City of the Living Dead (1980)

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 their graves.

Director:

Lucio Fulci

Writers:

Lucio Fulci (story and screenplay), Dardano Sacchetti (story and screenplay)

Stars:

Christopher George, Catriona MacColl, Carlo De Mejo

Cast

Complete credited 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

Storyline

In the small New England town of Dunwich, a priest commits suicide by hanging himself in the church cemetery which somehow opens the gates of hell allowing the dead to rise. Peter, a New York City reporter, teams up with a young psychic, named Mary, to travel to the town where they team up with another couple, psychiatrist Jerry and patient Sandra, to find a way to close the gates before All Saints Day or the dead all over the world will rise up and kill the living.

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Plot Keywords:

bleeding from the eyes | zombie | suicide | drill through head | grindhouse | 

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Taglines:

From the bowels of the earth they came to collect the living...

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Genres:

Horror

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

English Italian

Release Date:

6 May 1983 (USA)

Also Known As:

City of the Living Dead

Filming Locations:

Incir De Paolis Studios, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company Credits

Production Co:

Dania Film, Medusa Distribuzione, National Cinematografica

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min 90 min (cut)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Each German release was banned over the course of over 20 years. The movie was first released on video with the title "Ein Zombie hing am Glockenseil" (A zombie hung on the bell rope) in 1982. It was banned in 1986 and a second video with the title "Ein Toter hing am Glockenseil" (A dead body hung on the bell rope) was released, with several cuts. Even that version was banned in 1988 and a final version was released with the title "Eine Leiche hing am Glockenseil" (A corpse hung on the bell rope), heavily cut without any gory scenes left. Rumors say the video distributors actually designed a new video release called "Ein Kadaver hing am Glockenseil" (A cadaver hung on the bell rope) in case this third version will get banned again. Surprisingly, this third version was also banned in 2001.

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Goofs

Although the film is set in the United States, Tommy's van has its steering wheel on the right side, revealing the film's European origins.

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Quotes

Peter Bell: Hi, officer. I'm looking for Sergeant Clay. Is he in there?
Policeman outside apartment building: And who are you?
Peter Bell: Oh, my name's Peter Bell. I'm with...
Policeman outside apartment building: Don't tell me. You're a newspaper reporter. I can smell you guys a mile away.
Peter Bell: You're right. I'm actually a journalist. Listen, there's a rumor going around your station house that some young woman died mysteriously in an apartment up on the third floor and I was wondering if I can talk to Sergeant Clay about it to investigate more about this mystery.
Policeman outside apartment building: There's no mystery around here....
[...]

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Connections

Referenced in The Librarians: And What Lies Beneath the Stones (2015)

User Reviews

Gore galore!

"The Gates of Hell" is another masterpiece directed by one of the best horror directors Lucio Fulci.Fulci,who sadly died in 1996,was a real artist.Anyway this film concerns a priest committing suicide and opening the gateway to Hell,allowing the dead to rise from their graves and feed on the living.Christopher George("Pieces")tries to stop them.The gore effects made by Gino de Rossi are excellent(maggots,rotting flesh,lots of squished brains etc.)Giovanni Lombardo Radice gets an electric drill through his head,and there's also a notorious scene of woman(Daniela Doria)vomiting up all of her internal organs in a really nauseating torrent of blood and guts.The plot is weak,but the film is highly atmospheric and imaginative.Again brilliant director Lucio Fulci created a masterpiece of pure horror!10 out of 10-not to be missed.