi (Young Gabriella), Enrico
conspirators. Desperate, he buries Alessandra in
Ardizzone (Benni), Maria Teresa Toffano (Anna),
the abandoned property, so that she will come back
Andrea Montuschi (Inspector Bouffet), Adolfo
to life…
1983: Zeder
In the Summer of 982, three years after the
project, but Avati managed to reprise some no-
release of Le strelle nel fosso, Pupi Avati started
tions about Fulcanelli in his script. The epony-
shooting another fantastic- themed film, his sec-
mous character of Paolo Zeder is a mysterious
ond out- and-out horror after La casa dalle
stateless person—that is, someone not consid-
finestre che ridono (976). During those three
ered as a national by any state under the opera-
years Avati had established himself as a critically-
tion of its law—whose condition makes him a
respected auteur thanks to his successful TV
symbolic modern- day variation on the Wander-
mini- series Cinema!!! (broadcast in November
ing Jew, condemned to wander over the Earth
979 and starring Lino Capolicchio, Gianni Cav-
as punishment, without the hope of rest in death
ina and Carlo Delle Piane) and Dancing Paradise
till the second coming of Christ. Zeder never
(broadcast in June 982 and starring Cavina and
appears in the film, if not in the form of a pile
Delle Piane). Dancing Paradise showed that Avati
of bones found inside a coffin, but his shadow
hadn’t abandoned his predilection for the fan-
looms over the story, and his studies about the
tastique and the unusual: it was a musical fairy
“K-Zones” are the object of an enduring obses-
tale about the son (Cavina) of a legendary drum-
sion in the film. He was modeled upon the fas-
mer who goes in search of his father and is
cinating and elusive alchemist and esoteric
helped in his quest by a benevolent ghost (Delle
writer, who had inspired Argento for Inferno,
Piane). Avati’s only theatrical feature film after
and whose real identity was never found. The
Le strelle nel fosso had been Aiutami a sognare
director told L’Écran fantastique:
(98), starring Anthony Franciosa and Marian-
gela Melato, a romantic love story between a
It seems that the first thing American secret services
widow and an American pilot during World War
did, just after entering Paris during the liberation [in
II: although a box- office flop, it had been a suc-
August 944], was to try and locate Fulcanelli. But
they couldn’t find him. He had disappeared, and even
cess on TV where—as was customary in that pe-
today we don’t know whether he is alive or dead.
riod—it was broadcast in a longer, three- part
When I decided to make a new genre film, I used this
version. To many, then, the news that Avati was
character. Later, in order to be freer, I changed his
working on a new project about “a stateless per-
name to Zeder and I also had him make investiga-
son who conducted bizarre research on the af-
tions on the afterlife, the world of the dead, the K-
terlife,” as the upcoming movie was briefly de-
Zones, the oracles and the sanctuaries.4
scribed in the press, came as unexpected as it was
puzzling. As the director later explained, “I re-
Avati drew also from the works of Peter Kolosimo
turned to the Fantastic for strategic and com-
(real name Pietro Domenico Colosimo, 922–
mercial needs … going back to the big screen
984), an Italian journalist and a pioneer re-
with a genre film seemed the easiest choice.”2
searcher of fringe archaeology akin to Robert
Moreover, the horror genre gave Avati the
Charroux and Erich von Däniken; in the early
chance to explore some of his longtime passions,
970s Kolosimo launched the magazine “Pi
namely esotericism and occultism, and draw
Kappa” (the name comes from his initials) de-
from his own readings and research. Some years
voted to his favorite themes, and there is a chance
earlier, the director had been studying the life
the term “K-Zone” (spelled in Italian as “terreni
and works of French alchemist Fulcanelli, the
kappa”) was a subtle reference to Kolosimo.
author of Le Mystère des Cathedrales (The Mys-
The idea for the story gradually took form
tery of the Cathedrals, 926) and Les Demeures
from assorted suggestions, from the chilling idea
Philosophales (Dwellings of the Philosophers,
of a camera inside a coffin which monitors a
929), for a “serious” project which he described
dead body uninterruptedly to the notion of the
as “a very ambitious story on the origins of the
“K-Zones,” burial areas where the dead will res-
Gothic and the Templar Knights and on their re-
urrect. The latter concept was linked to a tale
search under the ruins of the Temple of Solomon
Avati had heard of a dog buried in a swamp area
during their eight years’ stay in Jerusalem.”3 The
and later sighted in the countryside, proving that
film would delve also into the legendary Ark of
the director’s stories were always rooted in pop-
the Covenant, which the Templars had allegedly
ular folklore (as with the story of the exhumed
brought back with them on their return to Eu-
priest that had provided the inspiration for the
rope.
