Four of the Apocalypse (1975) I quattro dell'apocalisse (original title)

Director:

Lucio Fulci

Writers:

Ennio De Concini
Bret Harte (story)

Release Date:

12 August 1975 (Italy)

Genre:

Western

Plot:

Four petty criminals, three men and a woman, wander through the trackless terrain of the Wild West Utah and are hounded by a sadistic bandit.

Plot Keywords:

Prostitute | Pregnant Prostitute | Gambler | Revenge | Poison

Cast

Fabio Testi	...	Stubby Preston
Lynne Frederick	...	Emanuelle 'Bunny' O'Neill
Michael J. Pollard	...	Clem
Harry Baird	...	Bud
Adolfo Lastretti	...	Rev. Sullivan
Bruno Corazzari	...	Lemmy
Giorgio Trestini	...	Saul
Donald O'Brien	...	Sheriff of Salt Flat
Tomas Milian	...	Chaco
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Charles Borromel	...	Montana - Altaville Townsman (uncredited)
Edward Mannix	...	Narrator (voice: English version) (uncredited)
Salvatore Puntillo	...	Recovering Man (uncredited)
Lorenzo Robledo	...	Sheriff Being Tortured (uncredited)
Claudio Ruffini	...	First Shot Gunman (uncredited)
Goffredo Unger	...	Betting Man (uncredited)

Directed by
Lucio Fulci

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Ennio De Concini
Bret Harte		story (as Francis Brett Harte)

Produced by
Edmondo Amati	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Franco Bixio
Fabio Frizzi
Vince Tempera

Cinematography by
Sergio Salvati

Film Editing by
Ornella Micheli

Production Design by
Giovanni Natalucci

Costume Design by
Massimo Lentini

Makeup Department
Feliziano Ciraci	....	assistant makeup artist
Massimo De Rossi	....	makeup supervisor
Maggi	....	wig maker
Agnese Panarotto	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Ennio Di Meo	....	unit manager
Piero Donati	....	production manager
Roberto Sbarigia	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Claudio Bondi	....	assistant director
Joe Pollini	....	assistant director (as Giuseppe Pollini)

Art Department
Luigi Quintili	....	assistant art director

Sound Department
Marco Donati	....	boom operator
Mario Ottavi	....	sound recordist

Stunts
Goffredo Unger	....	stunt coordinator
Miguel Pedregosa	....	stunt performer (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Emilio Bestetti	....	assistant camera
Maurizio Lucchini	....	assistant camera
Leo Massa	....	still photographer: action stills
Enrico Sasso	....	camera operator

Editorial Department
Bruno Micheli	....	assistant editor
Kathleen Stratton	....	assistant editor (as Rossana Landi)

Music Department
Massimo De Luca	....	musician: guitar
Ryan Di Lello	....	musician: harmonica
Michele Seffer	....	musician: bass
Vince Tempera	....	musician: keyboard

Other crew
Verena Baldeo	....	location manager
Roberto Giandalia	....	script supervisor
Julio Parra	....	location manager

Production Companies

• Coralta Cinematografica

Distributors

• AT International (????) (Japan) (VHS)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (USA) (DVD)
• DMEG (2004) (Sweden) (video)

Also Known As:

"I quattro dell'apocalisse" - Italy (original title)
"The Four of the Apocalypse..." - USA (DVD title)

Runtime:

Italy:104 min (uncut version) | USA:87 min | France:80 min

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color (Technospes)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Italy:VM18 | Norway:16 (cut) | West Germany:16 | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | France:-12 | Finland:K-18 | Singapore:M18

Filming Locations:

Cinecittà Studios, Cinecittà, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company:

Coralta Cinematografica

Goofs:

Continuity: The opening narration states that the story is set in 1873. However, when Bud is wandering through the cemetery, reading tombstones aloud, he says, "Mary Donahue, died in childbirth, February 1884."

Quotes:

Chaco:Chaco is the name my friend, and I would be very happy to join your group.
Stubby Preston:Nobody invited you.
Chaco:But I did. I'm a damn good hunter you know. Wherever you go you'll have a piece of meat every day.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Cannibal Holocaust (1980)

A real surprise from Fulci

I'm a fan of Fulci's work but until now had only ever seen the splatter movies from his mid- to-late career. On the basis of this, I will dig deeper and check out more of his earlier films.

This is a very strange Western, beautifully shot with a bizarre psychedelic score. Performances are good, theatrical and a little overblown (the dubbing never helps), but they fit well within this unusual morality play.

The film is loaded with symbolism, concerned with themes of birth, death and redemption. Fulci was an artful director when he wanted to be, but never concerned himself with linear plots. The story here is easier to follow, but takes an interesting turn towards the end when Stubby and Bunny find the town populated by men. Pacing up to this point was sharp, but here things did drag a little.

There are some well-handled action sequences, a little hard-boiled violence (but leagues away from the incredible sadism of something like 'New York Ripper') and some humorous touches, mainly provided by the character of Clem, the town drunk. The whole thing has an acid-fried feel that's a bit redolent of Jodorowsky.

Worthy of repeated viewings and further study. The conventions of the Western have provided a great canvas for many auteurs - Fulci makes the most of stock characters and visual cues, imbuing them with all the sub-text he wanted to get across.

I'll definitely check out 'Massacre Time' after this. Anyone who's been bored or insulted by the director's later stuff like 'Voices From Beyond' should watch this and see the full breadth of the grumpy old feller's ability.