and Il fiore dai petali d’acciaio (973, Gianfranco
PROD: Pino Buricchi for Natmas Productions
Piccioli); he moved on to erotic comedies (La
(Rome); PM: Raniero Di Giovanbattista; PSe:
collegiale, 97; La dottoressa sotto il lenzuolo,
Claudia Endrigo. Country: Italy. Filmed at Villa
976), crime films (Milano … difendersi o morire,
Giovanelli (Rome), Forte Portuense (Rome),
978), slasher flicks (the obscure and absurdly
Pratica di Mare (Pomezia, Rome), Monte Gelato
titled Trhauma, 980), Neapolitan melodramas
Falls (Mazzano Romano) and at De Paolis
(Pover’ammore, 982, directed by Vincenzo Sal-
In.Ci.R. Studios (Rome). Running time: 83 min-
viani and, uncredited, Fernando di Leo). His
utes (m. 2290); 8 minutes (Home video). Visa
final movie, I frati rossi, marked the attempt at
n. 846 (.8.988); Rating: V.M.4. Release
reviving yet another genre, the Gothic.
date: 8.24.989 (Italy); Distribution: Chance
I frati rossi was produced by Pino Buricchi,
Film. Domestic gross: n.a. Also known as: Sex-
who, together with his brother Marco, was also
orgien der roten Mönche; The Red Monks—Der
a distributor with the Marco Film Company.
Todesfluch der roten Mönche (Germany).
With such works as L’ultimo treno della notte
Note: Originally, in the opening credits
(97, Aldo Lado) and La settima donna (978,
Lucio Fulci was credited as “special effects su-
Franco Prosperi), Buricchi’s name was a war-
pervisor”; a subsequent version, with newly de-
ranty of sleaziness and exploitation; in the early
signed credits, lists him as “Lucio Fulci pres-
980s he had jumped on such threads as the
ents.”
Conan-inspired sword- and-sandal as well as the
The present. Riccardo Gherghi, the last of
glamorous period erotic in the vein of La chiave.
the Gherghi family, is visiting the old family villa
The project was conceived for the foreign mar-
he has inherited. He spots a mysterious veiled vi-
kets and was distributed with Lucio Fulci’s name
1989: I frati
79
in evidence. In the official papers and in the
suited us.”3 Other locations were the Forte
opening credits, Fulci was credited as “special
Portuense and the falls at Monte Gelato, one of
effects supervisor,” but he never once showed
the recurring sights in Italian genre cinema of
up on set, nor did he take care of any special ef-
the past decades.
fect, as confirmed by the film’s script girl, An-
Based on a story by Luciana Anna Spacca,
namaria Liguori, who believes his name was
Martucci’s film looks back to an old- style Gothic
used without Fulci’s knowledge. But the most
mood. The tale revolves around such archetypal
likely option is that he willingly accepted to
themes as a centuries’ old family curse, a gloomy
“lend” his name for the credits of somebody
villa/castle replete with crypts, and, most inter-
else’s film, not as much for personal pride and
estingly, a central female character who turns
gratification but for mere economic reasons.
out to be in tune with the idea of “devil as a fe-
Around that time Fulci got aboard the ill- fated
male” which dominated the imagery of Italian
series “I maestri del thriller” (a.k.a. “Lucio Fulci
Gothic.
presenta”) as well.
The bulk of the story—count Roberto
According to Martucci,
Gherghi (Amato) marrying the beautiful Ra-
mona (Wendel) but being unable to consummate
Fulci did not participate in the making, he just agreed
the marriage for his bride must be sacrificed as
to “present” the movie, but this suited the distributors,
who needed a “heavy” name for the sales abroad. By
a virgin on a certain astrologically favorable
then Fulci had become a name, let’s say, exportable.
night—allows for the same kind of sexual ten-
He was already very ill, and I met him to talk to him
sion that could be found in such 960s works as
about the project. He agreed to lend his name to this
L’orribile segreto del Dr. Hichcock: the continually
as a “presenter” … he never set foot on set, also be-
postponed “first night” between husband and
cause, as I said before, he was very ill. At that time,
wife leads to uneasiness, misunderstanding, de-
he was going through a particularly difficult stage of
tachment, and ultimately tragedy. The conjugal
his illness. Then he managed to get well again, but
crisis is enhanced by Priscilla, the unfriendly
at that time he couldn’t even speak, devoured as he
housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers- style, who turns out
was by cirrhosis. He suffered a lot and had a very low
to be Gherghi’s mistress: unlike the characters
level of concentration, a matter of minutes and then
played by Harriet White, though, here she has
he needed to rest or take medicines, and I had to
the gorgeous features of Malisa Longo, and is
come back and talk the following day.2
more than willing to display her body for the
The small cast comprised among others
camera.
