Italian Gothic Horror Films (1980-1989)

by Roberto Curti

  Pakistan. Then five years from now I’d like to be able

  zodiac (“Drake”) and from her love for Pink Floyd

  to rent this movie for 79 cents. That’s the level I

  (“Floyd”). See Jacopo Coccia, “Conversazione con Rossella

  wanted this to be on. They gave me a lot of money

  Drudi (Parte ),” Bizzarrocinema.it (http:// www. bizzarro

  for it—it must have been half the budget—and we

  cinema. it/ interviste/ altre- interviste/ professione- scene

  did it in Spain. A lot of the people who worked on it

  ggiatore- intervista- esclusiva- a- rossella- drudi/).

  34 1986: Anemia 1986

  Anemia (Anemia)

  ences hallucinations. Umberto’s illness leads him

  D: Alberto Abruzzese and Achille Pisanti.

  to make a drastic decision: he’ll retire for some

  S: based on Alberto Abruzzese’s novel Anemia.

  time in his grandfather’s secluded house by the

  Storia di un vampiro comunista; SC: Alberto

  lake. During the trip by train he recalls his love

  Abruzzese, Achille Pisanti; DOP: Angelo Sciarra;

  story with a TV reporter, Marcella, and his in-

  M: Lorenzo Ferrero; E: Mirella Mencio; PD:

  creasing detachment from the political life. At the

  Nicola Rubertelli; CO: Giovanna La Placa

  house, he discovers a diary and learns from it that

  Wolmsley; AD: Gina Vitelli; Collaboration to the

  he is the last descendant of a vampire. Upon his

  direction: Anna Albanese; SS: Marisa Vesuviano;

  return to the city, Umberto finally embraces his

  C: Pietro Emozione; SD: Paolo Fabriani; AC:

  own destiny. He prepares to become the party’s

  Enzo Leone, Antonio Maglione, Antonio Pas-

  leader and leaves on a vacation with Marcella at

  colini; SO: Rino Evangelista; B: Mario Di Iorio;

  an exclusive hotel where his real nature comes to

  MU: Enzo D’Anna; Hair: Alfonso Simonelli;

  the fore…

  ACO: Anna Morelli; ChEl: Mario Traditi; KG:

  Born in Rome in 942, Alberto Abruzzese

  Ciro De Pasquale; Titles: Giacomo Stabile; G:

  is one of Italy’s most highly reputed sociologists

  Domenico Milano, Mario Richiello; Specializzati

  and semiologists. Between 972 and 992 he

  di ripresa: Domenico Gervasio, Antonio Spamp-

  taught at the University of Naples and specialized

  inato; AE: Danilo Fedeli, Renata Gengarelli;

  in mass communication; he wrote several influ-

  Truka: Claudio Soldati; Luci di stampa: Walter

  ential volumes on the matter, which often focused

  Abbondanza, Sergio Moscardi; Negative cutter:

  on literature, film and popular art, and gained the

  Rosa Iorizzo; Dubbing director: Elio Zamuto;

  title of “theorist of the ephemeral.” Among his

  Dubbing asst: Mirella Russo; SOE: Enzo Di Lib-

  works are L’immagine filmica. Materiali di studio

  erto; Mix: Marina Atzu. Cast: Hanns Zischler

  (974), La grande scimmia. Mostri, vampiri, au-

  (Umberto U.), Gioia Maria Scola [Gioia Maria

  tomi, mutanti. L’immaginario collettivo dalla let-

  Tibiletti] (Marcella), Julian Jenkins (Shop assis-

  teratura al cinema e all’informazione (979) and

  tant), Emily Marchi (Flower seller), Giuseppe

  Pornograffiti. Trame e figure del fumetto italiano

  Aprea (Alberto), Luigi Curcione (Barman),

  per adulti (980)—the latter a pioneering collec-

  Roberto Pace (Young manager), Francesco Pet-

  tion of essays on adults- only comics.

