An interview with Marinella Landi, the founder of NonSoloGore.it, a website that shines a spotlight on Italian independent cinema across the board. But now let's get to know better this interesting female subject who has decided to dedicate her time to indie filmmaking by supporting and encouraging it through her website.
A: Who is Marinella Landi?
B: Marinella is a girl--no, she would like to--she is an ordinary little woman who loves horror movies, music, animals, the smell of wet earth, and writing. Although she looks like a bear on the surface, she actually is one! But she is also highly sensitive and ready to be moved by even the smallest and most insignificant of things (you can't understand sometimes for what-what a shame!). She loves genuineness, simplicity, smiles and respect, in whatever form it takes. She is allergic to hypocrisy and opportunism... and also to Gigi D'Alessio & Co, Cinepanettoni and all the media jackals who do nothing but damage and insult our intelligence!
A: When did your love for independent Italian genre cinema begin in you?
B: I already knew and appreciated some of the names in independent cinema, but I myself had no idea it was such a vast, rich, and pulsating landscape... as soon as I became aware of it, as I delved more closely, I fell in love with it, and one of the things I love most is the freedom this cinema possesses...
A: You are the founder of NonSoloGore.it, a portal dedicated to Italian indie cinema. What prompted you to start this site and what are the goals set?
B: It all started by chance and initially on Facebook, when I realized I wanted to get serious, the website was the next step. It's my first experience with it, and I was terrified at first and didn't really know how to go about it and I was afraid of making a mistake. For an anxious person like me it was a nightmare, but when you love something, it all comes naturally in the end. The thing that was most important to me, this always in the beginning, was to be able to convey confidence to the insiders with whom, if everything went well, I would have to stay in touch and hear. They had to understand that I was not a waffler and that I really cared. It was not easy, but slowly people opened up and began to trust.
The main goal of the site is one basic one: that the message gets to as many people as possible! These professionals deserve the visibility that they hardly have, they deserve to have people talk about them and their works, and not necessarily always for the good, of course, but they deserve much more than what, for obvious reasons and difficulties, they hardly get. People need to know, as I myself still need to know, and the more united we are in this endeavor, the better, so welcome the openness, even mental openness, of sites and outlets, new and old, that are committed to showing this hidden side of an Italian cinema that is more alive than ever!
A: Why you chose to call your website. NonSoloGore?
B: Oh my, the story here is a long one, not so much about the name, but about the birth of everything that had its own path and its own logical sense (for me). Let's say that the name I had initially chosen was inconvenient and slamming (it was also a phrase taken from a film(accio) that tore at my soul and caused in me quite a few problems...), so, squeezing my little imagination on the matter, NonSoloGore came up, since the site would not only deal with horror, but purely with independent cinema in general. The truth is that for all this I should thank the director of this "big movie," and someday maybe I will! I would have done it sooner if he had not banned me for not being among the supporters of the film.
A: Your site is a real archive that is also useful for insiders. In fact, it also collects, among other things, detailed fact sheets of actors, screenwriters, effectors... What prompted you to move in this direction?
B: I am very pleased with this question because Behind The Lines, the section you are talking about, is the one I care about the most. Without all these professionals a work could not exist, and that is the very reason why I created it. Unfortunately, I can't keep up with it as much as I would like and as it deserves, but I'm not giving up on it and one day it will bring back lots and lots of names, I'd like to say all of them, I'd like to, but I think it's impossible. It is, however, a section that is always being updated and anyone who wants to be a part of it, always staying within the scope, only has to contact me and the space is free!
A: How much work is behind your site?
B: At first there was some, but now it's fivefold, if not more, and sometimes I get the embolism going and I go nuts handling most of the work by myself, but it's great, great satisfaction, and if it weren't for my beautiful little boys who devote their time to the site, with nothing going to their pockets but my greatest gratitude, with which I know, there's little to be done, NSG wouldn't be where it is now. And for that, I take advantage of the space you are giving me to thank them with an open heart! Joel, Paolo, Davide, Stefano, Marco, Fabio, and also Andrea Kondra, although our 2-year collaboration has recently ended due to too many commitments, thank you for EVERYTHING, I love you!!! (I am not always a bear)
A: How do you see the Italian scene as far as horror is concerned?