shocking twist ending in La casa dalle finestre
The release of Raiders of the Lost Ark (98,
che ridono). Avati linked the concept of “K-
Steven Spielberg) marked the early end of the
Zones” to the ancient Etruscan rites and ceme-
6 1983: Zeder terial sites—a recurring theme in Italian Gothic
a cryptic message engraved on it—and would be-
and giallo from L’etrusco uccide ancora (972)
come obsessed with it. The thirst for knowledge
to Ritratto di donna velata and Assassinio al
and creativity would ultimately lead him to perdi-
cimitero etrusco—thus drawing a red thread
tion.
from Italy’s ancient pre–Christian times to the
Backed by his company A.M.A., with partic-
modern age, not unlike he would do in the ex-
ipation from Rai Due (who had the right to broad-
traordinary TV mini- series Voci notturne (99).
cast the film 8 months after its theatrical release),
All this, transported to the typical regional back
-
and a budget of about 00 million lire, Avati as-
ground of Avati’s cinema, the Emilia Romagna
sembled a varied cast. Some of his regular players
area.
(Ferdinando Orlandi, Bob Tonelli) were joined by
But the spark that ignited the film was re-
renowned dubbing artists Marcello Fusco and Ce-
lated to the act of narrating itself. The director
sare Barbetti (the Italian voice of Robert Redford,
had bought an electric typewriter from com-
and soon to become another member of Avati’s
poser Amedeo Tommasi, and after a while he
“repertoire company”), plus some odd presences.
had to replace the ribbon: while changing it, he
One such was the Australian- born John Stacy,
noticed that the words written by the previous
who had relocated to Italy at a young age and
owner could still be read on the used ribbon.
was an oft- seen face in Italian cinema since the
The discovery had a morbid voyeuristic feel to
early 90s, in such varied works as Antonio
it: it was like spying on someone else’s life and
Margheriti’s Il pianeta degli uomini spenti (96),
becoming aware of its most intimate secrets. It
Mario Bava’s La ragazza che sapeva troppo (963),
was just what Avati needed: the protagonist of
Fellini’s 8½ (963) and Carlo Lizzani’s Mussolini
his film would be a down- on-his luck novelist
ultimo atto (974). This was his penultimate film.
who cannot find an idea for his next book. He
For the role of Stefano, Avati cast Gabriele
would be involved in the story by reading the
Lavia. Already one of Italy’s most noted stage
mysterious words impressed on a typewriter’s rib-
actors, every now and then Lavia took a break
bon—a modern day version of the manuscript
from his theatrical commitments to act in a
found in a bottle, or the ancient gravestone with
movie (his latest turn had been in Inferno), but
Pupi Avati (center) on the set of Zeder (1983) with actors Paolo Bacchi (left) and Bob tonelli (courtesy Luca servini).
1983: Zeder
7
this would be his first film as protagonist; he and
lauded and rediscovered in France,”7 the director
Avati knew and liked each other, and Lavia was
claimed upon the film’s release, possibly referring
a profitable name to attach to a horror movie,
to Fulci.
given his previous works with Argento as well
In Avati’s cinema, horror is closely linked to
as his participation in Chi sei? (a.k.a. Beyond
religious and superstitious beliefs, which often
the Door, 974). Alongside him, Avati cast the
become blurred. The exhumation of Zeder’s
French Anne Canovas, whom he had seen in Gi-
physical remains looks like the discovery of the
acomo Battiato’s TV movie Colomba (982),
relics of a saint or a prophet, met with jubilation
based on Prosper Mérimée’s story, even though
by Dr. Meyer, and the Vatican hierarchy’s secret
his initial choice was Lavia’s partner Monica
inquiry on the mysterious resurrections recalls
Guerritore.
