4. Ibid.
Numero Uno International (Rome); EP: Claudio
5. Ibid.
Bonivento; PS: Roberto Allocca; PM: Ricky
6. The film is sometimes mentioned with the a.k.a. Il
Sacco; PSe: Antonio Mammolotti; Location
violino che uccide (The Killing Violin), which nevertheless
manager: Stewart Smith; PAss: Jeff Lupton,
doesn’t appear in the credits nor in ministerial papers.
Suzanne Rust; ADM: Pasquale Manzollino.
7. [ANSA agency] “Argento dice “no” alla regia di Rigo-
letto,” Corriere della Sera, April 24, 98.
Country: Italy. Filmed on location in Mount
8. The Milan- born Farolfi was a singer who achieved
Dora and Winter Garden Groveland (Florida).
popularity in the 990s with the band Cattivi Pensieri. She
Running time: 90 minutes (m. 2472). Visa n.
had appeared in an episode of the TV series “Turno di
84646 (4.28.989); Rating: V.M.4. Release date:
notte,” Delitto in rock.
.26.989 (Italy); Distribution: Titanus. Domestic
gross: n.a. Also known as: Witch Story (UK), Tanz
Streghe (Witch Story) (Superstition 2)
der Hexen Teil 2 (Germany), Pesadilla (Spain)
D: Alessandro Capone. S: Alessandro
Note: The songs “Down the Highway”
Capone; SC: Rosario Galli, Alessandro Capone;
(Jones/ Cordio) and “Reflex” (Jones/Cordio) are
Adaptation: Maura Vespini; M: Carlo Maria
sung by Karen Jones.
Cordio; DOP: Roberto Girometti (Eastman-
Florida, 1927. A young woman, Helena, is
color, Technicolor); E: Franca Silvi; Casting: Bill
lynched by an angry mob for being a witch. A
Williams; ArtD: David Minichiello; SE: Rick
little girl, Rachel, whom the woman took care of
Gonzales; AD: Mike Kirton; AE: Rosalba Gia-
as governess, watches in horror as Helena is burnt
cobbe, Roberto Amicucci; SS: Laura Curreli;
alive, and commits suicide by jumping from a
Dial: Mary Lynn Clemente; C: Roberto Brega;
window of their house. The present: Ed and Carol,
1stAC: Maurizio Piano; 2ndAC: Andy Fisher; SP:
two teenage siblings who recently lost their parents
Gianni Caramanico; SE: Mike Davy, Mike Or-
in a car accident, move from New York to Florida
nelas, Dan Bedell, Dave Katz, David Blood, Jesús
with a group of friends to the country house they
Martinez; B: Maurizio Merli; CO: Vera Coz-
inherited. The house—the same where Helena
zolino; ACO: Rita Cecconi; W: Connie Pierce,
and Rachel lived—is dilapidated, and the teenagers
Beverly Frisz, Maria Pia Boccia; Hair: Anna
set out to restore it. But starting on the first night
Chiodi, Pat Patton; MU: Amedeo Alessi; AMU:
of their stay, strange things happen in there, and
Mario Di Salvio, Selena Miller, Victoria Stewart;
the new inhabitants experience nightmares and
KG: Elio Bosi; G: Pietro D’Antoni, Piero Bosi,
hallucinations. It turns out that the house is
Cecil Stone, Jorge Frier; ChEl: Furio Rocchi; El:
cursed, and Rachel’s ghost appears. The teenagers
Italo Di Steffano, Marcello Perricone, Cragg
are possessed by the evil entity and are pushed to
Richards, Jeff Morriss, Don Lamont; Generator
murder each other in gruesome ways. Ed and
driver: Claudio Cartocci; Driver: Claudio Men-
Carol find out that Helena had seduced the local
chini; Weapons: J.R. Johnson; Press attache:
priest, Father Michael, which caused the mob to
Kim Gatti, Paola Papi; SOE: Alvaro Gramigna,
revolt against her. They locate the elderly priest,
Fernando Caso; Mix: Danilo Moroni. Cast:
now defrocked, who faces Helena’s undead spirit
Amy Adams (Susan), Jeff Bankert (Michael), Ian
and attempts to exorcise her. The curse seemingly
Bannen (Father Matthew), Charon Butler (Glo-
abates but, as Ed and Carol will find out, evil
ria), Todd Conatser [Conner] (Virgil), John
never dies…
Freda (Alex Hayes), Peter Gold [Pierre
The feature film debut of the then 34-year-
Agostino] (Father Gabriel), Kirk Green (Young
old Alessandro Capone is emblematic in its ap-
Father Matthew), Cecil Hawkins (Sheriff), Elise
proach to the Gothic genre, a wild mixture of
86 1989: Streghe Italian and U.S. movie references that give away
entire duration before being mercilessly exter-
from the very beginning Streghe’s composite na-
minated in graphic (but not overly gory) ways.
