(Woman in bath), Roberta Orlandi (Rosi).
Alfieri; AC: Rolando Stefanelli; 1stAE: Paola
Running time: 6 minutes. Also known as:
Tomassi; 2ndAE: Sergio Fraticelli; PM: Vincenzo
Hansel and Gretel (International title); Die Saat
Luzzi; B: Aristide Bagliocchi; SO: Davide Mag-
des Teufels (Germany).
ara, Giulio D’Angeli; Mix: Claudio Oliviero; SE:
Gino Vagniluca; G: Nino Magostini, Armando
Bloody Psycho
Salino; El: Massimo Rocchi, Marcello Tallone;
D: Leandro Lucchetti. S and SC: Giovanni
W: Cinzia Reggiani; SS: Camilla Fulci; Generator
Simonelli, Leandro Lucchetti; DOP: Silvano Tes-
operator: Roberto Stiffi. Cast: Gino Concari
sicini; M: Lanfranco Perini; E: Luigi Gorini; CO:
(Walter), Patrizia Falcone (Jennifer), Silvia Conti
Cinzia Milani; MU: Pino Ferrante; Hair: Maria
(Liza), Pier Maria Cecchini (Robert), Robert
0 Appendix 1
Egon (Jean), Danny Degli Esposti (Adrian),
Martha; The Broken Mirror (International titles);
Marcello Furgiuele (Gordon), Lubka Lenzi
El espejo roto (Spain).
(Mira), Anna Maria Placido (Madam Yurich),
Maria Grazia Veroni, Cristina Lynn, Piero Pieri,
Sodoma’s Ghost (The Ghosts of Sodom)
Paul Muller (Commissioner), Maurice Poli
D: Lucio Fulci. S and SC: Lucio Fulci, Carlo
(Frank Brennan).
Alberto Alfieri; DOP: Silvano Tessicini; M: Carlo
Running time: 0 minutes. Also known as:
Maria Cordio; E: Vincenzo Tomassi; MU: Pino
La morte della medium (TV version, cut).
Ferrante; Hair: Maria Teresa Carrera; AD:
Michele De Angelis; SO: Roberto Barbieri; Foley
Luna di sangue
artist: Giulio D’Angeli; SE: Gino Vagniluca; C:
D: Enzo Milioni. S and SC: Enzo Milioni,
Luca Alfieri; AC: Rolando Stefanelli; KG: Um-
Giovanni Simonelli; DOP: Silvano Tessicini; M:
berto Magostini; El: Massimo Rocchi; W:
Paolo Gatti, Alfonso Zenga (Ed. Tangram); E:
Mirella Pedetti; SS: Camilla Fulci; Generator op-
Vincenzo Tomassi; CO: Francesco Sforza; MU:
erator: Roberto Stiffi. Cast: Claudio Aliotti
Pino Ferrante; AD: Michele De Angelis, Enzo
(Paul), Maria Concetta Salieri (Celin), Robert
Rossi; PrM: Vincenzo Luzzi; SO: Davide Magara;
Egon (Willi), Luciana Ottaviani (Maria), Teresa
B: Aristide Bagliocchi; Foley artist: Giulio D’An-
Razzaudi (Anne), Sebastian Harrison (Jean);
geli; SE: Gino Vagniluca; C: Luca Alfieri; AC:
uncredited: Pierluigi Conti (Drunken Nazi),
Rolando Stefanelli; G: Gaetano Barbera, Nino
Joseph Alan Johnson (Mark), Zora Kerova [Zora
Magostini, Armando Salino; El: Massimo Roc-
Keslerová] (Succubus).
chi, Marcello Tallone; W: Mirella Pedetti; SS:
Running time: 4 minutes. Also known as:
Camilla Fulci; Generator operator: Roberto Stiffi.
Los fantasmas de Sodoma (Spain); Les fantômes
Cast: Jacques Sernas (Dr. Marc Duvivier), Zora
de Sodome (France); Sodoma’s tödliche Rache
Kerova [Zora Keslerová] (Mary), Barbara Blasco
(Germany)
(Ann Moffet), Alex Berger [Alessandro Frey-
berger] (Larry Moffet), Jessica Moore [Luciana
Quando Alice ruppe lo specchio (Touch
Ottaviani] (Tania), Giuseppe Morabito (Solly),
of Death)
Pamela Prati (Mirella Alfonsi), Annie Belle
D: Lucio Fulci. S and SC: Lucio Fulci; DOP:
[Annie Brillard] (Brigitte Garré).
