Italian Gothic Horror Films (1980-1989)

by Roberto Curti

money, as his publisher just rejected his latest

  novel, telling him that “it sucked,” and so he bor-

  1. Adele Gallotti, “Tutta Nizza si è messa a ballare nel

  rowed some more money from Alessandra’s

  “Dancing” di Avati,” La Stampa, December 6, 982.

  2. Ruggero Adamovit, Claudio Bartolini and Luca

  father (whom we assume is very wealthy). The

  Servini, Nero Avati. Visioni dal set (Genova: Le Mani, 20),

  couple then start making out on the sofa but are

  46.

  interrupted by the concierge coming out of the

  3. Lorenzo Codelli, “Entretien avec Pupi Avati. Zeder.”

  kitchen: the elderly man has fixed the electrical

  L’Écran fantastique #36, July/August 983, 92.

  cable of the typewriter Alessandra has purchased

  4. Ibid., 9.

  5. Adamovit, Bartolini and Servini, Nero Avati, 64.

  for her husband, a love gift which will ultimately

  6. si.ro., “Avati vuol far cassetta con l’horror e sceglie la

  turn out to be their ruin. In addition to fleshing

  faccia di Gabriele Lavia,” La Stampa, January 4, 983.

  out Stefano’s characterization by hinting at his

  7. Giovanna Grassi, “Con Zeder brividi in Emilia,” Cor-

  frustration as a novelist, the sequence shows the

  riere della Sera, August 24, 983.

  8. Codelli, “Entretien avec Pupi Avati. Zeder.” 92.

  couple’s passionate relationship, but it also hints

  9. Michael Gray Baughan, Stephen King (New York: In-

  at their class difference, with the man striving to

  fobase Publishing, 2009), 9–60.

  come up with enough money to support the fam-

  10. Frank Lafond, “Le cinéma de la peur selon Pupi

  ily without relying on his wife’s rich father.

  Avati,” in Frank Lafond (ed.), Cauchemars Italiens. Volume

  The commercial disappointment of Zeder

  1: Le Cinéma fantastique (Paris: L’Harmattan, 20), 36.

  11. Adamovit, Bartolini and Servini, Nero Avati, 2.

  resulted in Avati consigning his fantastique-related

  12. Ibid., 0.

  themes to an oblivion which would last over a

  13. Ibid., 67.

  1985

  Dèmoni (Demons)

  Sacchetti, Franco Ferrini; DOP: Gianlorenzo

  D: Lamberto Bava. S: Dardano Sacchetti;

  Battaglia (Eastmancolor Kodak, LV- Luciano

  SC: Dario Argento, Lamberto Bava, Dardano

  Vittori); M: Claudio Simonetti (Universo Film);

  22 1985: Dèmoni E: Piero Bozza; SupE: Franco Fraticelli; PD: Da-

  (Spain), Démons (France), Dämonen 2/Dance of

  vide Bassan; CO: Marina Malavasi, Patrizia Mas-

  the Demons (West Germany).

  saia; AD: Michele Soavi [and Fabrizio Bava, un-

  Berlin, the present. A mysterious man in the

  credited]; SPFX: Sergio Stivaletti; AsstSPFX:

  subway gives a young music student named

  Barbara Morosetti, Sami Habib Ahmed; SE: An-

  Cheryl two free tickets for a movie premiere at

  gelo Mattei (miniatures), Danilo Bollettini,

  the gloomy Metropol cinema. A varied audience

  Claudio Quaglietti, Ditta Corridori; MU: Rosario

  attends the screening: Cheryl and her friend

  Prestopino; AMU: Giacinto Bretti; Hair: Teodora

  Kathy; two clean- cut teenagers, George and Ken;

