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Pier Paolo Pasolini achieved fame and notoriety long before he entered the film industry. A published poet at 19, he had already written numerous novels and essays before his first screenplay in 1954. His first film Accattone (1961) was based on his own novel and its violent depiction of the life of a pimp in the slums of Rome caused a sensation. He was arrested in 1962 when his contribution to the portmanteau film Ro.Go.Pa.G. (1963) was considered blasphemous and given a suspended sentence. It might have been expected that his next film, The Gospel According to St. Matthew (1964) (The Gospel According to St. Matthew), which presented the Biblical story in a totally realistic, stripped-down style, would cause a similar fuss but, in fact, it was rapturously acclaimed as one of the few honest portrayals of Christ on screen. Its original Italian title pointedly omitted the Saint in St. Matthew). Pasolini's film career would then alternate distinctly personal and often scandalously erotic adaptations of classic literary texts: Oedipus Rex (1967) (Oedipus Rex); The Decameron (1971); The Canterbury Tales (1972) (The Canterbury Tales); Arabian Nights (1974) (Arabian Nights), with his own more personal projects, expressing his controversial views on Marxism, atheism, fascism and homosexuality, notably Teorema (1968) (Theorem), Pigsty and the notorious Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom (1975), a relentlessly grim fusion of Benito Mussolini's Fascist Italy with the 'Marquis de Sade' which was banned in Italy and many other countries for several years. Pasolini was murdered in still-mysterious circumstances shortly after completing the film.

Born in 1931, Bruno Mattei grew up in Rome, Italy, where his father owned a small film editing studio. At age 20 Bruno started working odd jobs at his father's company as his assistant, then went on to other small spots. He wanted to follow in his father's footsteps as a film editor, and soon found himself working as an editor for a number of directors, including Roberto Bianchi Montero and Nick Nostro. Mattei claimed to have edited over 100 films in the 1960s and early 1970s. After working with famed Spanish director Jess Franco, Mattei made his debut as a director with the drama Armida, il dramma di una sposa (1970) under the alias "Jordon B. Matthews". He eventually had more pseudonyms than any working director in the world. He returned to editing before making another comeback in 1976 with two low-budget Nazi exploitation films, Women's Camp 119 (1977) (aka "Women's Camp 119") and Casa privata per le SS (1977) (aka "SS Girls"). Mattei followed these taboo-breaking films with excursions into porno films and mondo "shockumentaries", all directed under his many pseudonyms, concentrating on "shock value" with films such as Mondo erotico (1973), "Libiodomania" and "Libidomania 2". Always on the lookout for new exploitation avenues, Mattei followed with "nunsploitation", with the softcore sex film The True Story of the Nun of Monza (1980) and the violent sex thriller The Other Hell (1981). Both films involved a partnership with writer/director Claudio Fragasso, who helped him write and direct the back-to-back productions. Using yet another alias, "Vincent Dawn", Mattei directed Hell of the Living Dead (1980) (aka "Night of the Zombies"), a low-budged zombie picture inspired by other zombie cannibal movies such as Dawn of the Dead (1978) and Lucio Fulci's Zombie (1979). "Virus" was filmed in Spain and used jungle footage from New Guinea and a patch soundtrack from Goblins "Dawn of the Dead" soundtrack, which was a minor hit in Italy and abroad. After directing two women's prison films starring Laura Gemser, Mattei moved to directing sword-and-sorcery flicks, starting with The Seven Magnificent Gladiators (1983). Both Mattei and Fragasso collaborated on the sci-fi/horror flick Rats: Night of Terror (1984), inspired by the futuristic movies of the early 1980s. Mattei considers this his best work, despite his still having to work with a very low budget. He worked relentlessly through the 1980s, directing a pair of "spaghetti westerns", some action flicks and about half of Zombie 3 (1988) after Lucio Fulci was taken off the production, though Mattei was not credited with it. In the early 1990s Mattei directed a series of erotic thrillers and a made-for-TV movie, Cruel Jaws (1995), which was inspired by Steven Spielberg's Jaws (1975). Mattei continued making films, with more than 50 to his credit by the 200s. In early 2007 his health began to decline rapidly after he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Despite his doctor's warnings, he went through with a surgical operation to have the tumor removed in May of that year. After the surgery he fell into a coma from complications, and died a few days later on May 21, 2007 at age 75. Though some people consider his films to be cheap, insipid and technically inept due in large part to their low budgets and poor production values, Bruno Mattei remains an influential cult film director around the world for his radical film making and willingness to direct pretty much anything with a taboo-breaking topic.