  tarin (Ice Cream Man), Linda Sini (Marta), Elio

  In December 984 Abruzzese released Ane-

  Polimeno (Man in Train), Helmut Plakolmer

  mia. Storia di un vampiro comunista, a novelette

  (Reporter), Enzo Salomone (Waiter in Train),

  published by a small Rome- based company,

  Franco Gargia (Waiter in Restaurant), Lucio

  Theoria, who sought to give new life to the Fan-

  Beffi (Doctor), Nicola Esposito (Taxi Driver),

  tastic genre by collecting works of contemporary

  Vera Matania (Innkeeper), Roberto Corcione

  Italian authors, such as Vincenzo Cerami (Sua

  (Tommaso), Gérard Landry (Grandfather),

  Maestà), Aldo Rosselli (A pranzo con Lukacs),

  Margherita Rinaldi (Shop Assistant), Gabriella

  Antonio Caronia (Il cyborg. Saggio sull’uomo ar-

  Rinaldi (Singer), Roberto De Francesco (Boy),

  tificiale) and Giampiero Comolli (Il banchetto

  Marina Ruffo (Hotel Owner), Nicola Vigilante

  nel bosco). “We wanted Italian authors to con-

  (Hotel Owner’s Son), Anna Calato (Waitress).

  front the themes of fear and obsessions in

  PROD: Rai Tre, RAI Radiotelevisione Italiana;

  today’s Western society, that is, the ghosts, vam-

  PM: Giorgio Scoppa; GM: Bruno Alongi; PS:

  pires, monsters of our everyday reality,” claimed

  Rolando Santorelli. Country: Italy. Filmed in

  the company’s head, Paolo Repetti.

  Rome and on the Amalfi Coast. Running time:

  In tune with Theoria’s aim and with

  90 minutes. Release dates: 9.9.986 (Venice Film

  Abruzzese’s interests, Anemia mixed references

  Festival); 0.27.990 (First TV broadcast—Rai

  to film and literature within an openly political

  Tre); Distribution: not released theatrically.

  context. The story fleshed out the theme of vam-

  Umberto, a leader of the Italian Communist

  pirism as political metaphor: the protagonist

  Party, suffers from a severe form of anemia. He

  Umberto U. is a member of the Italian Commu-

  has to wear dark glasses in daylight and experi-

  nist Party (PCI) who suffers from anemia, pho-

  1986: Anemia

  3

  tophobia, and a growing attraction to blood. PCI

  just like us, we’ve got the same blood,” says the

  was undergoing an identity crisis after the death

  elderly party member to the protagonist.

  of its historical secretary, Enrico Berlinguer, who

  The country’s political malaise is heavily

  suffered a major stroke during an electoral

  underlined by TV sets that broadcast news about

  speech (broadcast live) in June 984 and died a

  the Brigate Rosse terrorist group (Abruzzese has

  few days later. A much beloved political figure,

  a disinterested barman switch channels to a Fred

  even by people with different political ideas,

  Astaire musical to stress the average man’s de-

  Berlinguer left the party at its all- time maximum,

  tachment from politics). Likewise, Umberto’s

  with over 33-percent: during the European elec-

  gradual transformation into a vampire is shown

  tions, PCI even surpassed its historic rival,

  with blatant symbolism: he wears shades even in

  Democrazia Cristiana, but soon its popularity

  badly- lit rooms, he feels attracted to crypts and

  started to fall, not least because of the events that

  cellars (“There’s a good smell of earth here,” he

  marked European history throughout the decade,

  says to a f
lower girl after following her into the

  from the 98 Polish golpe to the domestic re-

  shop’s basement), eats a raspberry ice- cream and

  forms in Gorbachev’s Russia, starting with 986’s

  gets his mouth all messed up in red.

  Perestroika.

  The directors scatter many references

  In late 98, Abruzzese started working on

  to classic horror cinema and literature through-

  a film version of his novel, in collaboration with

  out the story, from Nosferatu and Vampyr to

  the 34-year-old Achille Pisanti, who helped him

  The Castle of Otranto, and deliver some nice

  adapt the material for the screen and shared the

  evocative images. Umberto’s night journey

  directorial duties with him. Shot in 6mm with

  by train to his grandfather’s house is patterned

  a small budget, Anemia was produced by Rai

  over Harker’s trip to Dracula’s castle; the long

  Tre, the third and most experimental of RAI

  flashback which illustrates the memories of

  channels. The State television was intensifying

  Umberto’s vampiric ancestor (veteran French

  its participation in production: that year’s Venice

  actor Gérard Landry, cast because of his work

  Film Festival included no less than ten films

  with Abel Gance) is set among cemeteries

  produced in whole or in part by RAI and to

  and fog- shrouded villas and aims at a silent

  be distributed by its consociate company Sacis,

  movie- like intensity; in the final scene, Gioia

  “an unequivocal sign of the vitality of Italian cin-

  Maria Scola’s character moves forward sliding

  ema,” as the company proudly claimed.2

  like the elderly lady in Bava’s La goccia d’acqua.

