ian “high cinema” directors,” Claudio Fragasso
Anzellotti; Dialogue editor: Christopher Cruise;
explained about his directorial debut, the little-
1985: Monster
3
seen Passaggi (977, shot on Super8) and his
memorable appearance (as himself ) in Alan
sophomore effort, Difendimi dalla notte (98),
Rudolph’s cult film Roadie (980), starring Meat
both “intellectual films” with ambitions. “In
Loaf.
Italy, to be considered important, you must
Working as line producer for Sarlui’s com-
shoot something like that.” But Fragasso even-
pany—and as his front for the Spanish red tape,
tually followed his heart, which was deeply
for the film to be categorized as a Spanish pro-
rooted in genre cinema. By the mid–980s, at a
duction and benefit from the country’s law fa-
little over 30, he was a veteran in the Italian
cilitations—was also Carlos Aured, the helmer
genre film industry. He had been cranking out
of several Paul Naschy films who gave up direct-
scripts since the mid–970s, and in the early
ing after his film Atrapados en el miedo but
980s he had worked on several films with
stayed in the movie business assuming produc-
Bruno Mattei, ranging from sleazy women- in-
tion duties. Monster Dog was part of a two-
prison flicks to gory horror movies, which he
picture deal that comprised also Deran Serafian’s
usually scripted and de facto co- directed (see
Alien Predators (a.k.a. The Falling). Both pictures
entry for L’altro Inferno). However, for his third
were shot back- to-back, but Serafian’s film went
official venture behind the camera the Italian
way over schedule and left Aured with a pile of
filmmaker moved to Spain.
unpaid debts, causing him to quit the movie
The offer came from Dutch producer Ed-
business.3
uard Sarlui, who contacted Fragasso upon watch-
Monster Dog was shot in five weeks4 in Tor-
ing his post- atomic extravaganza Rats—Notte di
relodones, just outside of Madrid. The director
terrore (984, signed as “Vincent Dawn” and co-
was thrilled to work with Cooper and claimed
directed with Mattei). “He told me he wanted me
they had become friends who used to watch
to make another movie with animals … after
horror movies together at night. Aured as well
“Rats” now it was time for “Dogs,” Monster Dog
recalled the star’s low profile and amiability. “I
(laughs).”2 Sarlui was looking for low- budget hor-
went to meet him at the airport and failed to
ror films to distribute on the home video market
recognize him! He was wearing white slacks and
through his company Continental Motion Pic-
a jumper, looking like an Englishman dressed
tures, an umbrella organization registered in
for cricket! He didn’t give us any problems. He
Panama but selling features in the U.S. through
only made two ‘demands’—to have a supply of
American Cinema Service and in Italy through
cold Coca- Cola on set and a VCR in his room
Eureka Film International of Rome. For the
so he could watch old Western movies; he was
script, Fragasso and his wife Rossella Drudi (who
crazy about Westerns. On weekends, he used to
co- authored it uncredited) took inspiration from
spend all his time playing golf.” Fragasso and
the new wave of American werewolf movies, such
Drudi even claimed that Cooper used to play
as The Howling and An American Werewolf in
golf in a miniature golf course in his Madrid
London, and added a mystery twist to the story,
apartment. The singer was known to all as “The
a bit in the vein of the Amicus werewolf whodunit
American” during shooting, being the only for-
The Beast Must Die (974, Paul Annett).
eign member in an all- Spanish cast which fea-
Fragasso had an unlikely lead at his dis-
tured Victoria Vera (soon to become a promi-
posal: singer Alice Cooper, then undergoing a
nent film and stage actress) and genre regulars
bad stretch after his peaks of popularity in the
such as Ricardo Palacios, Emilio Linder and
previous decade with such albums as Billion
Barta Barri.
Dollar Babies and Welcome to My Nightmare.
