castle in Transylvania—which Fracchia has told
commission rejected the request of lowering the rating to
Filini is just outside Rome. Upon their arrival by
a V.M.4.
car, the two men find accommodation at an inn
10. Gomarasca, “Intervista a Lamberto Bava,” 40.
11. Alberto Morsiani, “Intervista a Sergio Stivaletti,” in
and learn that the villagers fear the mysterious
Rosso italiano (1977/1978), 93.
Count Vlad. At the castle, they discover that it is
12. The film had been submitted to the BBFC by Avatar
still occupied by the mysterious Count and his sis-
Communications Ltd. in January 987, with the BBFC
ter Oniria, who sleep in coffins and turn out to
trimming 2 minutes and 4 seconds, resulting in a running
time of 86 minutes and 6 seconds.
be vampires. Oniria falls for Fracchia, who is still
13. Walter Goodman, “Screen: Demons, by Bava,” New
a virgin, and decides to marry him. However, the
York Times, May 3, 986.
vampire girl is destined to marry the Frankenstein
monster, who shows up at the castle. The Count
Fracchia contro Dracula (Who Is Afraid
has Fracchia and the monster challenge one an-
of Dracula?, a.k.a. Fracchia Vs. Dracula)
other to a game of tennis and poker to decide who
D: Neri Parenti. S and SC: Franco Marotta,
will marry Oniria, and Fracchia wins. At the cer-
Laura Toscano, Neri Parenti, Paolo Villaggio;
emony, attended by a horde of monsters and zom-
28 1985 Fracchia bies, Fracchia and Filini are saved at the last mo-femme blanche, 974) and Pupi Avati (La mazurka
ment by Luna, the sister of a deceased vampire
del barone, della santa e del fico fiorone, 97), but
hunter, and Fracchia accidentally kills the Count
by the mid–Eighties the actor was merely treading
with his own umbrella. However, it all turns out
water, offering his audience tired slapstick farces
to be a nightmare, as the fearful Fracchia had
which repeated the same gags over and over, ad
fallen asleep at the theater while watching a horror
nauseam. This had to do in no small part with his
movie…
family vicissitudes, namely his 23-year-old son
Since the outstanding success of Fantozzi
Pierfrancesco’s heroin addiction: in 984, after
(97, Luciano Salce), about a sad, awkward and
many unsuccessful attempts at helping him, Vil-
unlucky accountant who is bullied by his bosses,
laggio had him hospitalized in the San Patrignano
colleagues and practically everyone he meets,
rehab community, where the young man would
Paolo Villaggio’s consistent popularity at the box-
eventually detox from drugs.2
office during the mid- to-late 970s and the 980s
The second Fracchia movie, Fracchia contro
was guaranteed by the repetition of his trademark
Dracula, had the 3-year-old Villaggio and the
screen persona. In fact, in addition to the Fantozzi
co- scriptwriters Laura Toscano and Franco
sequels, Villaggio brought to the screen other
Marotta (a duo of comedy specialists who had
characters who, despite having a different name,
worked among others with Giorgio Capitani on
were basically more of the same. Such was Gian-
Bollenti spiriti) borrow again from a horror
domenico Fracchia, a meek accountant that the
staple, after 979’s Dottor Jekyll e gentile signora,
actor had first played on television in 968, in the
and marked the actor’s eight teaming with Par-
program Quelli della domenica. Pathologically
enti, by then his regular director.
shy, cowardly, slavish to the point of
masochism, Fracchia is continually vic-
timized by his superior (“Com’è umano
lei!,” “How humane you are,” is his
catchphrase, which he utters after being
insulted and humiliated by his boss).
Villaggio reprised many of Fracchia’s
traits with Fantozzi, the protagonist of
his 97 novel and the subsequent films;
he revived the character in the 97 TV
miniseries Giandomenico Fracchia—
Sogni proibiti di uno di noi, and eventu-
ally adapted it for the big screen with
the slapstick comedy Fracchia la belva
umana (98, Neri Parenti).