  Abruzzese’s approach to the modern- day

  Abruzzese himself was adamant that the film be

  Gothic tale shows immediately the author’s

  considered as a

  agenda. The protagonist’s transformation is a

  hypersensible journey among the literary and cine-

  metaphor for the loss of political ideals. Umberto

  matic genres; a game of displacements, estrange-

  is described as “too young to have been a found-

  ments, misrepresentations amidst the ruins of TV

  ing member of the party, too intellectual to have

  and cinema; a nostalgic and musical game within the

  trained as a bureaucrat,” and is said to have de-

  limits allowed by the “years of lead” … a very hybrid

  luded himself into thinking he could change the

  game, indeed, aimed at rethinking the crisis of our

  PCI, whereas he was changed by it—starting

  cinema without the pretension of employing the Hol-

  with the use of cryptic but ultimately void lan-

  lywood standard, but keeping in mind that … the

  guage.

  Italian spectator lives in a cinematic world which is

  Abruzzese and Pisanti didactically depict

  heavily contaminated by models, emotions and

  the Roman PCI headquarters, located at the

  myths coming from Hollywood movies as well as by

  aptly named Via delle Botteghe Oscure (Street

  styles inherited from Italian cinema, wavering be-

  of Dark Workshops), as the modern- day version

  tween past and present imagery, widespread con-

  sumerism and cultural traditions. It is this type of

  of a vampire castle—immersed in gloom and

  viewer that we hope to please.3

  full of parasitic bloodsuckers (the party officials)

  who are busy exchanging favors, pulling the

  As film critic Fabio Giovannini noted,

  strings or concocting Machiavellian ways to

  “Anemia marks a moment of resurrection for

  keep their self- interest. House of Cards this ain’t,

  the vampire figure [in Italian cinema] but also

  however: the dialogue, heavy with political in-

  the exposition of the myth to dangers of con-

  nuendo, is too blatant and self- referential in its

  tamination that might be fatal. The vampire,

  depiction of aridness and political mischief, and

  who uses contagion as a weapon, can die of con-

  the puns are telegraphed. “In future, you’ll be

  tamination too.”4 That is, Anemia gradually suc-

  36 1986: La casa cumbs to the very metaphors it deals with, and

  television only a handful of times over the fol-

  Abruzzese’s ambition to sum up the crisis of

  lowing years, late at night, in a copy with forced

  Italy’s major left- wing party and the end of ide-

  English subtitles.

  ologies as a Gothic tale turns out a cataleptic,

  cryptic and, indeed, anemic narrative. The movie

  Notes

  is distinctly devoid of a strong cinematic style.

  1. Nico Orengo, “Ecco il vampiro Made in Italy,” La

  Unlike its predecessors, such as Corrado Farina’s

  Stampa—Tuttolibri, January , 98.

  …hanno cambiato faccia (97), Anemia ulti-

  2. [not signed], “Dieci film Rai alla Biennale,” L’Unità,

  mately fails because it cannot find its own iden-

  August , 986.

  3. Alberto Abruzzese, “Ora vi racconto la mia sfida al

  tity. The redundant, didactic dialogue in the first

  cinema,” L’Unità, August 24, 986.

  part is paired with an over- reliance on the voice-

  4. Fabio Giovannini, Il libro dei vampiri: dal mito di

  over during the flashback that forms the core of

  Dracula alla presenza quotidiana (Bari: Dedalo, [98]

  the tale, showing a direction which is not able to

  997), 8.

  turn the literary background into a filmic vision.

  5. Abruzzese, “Ora vi racconto la mia sfida al cinema.”

  6. L.t., “Nel mistero della vita anche i comunisti sono

  The cast and production values don’t help.

  in crisi,” La Stampa, September 9, 986.