  Bruno; AE: Roberto Priori; 2ndAE: Sergio Frat-

  a teenage couple; a black pimp named Tony and

  icelli, Fabrizio Fraticelli; AC: Enzo Frattari, Clau-

  two prostitutes; a middle- age couple celebrating

  dio Nannuzzi, Daniele Cimini, Federico Mar-

  their anniversary; a blind man and his wife, the

  tucci; AsstSD: Livia Pascucci; SO: Raffaele De

  latter taking advantage of the opportunity to meet

  Luca; B: Angelo Amattulli; Mix: Romano Pam-

  her lover. The film is a horror movie about four

  paloni; Dolby sound consultant: Federico Savina;

  teenagers who violate the tomb of Nostradamus

  SOE: Massimo Anzelotti; ChEl: Cristo Verrillo;

  and unleash a series of gruesome events. Before

  KG: Franco Serantoni; PrM: Maurizio Jacopelli;

  the movie starts, one of the prostitutes, Rosemary,

  W: Carla Latini; G: Paolo Tiberti; SP: Franco

  accidentally cuts her face with an iron mask ex-

  Bellomo, Gianfranco Caira; Stunts: Ottaviano

  posed in the theater’s hall. She soon undergoes a

  Dell’Acqua, Claudio Pacifico; SS: Daniela Tonti.

  horrible transformation in the cinema restroom

  Cast: Urbano Barberini (George), Natasha Hovey

  which turns her into a demon. One by one, the

  (Cheryl), Karl Zinny (Ken), Fiore Argento (Han-

  moviegoers are attacked and infected by the

  nah), Paola Cozzo (Kathy), Fabiola Toledo (Car-

  demons, while the survivors find themselves

  men), Nicoletta Elmi (Ingrid), Stelio Candelli

  walled alive inside the venue. George, Ken, Cheryl

  (Frank), Nicole Tessier (Ruth), Geretta Giancarlo

  and Kathy are among the few left alive. Mean-

  [Geretta Geretta] (Rosemary), Bobby Rhodes

  while, a small group of punks break inside the the-

  (Tony), Guido Baldi (Tommy), Bettina

  ater, while the blind man, who has been infected,

  Ciampolini (Nina), Giuseppe Mauro Cruciano

  sneaks out and spreads the contagion…

  (Hot Dog), Sally Day (Liz), Eliana Hoppe

  After the low- budget giallo, La casa con la

  [Eliana Miglio] (Edith, woman in tent—Horror

  scala nel buio, Lamberto Bava had become stuck

  film), Jasmine Maimone (Nancy—Horror film),

  in B- movie territory with the violent action film

  Marcello Modugno (Bob—Horror film), Peter

  Blastfighter (983) and the sci- fi/horror hybrid

  Pitsch (Baby Pig), Pasqualino [Lino] Salemme

  Shark-Rosso nell’oceano (984), both signed as

  (Ripper), Enrica Maria Scrivano (Blonde Vic-

  “John M. Old Jr.,” and was still looking for his

  tim), Alex Serra (Werner), Michele Soavi (Man

  big break. Bava was considering directing a

  in Black/Jerry—Horror film), Claudio Spadaro

  three- part anthology written by Dardano Sac-

  (Liz’s Lover), Patrizia Lazzarini, Paolo Corazzi

  chetti, in the vein of his father’s I tre volti della

  (Policeman), Emanuela Zicosky (June), Claudio

  paura. One of the stories was set inside a movie

  Insegno (Policeman); uncredited: Sami Habib

  theater where the spectators are attacked by

  Ahmed (Kathy’s Baby Demon), Lamberto Bava

  monsters during the screening of a horror film.

  (st Man Exiting Subway), Giovanni Frezza

  As Bava recalled, “Then, one day I started think-

  (Kirk), Sergio Stivaletti (Victim), Goffredo

  ing that I didn’t like the idea of a trilogy so

  Unger (Jeep Driver). PROD: Dario Argento for

  much, and I didn’t like the other two episodes

  DAC Film (Rome); PS: Guido De Laurentiis;

  that much, so I thought to myself: but this one

  PSe: Fabrizio Diaz, Rita Friggeri; PAcc: Ferdi-

  episode, dilated into a full- length movie, would

  nando Caputo; ADM: Renato Rin
aldo; PrA: En-

  work perfectly.”

  rico Lucherini. Country: Italy. Filmed on

  Bava and Sacchetti submitted a 2-page

  location in Berlin and at De Paolis In.Ci.R. Stu-

  treatment to Fabrizio De Angelis, but they were

  dios (Rome). Running time: 88 minutes (m.

