Manager). PROD: Scino [Mushi] Glam for Cine
D: Peter Storage [Sergio Bergonzelli]. S and
Decima (Rome); PM: Filippo Campus; PSe: An-
SC: Sergio Bergonzelli; DOP: Raffaele Mertes
tonio Mammolotti; ADM: Angela Melis. Country:
(Telecolor); M: Nello Ciangherotti (Ed. Scogliera);
Italy. Filmed at the Castle Piccolomini in Balso-
E: Vincenzo Di Santo; SE: Raffaele Mertes, Delio
rano, and at Incir- De Paolis Studios (Rome). Run-
Catini, Giovanni Corridori, Antonio Corridori;
ning time: 90 minutes (m. 2464). Visa n. 8388
AD: Pierstefano Marangoni; AC: Stefano Pugini;
(8.8.988); Rating: V.M.4. Release date: not re-
MU: Guerrino Todero; Hair: Silvana Locatelli;
leased theatrically; Distribution: Azzurra (Home
APD: Massimo Cerquini; ASD: Giovanni
Video—Italy). Also known as: Delírio Sangriento
Passanisi; Mix, SOE: Walter Polini; W: Giovanna
(Brazil).
Russu; Color Technician: Pasquale Cuzzupoli.
Note: Paintings by Maria Alborghetti,
Cast: John Phillip Law (Saint Simon), Gordon
Marenza Azzopardi, Carlo Cirilli, Janos Gilevic,
Mitchell (Hermann), Brigitte Christensen (Sybille
Livia Marcellini Gaddi, Giuseppina Laura Taran-
Leclerc/Christine), Marco Di Stefano (Gérard
tola; Sculptures by Angelo Pizzicaroli.
Goupta), Olga [Olinka] Hardiman (Corinne),
Shocked by the death of his wife Christine,
0 1988: Blood a painter named Saint Simon loses not only his
mainly for the chance of working with his good
inspiration, but his mental balance as well. With
friend Gordon Mitchell, who had helped him
the help of his wicked butler Hermann, Saint
get started in Italian cinema. Mitchell had been
Simon even exhumes the skeleton of the deceased
in Bergonzelli’s Diamond Connection (982), and
spouse. Then, at an exhibition of his works, he
the director said of him: “He had a face that
meets Sybille, a young pianist who is a dead ringer
didn’t have to be interpreted.”
for Christine. Struck by the resemblance, Saint
The rest of the cast was a mixed bunch.
Simon invites her to his castle to try and revive
French porn actress Olinka Hardiman, who had
his creative impulse, but to no avail. But the
turned up in Tentazione in one of her rare non-
painter recovers his inspiration in an unexpected
hardcore roles, had a small part which never-
way: Hermann, attempting to rape a young girl,
theless allowed her to show her breathtaking
kills her, and Saint Simon finds out that human
body. The lead, Danish- born Brigitte Chris-
blood is just the right color he needed for his
tensen, was a weird casting choice: born in 97,
paintings. He sends Hermann to kidnap Sybille’s
Christensen was a stage actress who had estab-
friend Corinne, who is then drained of her blood
lished herself in Italy in 983, when she founded
and murdered. Sybille, now imprisoned in the cas-
the company Teatro della Luna with Marco Di
tle by the two madmen, is likely to become Saint
Stefano and became the artistic director of a the-
Simon’s next target, but her fiancé Gérard arrives
ater festival in Amandola, in the Marche region,
to save her just in time.
based on the interaction between the audience,
Blood Delirium, Sergio Bergonzelli’s penul-
the townspeople and the artists.2 Di Stefano also
timate work, represented his first stab at the
ended up in the movie, playing the heroine’s
Gothic horror genre in a directorial career
pony- tailed fiancé, who earns his living rather
spawning three decades between Italy, Turkey,
improbably as a test pilot of fast cars and heli-
Greece, France and Spain, and within such di-
copters. Bergonzelli even managed to shoot in
verse genres as adventure, pirate films, westerns,
a pre- existing main location—the 3th century
spy stories, gialli, erotic documentaries, sleazy
castle of Pereto, in the Abruzzo region—a typical
comedies, and out- and-out hardcore. After dab-
production gimmick in tune with the common
bling with porn for the best part of the decade,
practices of 960s horror films shot entirely in
the director had returned to mainstream film-
ancient manors.
