City of the Living Dead (1980) Paura nella città dei morti viventi (original title)

Director:

Lucio Fulci

Writers:

Lucio Fulci (story)
Dardano Sacchetti (story)
(more)

Release Date:

1 May 1983 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

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 | Death | Reporter | Psychic

Cast

Christopher George	...	Peter Bell
Catriona MacColl	...	Mary Woodhouse (as Katriona 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
Robert Sampson	...	Sheriff Russell
Janet Agren	...	Sandra
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Lucio Fulci	...	Dr. Joe Thompson (uncredited)
Michael Gaunt	...	Gravedigger (uncredited)
Perry Pirkanen	...	Blonde Gravedigger (uncredited)
James Sampson	...	James McLuhan - Séance Member (uncredited)
Martin Sorrentino	...	Sgt. Clay (uncredited)
Robert Spafford	...	Junie the Bartender (voice: English version) (uncredited)
Susan Spafford	...	Sandra (voice: English version) (uncredited)
Pat Starke	...	Emily Robbins (voice: English version) (uncredited)
Frank von Kuegelgen	...	Gerry (voice: English version) (uncredited)
Robert E. Warner	...	Policeman Outside Apartment Building (uncredited)

Directed by
Lucio Fulci

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Lucio Fulci		story and screenplay
H.P. Lovecraft		inspiration (uncredited)
Dardano Sacchetti		story and screenplay

Produced by
Lucio Fulci	....	producer
Giovanni Masini	....	producer
Robert E. Warner	....	executive producer
Robert E. Warner	....	producer: USA

Original Music by
Fabio Frizzi

Cinematography by
Sergio Salvati

Film Editing by
Edward Brizio		(Blu-ray making of editor) (as Edoardo Brizio)
Vincenzo Tomassi

Production Design by
Massimo Antonello Geleng

Costume Design by
Massimo Antonello Geleng

Makeup Department
Rosario Prestopino	....	assistant makeup artist
Franco Rufini	....	makeup artist
Franco Rufini	....	special makeup effects artist
Luciano Vito	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Franco Coduti	....	unit manager (as Giannfranco Coduti)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Roberto Giandalia	....	assistant director

Art Department
Giacomo Calò Carducci	....	set dresser
Rodolfo Ruzza	....	props
Ovidio Taito	....	assistant set designer

Sound Department
Ugo Celani	....	sound engineer
Eros Giustini	....	boom operator
Bruno Moreal	....	sound mixer
Marco Streccioni	....	sound engineer

Special Effects by
Gino De Rossi	....	special effects
Franco Rufini	....	special effects

Stunts
Nazzareno Cardinali	....	stunt coordinator
Don Ruffin	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Roberto Belli	....	chief electrician
Roberto Forges Davanzati	....	camera operator
Giorgio Garibaldi Schwarze	....	still photographer
Maurizio Lucchini	....	first assistant camera
Giancarlo Serravalli	....	key grip

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Luciana Morosetti	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Armando Pace	....	assistant editor
Pietro Tomassi	....	assistant editor
Luciano Vittori	....	color consultant

Music Department
Fabio Frizzi	....	conductor
Maurizio Guarini	....	musician

Other crew
Rita Agostini	....	continuity
Donatella Botti	....	continuity
Cimino	....	furniture
Alfredo Fornacini	....	assistant production secretary
Franco Galizi	....	production secretary
E. Rancati	....	furniture (as Rancati)

