Viva La Zombie!
Jason here: Spencer Blohm returns with another blog for you to devour. Spencer presents his love letter to Fulci here, who was a legendary Italian gore hound. Enjoy!
Spencer says: With his 1968 classic Night of the Living Dead, George Romero started the modern zombie film movement. Of all the European film makers that latched onto the genre, it is arguable that no one felt his influence more than legendary Italian horror director Lucio Fulci, who became known internationally as the "Godfather of Gore". Here's 5 of his most revolting works.
Zombi 2 (1979)
Presented in Europe as a sequel to the Romero satire Dawn of the Dead, this blood-drenched grindhouse flick was Fulci's first horror success. The plot could be written on a cocktail napkin and the characterizations are thin, but the set pieces are over the top, including a very graphic eyeball piercing (violence to the eyes would become a recurring theme in Fulci's work) and an underwater fight scene between a zombie and a shark. Yes, you read that last sentence right.
City of the Living Dead (1980)
Fulci called himself a Catholic, but some of his detractors brought that claim into question after seeing this film, which features a suicidal priest hanging himself before coming back to life as a powerful zombie. It’s considered by many to be the seminal film in this sub-genre and is one of the few films from that group that has a life on television here in the U.S. thanks to the El Rey network which has been airing it frequently the past few months (check here for listings). One of the films trademarks is an obsession with cranial violence, as heads are impaled, scalps ripped off, and brains torn out. In one of the nastiest scenes in cinema history, the priest uses his gaze to make a young woman's eyes bleed before she retches up her own intestines.
The Beyond (1981)
A woman inherits a swampland hotel in New Orleans that happens to be built over an entrance to hell. Her attempts to renovate the building are met with a series of gruesome incidents, and once the gate to the beyond opens, it seems unlikely that anyone will escape. Cited by Quentin Tarantino as a major influence and brought to life by his short lived distribution venture Rolling Thunder Pictures, The Beyond's original American release in 1983 had most of the gorier scenes cut. Highlights include an eye being gouged out and a man's face being eaten by tarantulas.
The House by the Cemetery (1981)
Alongside City of the Living Dead and The Beyond, this campy gore fest is often called the third in Fulci's "Apocalypse Trilogy". With this film, Fulci sought to create tension out of atmosphere, and he creates some spellbinding scenes with meticulous camera work. The plot is incoherent and the acting mediocre at best, but gruesome, thrillingly staged murders are still in ample supply, and the unintentionally hilarious "bat attack" scene has to be seen to be believed.
Burial Ground: The Nights of Terror (1981)
This movie was directed by
Jason here: If you haven't seen any Italian horror, then hold onto your asses. They're quality is debated by a lot of horror fans, but no one ever argues about their insanity and gore level. Give 'em a shot. Thanks to Spencer for another great post!
Spencer says: With his 1968 classic Night of the Living Dead, George Romero started the modern zombie film movement. Of all the European film makers that latched onto the genre, it is arguable that no one felt his influence more than legendary Italian horror director Lucio Fulci, who became known internationally as the "Godfather of Gore". Here's 5 of his most revolting works.
Zombi 2 (1979)
Presented in Europe as a sequel to the Romero satire Dawn of the Dead, this blood-drenched grindhouse flick was Fulci's first horror success. The plot could be written on a cocktail napkin and the characterizations are thin, but the set pieces are over the top, including a very graphic eyeball piercing (violence to the eyes would become a recurring theme in Fulci's work) and an underwater fight scene between a zombie and a shark. Yes, you read that last sentence right.
City of the Living Dead (1980)
Fulci called himself a Catholic, but some of his detractors brought that claim into question after seeing this film, which features a suicidal priest hanging himself before coming back to life as a powerful zombie. It’s considered by many to be the seminal film in this sub-genre and is one of the few films from that group that has a life on television here in the U.S. thanks to the El Rey network which has been airing it frequently the past few months (check here for listings). One of the films trademarks is an obsession with cranial violence, as heads are impaled, scalps ripped off, and brains torn out. In one of the nastiest scenes in cinema history, the priest uses his gaze to make a young woman's eyes bleed before she retches up her own intestines.
The Beyond (1981)
A woman inherits a swampland hotel in New Orleans that happens to be built over an entrance to hell. Her attempts to renovate the building are met with a series of gruesome incidents, and once the gate to the beyond opens, it seems unlikely that anyone will escape. Cited by Quentin Tarantino as a major influence and brought to life by his short lived distribution venture Rolling Thunder Pictures, The Beyond's original American release in 1983 had most of the gorier scenes cut. Highlights include an eye being gouged out and a man's face being eaten by tarantulas.
The House by the Cemetery (1981)
Alongside City of the Living Dead and The Beyond, this campy gore fest is often called the third in Fulci's "Apocalypse Trilogy". With this film, Fulci sought to create tension out of atmosphere, and he creates some spellbinding scenes with meticulous camera work. The plot is incoherent and the acting mediocre at best, but gruesome, thrillingly staged murders are still in ample supply, and the unintentionally hilarious "bat attack" scene has to be seen to be believed.
Burial Ground: The Nights of Terror (1981)
This movie was directed by
Jason here: If you haven't seen any Italian horror, then hold onto your asses. They're quality is debated by a lot of horror fans, but no one ever argues about their insanity and gore level. Give 'em a shot. Thanks to Spencer for another great post!
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