Lara Wendel, by then a veteran in the genre,
Despite the ample nudity, courtesy of Wen-
Gerardo Amato, and Malisa Longo. As in the
del and Longo, such a morbid and antiquated
early days of Italian Gothic, shooting took place
vision of marriage further enhances the movie’s
almost entirely in an existing location, Villa
retro feel. I frati rossi even inherits the same nar-
Giovanelli- Fogaccia, the palace of Prince Gio-
coleptic pacing from its blueprints, with long and
vanelli in Rome, a luxurious villa usually rented
superfluous sequences featuring the nightgown-
for weddings, mundane events and parties, and
clad Wendel wandering in the crypts to the sound
seen in many Italian films since 970, including
of Paolo Rustichelli’s eerie lullaby score. However,
Fernando di Leo’s Il boss (973), Umberto Lenzi’s
if at first Ramona seems to be a designated vic-
Spasmo (974), Daniele D’Anza’s TV mini- series
tim, gradually she becomes aware of her own
I racconti fantastici di Edgar Allan Poe, and La
mission (and power): the revealing Medieval
casa stregata. Martucci recalled the pros and
flashback explains her role as an avenging
cons of such an accommodation: “If evenings
angel/devil of sorts, not unlike Barbara Steele’s
were quiet, mornings were a disaster. Because
character in I lunghi capelli della morte (964).
at night he [Prince Giovanelli] went around to
Spacca’s story also drew from late 9th cen-
tury/ early 20th century feuilletons: the eponymous
late in the morning, and if you woke him up, he
secret sect recalls, at least iconographically, the
was pissed. Several times we had to wait for him
Sicilian- based “Beati Paoli,” described by Luigi
to give us permission to shoot in a certain room.
Natoli in his historic serial novel I Beati Paoli
The villa is unique, it has the appearance of a
(909). Whereas the “Beati Paoli” acted as a se-
fortress … it looks very regal, princely, but in
cret society against the Church and the State,
fact it is shabby, since he lives only in one wing.
the Red Monks appear to be simply old- style
The rest is almost in a state of neglect, which
Devil worshippers. They are indeed an impres-
80 1989: I frati sive sight, with their crimson hoods and robes
with a newly- shot opening scene set in the pres-
looking a bit like the mysterious killer in Der
ent in which the last descendant of the Gherghi
Mönch mit der Peitsche (a.k.a. The College Girl
family (Gaetano Russo) wanders in the park
Murders, 967, Alfred Vohrer), but are given
around the house and meets a veiled female vi-
very little to do except move in unison while
olinist; then, in the villa, he spots a beautiful
handling swords, while Martucci’s camera films
naked lady and follows her in the crypt, where
them in menacing wide- angle shots.
she decapitates him with a sword. The addition
Despite the director’s visual tricks to estab-
destroys whatever suspense the original story
lish a Gothic mood, such as the use of mirrors
might have had, since it blatantly gives away the
to reflect characters and avoid a shot/ counter-
final twist. It was likely added after the movie
shot routine, the scant budget penalizes the
had been submitted to the rating board, since
result heavily. “Being a horror movie, it needed
the original copy was 2290 meters long (83 min-
many more special effects, and better cared for,”
utes and 30 seconds), while the version currently
Martucci admitted. “There was a scene, for in-
available runs 8 minutes and 7 seconds at
stance, where you could see a knife hovering in
2fps (that is, about 89 minutes).
mid- air, which I had to cut because you could
I frati rossi was briefly released theatrically
see the wires. In order to achieve special effects
in August 989, nine months after obtaining the
you have to bear special costs, and on that film
visa, and then quickly resurfaced on home
we had no money.”4 The gory effects, limited to
video. On the cover of the Italian VHS, on the
a couple of severed heads, are embarrassing, and
Playtime label, one could read: “Un film di Lucio
so is the patently fake tarantula which pops
up in a couple of scenes, and which looks sus-
piciously like one of those seen in L’aldilà—
the same prop, perhaps?
The ridiculous hangs over the movie
like Damocles’ sword. Not only is the story
completely incoherent, but some plot points
are never cleared (whose is the unknown
hand that murders the housemaid?), and sev-
eral scenes defy suspension of disbelief, such
as when Ramona is sexually assaulted by a
mysterious young man, an incident that is
forgotten with no explanation whatsoever:
was it a restaging of the assault her gypsy an-
cestor suffered centuries earlier, and a nec-
essary step to have her become aware of her
true identity? One can only guess… . Later she
and Roberto find a severed head in the picnic
basket, but this incident as well is quickly dis-
missed as Gherghi pretends to have talked to
the police—but no policeman ever shows up
at the villa to investigate! Inconsistencies
abound, especially in the Middle Age flash-
back. And, last but not least, the hooded “Red
Monks,” whom Gherghi incongruously hosts
in the subterraneans of his castle, warn him
not to deflower his bride, just like the spirit
of the Arab warrior did with Renato Pozzetto
in La casa stregata.
International press sheet for I frati rossi (1988, Gianni
During post- production, after finishing
Martucci), featuring Lucio Fulci’s name in evidence-
the mixing, Martucci was told that the movie
even going so far as listing “a Lucio Fulci picture” and
was too short for exportation: he therefore had
crediting him also for the special effects—even
to re- edit it and add several minutes, by re-
though in fact Fulci had nothing to do with the film.
envisioning the whole story as a flashback,
Martucci is credited as “Joe Martucci.”
