already at work on a more ambitious project, a TV
Another outstanding moment is a passionate
series based on Guido Crepax’s comic Valentina,
love scene between Alan and Geneviève which
starring U.S. model Demetra Hampton. Accom-
suddenly turns nasty, as the woman, while kiss-
panied by a huge hype, the series’ 3 episodes (2
ing her partner’s body, secretes a thick foam that
to 30 minutes each) were broadcast between Sep-
reveals her spider- like nature, unbeknownst to
tember 989 and February 990. Giagni, who
the oblivious Mark.
penned the scripts with Manfredi, directed 9
Giagni’s accomplished direction overcomes
episodes, while the remaining 4 were directed by
the acting limitations of its leads. Paola Rinaldi
Giandomenico Curi, himself a video maker and
is barely convincing as the femme fatale, despite
TV author and director. Despite being a moderate
her willingness to perform frontal nude scenes,
success, Valentina was not confirmed for a second
while male fashion model Roland Wybenga, in
season. Giagni made his second feature—the po-
his film debut, is the typical anonymous hand-
litical thriller Nella terra di nessuno—only in 200,
some hero seen in other horror movies of the
which as of today remains his last fictional film;
period, such as Dèmoni and its sequel. Still, he
over the years he kept working in television, on
is fit for the role, as the umpteenth weak detective
several TV series and programs, and he also
hero who is deceived and defeated by his oppo-
helmed several interesting documentaries on Ital-
nents, not unlike Lino Capolicchio’s character
ian cinema.
in La casa dalle finestre che ridono, although the
script does very little to characterize Whitmore,
Notes
except for an opening childhood trauma scene
1. See Curti, Italian Gothic Horror Films, 970–979,
in the vein of La casa con la scala nel buio.
2. Palmerini and Mistretta, Spaghetti Nightmares, 92.
Wybenga, who turned up in a couple more films,
3. Ibid.
including Enzo G. Castellari’s Sinbad of the Seven
4. Ibid.
5. Ibid.
Seas (989), seemingly died of AIDS in 99.
6. Charles P. Williams, The Complete H.P. Lovecraft
Claude Chabrol’s ex- wife and muse Stéphane Au-
Filmography (Westport, CT: Greenwood, 200), 87.
dran is quite effective as the mysterious hotel
7. Ibid., 9.
manager, and William Berger turns up in one of
8. Morsiani, “Intervista a Sergio Stivaletti,” 96.
9. Piero Perona, “Il nuovo regista ama l’horror,” Stampa
his rare good guy roles as the mysterious would-
Sera, August , 988.
be savant, who is reserved one of the most inven-
10. One notable exception was the Turinese newspaper
tive death scenes.
La Stampa, whose critic wrote a rather positive review of
66 1988: Nosferatu the film, praising the makeup and special effects by Sti-invites to her home an English expert in vam-
valetti (“a name who, as far as nightmares are concerned,
pirism, Paris Catalano. Helietta wants to end for-
is a guarantee”). Too bad the review was illustrated with a
ever the gloomy atmosphere that still weighs in
still from the very last scene, which gave away the ending.
See a.pie. [Aldo Piersanti], “La ragnatela mortale del
her palace, where she lives with her grandmother
mostro di Budapest,” La Stampa, August 3, 988.
and her young sister Maria. Two centuries earlier,
in fact, while in Venice raged the plague, one of
Nosferatu a Venezia (Vampire in Venice)
her ancestors had been the victim of a vampire
D: Augusto Caminito [and Klaus Kinski,
and vanished with him. In the basement of the
uncredited]. S: Carlo Alberto Alfieri, Leandro
palace there is still a mysterious iron- rimmed sar-
Lucchetti; SC: Augusto Caminito; DOP: Antonio
cophagus and Helietta, thinking that Nosferatu is
Nardi (Kodak, Telecolor); M: Luigi Ceccarelli
right there, invites Catalano to destroy the
(Artem Publishing); E: Claudio Cutry; PD:
undead. The vampire, evoked in a séance, arrives
Joseph Teichner, Luca Antonucci; CO: Vera Coz-
in Venice, while the body of the ancestor, Letizia,
zolino; MU: Sergio Angelponi Franco Corridoni,
strangely resembling Helietta, is discovered in the
Luigi Rocchetti; Hair: Alberta Giuliani, Maurizio
tomb. But exorcising Nosferatu turns out to be an
Lupi; AD: Andrea Prandstaller; 2nd UD: Luigi
impossible undertaking. One after the other those
Cozzi; C: Giovanni Ciarlo; AC: Luca Alfieri, Vin-
around Helietta fall victim to the vampire’s bite,
cenzo Carpineta; KG: Tarcisio Diamanti; G: Vit-
and she dies too. Nosferatu knows he can be lib-
torio Pescetelli; SP: Enzo Falessi; W: Palmira Tac-
erated and die on one condition: being loved by
coni; AE: Maria Elvira Castagnolo, Evandro
a virgin maiden. Helietta’s half- sister Maria is the
Postorino; PM: Claudio D’Achille; B: Luciano