making with the erotic thriller Tentazione, pro-
The plot for Blood Delirium gathers char-
duced by Enzo Gallo and starring Katrine
acters and archetypes of the golden age of the
Michelsen, and Blood Delirium represented an
Gothic and revolves around the themes of the
attempt to hold on to genre filmmaking, by then
double and reincarnation. The mad artist Saint
waning and destined primarily to foreign con-
Simon is obsessed with the woman he loved,
sumption.
Christine, who was also his muse, and whose
“I wrote that movie with Fabio De Agostini,
death deprived him of his artistic inspiration.
a profound and very commercial author, aiming
When he meets a young female pianist, who is
to make a shocking film,” the director explained.
the mirror image of his deceased wife, he jumps
De Agostini, whose name does not feature in
at the opportunity to keep her with him in his
the credits, had collaborated with Bergonzelli
castle. The script plays on the idea that in every
on several scripts, such as Silvia e l’amore (968),
person there are two personalities, two halves
Le 10 meraviglie dell’amore (969) and Nelle
who, even though separate, are linked by a
pieghe della carne (970). Besides his work as as-
spiritual bond: “This is what we are, two in one
sistant director for the likes of Mario Bonnard,
flame,” Christine’s spirit tells her other half,
Joseph Losey, Sergio Grieco and Giacomo Gen-
Sybille. In addition to that, Bergonzelli added
tilomo, De Agostini’s main claim to fame had
an element that brought the story closer to H.G.
been the controversial erotic Nazi flick Le lunghe
Lewis’ Color Me Blood Red (96), as Saint
notti della Gestapo (977).
Simon finds out that human blood gives “life”
Working on a low budget, Bergonzelli nev-
to his creations. “The most precious thing in the
ertheless managed to cast a rather prestigious
world is blood, and the painter of my story
has- been, John Phillip Law, for the role of the
thinks that if he can paint with blood he can ob-
mad painter Saint Simon, who believes himself
tain a special communicativeness.”3
to be the reincarnation of Van Gogh. Law (who
Bergonzelli’s take on the Gothic genre is
dubs himself in the film) accepted the role
filled with gratuitous nudity and gore, with an
1988: Blood
>
insistence on the grotesque and the excess that
“Sweet mistress, I loved you in silence… ” he
recalls extreme adults- only comics such as Oltre-
mourns—while his master is madly playing the
tomba and Terror—all of this amply peppered
organ, and later Hermann’s sexual escapades
with jaw- dropping dialogue. “I’ve sacrificed phi-
provide the film’s goriest bits, as he supplies Saint
losophy on the altar of entertainment, transfer-
Simon with the blood of his victims and then
ring my personal convictions in the movie,”4 the
gets rid of the bodies, which he either hacks
director claimed. True to his philosophy studies,
to pieces or gives as food to his Doberman Pin-
he threw in plenty of Pindaric flights, starting
scher dog (aptly named Satan), saving the best
with Saint Simon’s opening monologue, as the
cuts for himself, cooked rare and with just a little
artist contemplates the sunset from the ramparts
bit of salt.
of his castle and is upset by the totality of the
The climax must be seen to be believed. All
universe. “Emptiness. Overflowing emptiness.
hell breaks loose in the castle, as Christine’s in-
The presence of the infinite. Eyes without di-
visible spirit takes revenge on her husband: “You
mension. Wings of invisible light. The restless
think you are Van Gogh? Now you are!,” her
eye of the spirit dispels the arcane, glimpsing fu-
voice announces, cutting off the man’s ear. Then
ture fragments—always present, never seen.”