Silvano Tessicini; M: Carlo Maria Cordio; E:
Running time: 5 minutes. Also known as:
Vincenzo Tomassi; ArtD: Franco Vanorio; E:
Escape from Death (International title).
Vincenzo Tomassi; MU: Pino Ferrante; Hair:
Maria Teresa Carrera; AD: Michele De Angelis;
Non avere paura della zia Marta
SO: Roberto Barbieri; Foley artist: Giulio D’An-
D: Mario Bianchi. S and SC: Mario Bianchi.
geli; SE: Angelo Mattei; C: Luca Alfieri; AC:
DOP: Silvano Tessicini; M: Gianni Sposito (Ed.
Rolando Stefanelli; KG: Umberto Magostini; El:
Artem Publishing); E: Vincenzo Tomassi; CO:
Massimo Rocchi; W: Mirella Pedetti; SS: Camilla
Cinzia Milani; MU: Pino Ferrante; Hair: Maria
Fulci; Generator operator: Roberto Stiffi. Cast:
Teresa Carrera; AD: Michele De Angelis; C: Luca
Brett Halsey (Lester Parson), Ria De Simone
Alfieri; AC: Rolando Stefanelli; PM: Vincenzo
(Alice Shogun), Pierluigi Conti (Randy), Sacha
Lozzi; B: Aristide Bagliocchi; SO: Davide Mag-
Darwin (Margie MacDonald), Zora Kerova
ara, Giulio D’Angeli; Mix: Claudio Oliviero; SE:
[Zora Keslerová] (Virginia Field), Marco Di Ste-
Gino Vagniluca; G: Nino Magostini, Gaetano
fano (The Tramp); uncredited: (Guest at Randy’s
Barbera; El: Massimo Rocchi, Marcello Tallone;
Poker Table), Maurice Poli (TV Newscaster #).
W: Mirella Pedetti; SS: Camilla Fulci; Generator
Running time: 6 minutes. Also known as:
operator: Roberto Stiffi. Cast: Adriana Russo
La sombra de Lester (Spain), Soupçons de mort
(Nora Hamilton), Gabriele Tinti (Richard
(France); When Alice Broke the Mirror (Germany).
Hamilton), Anna Maria Placido (Richard’s
mother), Jessica Moore [Luciana Ottaviani]
Le porte dell’inferno
(Georgia Hamilton), Maurice Poli (Thomas the
D: Umberto Lenzi. S: Umberto Lenzi; SC:
caretaker), Massimiliano Massimi (Charles
Olga Pehar; DOP: Sandro Mancori; M: Piero
Hamilton), Edoardo Massimi (Maurice Hamil-
Montanari; E: Vanio Amici; SE: Giovanni Cor-
ton), Sacha M. Darwin (Aunt Martha).
ridori; ArtD: Dario Micheli; CO: Giovanna De-
Running time: minutes. Also known as:
odato; MU: Gabriella Trani; Hair: Maura Turchi;
The Murder Secret; Don’t Be Afraid of Aunt
Casting: Werner Pochath; SO: Francesco Zan-
Direct-to-Video Releases
noni, Franco Borni; B: Marco Di Biase: Foley
Cinematografica and Cineduck, owned by Luigi
artist: Giulio De Angeli; STC: Franco Fantasia;
Nannerini and Antonio “Antonino” Lucidi, and
C: Luca Alfieri; AC: Davide Mancori; ChEl: Fab-
pre- sold the television rights to Reteitalia.
rizio Faitanini; KG: Giovanni Savini; Generator
The original project for the series comprised
operator: Roberto Stiffi; SS: Olga Pehar. Cast:
ten films, but eventually, because of Reteitalia re-
Barbara Cupisti (Erna), Pietro Genuardi (Paul
fusing to buy all of them, only eight were made:
Brandini), Lorenzo Majnoni (Manfred), Gia-
Hansel e Gretel (Giovanni Simonelli), Bloody Psy-
como Rossi Stuart (Dr. Jones), Gaetano Russo
cho (Leandro Lucchetti), Massacre (Andrea
(Maurizio Fesner), Andrea Damiano (Laura
Bianchi), Luna di sangue (Enzo Milioni), Non
Benson), Mario Luzzi (Teo), Paul Muller (Si-
a
vere paura della zia Marta (Mario Bianchi),
mone di Reims).
