Yes, my last two posts are gone.
The first has been deleted because I have experienced a delay in getting my hands on Axe! and I do not want to jump the gun. The most recent was deleted because I believe that my thoughts on the subject of the exploitation film's treatment of male sexuality needs to be scrutinized and revised before I alienate everybody.
Thank you for your understanding. Now! On to new business.
Our next Video Nasty is Lucio Fulci's Quella Villa Accanto Al Cimitero, better known as The House By The Cemetery to us English speakers. Lucio Fulci is a legend in the world of Eurohorror, and the films he produced between 1979 and 1982 are some of the finest to be found. Fulci is one of only two directors with three films on the DPP list (the other is Jesus Franco of Spain), and we will also be exploring some of his other films that did not make the list. Fulci, known to his fans as "The Godfather Of Gore", is either a misunderstood genius or an overrated hack, depending on who you ask. I recently asked Deran Sarafian, star of Fulci's Zombi 3, about his opinion of Lucio, and his answer was not a glowing remembrance...but anyone who has heard the story of Zombi 3's production knows that the situation was less than ideal. Producer Claudio Fragasso brought in Bruno Mattei to shoot supplementary footage, with the resulting film representing a uniquely turgid experience. However, I don't think Mr. Sarafian is alone in his opinion, and when Fulci died in 1996 of complications stemming from his diabetes, he hadn't made a film in five years and few in the Italian film industry attended his funeral. But love or hate the man, his work is another story. With a directing career spanning over 30 years, he directed films in every genre, but the Gothic horrors of the early 1980s remain his most well-known and beloved work amongst his fans. The House By The Cemetery employs the most iconic of the Gothic motifs: the creepy old house, of course. Here's a trailer for this 1981 classic:
The stars are folks we'll be seeing again: Catriona MacColl is the female lead in Fulci's other Gothic masterpieces Paura Nella Citta Dei Morti Viventi and E Tu Vivrai Nel Terrore...L'Aldila. Paolo Malco shines as the criminologist in Lo Squartatore Di New York. Ania Pieroni is featured in Dario Argento's two entries on the Video Nasties list, Inferno and Tenebrae. Also on hand are Daniela Doria, who Fulci described as "one of my favorite actresses...I killed her so many times!", and Giovanni Frezza, who should have sued the production company over the awful dubbing he received.
Anyone interested in learning more about Lucio Fulci's life and work is directed to the book Beyond Terror: The Films Of Lucio Fulci by Stephen Thrower, an exhaustive overview loaded with photos and descriptions of many harder-to-find films along with the many "classics". My hat goes off to Mr. Thrower for his hard work, which has produced an invaluable reference volume that no fan of Eurohorror should be without.
I'll see you soon, dear friends, with Video Nasty #3, so take all necessary precautions: lock the doors, shut out the lights, and grab a knife...I think I hear something in the basement. I'll go check it out. You wait here. And here's the phone if you need 911. Cuz my name's Justin. JustinCase.
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