B: Many say that the horror scene in Italy is dead, I just say that it is suffering, but defunct is quite another thing. The independent scene is drowning in its own blood - to stay on topic - in terms of the amount of genre works that are being birthed. Okay, we can't always talk about masterpieces, they may or may not be liked, but in the general hoopla there are plenty of these films, even shorts, that really deserve it. The problems then, are always the same, namely, producers and distributors who in most cases prefer the easy way out by giving space to the usual junk (sorry). But I firmly believe that the biggest problem, the one at the root of all discomfort, comes from the viewer and the attitude with which they approach anything Made in Italy. I myself have made some crazy mistakes, it's not that because I carry this flag high, then I like everything, but to judge, often with gratuitous insults, works and directors regardless, just because they are Italian, seems to me really reductive and not at all productive. I'm okay with being skeptical, I'm also okay with that, but sometimes, one should pose differently, in criticizing, but especially towards a cinema that, day by day, continues undaunted to give us great emotions, only and unfortunately, they are not found on the main street, the one lit up brightly with the expensive stores, but one finds them in the secondary ones, which are then the ones where one discovers the most beautiful and satisfying little stores, bars or restaurants.
A: Nonsologore covers not only horror cinema but also other genres. Can you explain the reason for this choice?
B: NSG wants to talk about independent (Italian) cinema across the board, and this includes an eye for interest in other genres as well. The site is often referred to as horror, and sometimes I am asked if it is possible to publish something that is not in the genre. The fact is that the horror genre is the most beaten genre and consequently the most covered, but within the site you can find news and short films related to westerns, dramas, comedies, demented, science fiction, and more. As much as I love the genre, I never intended to focus this course solely and exclusively on it.
A: What is the horror subgenre that you most enjoy watching? What, on the other hand, are the derivations that you don't digest?
B: I have always loved slashers, a genre I grew up with, but I also like mockumentaries, found footage and horror films with a naturalistic and/or demonic background. Rather than subgenres, which for better or worse I appreciate all of them, some more and some less, I would say that I detest remakes, although there are some that are also quite successful. I find remakes to be the death of individual creativity. If you get to do a remake, and we're being inundated with them in recent years, it means it has nothing more to say, then you might as well stop doing this work. I realize that may be a little extreme thinking, but I don't see all that much sense in this new market. Besides, the great works that are often touched (and ruined) certainly do not need to be (re)dusted as they enjoy, and will always enjoy, a light and importance of their own.
A: What do you think are the best levers in the independent horror scene in Italy and elsewhere?
B: There are a number of young homegrown directors who have a lot of talent on their side, a lot of passion and certainly a long way to go yet, whom I respect very much. But this is my own thinking, and maybe those who for me are valid, for someone else, even technically more prepared, and I admit, it doesn't take much, they are not. On the other hand, as far as the international scene is concerned, there are several works that I have seen and even appreciated. Talent, real talent, can be found everywhere, in this case the difficulty lies in getting it to those who love cinema and the genre, and this unfortunately happens with difficulty and it is a great pity.
A: What independent horror films in our country have impressed you the most in recent years?
B: In terms of feature films, of recent ones I can say I Rec U by Federico Sfascia, Red krokodil by Domiziano Cristhoparo, The Pyramid by Alex Visani, Roberto Albanesi, Simone Chiesa, Luca Alessandro and Antonio Zannone, True Love (although it is not a horror film) by Enrico Clerico Nasino for Mercurio Domina by the duo Fabio Resinaro & Fabio Guaglione and Morituris by Raffaele Picchio. Then there are those that belong a bit more to the past and they are Custodes bestiae by Lorenzo Bianchini, Colour From The Dark & Nympha by Ivan Zuccon (of both I haven't seen the last ones yet), Road To L. by Federico Greco, The Museum of Wonders (again not really horror) also by Domiziano Cristopharo. But there are really so many that I liked, let's just say that I particularly love these ones, and I must have forgotten a few for sure....