chosen one, but just when Nosferatu is about to
Muratori; SO: Nick Alexander; SOEd: Fernando
achieve his goal—in a dilapidated villa on the Isle
Caso, Claudio Gramigna, Edmondo Gintili; Foley
of Dogs, in the lagoon—Helietta’s lover shows up
Artist: Alvaro Gramigna, Claudio Gramigna;
and shoots the vampire, leaving the monster un-
Mix: Primiano Muratori; SE: Franco Ragusa [and
harmed but mortally wounding Maria. After tak-
Luigi Cozzi]; Stunts: Ottaviano Dell’Acqua,
ing revenge on the man, Nosferatu vampirizes the
Franco Pacifico; SS: Annamaria Liguori; Adap-
girl and leaves Venice with her in his arms…
tation/DubD: Alberto Marras. Cast: Klaus Kinski
When in 98 producer Augusto Caminito
(Nosferatu), Christopher Plummer (Prof. Paris
took over the project of Nosferatu a Venezia he
Catalano), Donald Pleasence (Don Alvise), Bar-
did not imagine that it would become the worst
bara De Rossi (Helietta Canins), Yorgo Voyagis
nightmare in his career. In the mid–980s,
(Dr. Barneval), Anne Knecht (Maria Canins),
Caminito (born in Naples in 940), a former
Elvire Audray (Uta Barneval), Giuseppe Manna-
scriptwriter turned producer, had decided to fi-
juolo (Gianmarco Tosatti), Clara Colosimo
nance some thriller and horror films, which
(Medium), Maria Clementina Cumani Quasi-
seemed a profitable investment for the Italian
modo (Princess), Micaela Flores Amaya “La
and foreign markets. With his company Scena
Chunga” (Woman at Gypsy Camp); uncredited:
Film, he had produced Lucio Fulci’s Murde-
Mickey Knox (Priest). PROD: Augusto Caminito
&nbs
p; rock—Uccide a passo di danza, and he would
for Scena Film Production (Rome), Reteitalia
commission some more films to Fulci, which he
S.p.A.; EP: Carlo Alberto Alfieri; PM: Ennio
would contract out to the Distribuzione Alpha
Onorati, Angelo D’Antoni; UM: Giorgio Padoan,
company, owned by Antonio Lucidi and Luigi
Silvano Zignani; PSe: Marco Alfieri, Marco De
Nannerini, namely Sodoma’s Ghost and Quando
Rossi; UP: Luigi Biamonte; PAcc: Franco Maia.
Alice ruppe lo specchio, plus the other titles dis-
Country: Italy. Filmed on location in Venice
tributed under the tagline “Lucio Fulci presenta.”
and at De Paolis In.Ci.R. Studios (Rome). Run-
Caminito came across the script for Nos-
ning time: 98 minutes (m. 2700). Visa n. 83889
feratu a Venezia through Carlo Alberto Alfieri,
(8.20.988); Rating: V.M.4. Release dates: 9.9.988
who had written the screenplay with Leandro
(Italy–Venice Film Festival), 4..989 (Japan); Dis-
Lucchetti, but couldn’t manage to sell the idea
tribution: Medusa. Domestic gross: n.a. Also
to any distributor and hadn’t enough money to
known as: Nosferatu in Venice; Prince of the Night
produce the movie by himself; so, he offered it
(USA); Nosferatu in Venedig (Germany); Nosferatu
to other producers. The idea of a sequel to
à Venise (France); Nosferatu, el príncipe de las
Werner Herzog’s 979 film Nosferatu: Phantom
tinieblas (Spain).
der Nacht seemed a brilliant commercial move
The Venetian noblewoman Helietta Canins
to Caminito, especially since Alfieri was well-
1988: Nosferatu
67
Italian lobby card for Nosferatu a Venezia (1988), Augusto Caminito’s ill-fated sequel to Werner Herzog’s Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht (1979), starring Klaus Kinski.
acquainted with Herzog’s Nosferatu, Klaus Kin-
rected the erotic comedy La portiera nuda
ski, and had secured the actor’s participation in
(976)—explains: “Caminito realized that Nos-
the project. The Neapolitan producer and the
feratu in Venice would probably be a hit if it had
Polish actor met, discussed some more film
a bigger budget. He doubled the budget, but de-
projects and found a satisfying agreement for
cided Lucidi was not the right director, and that
both. On December 7, 98, Caminito and Kin-
he needed a “name” director for the film.”2 So,
ski signed a deal for two films, Nosferatu a
he fired Lucidi,3 who only shot some footage
Venezia and Grandi cacciatori, and Caminito
of the February 986 Venice Carnival with a
promised that he would produce a third title,
small crew and without Kinski, and hired fellow
Kinski’s pet project Paganini, which the actor
Neapolitan Pasquale Squitieri, who had just
had been dreaming for years, and which he had
helmed the crime drama Il pentito (98) starring
tried in vain to put together in 980 with Alfredo
Franco Nero and Tony Musante. The producer
Bini producing and Herzog directing.
also gathered an impressive supporting cast,
Caminito secured a distribution deal with
which included such internationally renowned
Reteitalia, obtained a strong advance from the
names as Christopher Plummer and Donald
bank and hired Alfieri as executive producer.