the castle crumbles down to pieces like the
And this is just the beginning.
house of Usher in Poe’s story, and Bergonzelli
Sometimes one cannot decide whether
vainly attempts to overcome the shoestring
Bergonzelli’s tongue is in his cheek or not. Saint
budget with slow- motion shots of Saint Simon
Simon’s remark after he discovers that a soon-
falling around, apparently slammed by invisible
to-be-victim is about to pay him a visit (“Let her
forces. The sight of Hermann submerged under
come… . I have just finished my color!”) makes
Styrofoam columns and capitals incongruously
one suspect it is; and yet the hopelessly would-
raining down from the ceiling looks almost like
be-poetic tone of the dialogue suggests the op-
a retribution for Mitchell’s past as a peplum icon.
posite, with such lines as “The future is as real
The final image of servant and master holding
as the present—except that it exists in a dimen-
hands in the moment of death plays like a ho-
sion that eyes cannot see.” In addition to that,
mosexual riff on the closing shot of Duel in the
the lack of means paves the way for the ridicu-
Sun (946).
lous: the French setting is phony, Saint Simon’s
Blood Delirium was released directly to
paintings are obviously the work of different
home video in Italy, in a version devoid of the
artists with very different styles, and in a scene,
goriest bits, such as the sight of Hermann ex-
he listens to Sybille’s piano concerto performance
tracting the viscera from a victim’s chest cavity.
on a cheap, small boom box. The only redeeming
Over the years, it gained some sort of a cult
quality of many scenes is Raffaele Mertes’ cine-
status as an example of what Michael J. Weldon
matography. The talented d.o.p. would soon turn
described as “psychotronic movies.” Those in-
up in bigger productions, such as Michele Soavi’s
volved had a far less favorable opinion of it:
La setta (99), Carlo Carlei’s La corsa dell’inno-
“That one, yes, is extremely bad. When my Ital-
cente (99) and Dario Argento’s Trauma (993).
ian agent found out that I had starred in it, he
In the late 990s he moved on to direction and
practically exploded, ‘John, you can’t make
worked exclusively for the small screen.
movies like that! Don’t you take yourself seri-
Though not a bad actress, the angular-
ously?’” Law admitted.6
jawed Christensen lacks the looks and physique
Bergonzelli directed only one more film,
of Gothic heroines, but she soldiers on ad-
Malizia oggi (990), featuring future porn actress
mirably, given the material she must work with.
Valentine Demy. He died in 2002.
John Phillip Law’s hammy performance, all
rolling eyes and frantic brushstrokes while cre-
Notes
ating his masterpieces, is a hoot, but Gordon
1. Massimo F. Lavagnini, “Sergio Bergonzelli. Una
Mitchell steals the show as Saint Simon’s malev-
cinepresa in pugno al diavolo,” Nocturno Cinema #2, De-
olent, sex- crazed butler- cum-factotum Her-
cember 996, 77.
mann. “Son of the devil, but innocuous,” the
2. r.s., “Nelle case della gente il festival di Amandola,”
painter says of him, a debatable understatement
Corriere della Sera, August 23, 989.
3. Lavagnini, “Sergio Bergonzelli. Una cinepresa in
indeed. In an early scene we see Hermann in-
pugno al diavolo,” 77.
dulge in passionate lovemaking with the still
4. Ibid., 78.
warm body of the dead lady of the house—
5. Weldon described psychotronic movies as “the ones
2 1988: Il bosco 1
traditionally ignored or ridiculed by mainstream critics at
spied on by something invisible. At a nearby vil-
the time of their release: horror, exploitation, action,
lage, the two meet Algernoon, a weird- looking
science fiction, and movies that used to play in drive- ins
horror writer whose sight makes Arva flee. Alger-
or inner- city grindhouses.” Psychotronic Video, #, 989, 2.
