which allowed most genre films a long period
theatrical release: nanni moretti’s Bianca, re-
(years) of commercial exploitation before
leased in February 984, had been the first mo-
their withdrawal from distribution. many
tion picture officially co- produced by
films were distributed only regionally, such
Reteitalia. In 986, with 70 to 80 billion lire in-
as those aimed at southern audiences, and
vested, berlusconi had become Italy’s biggest
rarely if ever arrived in big cities, while others
film producer. that same year Reteitalia ac-
opened directly in the second- run and third-
quired 49 percent of medusa. the year 988
run circuit. these were the first victims of the
opened with berlusconi’s company taking
muted market conditions, as they were not
control of the Cannon cinema chain in Italy,
granted a commercial theatrical run any
which consisted of 50 theaters,5 and resulted
longer.
in berlusconi owning or operating 300 the-
In fact, the number of films distributed
aters across the country. then, in october of
4 Introduction the same year, Reteitalia—who already owned
is a shame … we need competent people …
other distribution companies, namely orion-
it sucks walking across those corridors and
Cdi, Cidif, dmv and other minor ones—ac-
sniffing all this political smell instead of
quired 00 percent of medusa. “now we are a
having someone in charge who truly knows
major european company,” berlusconi ex-
about spectacle and culture.”9 It goes without
ulted.6 In march 989 Reteitalia cut a deal with
saying that genre films were barely repre-
mario and vittorio Cecchi Gori, the owners
sented—a few exceptions being Roberto
of the Cecchi Gori distribution group, to cre-
Faenza’s Copkiller, Giorgio bontempi’s Not-
ate a new company devoted to producing and
turno and Antonio margheriti’s Il mondo
distributing films in the Italian market.7 born
di Yor (all 983), and duccio tessari’s Tex e il
with an ambitious investment of 250 billion
signore degli abissi (985). As for the Gothic
lire, Penta Film—described triumphally as a
and horror genre, the only significant titles
“full cycle company which carries a movie
financed by RAI were Pupi Avati’s remarkable
from production to theatrical distribution,
zombie yarn Zeder (983), which turned out
and then from the theaters to the living room,
to be a box- office disappointment, and Alberto
that is the home video”8—acquired a key po-
Abruzzese and Achille Pisanti’s virtually un-
sition on the market, both theatrical and
seen political vampire allegory, Anemia, quickly
home video.
shelved after an inauspicious screening at the
RAI (the national broadcasting com-
986 venice Film Festival.
pany) had been co- producing films since 963,
Reteitalia took quite a different direction
but its output grew after the notorious law 03
with its productions. besides a bunch of art-
(April 4, 975), which acknowledged its eco-
house titles which would grant the company a
nomic monopoly on television (while admit-
cultural legitimacy rather than big profits (in-
ting the legitimacy of local television net-
cluding works by marco Ferreri and marco bel-
works) and urged the company to set up “a
locchio), its offerings featured a prevalence of
specific structure dedicated to the production
comedies and genre films—often co- produced
of films, in financial co- participation with
with existing companies such as luciano mar-
Italian or foreign companies.” over the years,
tino’s dania Film—aimed at younger audiences,
RAI was devoted to financing mostly cultural-
including gialli, horror and Gothic films, such
oriented products, sometimes shot in dual
as lamberto bava’s Morirai a mezzanotte (986)
versions: a feature- length film for cinema re-
and Le foto di Gioia (987), marcello Avallone’s
lease, and an extended cut for a two- part air-
Spettri (987) and Maya (989), Pathos—Segreta
ing on prime time a few months after the the-
inquietudine (988, Piccio Raffanini), Nosferatu
atrical run.
a Venezia (988, Augusto Caminito), Il nido del
Federico Fellini, ermanno olmi,
ragno (988, Gianfranco Giagni) and michele
michelangelo Antonioni, marco bellocchio,
soavi’s La chiesa (989). In turn, RAI struck a
the taviani brothers were among the auteurs
deal with producers mario and vittorio Cecchi
who benefited from RAI’s financing, but the
Gori to invest more in genre cinema: among
choice of titles produced by the company re-
the titles co- produced by this new venture there
mained spotty, awkwardly blending commit-
was dario Argento’s Opera (987).
