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:

First part of Lucio Fulci's Death Trilogy also including The Beyond (1981) and The House by the Cemetery (1981).

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Fake plastic head is visible in the extreme closeups of the intestine-vomiting scene.

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 procedure?
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 Fulci's Daughter: Memories of the Italian Gore Maestro (2010) (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