However, the formula grew tired
quickly, despite Villaggio’s qualities as
a comedian and the screenwriters’ trick
of “borrowing” from old movies for
plot ideas: Fracchia la belva umana was
inspired by John Ford’s classic comedy
The Whole Town’s Talking (93) and
Sogni mostruosamente proibiti (982,
Neri Parenti) reworked the basic plot
of the Danny Kaye classic The Secret
Life of Walter Mitty (947, Norman Z.
McLeod). Villaggio’s turns before the
camera in the early 970s had been
characterized by a willingness to accept
bold roles, with his participation in
movies by important directors such as
Italian poster for Fracchia contro Dracula (1985, Neri Par-
Nanni Loy (Sistemo l’America e torno,
enti), a Dracula spoof starring Paolo Villaggio and edmund
973), Marco Ferreri (Touchez pas à la
Purdom (as Dracula).
1985: Fracchia
29
The opening, with Fracchia watching a hor-
The film’s use of Gothic stereotypes steals
ror movie with his fiancée, recalls an episode of
liberally from various sources, from the Addams
the anthology comedy I motorizzati (96), where
Family TV series to Mel Brooks’ Young Franken-
Ugo Tognazzi was scared to death by La maschera
stein (974), not forgetting Roman Polanski’s The
del demonio. Here, the film Fracchia cannot even
Fearless Vampire Killers (967). A fun macabre
bear to watch, to the point that he asks a little kid
gag finds Boris having his hand chopped off by
sitting next to him to tell him what is happening
the butler (who is chopping meat for the soup),
on screen, is Return of the Living Dead (98, Dan
and later retrieving it from Fracchia’s plate when
O’Bannon), released in Italy by Titanus, the same
dinner is served; in the same scene the butler
distribution company as Villaggio’s film. The
keeps pouring wine outside Fracchia’s glass just
punchline to the scene—the frightened Fracchia
as the blind hermit played by Gene Hackman
jumping back after a scare and causing a disas-
did with the hot soup in Young Frankenstein. A
trous Rube Goldberg–like chain reaction, with
Frankenstein monster shows up too, played by
all the rows behind him overturning and the rest
stuntman Romano Puppo and addressed by
of the audience ending up on the floor—is em-
Dracula as “advocate,” and Villaggio
and com-
blematic of Villaggio’s comedy antics, which draw
pany exploit the monster’s presence for comedy
from the physicality of the silent movie era; yet
in the absurdist sequence of the tennis match, a
it is so hastily rendered, cinematically speaking,
rendition of a hilarious episode in the first Fan-
that it gives away the slapdash nature of the mise-
tozzi film. The wedding ceremony, with the vir-
en-scène. Parenti is not a filmmaker on the level
ginal Fracchia dressed in white like a bride (“Do
of Capitani, and it shows.
I look good in this dress?” he asks Filini) and an
Still, the plot is more than just an excuse
attendance of various monsters—including an-
for the protagonist’s antics, and despite some
other regular of the Fantozzi series, the freaky-
openly silly dialogue (“I’m Kaspar, vampire
looking Plinio Fernando in an uncredited bit
hunter” “Giandomenico Fracchia” “Exorcist?”
role—is decidedly more amusing.