ted projects and forgettable ones, with the
but the massive presence on the market
inner logic likely being simply that of political
of Reteitalia and RAI meant the Italian movie
intervention. In the words of scriptwriter
industry would gradually set out to make
tonino Guerra, in the corridors of RAI, “one
films aimed more and more at a television au-
can detect too much the smell of the politi-
dience, with easily understandable conse-
cians who are behind the executives. And this
quences: tamer products, devoid of the sexual
Introduction
5
and violent excesses of the past. Censorship
most of the mainstream. Audiences wanted
raised its head again, too. Whereas in the
to laugh, and the likes of Renato Pozzetto,
970s it had been the magistrates who seized
Paolo villaggio, Adriano Celentano, enrico
those films judged “obscene” (a practice which
montesano and Johnny dorelli meant surefire
reached its peak in the early 980s with a mass
box- office hits, which sometimes—as was the
seizure of hardcore film all over the Italian
case with Mia moglie è una strega (980, Castel-
territory), during the decade a number of
lano & Pipolo) starring Pozzetto and eleonora
committees, associations and other guardians
Giorgi, Bollenti spiriti (98, Giorgio Capitani),
of the public moral appeared, watching over
starring dorelli and Gloria Guida, or the Paolo
the impressionable minors and influencing
villaggio vehicle Fracchia contro Dracula (985,
the board of censors. meanwhile several rep-
neri Parenti)—borrowed plots and ideas from
resentative and groundbreaking auteurs had
old fantasy classics. It was an attem
pt to give
disappeared (think of Pasolini, for instance)
new blood to an industry experiencing a non-
and the weight of television had become deci-
stop hemorrhage of moviegoers.
sive. In turn, censorship changed, in part,
its focus by giving more attention to “fears
and preoccupations that come out of psy-
chologists’ environments, mostly toward the
spreading of violence, because sex seems to
be less important for them.”0 moreover, po-
litical agendas were submitted to commer-
cial ones: while judging a movie, the main
issue was its final destination—television.
this would lead to the 990 mammì
law, which severely limited the tv airing
of films, by forbidding to broadcast films
with a v.m.8 rating and relegating those
with a v.m.4 rating after 0:30 p.m. A
movie had to be certified for all audiences
to be aired on prime time, which led to a
massive resubmitting of old films that had
been rated v.m.4 and v.m.8 to the rating
boards, in order to obtain a new screening
certificate after several cuts. In fact, it was
a powerful weapon of barely disguised cen-
sorship, and a much more effective one
than there had ever been.
There Will Be Blood…
All this heavily influenced Italian cin-
ema in general, and the Gothic and horror
movie genre in particular. It’s no surprise,
Italian locandina for Bollenti spiriti (1981, Giorgio
Capitani), one of several Italian comedies of the early
then, that comedy became by far the most
1980s which borrowed plots and ideas from old fan-
profitable genre of the decade and engulfed
tasy classics.
6 Introduction As for the horror genre, the decade
(980) and Andrea bianchi’s Le notti del terrore
started with a big- budget production, dario
(98)—the latter produced by Gabriele Crisanti,
Argento’s Inferno (980), which however
who also gave the world the mind- numbing
failed to become a trend- setter, and in April
Patrick vive ancora (980), a rip- off of Richard
of that year the death of mario bava and the
Franklin’s 978 film Patrick (a surprise hit in
feature film debut of his son lamberto
Italy, where it was released with a new score by
(Macabro, co- scripted and produced by Pupi
Goblin) plus a little bit of Cornell Woolrich’s
Avati) marked a symbolic turn for Italian
novel Rendezvous in Black thrown in for good
fantastic cinema. meanwhile the old glories
measure. Also in the game were luigi Cozzi
stepped aside or headed toward different
(the Invasion of the Body Snatchers–inspired
genres. Riccardo Freda managed to direct
Contamination, 980), umberto lenzi (Incubo
one last motion picture, the low- budget
sulla città contaminata, 980, as well as the
Murder Obsession (98), while Antonio
gory non- horror cannibal adventure diptych
margheriti, after the vietnam War/cannibal
Mangiati vivi!, 980, and Cannibal Ferox, 98,
film hybrid Apocalypse domani (980), for
following Ruggero deodato’s controversial Can-
most of the decade stuck to more profitable
nibal Holocaust, 980) and Aristide massaccesi
products—namely war yarns and adventure
(Antropophagus, 980, and Rosso sangue, 982).
flicks, Raiders of the Lost Ark–style—aimed
these films had little if any Gothic blood in
to please foreign audiences, after the West-
them, but plenty of blood nonetheless: they are
ern and the poliziotteschi had dried up.2
noteworthy principally as a testimony to the last
It was precisely abroad that lucio Fulci
fireworks of Italian extreme cinema.