Production Companies

• Dania Film
• Medusa Distribuzione
• National Cinematografica

Distributors

• Medusa Distribuzione (1980) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Alemannia/Arabella Filmverleih GmbH (1980) (West Germany) (theatrical) (dubbed)
• Motion Picture Marketing (MPM) (1983) (USA) (theatrical) (dubbed)
• Paragon Video Productions (1983) (USA) (VHS)
• European Video Corporation (EVC) (1984) (Belgium) (VHS)
• Paragon Video Productions (1985) (USA) (VHS) (big box reissue)
• Sony Pictures Video (1988) (Japan) (video) (laserdisc)
• EC Entertainment (1998) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2000) (USA) (VHS)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• VCI Home Video (2001) (USA) (VHS)
• Astro Distribution (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
• Video Instant Picture Company (VIPCO) (2001) (UK) (VHS)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• DMEG (2004) (Sweden) (VHS)
• Siren Visual Entertainment (2005) (Australia) (DVD)
• Dutch FilmWorks (DFW) (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Another World Entertainment (2006) (Denmark) (DVD)
• Firebox (2006) (Finland) (DVD)
• Blue Underground (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Arrow Film Distributors (2010) (UK) (DVD)
• Arrow Film Distributors (2010) (UK) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Avo Film Edizioni (19??) (Italy) (VHS)
• Blue Underground (2010) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Carrere Video Distribution (19??) (France) (VHS)
• Dado Group (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Embassy Home Entertainment (19??) (USA) (VHS)
• EuroVideo (19??) (West Germany) (VHS)
• Infinity Video Sales (19??) (Australia) (VHS)
• Inter-Light Video (19??) (UK) (VHS)
• K & C Video (19??) (Australia) (VHS)
• New Vision (19??) (USA) (VHS)
• Number One Video (19??) (Italy) (VHS)
• Pacesetter Video (19??) (USA) (VHS)
• René Chateau Video (19??) (France) (VHS)
• Threat Theatre (19??) (USA) (VHS)
• Video Action (19??) (Denmark) (VHS)
• Video Invest AB (19??) (Sweden) (VHS)

Also Known As:

"Paura nella città dei morti viventi" - Italy (original title)
"The Gates of Hell" - USA

Runtime:

93 min | Australia:90 min (cut)

Country:

Italy

Language:

English | Italian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:18 | Australia:R | France:-16 (cut) | Italy:VM18 | USA:Unrated | 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) | Portugal:M/18 | Spain:18 | Hong Kong:III | West Germany:(Banned)

Filming Locations:

Bonaventure Cemetery, Savannah, Georgia, USA

Company:

Dania Film

Trivia:

The character "Bob", played by Giovanni Lombardo Radice, was originally intended to be a hunchback. However, Radice decided against wearing the hump that was made for him, and instead portrayed the character having a stiff, lurching gait.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The people of Dunwich are said to be descended from "Salem witch burners", although no accused "witches" were ever burned in Salem (most were hanged).

Quotes:

Theresa:Mary, tell us what you saw in your last vision.
Mary Woodhouse:The city of the dead. The living dead. A cursed city where the gates of hell have been opened.
Peter Bell:Where exactly is this city?
Mary Woodhouse:I don't know where it is. All that I know is that it's called Dunwich.
Peter Bell:Well, I've never heard of it. How do you know? How can you be so sure?
Mary Woodhouse:I read the name... on a tombstone.
Theresa:Mr. Bell, if those gates are left open, it could mean the end of humanity. We've got to get them shut again. At midnight on Monday, we go into All Saint's Day. The night of the dead begins. If the portholes of hell aren't shut before, no dead body will ever rest in peace. The dead will rise up all over the world and take over the Earth! You must get to Dunwich, Mr. Bell. You must reclose those gates!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Penning Some Paura (2010) (V)

maybe Fulci's best

The Beyond somehow gets more acclaim from the self-proclaimed "artsy" crowd, but this essentially has the same formula, with the same juxtaposition of weak plot & characters and superb disgusting imagery, except with a more consistently oppressive tone and with less meandering, dull parts.

For those who are unfamiliar with Fulci and are just going by the title, there are zombies, but this isn't exactly a zombie flick, per se. It's more like a series of grotesque, surreal events that suggest Lovecraftian cosmic horror. Zombies teleport and make people vomit out their innards, by the way. I guess they're closer to zombie-like apparitions. Anyway...

It's a B-movie with rubbish acting, rubbish plot and all kinds of unintentionally hilarious stuff, so you can have a fun time watching this with friends, but at the same time you could cut the atmosphere with a knife. You'd have a hard time finding many other movies with such a doomed, godless atmosphere. Take the famous drill scene, for example. By now we've well established that humans are at the mercy of otherworldly forces, but there's nothing supernatural happening in this scene; it's a random act of extreme violence stemming from human malice, and this marriage of brutality and nonsense is one of the things that elevates Fulci from high camp into (potentially) genuinely scary, if you want it to be.

It plods a bit near the end, but good luck finding an Italian horror movie with perfect pacing. See it if you dig Fulci, it's just as good as The Beyond.