On the level of horror shorts, it's really tough here; there are plenty of them; Nuit Americhèn and Liver by Federico Greco, Origine dei Demoni by Davide Cancila, Io sono Morta and Anger of the Dead by Francesco Picone, Versipellis by Donatello Della Pepa, Sarcophaga by Giuseppe Peronace, Nightshot by Maurizio Scala, Betania by Andrea Giomaro, L'Estate Fredda 1&2 by Claudio tacchi, Diesis & Happy Easter by the Albanesi/Chiesa duo, Recording by Stefano Rossi... no really, I'm in for a lot here... So I'll stop like this, pointing out that in both cases, those not mentioned, doesn't mean I didn't like them, but I'm also of a certain age and memory is what it is!
A: When you are not involved in independent filmmaking what are your preferences as far as big horror productions are concerned?
B: I devour, when I can, quite a few movies, not just horror although they always take precedence. I wish we were invaded by old-fashioned slashers, I know, they don't have too much substance but, as I said above, that's my favorite genre. Unfortunately, anything in the horror genre that could have been made has been made, and it comes really hard to find something that is both good and original at the same time, and in the last few years something that has made me drool has been there. I'm realizing that I often like movies that many people snub, I have to start asking myself why, where I'm going wrong, but for example, although many people didn't like it, I really enjoyed Lords of Salem (even if the chubby, bi-ombelical demon is a tad ridiculous). Well, let's just say that I'm old at heart and my preferences still all go to the cinema of the past.
A: Five horror movies that drive you crazy.
B: In The Market -- no, it's a stupid joke!!!
Custodes Bestiae, Cabal, Tod Browning's Freaks, though more on the drama, Death by 33 RPM, The House, Jolly Killer, oops, I said 6...
A: Let's talk about soundtracks. What is the perfect music for a horror movie?
B: The music in a horror film, but also in general, occupies one of the most important slices, so, the one that makes your skin crawl and your anxiety rise, but my favorite choice is the power of metal.
A: You really like scary movies and we understood that, but what about literature for example? Can you name your favorite authors?
A: I am an avid reader only at certain times, but without a doubt, I love Clive Barker and the narrative power of Lovecraft.
A: Is your love of horror also reflected in your musical tastes? What bands do you listen to?
B: I don't know how it could happen, but I have detached myself a little bit from music in the last few years and it kind of bores me... I space between different genres, from classical to country, to rock, to metal, to folk. In my youth I listened to a lot of death and black metal and I loved and love a lot of bands, but even now, when I write, I do it with I Summoning with the albums Minas Morgul and Dol Guldur, they inspire me... In short, the list of names I could make really varies from Queen, to Velvet Underground, Foo Fighters, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Beethoven, Theatre of Tragedy, Deicide, Six Feet Under, Lou Tapage, Death SS, and on and on... I realize that seeing certain names and genres juxtaposed can make my skin crawl, but I am musically unstable and would also spend hours listening to piano, harps and violins...
A: If you had to name the titles of genre films that accompanied you growing up, what would they be?
B: The first movie ever that I deliberately and consciously watched when I was 8 years old (I think) was Nightmare The Unwakened, nà cosmic tragedy, I cursed myself for doing that. At 11 I started, despite the fear, I really had a lot of it, to watch them regularly and thanks to what later became my trusted video store that didn't make a big deal about age, I never stopped. So more than titles, of which there are many, I would say that I started, and was accompanied and introduced to the genre with Dario Argento, who as much as I may love, is not what he used to be (the nail is always there is ... ready), Carpenter, Raimi, Cronenberg, Hooper, Craven (whom I don't love too much except for a few films), Deodato, Bava, Fulci, Lenzi and also a lot of directors who then didn't go any further or did very little. That's the generation, so excuse the trite and obvious answer.
A: Your opinion about this interview?
B: This is new to me, and despite the anxiety and excitement, I had a lot of fun. It's broad and I've been able to range quite a bit, maybe too much... Beautiful! Thank you so much for your time, I am honored ^_^
A: Leave a message to the DarkVeins community!
B: I have been unintentionally logorrhoeic and I apologize, I hope I have not bored you too much and, while we are on the subject, support, or continue to support, Italian independent cinema because it deserves it! Get as much information as you can and look online at the works that are available...spread the word! And thank you thank you thank you for your attention! m/
A: Thank you Marinella!