ture. Capone had started as a screenwriter in the
As often in Italian horror films of the pe-
late 970s, and among his early work there are a
riod, the depiction of American teenagers results
couple of horror movies, Gianni Martucci’s
in involuntary parody, and the characters look
Trhauma and Ruggero Deodato’s Camping del
like larger- than-life walking stereotypes: an
terrore (987), which both drew liberally from
anorexic black girl who boasts she is used to
the American slasher film and its conventions.
vomiting after eating; a bitchy bimbo who is so
As Capone explained,
proud of her perfect ass that she strips off in
front of everybody on the living room table; and
I was always fond of horror cinema, and I tried for
a fatso who sports a t- shirt of the female pop/
years to make my debut in the genre. Since nobody
rock band Heart, claims that his only passion in
allowed me to showcase my passion, I decided to set
life is eating and swallows handfuls of jam di-
up a company, I produced my first film and of course
rectly from a jar with his bare hands, in what is
I made a horror movie! … We managed to convince
perhaps an ill- fated homage to John Belushi’s
an international distributor, Manolo Bolognini, to
give us a guaranteed minimum, and then Claudio
unforgettable stint as “Bluto” Blutarsky in John
Bonivento, whom I met in New York for another
Landis’ Animal House (978). In some 970s hor-
project, associated with another quote.
ror film such a grotesquely stereotyped slice of
humanity would have had perhaps a metaphoric
Streghe puts on the table a wider variety of
value; here, they simply represent the naïve vi-
references. The plot draws from the Canadian
sion of a different culture and society, which the
horror film Superstition, from which it reprises
filmmakers are shaping through their own
not only the theme of the vengeful witch, but
cinephile experience. Naturally, these teenagers
also the central character of a priest, as well as
are film buffs too: “He has seen The Exorcist one
the presence of a crucifix which plays a crucial
time too many!” someone says when a weird-
role in the story. As for the body count, some of
looking priest shows up on their bus; later they
&n
bsp; the murders—such as the chainsaw slashing in
hum the theme song for The Twilight Zone, and
the pool—try hard to be original, but the notion
upon exploring a sinister country mansion
of Helena’s possessed succubi attacking the other
someone jokingly mentions Mrs. Bates and her
victims looks very much like what Sam Raimi
son Norman.
did in The Evil Dead minus the gruesome facial
The story moves predictably along the ex-
make- up. Capone claimed he took inspiration
pected horrific events and deaths. Some touches,
from Carpenter (even in the use of the scope
such as the protagonists’ dead father returning
format), Raimi and Craven, but there are also
from the grave to torment his offspring—pos-
much more familiar references for fans of Italian
sibly another nod to an Italian horror classic,
Gothic horror films. The opening scenes set in
namely La maschera del demonio—hint at
the late 920s recall the prologue of L’aldilà, while
themes of incest and Catholic guilt which are
the character of Rachel, the little girl with a
merely played for their superficial value. Ditto
white ball who asks people to “play with her,” is
for the expected Gothic trappings, such as the
a blatant nod to Operazione paura.