  disappointed to learn that the producer was

  2403). Visa n. 809 (0.4.98); Rating: V.M.8.

  planning to recycle footage from the Fulci films

  Release dates: 0.4.98 (Italy), 4.26.986 (Japan),

  he’d produced as parts of the film- within-a-film

  .30.986 (USA), 0..986 (France), 0.4.986

  to cut costs. So, around October 984, they took

  (Hong Kong), 8.2.987 (Spain); Distribution:

  the project to Luciano Martino, who suggested

  Titanus (Italy); Ascot (USA). Domestic gross:

  that Bava and Sacchetti produce it. The proposal

  ,22,490,000 lire. Also known as: Demonios

  was tempting as it would allow them total con-

  1985: Dèmoni

  23

  trol, but the movie would cost almost 400 mil-

  more intellectual, perhaps better, but Dario

  lion lire, and it was to be a financial risk for the

  surely went for something more effective.”4 On

  director and the scriptwriter, who would be paid

  his part, Ferrini said that his main contribution

  with a 0 percent of the grosses and would re-

  to the script was postponing the appearance of

  cover the costs and see profits only after Martino

  the demons, which in an earlier draft came out

  had recovered his part.

  of the movie screen almost at the beginning.

  In the meantime, after the box- office suc-

  The title Dèmoni turned up later in the pre-

  cess of Phenomena, Dario Argento was toying

  production stage. Sacchetti maintains it was Ar-

  with the idea of producing more horror movies,

  gento who came up with it, while Bava recalls

  as he had done with Dawn of the Dead. Besides

  noticing Dostoyevsky’s three- part novel Demons

  the economic motifs, in a way it was a move in-

  one day in his father’s library—standing out be-

  spired by one of his masters, Sergio Leone, who

  cause of its bright red binding—and being

  in the Seventies had devoted himself to produc-

  struck by it. It was as if Mario had provided one

  tion with such diverse films as Il mio nome è Nes-

  last piece of the puzzle. Lamberto immediately

  suno (973, Tonino Valerii), Un genio, due com-

  phoned Argento, who was enthusiastic about it

  pari e un pollo (97, Damiano Damiani), Il gatto

  too.

  (977, Luigi Comencini), and comedian Carlo

  Even more so than Phenomena, Dèmoni

  Verdone’s debut Un sacco bello (980), while

  displays an explicit attempt at tagging along with

  working on the project of Once Upon a Time in

  the changes in taste and aesthetics of the decade.

  America. Argento’s friend Luigi Cozzi had sub-

  As a producer, Argento chose to lean on gory

  mitted to him a science fiction script the merit

  excess to create an economically viable project

  of which Dario was not fully convinced about,

  for the international markets on a par with the

  so he got in touch with Bava. “He told me: bring

  overseas products, while at the same time keep-

  me an idea and we’ll make the movie immedi-

  ing it highly recognizable as Italian. With a sub-

  ately.” Lamberto seized the opportunity. “I told

  stantial budget at his disposal (which Bava

  Dario the story [of Dèmoni] and on the tenth

  quantified as three or three- and-a-half billion

  word he told me: ‘That’s an idea, we’ll make it!’

  lire), quite some time and effort was dedicated

  … At that point we worked on it as it should al-

  to Stivaletti’s special make- up effects and cre-

  ways be done in movies, that is, four people

  ations.

  scripting for four or five months.”2

  Besides the nods to Romero, Dèmoni de-

  Sacchetti’s recollection of the scriptwriting

  picts perfectly the metamorphosis of the Gothic

  sessions is not devoid of bitter remarks. “At that

  in a juvenile, postmodernist key. Both the film-

  time, I was again cross with Dario. He esteemed

  within-a-film and the film itself revolve around

  me but didn’t trust me. I have a completely dif-

  teenage characters: Cheryl and her classmate

  ferent working method. First, he wanted to get

  have skipped school (possibly conservatory:

  Franco Ferrini on board, who didn’t understand

  Cheryl carries a book of Béla Bartók composi-

  the film and only tried to please Dario. Then,

  tions) to go to the movies, while George and Ken

  since as everyone knows I have a bad temper,

  don’t miss the opportunity to sit close to the girls

  Dario paid me and got rid of me. He called me

  and court them—a blossoming blind date which

  back a few months later for a final polish, but by

  goes horribly wrong. The city where the story

  then Sergio Stivaletti had become the film’s deus

  takes place is never mentioned but it is obviously

  ex machina, with his special effects.”3 Sacchetti

  German—the film was shot in Berlin, and in the

  claimed that the first part of his original story

  opening sequence Cheryl meets the masked

  was virtually identical to the finished film,

  man at the Heidelberger Platz station—and the

  whereas the second half was set entirely in the

  makers pay homage to Expressionism by way of

  cinema’s basement, where the main characters

  the movie theater’s name (Metropol, hinting at

  “found all this stuff—movie posters, costumes,

  Fritz Lang’s Metropolis). But the setting refers

  sets, etc.—and then there was this journey to-

  also to one of the main centers of the Goth sub-

  ward safety through what was left of an old the-

  culture, which included ample references to 9th

  ater’s basement. Dario didn’t want that, but he

  century Gothic literature and Gothic horror

  wanted a big demon coming out of the floor …

  films. As expected, however, youth culture is re-

  he wanted something more in the style of a zom-

  garded with suspicion: in the opening scenes,

  bie film, with blood and gore, and Stivaletti’s ef-

  Natasha Hovey’s good girl character is travelling

  fects. I had thought of a more romantic twist,

  in a subway train filled with rather menacing-

  24 1985: Dèmoni looking types lifted from Christiane F. (98, Uli

  death in Inferno. Horror literally invades real

  Edel), and halfway through the movie we are in-

  life, and movies become a source of infection

  troduced to a quartet of obnoxious punk vandals

  and perdition, as in the censors’ worst night-

  who drive around the city listening to Go West
<
br />   mares.

  and Billy Idol and sniffing cocaine. The sound-

  One of Dèmoni’s cleverest touches is that,

  track winks (rather confusedly, one might add)

  unbeknownst to all, the invasion has already

  to the equation between hard rock and horror,

  happened when the film begins. The masked

  as Argento had done in Phenomena, with a se-

  man played by Michele Soavi, who gives away

  lection of hits and excerpts from songs by Scor-

  free tickets for a movie premiere, is one of the

  pions, Mötley Crüe, Accept and Saxon. In turn,

  characters from the movie that will be premiered

  the main theme in Claudio Simonetti’s score

  that night, who has become a demon and

  seems to have been inspired by Herbie Hancock’s

  walked away in the real world, to spread the in-

  983 hit single Rockit—another sign of the evolu-

  fection. It’s a paradox worthy of John Carpenter’s

  tion of taste from the days of the Tubular Bells-in-

  In the Mouth of Madness (994), and it’s a pity

  fluenced theme from Profondo rosso.

  that the script doesn’t elaborate further on the

  Most significantly, the story takes place in-

  idea, introducing the character again near the

  side a cinema: the movie theater becomes the

  end only for a rather anticlimactic fight with the

  ideal replacement of the Gothic haunted houses,

  hero on the theater’s roof.

  a cloistered container of horror and the natural

  Still, the film’s central idea is striking. At

  setting of a story which has its strong point in

  the time, critics pointed out marginal similarities

  the cinematic references. “This place is haunted,”

  with Woody Allen’s The Purple Rose of Cairo

  a character says, and the imposing Metropol

  (98), released earlier that year, but few recalled

  theater seems to acquire a life of its own. Like

  a much closer (and most likely casual) prede-

  in Buñuel’s El ángel exterminador (962) and in

  cessor, Giuliano Montaldo’s brilliant, made- for-

  Giuseppe Bennati’s 974 Gothic giallo, L’assassino

  TV Circuito chiuso (978), a murder mystery set

  ha riservato nove poltrone, its doors are locked

  inside a movie venue where a killing takes place,

  (even literally walled) by an invisible force and

  and the culprit is eventually revealed as a gun-

  open only to let the contagion slip out; its walls

  slinger (none other than Giuliano Gemma) from

  sweat indefinable liquids; its interiors are a con-