Sodoma’s Ghost and Quando Alice ruppe lo spec-
Running time: 0 minutes. Also known as:
chio (both directed by Lucio Fulci) and Le porte
Gates of Hell; The Hell’s Gate (International ti-
dell’inferno (Umberto Lenzi).2 The whole series
tles); Las puertas del infierno (Spain).
was made with very little money: according to
Alfieri, the budget for each film was about 300–
By the second half of the 0s, the crisis
350 million lire, whereas production manager
of the Italian film industry was no more an
Silvano Zignani recalled an even smaller sum,
open secret which everyone knew about but
about 207 million, and Fulci himself talked of
most pretended was untrue, but a harsh reality.
“200–300 million.”3 The films were shot in
Theatrical distribution was becoming more and
6mm and then blown up to 35mm, on tight
more difficult, with the disappearance of many
schedules (three to four weeks each) and with
venues of the second and third run circuit. Sell-
the same crews and several recurring cast mem-
ing films to foreign markets was still an option,
bers. Another trick to save money would be to
although this mostly meant straight to home
shoot some of the films at the producers’ own
video releases. But even with regards to the na-
villas, in order to save the rental money. With
tional market, it was inevitable for producers to
such premises, it is hard to believe that anyone
try and sell their products to television or home
expected the results to be any good.
video: renouncing to submit a film to the rating
Things started out badly with Hansel e Gre-
board for a theatrical screening certificate meant
tel. Despite the title, the film is not a modern-
also saving money, as films released straight- to-
day version of the celebrated Grimm fairy tale,
video did not need an official rating.
as the only element in common is given by the
“I maestri del thriller” was a project born
children’s names, but merely a tiresome revenge-
specifically with the aim of television and home
from-beyond-the-grave plot about a couple of
video destination. According to producer Carlo
children kidnapped and killed by organ traffick-
Alberto Alfieri, who claimed that the idea for
ers. The story is as dull as it gets, with sequences
the series (initially to be called Il cinema italiano
stretched to reach an acceptable running time
del terrore) was his own, the main concept was
(a case in point is the kidnappers’ car driving
to have several new authors or scriptwriters
across country roads and being followed by
write and direct their own films. “We started
barking dogs), and the ridiculous is always
looking for scriptwriters with a great experience
around the corner.
in the specific field of horror movies: the basic
Hansel e Gretel was Giovanni Simonelli’s
idea was to put them in a position to realize their
only movie as a director. The son of director Gior-
vision, but with their own means. This, because
gio Simonelli, and an experienced scriptwriter
scriptwriters complain very often that their
who had worked among others with Antonio
scripts are distorted and altered, thus losing their
Margheriti, the then 62-year-old debuting film-
original momentum. We precisely wanted to ex-
maker was not a beginner, and was one of the se-
ploit the desire, the creativity and the unvoiced
ries’ regular contributors, having penned the
strength of these authors.”
scripts for Bloody Psycho and Luna di sangue as
Alfieri presented the project to Luciano
well. Soon, however, it became apparent that di-
Martino, who rejected it, and eventually he set
recting was not his forte. Michele De Angelis
a deal with Augusto Caminito’s Scena Interna-
(who was the assistant director on all films ex-
tional, who was attempting to exploit the horror
cept Lenzi’s) recalls a significant episode in this
fad of the period (see also Nosferatu a Venezia).
regard. One day the crew was ready to shoot,
Caminito then contracted Distribuzione Alpha
but the director was nowhere to be found. The
2 Appendix 1
crew was filming in a villa, and the young a.d.