Cooper’s presence pushed Monster Dog in
Cooper was detoxing from alcohol abuse and
a direction akin to those horror films centered
needed a project to focus on after the fiascos of
on rock bands such as Terror on Tour (980, Don
his latest, new- wave spiced records. The singer
Edmonds), Rocktober Blood (984, Ferd & Bev-
had always liked to associate himself with a
erly Sebastian) and Hard Rock Zombies (98,
macabre and horror imagery, from the use of a
Krishna Shah). The film opens with a music
fake guillotine on stage to such songs as “Ballad
video, in which Cooper’s alter ego Vincent
of Dwight Fry,” whose title paid reference to the
Raven sings the song “Identity Crisises” (spelled
930s actor (Dwight Frye, not Fry, incidentally)
“Identity Chrises” in the end credits) and turns
who played Renfield in Tod Browning’s Dracula
up as the various characters mentioned in the
(93). It wasn’t Cooper’s first stint at acting, as
lyrics like a quick- change artist such as the fa-
he had appeared in several films, including a
mous Leopoldo Fregoli (“Sometimes I’m James
32 1985: Monster Bond/Sometimes I’m Billy the Kid/Sometimes
Spain. Originally the transformation would have
I feel like Sherlock Holmes/Sometimes I feel like
to take place gradually, through various stages,
Jack the Ripper… ”). The result is as naïve as
and the monster was designed by Roman art di-
some Italian music videos of the early 980s, and
rector Antonello Geleng, following Fragasso’s
curiously recalls the one Michelangelo Anto-
suggestion to make it look like a prehistoric an-
nioni shot in 984 for Gianna Nannini’s song
imal or a panther, however more feline than a
“Fotoromanza.” Since the record company and
dog. But De Marchis’ creature didn’t look at all
the artist are (comprehensibly) unhappy with
like Geleng’s design. Moreover, the puppet
the result, the film has Raven and his crew move
(which could be maneuvered through wires and
conveniently to an old dark house in the middle
a cart) was ready only on the last week of filming,
of nowhere to reshoot the video, an idea with
as the director explained. “In a scene (which was
some points in common with Luigi Cozzi’s Pa-
then cut) the monster breaks through a door and
ganini Horror (989) and w
hich provides the
holds the head of one of the actors in its jaws.
film with a suitable old- style Gothic mood.
This was the first time that the puppet was used,
Fragasso embraces the music video- inspired
but unfortunately it broke immediately, forcing
style of many early to mid–Eighties horror films
us to move it manually in the following scenes.”6
to have the film look American and up- to-date,
This pushed Fragasso and Drudi to do some last-
with dry ice aplenty and lots of silhouette shots
minute rewriting, while for the big climax they
in the exterior night scenes to make up for the
had to rely on facial make- up and rubber masks
scarce budget. He even inserts two more music
were used, to less than impressive results.
videos in the film: “See Me in the Mirror” has
It wasn’t the only issue that plagued the
Cooper reprising his typical vampire look (dressed
filming. The director and production manager
in black, with heavy eye makeup and gloomy
Roberto Bessi—the third and last Italian in the
grin), while the ending features a reprise of the
crew, working with Sarlui for the second time
“Identity Crisises” video with excerpts from the
after Warrior of the Lost World (983)—had to
story, presumably to pad out the running time.
deal with incompetent crew members and face
But Fragasso even throws in some Spaghetti
many issues. Moreover, Fragasso (who is credited
Western- inspired scenes along the way, with an
in the film with his Anglicized pseudonym Clyde
armed confrontation between Vince and some
Anderson) blamed Sarlui for having arbitrarily
armed thugs, and during the third act the director
recut the movie:
seems possessed by the spirit of Sam Peckinpah,
They did me wrong because about 20 minutes of film
turning Monster Dog into a sort of remake of
were cut. What is now circulating on VHS and DVD
Straw Dogs (97), with rednecks with bandoliers
is not the film that I shot. It’s a film that I do not dis-
and guns moving around the house and shooting
own, it didn’t come out as I wanted but the fault is
at the protagonists, and bullet- ridden bodies
above all of the editing. When a director signs a deal
falling to the floor in slow- motion.
with the Americans you never have the final cut, so
The result is less than earth- shattering, and
your ideas for the editing need not necessarily be
some naivetés in the plot are annoying: for in-
considered. In this case, in fact, the final edit was
stance, when Vince Raven leafs through an old
made by the producer. The deleted scenes are the
book called Werewolves: Myths, Legends and Sci-
best, all those of the transformation, all the splatter
entific Reality, we get to see a full- page still of
ones… . It’s a pity but it is also true that in 984/8
extreme splatter began to disappear.7
Lon Chaney, Jr., from The Wolf Man (94), an
unlikely choice for a presumably decades- old
These cuts remain unconfirmed and there is no
tome, and one that sabotages any attempt at old-
evidence of extra gory scenes left out of the film.
style Gothic atmosphere. The film suffers from
However, in the featurette Lord of the Dogs, in
low- par special effects too: there is never a full
the American Blu- ray release of the film, Fra-
graphic werewolf transformation, and in the cli-
gasso and Drudi’s recollection of the cuts was
max we get to see some facial hair make- up plus
slightly different:
a rubber, deformed dog- head mask.