“No, real estate agent”) it is endearing and well-
As Dracula, Edmund Purdom looks amused
structured. Even though Toscano claimed that
and suitably self- ironic, and seems more alive
she liked the film very much, she pointed at
than in most of the roles he played over the years,
budget constraints as the film’s most blatant
in his special appearances in films ranging from
issue, its cheapness: “The effects were bad, the
mediocre to terrible. His best scene has him per-
monsters were not as they should have been.”3
form for his guest, playing the balalaika for Frac-
If Fracchia contro Dracula is at least one step up
chia and Filini, and singing with different voices
from the low level of many Italian comedies of
(including a woman’s, which belongs to one of
the 980s, characterized by careless filmmaking
his previous victims: an interesting addition to
and poor production values, most of the credit
the Dracula canon which goes lost in the story).
goes to Luciano Tovoli’s cinematography and
As his “little sister” Oniria, the ravishing Ania
Giovanni Licheri’s production design. Tovoli
Pieroni makes her last movie appearance. She
tries hard to convey a Gothic feel with plenty of
would become one of the more influential per-
day- for-night scenes tinted in icy blue and
sonalities in Italian television. The cast also fea-
splashes of bright red in the interiors, while the
tures two actors usually associated with commit-
set pieces are atmospheric and subtly parodic,
ted auteur cinema: Cederna, seen in Marco
as is Bruno Zambrini’s score.
Bellocchio’s Enrico IV (984) and later to become
Villaggio also reprises the Mr. Magoo- like
a renowned stage actor and writer, and Isabella
character of Filini (played by his regular comedy
Ferrari.
aside Gigi Reder) from the Fantozzi series, and
The reviews were rather positive: the Cor-
Reder provides some of the best gags, such as
riere della Sera’s critic Giovanni Grazzini praised
when the short- sighted Filini mistakes vampire
the production values and wrote that “Fracchia
bats for canaries, or says he smells a rotten goat
contro Dracula displays a silliness that here and
whenever Dracula’s stinking hunchback servant
there touches the sublime.”4 Yet, despite a release
Boris (Giuseppe Cederna) is around. On the
during the Christmas holidays, the most com-
other hand, as Villaggio himself claimed, the im-
mercially fruitful period of the year, the film was
perturbable blind butler, played by veteran char-
a disappointment at the box- office, with only 88
acter actor Filippo Degara, was inspired by P.G.
million lire, and ended up at the 60th spot
Wodehouse’s character, Jeeves.
among the top- grossers of the year. Despite the
30 1985: Monster wave of horror and vampire comedies of the pe-Re-recording: Alberto Tinebra. Cast: Alice Cooper
riod, such as Transylvania 6–5000 (98, Rudy
[Vincent Furnier] (Vince Raven), Victoria Vera
De Luca) and I Married a Vampire (987, Jay
(Sandra), Carlos Santurio (Frank), María José
Raskin), it didn’t find much of an audience
Sarsa (Marilou), Pepita James (Angela), Emilio
abroad: Variety labeled it “a hard sell.” It became
Linder (Jordan), Charly Bravo (Lou), Barta Barri
marginally known as a curio, under the title
(Old man), Ricardo Palacios (Sheriff Morrison),
Who Is Afraid of Dracula?, gaining some foot-
Luis Maluenda (Deputy), Fernando Conde (Ed),
notes in reference books.
Fernando Baeza (Jerome), Nino Bastida (Greg).
Villaggio’s output for the remainder of the
PROD: Eduard Sarlui for Continental Motion
decade consisted mostly of hit- and-run, forget-
Pictures, M&C Films, Royal Films; EP: Helen Sar-
table comedies, often teamed with other popular
lui [Szabo], Eduard Sarlui; Line Producer: Carlos
names such as Renato Pozzetto and Lino Banfi.
Aured; PM: Roberto Bessi; PA: John Senovilla;
By the end of the 980s he decided to renew his
PAcc: Jesse [Jesús García] Gárgoles; PSe: Vince
image, and in the following years he alternated
Ortega. Country: Spain. Filmed in Torrelodones,
his more commercial work with several inter-
Madrid. Running time: 84 minutes (U.S. version);
esting projects, including Federico Fellini’s last
88 minutes (International version). Spanish Visa
film, La voce della luna (989), followed by Io
n. 9632 (8.6.988); Rating: not recommended
speriamo che me la cavo (992, Lina Wertmüller),
for those under 8 years old. Release dates:
Il segreto del bosco vecchio (993, Ermanno
7..986 (USA—Home video); 9..986 (U.K.—
Olmi), Cari fottutissimi amici (994, Mario Mon-
Home video); 8.6.988 (Spain); Distribution:
icelli) and Denti (2000, Gabriele Salvatores).