“return of the past” of the curse plaguing gener-
But the important thing to Capone was to
ation after generation. For the climax, Capone
disguise and conceal the Italian identity, to the
relies heavily on slow- motion shots of people
point that the film doesn’t even include the
jumping in the air or through windows, but he
opening credits, except for the title Streghe
fails to generate any suspense. And the twist
(Witch Story)—note the fake English title in
ending doesn’t really make much sense.
brackets. It is a chameleon- like game of subtrac-
Filmed partly in Rome (in November 988)
tion that goes in a different direction than the
but mostly in Florida2 over the course of five
gory fireworks of the early 980s, where the way
weeks, on a budget of about one million dollars,3
to excess was the trick to bite away bigger slices
Streghe looks very much like Massaccesi’s Filmi-
of pie in the chaotic horror market. The setting
rage productions of the period. Still, the higher
and context try hard to convince us that we are
amount of money involved results in a suitably
watching a 980s American body count flick,
professional mise-en-scène, with dolly shots,
starting with the parade of annoying teenagers
careful lighting schemes, passable special effects
who joke, bicker and hump each other for the
(courtesy of Rick Gonzales), and at least one in-
1989: Streghe
87
teresting set piece, the tunnel- like underground
leased there as Tanz der Hexen. As the director
passage which allows director of photography
recalled, “I remember that during the screening
Roberto Girometti some suitably eerie light/
in New York there was an applause, when one
shadows effects. The cast comprises a number
of the girls comes out of the pool handling a
of nondescript young actors, mostly in their first
chainsaw. In Italy people criticized it, because
movie role. The only familiar faces in the cast
of course you can’t start a chainsaw underwater,
are Deanna Lund (best known for her partici-
but once the joke was evident, the American au-
pation in the TV series Land of the Giants) as
diences applaud and laugh, whereas the Italians
the evil Helena, and Ian Bannen (in place of
criticize. It’s a matter of approach.”6
Capone’s original choice for the role, Donald
Capone (who dedicated the film to his fam-
Pleasence), who turns up an hour into the film
ily) moved on to television in the following
for a less- than-inspired special appearance,
decade, directing episodes of the TV series De-
sporting a blatantly fake- looking wig and cheap
tective Extralarge, starring Bud Spencer (whose
make- up. But Z- movie devotees will be thrilled
son Giuseppe co- produced Streghe), and spo-
to spot Pierre Agostino, the lead in a couple of
radically returned to the big screen with an
Ray Dennis Steckler’s most demented efforts,
adaptation of his own play Uomini sull’orlo di
The Hollywood Strangler Meets the Skid Row
una crisi di nervi (99). In the 2000s he worked
Slasher (979) and its sequel, Las Vegas Serial
mainly for the small screen, directing TV series
Killer (986), here hiding under the a.k.a. Peter
such as Distretto di polizia (2007–2008), I delitti
Gold.
del cuoco (200) and I segreti di Borgo Larici
The Italian distribution through the his-
(204). In 204 he helmed the sci- fi thriller 2047:
torical Titanus allowed the film a theatrical re-
Sights of Death, featuring an astonishing quintet
lease, with a V.M.4 rating.4 Predictably, it col-
of has- beens: Danny Glover, Daryl Hannah,
lected harsh reviews: “The usual inventory of
Michael Madsen, Stephen Baldwin, and Rutger
coarse special effects,” labeled it the Corriere
Hauer.
della Sera, noting the “slapdash editing, full of
inconsistencies” and the “amateur cast (except
Notes
for a bored- looking Ian Bannen) in a cumber-
some parade of grimaces.” Streghe soon resur-
1. Taccini, Stracult horror, 276.
faced on the national home video market. It was
2. Giovanna Grassi, “Cinema e gente,” Corriere della
Sera, November 8, 988.
sold well abroad, however, allowing Bolognini
3. Taccini, Stracult horror, 279.
to recover the advance. Overseas it was adver-
4. In 993 the rating was turned to “all audiences
tised—not surprisingly, given the aforemen-
allowed” after some cuts were performed for its TV broad-
tioned similarities—as a sequel to Superstition,
cast (visa n. 8786, 3.22.993) for a total of 48 meters (about
whereas in Germany it was passed off as Tanz
minute and 43 seconds).