Pleasence, as well as Barbara De Rossi, Yorgo Voy-
The film was to be directed by Maurizio Lucidi
agis, and Stefania Sandrelli’s daughter, Amanda.
(who had already helmed a film set in Venice,
Squitieri rewrote the script, setting it in the
the excellent 97 thriller La vittima designata,
near future, in 996 Venice,4 and had Alfredo
starring Tomas Milian and Pierre Clementi), but
Castelli and a number of comic book artists pre-
Caminito decided that the Italian sequel to Nos-
pare a series of storyboards for the film’s most
feratu needed to be more ambitious. Luigi Cozzi,
spectacular scenes. Caminito found the result
who worked on the film as a consultant on the
“too baroque” and most of all too expensive for
set and during post- production at his friend Al-
his economic possibilities. But Squitieri was not
fieri’s request—the two had met when Cozzi di-
willing to resize the script according to the avail-
68 1988: Nosferatu able budget; moreover, he and Kinski had
morning I showed up regularly on the set. Without
already had a clash. Since he could not afford to
even saying hello, Kinski and Caminito locked them-
lose his star, Caminito had no other choice but
selves in the actor’s trailer and stayed there the whole
terminate the contract with Squitieri and pay
morning. Only then I understood the state of things:
him the agreed sum before the director filmed
Caminito had promised Kinski, in addition to a Fer-
rari car, that he would let him direct the movie. Of
even a single shot. By then, he had already spent
course, the actor’s “weight” was greater than mine.
lots of money before the film even got started
The only thing I could do was get in my car and go
and was forced to reshape the project. He called
home.8
Alfieri and told him the budget he was willing
to spend on the film. As Cozzi recalls, “Alfieri
According to Caminito, Caiano’s desertion came
told him that, since the project was rather am-
after a violent argument during filming the
bitious, it would be very difficult not to go over
scene where Nosferatu arrives at the gypsy
budget, unless the movie was directed by a film-
camp, shot in Tor Caldara. The producer ran to
maker they could trust—that is, one more con-
Kinski’s trailer in a rage and the actor, still in his
cerned with respecting all the conditions laid
Nosferatu costume, told him, “Now you’re di-
down by the producer rather than dreaming of
recting the movie!” To which Caminito didn’t
chimerical artistic peaks.”6
object: “Truth is, I was terrified by the idea of
The producer and Alfieri then hired Mario
directing the film myself, but at that time too
Caiano, another expert filmmaker who had al-
many things in my life were not going right, and
ready directed Kinski in the Seventies, in the
I was firmly convinced that I would finish the
Spaghetti Western/Kung Fu hybrid Il mio nome
movie at any cost.”9 In interviews of the period,
è Shangai Joe (a.k.a. The Fighting Fists of Shanghai
the producer diplomatically explained the change
Joe, 973). Caminito and Caiano had worked to-
behind the camera as follows: “Mario Caiano’s
gether on a film shot in Africa by Mino Guerrini,
shyness clashed against the difficult roughness of
Le min
iere del Kilimangiaro (986), which Caiano
Kinski’s temper, and so Caiano left the set spon-
completed, finishing the action scenes in record
taneously. As you see, I decided to make the film
time in Tor Caldara, near Rome. He seemed the
myself.”0
ideal director to deal with Kinski and take care
But working with Kinski turned out a night-
of the economical issues.
mare for Caminito. The actor altered the script
In Summer 986 Caiano completed the
according to his whims and mood changes, and
casting and went location scouting, while
he made ample display of his erratic and offensive
Caminito frantically rewrote the script to make
behavior with the crew: his favorite target was Al-
it more suitable for the by now drastically re-
fieri, who, in Caminito’s words, had become a true
duced budget. According to Cozzi, several
scapegoat for the actor’s outbursts of anger. Cozzi
scenes and characters were totally discarded
recalled:
with this last- minute rewriting.
When we were rehearsing a scene, Kinski moved in
Shooting started on August 2th,7 but
a certain way, and consequently the director of pho-
things went wrong from the beginning. Firstly,
tography spent a couple of hours setting the lighting
Kinski refused to shave his head and wear the
according to his movements on the set. But when we
prosthetic fangs as in Herzog’s version, and in-
shot the scene … well, Kinski regularly behaved as
sisted that he keep his hair long—or else he
the rehearsals hadn’t even taken place and changed
wouldn’t do the movie. On the first day of shoot-
his acting and most of all his movements. Therefore,
ing, Caiano shot the scene of the shipwrecked
the d.o.p. had to design the lighting from scratch!
boat carrying the vampire’s coffin, in Tor Cal-
This meant exhausting delays in the shooting sched-
dara, then came the turn of shooting with
ule, and crew members were obviously exasperated,
Kinski. After filming a scene, he called cut. But,
because they worked in vain and felt they were being
as Caiano recalled,
made fun of. What’s more, Kinski absolutely refused
to reshoot the same scene twice … if the director
Kinski didn’t stop and kept doing his usual grimaces.
asked to shoot another take … he just said no. Like
I was incredulous. On that occasion, Caminito ap-
Italian Gothic Horror Films (1980-1989) Page 51