Besides Pimente Boareto, in her only film
finally found Simonelli in the wine cellar. “When
role, the cast includes regulars of the series such
he saw me, he told me, ‘Look at this beautiful
as Brigitte Christensen (as the evil Solange),
must … now they’re making wine out of it… ’
Maurice Poli and Paul Muller. The acting—in-
He didn’t even think about the film!”4
cluding that of the two children—is atrocious,
At the end of the scheduled three weeks’
but lines of dialogue such as “You’re half-
shoot Simonelli had filmed footage for approx-
Brazilian, so you should know that the most poi-
imately 50 minutes, with whole chunks of the
sonous snakes are undoubtedly the ones with
story missing. Shooting went on for the other
the most beautiful colors” are beyond redemp-
films in the series, but several weeks later the
tion. Worst of all, Simonelli’s direction is per-
producers called Lucio Fulci behind the camera
functory and haphazard to the point of amateur-
to supervise an additional week’s shoot, in an
ishness, with jumbled camera set- ups and plenty
attempt to salvage the film. As De Angelis points
of continuity errors: for instance, the kidnappers
out, this “supervision” was actually much more
sedate Hansel and Gretel with chloroform and
than that: “Lucio shot everything. Simonelli
put them in the car trunk, but in a following
stayed by his side, just watching… . ”5
scene we see them chatting with the children,
Fulci shot several additional scenes to reach
who are sitting in the back set of the car; later
feature length, namely the one in which an eld-
in the film a man sinks in a pit of quicksand- like
erly woman has her skull transfixed by a wood
manure and in the next scene is found dead on
splinter which gouges out her eye, as in L’aldilà;
top of it. Post- production is evidently careless.
a woman (Zora Kerova) taking off her clothes
A laughable blooper has the police listening to
and having a bubble bath while giving instruc-
a tape recording of Solange’s death, which even
tions to a pair of thugs; the same woman being
includes a bit of the score from said scene as
dispatched by the ghosts of the two children in
well.
the bathtub; the two goo
ns falling into a canal
The second in the series, and the closest to
and being torn apart by the dewatering pump;
the tradition of Italian Gothic cinema was Le-
and some scenes which according to De Angelis
andro Lucchetti’s Bloody Psycho. Born in Trieste
were shot in a hotel—possibly the love scene be-
in 44, the then 43-year-old director had
tween Lina (Lucia Prato) and Fred (Gaetano
worked on television during the previous
Russo), and Silvia (Elisabete Pimenta Boareto)
decade, with such programs as Per conoscere Pa-
relaxing in her bedroom.6 However, even Fulci’s
solini (7), a documentary which included ex-
intervention was not enough to make the prod-
cerpts of the poet’s last interview with Enzo
uct marketable, and Andrea Bianchi was report-
Biagi and Alberto Moravia’s speech at Pasolini’s
edly recruited as well. With such a troubled pro-
funeral. This was his third film, after the little-
duction history, it’s not surprising that Hansel e
seen Maledetta Euridice (6) and Mercenari
Gretel is the lowest point in a series which had
dell’apocalisse (a.k.a. Apocalypse Mercenaries,
hardly any peaks to begin with.
7), the latter featuring most of the same cast
The theme of innocence betrayed and the
as Bloody Psycho. It was Alfieri who asked Luc-
insistence on violence toward minors are akin
chetti to come aboard the project: “I took it for
to Fulci’s work (see Non si sevizia un paperino,
what it was—an adventure,”7 the director points
Quella villa accanto al cimitero, and Voci dal pro-
out. The film was initially to be directed by Si-
fondo), and the image of children as revenants
monelli, who had written the basic scenario. “I
is a constant in Italian Gothic, from Bava’s I tre
changed, adapted and invented as best as I could
volti della paura and Operazione paura to La
to put together something that looked like a
notte dei diavoli (72, Giorgio Ferroni)—and
film. Simonelli hadn’t written a real script, but
one of Fulci’s additional scenes even reprises the
rather a long synopsis or a more or less substan-
image of the two children looking eerily from
tial treatment.”
outside a window, featured in Bava and Ferroni’s
Shot in November 7, in three weeks,
films. Yet Simonelli never goes beyond cut- rate
in the villages of Castelnuovo di Porto and
Italian Gothic Horror Films (1980-1989) Page 58