When I did my cut, the director’s cut, I came back to
According to Fragasso, the F/X caused
Italy and what happened later was a big mess in my
many delays during the shooting and turned out
opinion. When I saw the movie, I didn’t recognize it.
a disappointment; namely, there were problems
The movie was supposed to be longer, it had 20 min-
with the mechanical werewolf built by Carlo De
utes cut out and this kind of ruined the atmosphere
Marchis, an Italian technician who lived in
that I wanted to create. I had counted on that. The
1985: Monster
33
editing was a bit slower in my cut. They wanted to
were people who worked on the original Alien, and
make it faster, but they made it more confusing. It
I was going, “Gee, I hope this isn’t too good.” But it
was a pity anyway because I wanted to create a par-
ended up being just as bad as I thought. I get to kill
ticular atmosphere, but I would need or 20 more
like eight people in it, and I turn into a giant dog …
minutes of the footage I shot to give it that look. Then
so it’s good.9
they did some clumsy things trying to fix the movie,
but without the director you can’t understand what
Fragasso went on to direct more horror
is right to do. They only messed it up and it’s a real
films, some with Mattei, with whom he also
shame [Fragasso].
filmed the additional scenes for Fulci’s Zombi 3,
It was completely different, there was different ed-
and some by himself, such as the ultraviolent
iting and many sequences were cut, they edited them
zombie yarn After Death (Oltre la morte) (989).
in a way that makes the story confusing. The movie
The latter was produced by Filmirage, who also
had a different meaning than before. We were very
financed Fragasso’s La casa 5 and the infamous
upset, both of us. Some very nice things that Claudio
Troll 2 (both 990). For Troll 2, the director came
shot were cut [Drudi].8
up with the a.k.a. “Drako Floyd”0 so that Sarlui,
who was involved in the financing and had had
The presence in the end credits of no less
arguments with him on Monster Dog, wouldn’t
than four “additional editors” might as well
know that it was Fragasso directing the picture.
suggest tampering on the part of Sarlui. By com-
As for Cooper, in 987 he turned up for a special
paring the different versions of the film, it appears
appearance, as one of the homeless people pos-
that the producer trimmed a handful of minutes
sessed by a devilish entity, in another horror
for the American release, namely surrounding
film, John Carpenter’s Prince of Darkness. Mean-
contextual footage consisting of dialogue ex-
while his career as a singer and recording artist
changes—such as one between the sheriff (Ri-
had gained momentum again, climaxing in the
cardo Palacios) and his deputy (Luis Malu-
989 album
enda)—but leaving all the existing gore intact. A
Trash, his biggest hit in years.
Cooper’s two songs were composed spec
if-
Japanese version, with a different audio mix and
ically for the film and were arranged by Spanish
the extra bits, runs a full 88 minutes. In a typical
composer and arranger Teddy Bautista (who in
practice in European productions, Monster Dog
the 960s had been playing in the progressive rock
was shot without direct sound and the characters
band Los Canarios) and were played by the band
were redubbed later in post- production. Cooper’s
Dichotomy. They remained unreleased until 999,
voice was provided by Ted Rusoff.
when they ended up in the 4-disc box- set The Life
Despite reference books and IMDb claim-
and Crimes of Alice Cooper. A numbered edition
ing that it debuted in Italy in December 984,
of 00 copies of a 7-inch single with the two songs
Monster Dog wasn’t even submitted to the rating
from the film was released in 202.
board for a screen certificate and surfaced to
home video some years later. The U.S. prints fea-
ture a 98 copyright. Overseas it premiered on
Notes
video in 986, while in 988 it was released the-
1. Berger, “Claudio Fragasso’s Gore Wars,” 7.
atrically in Spain. According to the official Span-
2. Caddeo and Lopéré, “Passion devoreuse,” 74.
ish sources (which list it as a 98 production ti-
3. Mike Hodges, “Aured Rises from the Tomb,” Fan-
goria #89, January 2000, 7.
tled Leviatán, 00 percent Spanish, and credit
4. Palmerini and Mistretta, Spaghetti Nightmares, 76.
Carlos Aured as scriptwriter), it was seen by an
5. Hodges, “Aured Rises from the Tomb,” 7.
audience of 3,438 spectators and grossed the
6. Caddeo and Lopéré, “Passion devoreuse,” 7.
equivalent of today’s 28,737.3 euro.
7. Ibid.
8. Claudio Fragasso and Rossella Drudi interviewed,
Over the years, Alice Cooper often referred
in Federico Caddeo, Lord of the Dogs, featurette included
to his participation in Monster Dog in amused
as extra in the U.S. Kino Lorber Blu- Ray release of Monster
terms. In a February 987 interview he explained:
Dog.
9. Les Wiseman, “Coop Among Chickens,” Vancouver,
I always wanted to do a really cheap splatter movie—
February 987.
one that would make me really big in somewhere like
10. The pseudonym was conceived by Rossella Drudi,
who took inspiration from the Dragon sign in the Chinese
Italian Gothic Horror Films (1980-1989) Page 40