5. L.A. [Leonardo Autera], “La casa disabitata nella
der Hexen Teil 2, a sequel to Larry Cohen’s
radura,” Corriere della Sera, May 26, 989.
horror comedy Wicked Stepmother (989), re-
6. Taccini, Stracult horror, 279.
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Appendix :
Direct-to-Video Releases
Entries are arranged in chronological order,
according to their shooting dates
“I maestri del thriller,” a.k.a. “Lucio
Teresa Carrera; AD: Michele De Angelis; C: Luca
Fulci presenta”
Alfieri; AC: Rolando Stefanelli; PM: Va
lentino
PROD: Luigi Nannerini and Antonino Lu-
Salvati; B: Aristide Bagliocchi; SO: Davide Ma-
cidi for Cine Duck (Rome), Alpha Distribuzione
gara, Giulio D’Angeli; Mix: Claudio Oliviero; SE:
Cinematografica (Rome); PM: Marco Alfieri,
Gino Vagniluca; G: Gaetano Barbera, Nino
Silvano Zignani, Stefano Trani; UPM (Le porte
Magostini, Armando Salino; El: Massimo Roc-
dell’inferno): Bruno Bagella, Maurizio Mattei.
chi, Marcello Tallone; W: Cinzia Reggiani; SS:
Camilla Fulci. Cast: Peter Hintz (Dr. Werner
Hansel e Gretel
Vogler), Loes Kamma [Louise Kamsteeg] (Mi-
D: Giovanni Simonelli [additional scenes:
caela di Saint- Bon), Brigitte Christensen (Mrs.
Lucio Fulci]. S and SC: Giovanni Simonelli;
Rezzori), Sacha Darwin (Sasha), Nubia Martini
DOP: Silvano Tessicini; M: Lanfranco Perini
(Simona), Any Cerreto (Mary Cohen), Marco
(Ed. Artem Publishing); E: Luigi Gorini; CO:
Di Stefano (Priest), Alessandra Massari (Micaela
Cinzia Milani; MU: Pino Ferrante; Hair: Maria
as a child), Marco Massari (Werner as a child),
Teresa Carrera; AD: Michele De Angelis; C: Luca
Vassili Karis [Vassili Karamenisis] (Tramp/Dr.
Alfieri; AC: Rolando Stefanelli; PM: Vincenzo
Williamson), Paul Muller (Lawyer Cohen); un-
Lozzi; B: Aristide Bagliocchi; SO: Davide
credited: Leandro Lucchetti (Gamekeeper’s son).
Magara, Giulio D’Angeli; Mix: Claudio Oliviero;
Running time: 0 minutes. Also known as:
SE: Gino Vagniluca; G: Nino Magostini, Gaetano
The Snake House (International title); Bloody
Barbera; El: Massimo Rocchi, Marcello Tallone;
Psycho—Lo specchio; Nel nido del serpente (Ital-
W: Mirella Pedetti; SS: Camilla Fulci; Generator
ian alternate titles); Pesadilla sangrienta (Spain);
operator: Roberto Stiffi. Cast: Elisabete Pimenta
Snake House (Germany).
Boareto (Silvia), Lucia Prato (Lina), Ronald
[Gaetano] Russo (Fred), Giorgio Cerioni (Mario),
Massacre
Mario Sandro De Luca, Renzo Robertazzi, Silvia
D: Andrea Bianchi. S and SC: Andrea
Cipollone (Gretel), Massimiliano Cipollone
Bianchi; DOP: Silvano Tessicini; M: Luigi Cec-
(Hansel), Paul Muller (Procurer), Maurice Poli
carelli (Ed. Creamus); E: Vincenzo Tomassi; CO:
(Commissioner Roy); uncredited: Brigitte Chris-
Cinzia Milani; MU: Pino Ferrante; Hair: Maria
tensen (Solange), Zora Kerova [Zora Keslerová]
Teresa Carrera; AD: Michele De Angelis; C: Luca
Italian Gothic Horror Films (1980-1989) Page 57