His acting career started when he was 15 in a theatre (Centro Teatro Spazio). In 1969 he founded the group "I saraceni" (later renamed "La smorfia") with Enzo Decaro and Lello Arena. He became famous to the TV audience between 1976 and 1979 with two TV programs "Non Stop" and "Luna Park". First movie "Ricomincio da tre" in 1981.

Nello Pazzafini was born on 15 May 1934 in Rome, Lazio, Italy. He was an actor, known for Ator: The Fighting Eagle (1982), Long Live Robin Hood (1971) and Carambola (1974). He died on 27 November 1997 in Ostia, Rome, Lazio, Italy.

Emma Gramatica was born on 25 October 1874 in Borgo San Donnino, Emilia-Romagna, Italy [now Fidenza]. She was an actress and writer, known for La damigella di Bard (1936), Miracle in Milan (1951) and L'angelo bianco (1943). She died on 8 November 1965 in Ostia, Rome, Lazio, Italy.

Sergio Citti was born on 30 May 1933 in Rome, Lazio, Italy. He was a writer and director, known for We Free Kings (1996), Vipera (2000) and Il minestrone (1981). He died on 11 October 2005 in Ostia, Rome, Lazio, Italy.

Sullen faced blonde Frederico Boido was born in 1938 at Novi Ligure, Alessandria, Piemonte in Italy. He became a familiar character in European films from sci-fi to westerns and was a charter cast member of the dark photo novels known as Killing in Italy, Satanik in France and Sadistik in America. Usually playing a deranged psycho, he has the honor of having been killed by space vampires and cowboys as well as dark comics icons Diabolik and Sadistik (many times)!

At 26, his first film was a standard peplum (sword & sandal) epic of the era, Sansone e il tesoro degli Incas (known in the US as Hercules and the Treasure of the Incas). It also co-starred future Sadistik actor, Franco Jamonte. Next Boido was in a three-segment film called Thrilling that had an episode based on the dark, Diabolik-inspired character Sadik.

After some uncredited appearances in some spy films, Rico Boido made a splash on the screen in the atmospheric Mario Bava film Terrore nello spazio (Planet of Vampires, 1965) as a zombie astronaut.

From the first issue in 1966, Rico Boido appeared in the Sadistik adventures while still menacing the film screen. A prime ingredient in spaghetti westerns, Rico was also a hood in Bava's incredible Danger: Diabolik. He had a memorable role as a henchman who casually plugs a bullet hole in a jet cabin with a wad of chewing gum. Boido made a cameo in Frederico Fellini's wild Toby Dammit segment in Histoires extraordinaires (Spirits of the Dead, 1968).

For the next ten years Boido mostly showed up as a gunslinger in a series of Trinity, Sartana, Django and Sabata westerns, though he did have a presence as a hitman in 1973's Superfly T.N.T.

Recently, Boido filmed an interview about his photo novel experiences for a documentary called The Diabolikal Super Kriminal.

Armando Nannuzzi was born on 21 September 1925 in Rome, Lazio, Italy. He was a cinematographer and director, known for Maximum Overdrive (1986), Sandra (1965) and Waterloo (1970). He died on 14 May 2001 in Ostia, Rome, Lazio, Italy.

Corso Salani was born on 9 September 1961 in Florence, Tuscany, Italy. He was an actor and director, known for Voci d'Europa (1989), Talsi: Confini d'Europa #4 (2007) and C'è un posto in Italia (2005). He died on 16 June 2010 in Ostia, Rome, Lazio, Italy.

Leila Durante was born on 25 October 1925 in Rome, Lazio, Italy. She was an actress, known for Quer pasticciaccio brutto de via Merulana (1983), Violence in a Women's Prison (1982) and History (1986). She was married to Enzo Liberti. She died on 14 April 2014 in Ostia, Rome, Lazio, Italy.

Lidia Montanari was an actress and writer, known for Castighi (1986), The Story of Piera (1983) and Le stelle fredde (1991). She died on 6 November 2018 in Ostia, Rome, Lazio, Italy.

Nino Giannini was born on 10 July 1894 in Sanremo, Liguria, Italy. Nino was a director and writer, known for L'invasore (1949), La signora è servita (1945) and For Men Only (1938). Nino died on 17 January 1978 in Ostia, Rome, Lazio, Italy.

Mario Gangi was born on 10 May 1923 in Rome, Lazio, Italy. He is known for Girl with a Suitcase (1961), Manos sucias (1957) and Senza rete (1968). He died on 16 February 2010 in Ostia, Rome, Lazio, Italy.

Lorenzo Viani was born on 1 November 1882 in Viareggio, Tuscany, Italy. Lorenzo was a writer, known for Angiò uomo d'acqua (1965). Lorenzo died on 2 November 1936 in Ostia, Rome, Lazio, Italy.