Paura nella città dei morti viventi (1980)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Lucio Fulci

Writers:

Lucio Fulci (screenplay)
Lucio Fulci (story)

Release Date:

May 1983 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

And the dead shall rise and walk the earth!

Plot:

A reporter and a psychic race to close the Gates of Hell after the suicide of a clergyman caused them to open, allowing the dead to rise from the grave.

Plot Keywords:

Priest | Suicide | Reporter | Psychic | Death

Cast

Christopher George	...	Peter Bell
Catriona MacColl	...	Mary Woodhouse (as Katherine MacColl)
Carlo De Mejo	...	Gerry
Antonella Interlenghi	...	Emily Robbins
Giovanni Lombardo Radice	...	Bob
Daniela Doria	...	Rosie Kelvin
Fabrizio Jovine	...	Father William Thomas
Luca Venantini	...	John-John Robbins (as Luca Paisner)
Michele Soavi	...	Tommy Fisher
Venantino Venantini	...	Mr. Ross
Enzo D'Ausilio	...	Sheriff Russell's deputy
Adelaide Aste	...	Theresa
Luciano Rossi	...	Policeman in apartment
Janet Agren	...	Sandra

Also Known As:

City of the Living Dead (International: English title)
Fear in the City of the Living Dead (Italy) (literal English title)
Pater Thomas (Europe) (bootleg title)
The Gates of Hell (USA)
Twilight of the Dead (USA) (pre-release title)

Runtime:

93 min | Australia:90 min (cut)

Country:

Italy

Language:

English | Italian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Denmark:16 | Germany:16 (cut) | Germany:18 (SPIO/JK) (uncut version) | UK:18 (re-rating: 1986) (cut) (re-rating: 2001) (uncut) | UK:X (original rating: 1981) (cut) | Finland:(Banned) (1985) | Finland:K-18 (2001) | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Norway:18 (re-rating) (uncut) (2007) | West Germany:18 (heavily cut) | Italy:VM14 (DVD rating) | Sweden:18 (video rating) | Argentina:18 | Australia:R | France:-16 (cut) | Italy:VM18 | USA:Unrated | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Dania Film

Trivia:

Cameo: [Michele Soavi]the Italian film director appears as a young man whose date vomits up her internal organs and then has the back of his skull ripped out.

Goofs:

Factual errors: It is claimed that Dunwich was built on the ruins of Salem, Massachusetts. However, Salem still exists to this day.

Quotes:

[examining the dead body of Emily Robbins]
Dr. Joe Thompson: Well, she certainly wasn't strangled. There doesn't seem to be any kind of physical abuse.
Sheriff Russell: Well, what was the cause of her death then?
Dr. Joe Thompson: Some kind of cardiac arrest. Only that expression on her face is like pure fear, like something scared her to death.
Sheriff Russell: Scared her?
Dr. Joe Thompson: [to Emily's father] Excuse me, Mr. Robbins, do you know if your daughter had a heart condition?
Mr. Robbins: No... no...
Sheriff Russell: Well, what's our next move?
Dr. Joe Thompson: Sit tight. Everything depends on the autopsy.
Sheriff Russell: All right I'll sit tight. But what am I supposed to do in the meantime?
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in 'Cannibal Apocalypse' Redux (2002) (V)

One hell of a gory film!

Lucio Fulci is a horror icon. He may not be as well known to many film goers in North America as his iconic status was cemented some twenty years ago, but if you like films by Wes Craven and M. Night Shyamalan and even David Fincher, then you can look at Fulci and say that his work has inspired some of theirs. This is the firs film that I saw of Fulci's and it was when I was a teenager and didn't appreciate a film like this. All I saw in it was a blood and gore soaked film with some really violent deaths. How can one forget the drill to the head? To this day, I still think that actor was actually killed on the set? They really did put the drill bit through his brain and captured it on film for artistic integrity.

I am obviously kidding of course, but is the effect the film will have on you. Films like this are brutal and disgusting and if you like horror films that are high on gore, then Fulci and his counterpart, Argento, are the best in the business. I have always found Italian splatter films to be awe inspiring. They are so much more creative than your typical American horror films. That has changed into the new millennium, but there is still nothing like this on the market. Fulci's films, like Craven's 70's films, would be edited and chopped to bits before anything like this would ever be released. And that is a travesty as the vision and the creativity involved in making a film like this not only takes gusto, it takes talent. Fulci is about as good as they come for this genre.

This is what I wrote in my original review of the film. This is when I was in my mid 20's. I have seen the film recently and obviously my appreciation of the film has increased.

"Gates To Hell ( English translation ) is very amateurishly made. It is lacking in the acting and the directing is choppy. But what this film is and what it does is it epitomizes horror and terror. There are really disgusting scenes of brains being eaten, guts being puked up, a drill to the head ( one of favourites ) and lots of blood, guts and tissue. This film uses the fear of religious unknowns and uses that fear brilliantly. It shows us and truly makes us feel what it must be like to feel pain. Real pain. Not the comic violence that you get from Jason and Freddy. But real disgusting terror as you watch people die in heinous ways."

Times change and now I love the film even more. Fulci is a visionary genius and his Gates to Hell is one of the most innovative horror films to come out of any country. This is a must see for every horror fan.

I am just learning about Italian horror. But if this is what the horror genre is all about, then I want to see more of it. Fulci is one of a kind and I don't think there will be another like him. This is his best work. Check it out.

9/10