the Church investigating miraculous events such
Filming lasted ten weeks, from July to early
as weeping statues or inexplicable healings, which
September 982, and took place in Chartres (for
spread false beliefs among the masses. Here, the
a few exteriors) and mostly in Emilia- Romagna,
dead returning from the afterlife—a recurrent
between Bologna and the coastal towns of Ri-
theme in Avati’s vision of the fantastique: see also
mini and Milano Marittima. There, Avati found
Le strelle nel fosso, Voci notturne, and L’arcano in-
the perfect setting for the film’s most horrific
cantatore (a.k.a. The Arcane Enchanter, 996)—
scenes, set in the abandoned children’s colony
are perverse variations of Lazarus’ story in the
where a team of researchers conduct experi-
Bible. Even though these zombies bite and tear
ments on the dead: the Provincia Varese colony
chunks of flesh just like in Romero’s films, the
in Milano Marittima. As was customary, the di-
focus here is not as much on their violent
rector used almost exclusively real locations and
behavior against the living but on the metaphys-
left some room for improvisation. But the at-
ical horror of their experience. They grin, they
mosphere on the set was tense, and at a certain
whimper, and they laugh out loud, as if they had
point near the end of the shoot there was an ar-
seen and learned something that is unknown to
gument between the director and the crew,
us, an exhilarating atrocious prank which we can-
which resulted in a number of technicians leav-
not understand. The joke is on us, and it’s not
ing the set and going back to Rome.
funny. It’s frightening.
In interviews of the period, Avati talked
Many key characters in Avati’s cinema—
about the movie in a detached way, underlining
the unlikely magician in Balsamus l’uomo di Sa-
that the choice of making a horror film was
tana, the actors in Thomas … gli indemoniati,
mainly a commercial move (“The average TV
the “painter of agonies” and his sisters in La casa
viewer is above 40 years old, whereas moviegoers
dalle finestre che ridono, the peasants in Le strelle
are around 20”). He even stated that Zeder was
nel fosso, the defrocked priest in L’arcano incan-
“in some sense, only half- mine, a proof of good
tatore—are obsessed with communicating with
will that I wanted to offer to the producers,” con-
the dead. Whereas Buono Legnani was attempt-
cluding that “without television, an Italian film-
ing to fix on his canvas the moment of passing,
maker like me would have no work space at all.”6
here this obsession takes pseudo- scientific
But the result is among his very best works, and
forms, by way of cameras and monitors poking
as a horror movie it is just as scary as La casa
into the motionless features of the recently de-
dalle finestre che ridono, if not as original.
ceased. Considering that the researchers in
Even though his film was about people re-
Zeder work on behalf of the Vatican, theirs is an
turning from the dead and feeding on the living,
act of hybris, as if dogmas and leaps of faith were
Avati only superficially related to the zombie
no longer sufficient to soothe the anguish before
movie thread of the early 980s. Zeder rejects
the impending physical dissipation, and proof
the traditional living dead iconography and the
of the Biblical promise of immortality was
subgenre’s narrative mechanisms and focuses on
needed. The director labeled
the researchers’
a conspiracy movie- like paranoia—everyone
voyeuristic experiments as “a form of extreme
near Stefano, including his closest friends, turns
violence. That’s their “sin” … there’s nothing
out to be a conspirator—eschewing graphic gore
more indecent than spying on what happens
in favor of suspense and dread, with the same
after the burial, during death. It’s the most vulgar
sense of an implacable destiny closing in on the
thing there is, the most villainous.”8
hero. “I don’t like the cruelty and the gruesome
Avati’s researchers are very much like some
effects typical of some auteurs who have been
unfortunate predecessors, namely Dr. Barrett
8 1983: Zeder (Clive Revill) and his aides, who are recruited
a main influence, for its “grammar of fear,”
to investigate “survival after death” at Belasco
Henri- Georges Clouzot’s masterpiece Les dia-
House in The Legend of Hell House (973, John
boliques (9).
Hough) and the research team led by the petu-
The actual darkness which surrounds (and
lant Peter Brock (Michael Bryant) in the made-
sometimes engulfs) the characters recalls the
for-TV The Stone Tape (972, Peter Sasdy). Both
cognitive one that swallows them. This is partly
films have in common with Zeder the attempt
due to their own physical impossibility of seeing,
at reviving a typical Gothic tale in a contempo-
as in the case of Don Luigi Costa’s blind, elderly
rary setting, while replacing old- style clichés
sister—who recalls Robert Duval’s character
(séances, etc.) with state- of-the-art hi- tech. On
(played by Stanko Molnar) in Avati’s co- scripted
the other hand, the remarkable similarities
Macabro, for both are defenseless and cheated
between Zeder and Stephen King’s novel Pet Se-
by those around them. But this perceptive dark-
matary seem to be the result of astonishing
ness is also a consequence of their very human
coincidences: the script for Avati’s film was com-
essence, the fact that we are destined to grope
pleted in March 982, while King’s book (pub-
in the dark when considering the limits of our
lished in November 983 in the States) germi-
physical existence. Nevertheless, Avati’s villains
nated as early as late 978, and the American
(and his heroes as well) just can’t accept it, in
Italian Gothic Horror Films (1980-1989) Page 35