6. Carlos Aguilar and Anita Haas, John Phillip Law. Di-
noon tells them that centuries earlier a local pop-
abolik Angel (Pontevedra/Bilbao: Scifiworld/Quatermass,
ulation, the Cimbri, practiced satanic rites in the
2008), 90.
woods. Cindy and Tony resume their journey and
meet Arva again, who offers them to sleep in an
Il bosco 1 (Evil Clutch)
isolated barn. There, the witch offers Tony some
D: Andrea Marfori. S and SC: Andrea Mar-
drugs, which he accidentally drops into a strange
fori; DOP: Marco Isoli; M: Adriano Maria Vitali
liquid that splashes on him. Soon Tony starts feel-
(Ed. CAM); E: Andrea Marfori, Fabrizio Polver-
ing ill and Cindy chases Arva away. The witch’s
ari; PD: Giovanni Albertini; SPFX: Studio Arte
victim pops up as a zombie and attacks them.
Fare [Bruno Biagi, Paolo Forti], Gianni Alber-
Tony is possessed by an evil force and tries to rape
tini; AD: Giulio Calcinari; C: Paolo Sanna; AC:
Cindy, who runs away te
rrified. The boy is se-
Paolo Ferrari; Steadicam: Pippo Ciliberto, Vachi
duced by Arva, who transforms into her true self.
Mallaby; ArtD: Lisa Nisio; SD: Sebastiano De
Algernoon comes to their rescue but he is killed
Caro, Simona Migliotti; CO: Giovanni Albertini,
by Arva. Cindy and Tony (who has been badly
Lisa Nisio, Daniela C. Fava; 2ndUC: Bruno Mal-
injured) take refuge in the ruins near a spring,
tese; AE: Angelo Mignogna; SP: Stefano Carofei;
but the monster reaches them and beheads the
GA: Stani Galasso; BB: Giovanni Galasso; KG:
young man. Cindy takes refuge in the barn where
Sergio Fiori; G: Marco Due; B: Angelo Colone;
she slaughters Algernoon (who has returned as a
SO: Sandro Aliscioni, Bruno Pupparo, Massimo
zombie) and the other undead with a chainsaw.
Tucceri; Soundtrack: Luciano Anzellotti, Mas-
At dawn, Cindy runs away, but the horror is not
simo Anzellotti, Dario Pasquale, Attilio Gizzi;
over…
Music recording mix: Marco Streccioni; Mix:
Born in Verona in 98, Andrea Marfori
Danilo Sterbini; Dialogue coach: Teresa Pase;
had been a movie buff since an early age. It was
Screenplay dialogue: Dinah Rogers; SS: Roberta
fated that this passion would evolve into some-
Guastella, Silvia Nelvina. 2nd Unit: C: Bruno
thing more. Even though he got a degree in Phi-
Maltese; AC: Claudio Schiano; GA: Stefano
losophy in Bologna, Andrea wrote his thesis on
Alessi; BB: Fabio Capozzi; SS: Susanna S. Rocchi;
F.W. Murnau, then he moved to Rome and got
Titles: Fabio Testa. Cast: Coralina Cataldi Tassoni
a master’s degree in direction and editing at
(Cindy), Diego Ribon (Tony), Luciano Crovato
Rome’s CSC in 982. His first works were a doc-
(Algernoon), Elena Cantarone (Arva), Stefano
umentary on the Verona Arena and some short
Molinari (Fango). PROD: Agnese Fontana for
films. Then, in April 987, Marfori set out to
Fomar Film; PSe: Pietro Raschillà, Manuela Di
make the short horror film Gorysand—Sabbia
Priamo; Location manager: Francesca De Filippi;
insanguinata: shot around Rome and at CSC’s
ADM: Enrico Marfori. Country: Italy. Filmed in
own studio with a handful of friends and CSC
Giazza (Verona) and Rome. Running time: 8
graduates, it was an experiment (or, in Marfori’s
minutes (m. 2338). Visa n. 8793 (6.26.990); Rat-
words, a “pre-film”) which paved the hand for
Italian Gothic Horror Films (1980-1989) Page 46