1989: Paganini
8
Fulci” (“A film by Lucio Fulci”). This led to a
Kate, the lead singer of a rock group, receives
controversy, with Fulci threatening to sue, and
from her drummer Daniel an unpublished piece
the fake credit was obscured by way of a sticker
of music by Niccolò Paganini, which Daniel pur-
which reported the name of Martucci as director.
chased from the enigmatic Mr. Pickett in Venice.
However, the same stunt was employed in other
The band rearrange it and make it their next sin-
home video editions throughout the globe. As
gle. It is said that Paganini used that music to
of today, some still believe it to be a Lucio Fulci
evoke the devil, to whom he sold his soul in ex-
film.
change for fame; but the devil then forced the mu-
sician to kill his wife. Kate and the band’s producer
Notes
Lavinia hire renowned horror filmmaker Mark
Singer to shoot a horror- inspired music video in
1. Albiero and Cacciatore, Il terrorista dei generi, 36.
Paganini’s house in Venice. There, they are wel-
2. Eugenio Ercolani, “Gianni Martucci, un intellettuale al
servizio del cinema di genere,” PaperBlog, September 22, 203
comed by Silvia, the current owner. Shooting for
(http:// it. paperblog. com/ gianni- martucci- un- intellettuale-
the video starts, but in the evening Rita and Daniel
al- servizio- del- cinema- di- genere- prima- parte- 99979/).
disappear, then Mark too is killed by a figure which
3. Ibid.
appears to be the ghost of Paganini. Lavinia, Kate
4. Ibid.
and her bandmate Silvia realize that they can’t
leave the house as it is surrounded by an invisible
Paganini Horror (Paganini Horror)
shield. They try to exorcise the curse by playing
D: Luigi Cozzi. S: Raimondo Del Balzo; SC:
Paganini’s piece on violin, but to no avail. Even-
Luigi Cozzi, Daria Nicolodi; DOP: Franco Lecca
tually, just as K
ate—now the only survivor—is
(Telecolor); M: Vince Tempera (Ed. DEAF); E:
about to be killed, the sun rises, striking the ghost
Sergio Montanari; PD, ArtD: Marina Pinzuti An-
with its rays and pulverizing it. But the nightmare
solini; CO: Donatella Cazzola; SPFX: Casagni e
is not over…
Prestopino [Franco Casagni, Rosario Prestopino];
As Luigi Cozzi recalled, Paganini Horror
MU: Franco Casagni; AMU: Luigi Ciminelli;
was born in a manner worthy of the glorious
Hair: Piero Cucchi; AD: Marilena Cavola; AE:
golden age of Italian genre cinema. The starting
Paolo Lanzani; 2ndAE: Gianni Pallotto; C: Ar-
point was to draw on the expected success of
cangelo Lannutti; AC: Enzo Carpineta; 2ndAC:
Klaus Kinski’s pet project Paganini, which the
Carlo Lannutti; ChEl: Ennio Di Stefano; KG: Ser-
actor had been trying to mount since the early
gio Fabbriani; SE: Paolo Ricci; SO: Mauro
980s. Finally, Paganini was screened in a rough
Lazzaro; PrM: Osvaldo Monaco; SP: Antonio
cut at the 989 Cannes Film Festival. As had
Benetti; SS: Maria Luisa Merci; Set technician:
happened in the 960s and 970s, the news of
Ugo Tucci; G: Claudio Fabriani; El: Michele Pel-
important and potentially successful films was
legrini; W: Damiana Celletti. Cast: Daria Ni-
enough to start production with a series of rip-
colodi (Sylvia Hackett), Jasmine Main [Jasmine
offs centered on the same theme.
Maimone] (Kate), Pascal Persiano (Daniel),
Cozzi came up with the title, producer Ugo
Maria Cristina Mastrangeli (Lavinia), Michele
Valenti (who had co- financed Contamination)
Klippstein (Elena), Pietro Genuardi (Mark
liked it and commissioned artist Enzo Sciotti to
Singer), Luana Ravegnini (Rita), Giada Cozzi
draw a poster. Sciotti came up with a striking,
(Sylvia as a child), Elena Pompei (Sylvia’s
comic book- like and almost Surrealist image: a
mother), Roberto Giannini, Perla Costantini,
ghastly skeletal figure in a tuxedo and with in-
Donald Pleasence (Mr. Pickett). PROD: Fabrizio
congruous long white hair—Paganini resur-
De Angelis for Fulvia Film (Rome); PM: Gian
rected from the grave?—is playing the violin, its
Maria Vismara Currò; PS: Giorgio Padoan; PSe:
bow dripping blood. Below, a pair of teenagers,
Andrea Usai. Country: Italy. Filmed on location
a girl and a boy, are standing under the moon-
Italian Gothic Horror Films (1980-1989) Page 55