  Zischler (the protagonist of Wim Wenders’ cel-

  7. Piero Zanotto, “Dopo l’effimero viene l ‘Anemia,’”

  ebrated Im Lauf der Zeit, a.k.a. Kings of the Road,

  Stampa Sera, 9 September 986.

  976) is far from being a convincing lead, while

  the gorgeous Scola—whose “close friendship”

  La casa del buon ritorno (The House of

  with Silvio Berlusconi’s brother Paolo allowed

  Good Returns)

  her to gain some press exposure during the

  D: Beppe Cino. S and SC: Beppe Cino; DOP:

  early- to-mid 980s, even for such an obscure

  Antonio Minutolo (Kodak; LV- Luciano Vittori);

  project as Abruzzese’s film—is certainly an al-

  M: Carlo Siliotto (Ed. CAM); E: Emanuele Fogli-

  luring presence but not the world’s best actress.

  etti; PD, CO: Silvana Fantino; AD: Diego D’In-

  The music shifts uneasily between atmospheric

  nocenzo; AsstD: Paolo Scaffa, Stefano Gabrini;

  moody synth pieces and Goblin- like, dance-

  MU: Maurizio Fazzini; SS: Paola Di Giulio,

  oriented numbers, with horrible results; the only

  AsstSS: Giovanna Lomagno; AE: Lucia Deidda;

  welcome interf
erence is a brief excerpt from the

  C: Giuseppe Venditti; APD: Pier Francesco Gior-

  music video for The Rolling Stones’ “Neigh-

  dano; SO: Benedetto Santalucia; B: Fulgenzio

  bours,” from the Tattoo You album.

  Ceccon; SP: Elvira Castellano; ChEl: Giulio Bas-

  Abruzzese claimed that he hoped the critics

  toni; El: Alberto Rogante, Giovanni Angeletti,

  would “acknowledge the attempt at escaping the

  Roberto Stiffi; KG: Vincenzo Di Costanzo; G:

  filmic tradition of these last ten years of Italian

  Roberto Battistioli, Paolo Camera, Francesco

  cinema,” but this proved wishful thinking. Ane-

  Bastianoni; Mix: Franco Bassi. Cast: Amanda

  mia was screened at the 986 Venice Film Fes-

  Sandrelli (Margit), Stefano Gabrini (Luca),

  tival in a collateral retrospective (Spazio Aperto)

  Francesco Costa (Bruno), Fiammetta Carena

  and at the “Premio Italia” in Lucca, around the

  (Ayesha), Lola Ledda (Lola), Stanis Ledda (Luca

  same time, to generally perplexed, if not down-

  as a child), Fabrizio Capuani (Bruno as a child),

  right bad, reviews.6 “We have the feeling, con-

  Eloisa Cino (Girl playing piano), Eleonora Sal-

  firmed by some, many, too many declarations

  vadori (Luca’s mother), Elvira Castellano (Bruno’s

  on the part of Abruzzese, that the narrative core

  mother). PROD: Remo Angioli and Beppe Cino

  … is only a pretext,” a critic wrote. “The narrative

  for Moviemachine S.r.l. (Rome); PM: Renata

  is intentionally a series of linear encounters with

  Crea; EP: Giuseppina Marotta; PS: Anda Fabrizi,

  oneirism, eroticism, horror, sentimentalism,

  Benedetto Atria; PSe: Patrizia Pierucci; ADM:

  period- evoking flash- backs … all tied together

  Caterina Roverso. Country: Italy. Filmed in and

  by the extremely thin, yet logical, thread of the

  around Rome. Running time: 9 minutes (m.

  events lived by the protagonist. There are refer-

  2492). Visa n. 82023 (.29.986); Rating: all au-

  ences to various genres, then, such as one can

  diences. Release date: 8.3.986 (Venezia Film

  find at a stereotypical level in many countries’

  Festival); 2.3.987 (Theatrical release); Distribu-

  filmographies, especially American. As for the

  tion: C.R.C./Real Film. Domestic gross: n.a. Also

  pleasantness of the result for the viewers … we

  known as: Das Haus der blauen Schatten (West

  have strong doubts.”7

  Germany).