established himself as Italy’s most prominent
dario Argento’s directing and producing
horror film director in the early 980s. be-
output during the decade certified him as the
tween 980 and 983, following the success of
Italian “master of Horror” (as per the title of
Zombi 2 (979), the director helmed a handful
a 99 luigi Cozzi documentary), a commer-
of titles that offered an original take on Gothic
cially successful name brand that was to Italian
themes, with the notable exception of the
cinema what Ferrari was to cars, or Armani to
ultra- violent giallo, Lo squartatore di New
high fashion. Argento produced lamberto
York (982), and were distributed abroad with
bava’s two Dèmoni films—Dèmoni (985)
some success. Fulci’s original aesthetics of fear
and Dèmoni 2 … l’incubo ritorna (986)—
and violence attracted the interest of French
which introduced the type of sophisticated
critics, who called him “poet of the macabre,”
special effects that would rival American hor-
but in Italy, despite the commercial success of
ror films and launched sergio stivaletti as
some of his films, he was perceived as a b-
Italy’s answer to renowned u.s. special make-
filmmaker.
up effects artists such as Rick baker and Rob
Fulci’s Gothic tales, which sported literary
bottin. their box- office success seemed to in-
influences (from lovecraft to Henry James) in
dicate there was a mainstream market for rea-
addition to the cinematic ones, were liberally
sonably budgeted, technically polished horror
imbued with conspicuous gore. others followed
films.
the same thread with plenty of gruesome
on the other hand, the relationship be-
graphic deaths, mutilations, disembowelments
tween horror and the small screen was far
and gallons of hemoglobin spread before the
from idyllic. lamberto bava’s giallo, La casa
camera. this was the case with the zombie sub-
con la scala nel buio (983), originally devised
genre following Fulci’s exploit, with the likes
for tv, was released theatrically not least be-
of marino Girolami’s Zombi Holocaust (980),
cause of its graphic violent scenes, and the
bruno mattei and Claudio Fragasso’s Virus
same happened with bava’s Morirai a mezzan-
Introduction
7
otte. most notably, Argento’s controversial ap-
under the misleading label “Lucio Fulci pre-
pearance as special guest in the tv show Gi-
senta” (“lucio Fulci Presents”).
allo (october 987–January 988, Rai due),
As for Fulci himself, his severe health is-
where he introduced a series of gory short
sues were only one of the causes that resulted
films he directed, “Gli incubi di Dario Argento”
in his transition from “poet of the macabre”
(dario Argento’s nightmares), caused a con-
to his decidedly less impressive low- budget
troversy, with many protests on the part of
output of the late 980s, with such works as
spectators. In 986 Reteitalia commissioned
his horror comeback Aenigma (987)—not a
the making of several Gothic and horror tv
Gothic film by any means, but another Patrick
movies, hoping to intercept those audiences
rip- off mixed with references varying from
who rented horror videos and followed late-
Carrie (976) to Patricia Highsmith’s short
night broadcasts of old and recent films alike.
story The Snail Watcher—and the ill- fated
lamberto bava was recruited to direct the
Zombi 3 (988), both let down by mediocre
four films in the “Brivido giallo” series, and
scripts, bad actors and shoestring budgets.
so were lucio Fulci and umberto lenzi for a
lamberto bava, who had seemed to be on
similar project named “Le case maledette.” the
the verge of becoming second fiddle to Ar-
results were far from satisfying, and, most of
gento as Italy’s most commercially successful
all, they proved that tv execs were willing to
horror filmmaker, eventually chose the path
allow the genre on the small screen only in an
of television, with questionable results. the
overly diluted form, as shown by the bland
brightest promise of Italian horror seemed to
“Brivido giallo,” but there was no room
for the uncompromising, over- the-top
gore of “Le case maledette.”
the ill- fated destiny of made- for-
tv Gothic and horror films reflects the
illusory well- being of a nation living
above its possibilities. In 982 Italy had
emerged from a period of recession and
would undergo a constant expansion
that had economists refer to “a second
Italian economic miracle” after the
early 960s’ boom. but it would end
abruptly with the international reces-
sion of the early 990s. similarly, the
dreams of grandeur of Italian horror—
exemplified by Augusto Caminito’s
Nosferatu a Venezia, an ambitious se-
quel to Werner Herzog’s 979 film,
starring Klaus Kinski, which turned out
to be a commercial and artistic disas-
ter—were reduced by the end of the
decade to hit- and-run productions de-
signed for home video, such as the se-
ries of films produced on a shoestring
French lobby card for Quella villa accanto al cimitero
Italian Gothic Horror Films (1980-1989) Page 2