Trans World entertainment (U.S.—Home video);
Union Films S.A. (Spain); Eureka Video (Italy;
Notes
Home video). Also known as: The Bite; Monster
Dog—Il signore dei cani (Italy); Los perros de la
1. Fantozzi (97, Luciano Salce), Il secondo tragico Fan-
tozzi (976, Luciano Salce), Fantozzi contro tutti (980, Neri
muerte; Uma noite de Horror (Brazil).
Parenti and Paolo Villaggio), Fantozzi subisce ancora (983,
Note: The songs “Identity Crisises” and “See
Neri Parenti), Superfantozzi (98, Neri Parenti), Fantozzi
Me in the Mirror” are written by Alice Cooper,
va in pensione (988, Neri Parenti), Fantozzi alla riscossa
arranged and orchestrated by Terry Bautista.
(990, Neri Parenti), Fantozzi in paradiso (993, Neri Par-
>
Rock star Vince Raven, his girlfriend Sandra,
enti), Fantozzi—Il ritorno (996, Neri Parenti) and Fantozzi
2000—La clonazione (999, Domenico Saverni).
and Vince’s film crew drive to the singer’s old child-
2. Natalia Aspesi, “Noi difendiamo Muccioli,” Repub-
hood home to shoot a music video. Along the way
blica, May 2, 984.
they are warned by the local sheriff that there has
3. G. Gs. [Giovanna Grassi], “Fracchia e Dracula,” Cor-
been a wolf attack in the area. Soon the sheriff and
riere della Sera, October 30. 98.
4. G. Gr. [Giovanni Grazzini], “Fracchia alle prese col
his deputy are killed by a monster. After an en-
vampiro,” Corriere della Sera, December 27, 98.
counter with a crazy old man who warns them of
5. Variety, February 9, 986.
impending danger, Vince and his crew arrive at
the house. A girl in the crew, Angela, has a night-
Monster Dog, a.k.a. Leviatán (Monster
mare about Vince being a werewolf, and he tells
Dog)
her that his father was affected by lycanthropy and
D: Clyde Anderson [Claudio Fragasso]. S
was lynched by an angry mob. The video shoot is
and SC: Clyde Anderson [Claudio Fragasso]
interrupted after the discovery of the dead care-
[and Rossella Drudi, uncredited]; DOP: José
taker’s body, and some angry locals show up at the
García Galisteo (Technicolor); M: Grupo Di-
house to kill Vince, whom they believe is respon-
chotomy; E: Antonio José Ochoa; Additional ed-
sible for the murders. A shootout ensues, while a
iting: Gabrio Astori, Peter Teschner; Additional
pack of wild dogs break into the house and cause
editors: Giorgio Conti, Mercedes G. Alted; ArtD:
havoc. Vince and Sandra try to get away but are
Andrés Gumersindo; CO: María Eugenia Es-
attacked by the werewolf. The monster turns out
crivá; SPFX, SE: Carlo De Marchis; AD: Michael
to be the old man they first met, who in turn had
Gutierez; C: Julio Madurga; AC: Joe Villava,
been infected by Vince’s father. Vince, who has
Michael A. Clavijo; SO: José Mendieta; W:
been bitten, starts turning into a werewolf too, but
Teresa García; ChEl: Vince Lozano; G: José Fer-
Sandra shoots him.
rándiz, Joe Garcia, Pedro Ramírez; KG: Alfonso
“At first I thought I had to be like other Ital-
Barambio; SS: Victoria Melian; SOE: Studio
Italian Gothic Horror Films (1980-1989) Page 39