Italian Zombie Movies: the living dead in Italy

zombieIn the history of horror cinema, the living dead (or zombies, as they are referred to in some Caribbean countries) have occupied a very important slice of history, albeit in a time frame closer to us when compared to other characters in the industry (vampires, mummies, wolfmen, etc.). The exception is a very important work such as I Walked With A Zombie (1943) by Jacques Tourneur, classifiable as one of the earliest titles on the genre. But it would be necessary to wait until 1968 and the debutant George Romero with Night of the Living Dead to see this figure rise to the top of horror cinema. The film, produced on a shoestring budget, designated a new dimension, a new way of thinking about fear and showing it from a more visceral and explicit perspective. The title grossed very well worldwide and Romero gave birth to two sequels in the years to come (Dawn of the Dead and Day of the Dead) becoming, in fact, an emblematic director of the genre and tying his name to this horror perspective. Inevitably, the resounding success created by these films has spawned hordes of imitators in all parts of the globe; our country certainly does not back down when producers and directors smell the scent of easy money, and the first "imitations" are born.
The first traces of the tricolor walking dead can already be found in a few sporadic films, of the type The Last Man on Earth released in theaters in 1964 and directed by Ubaldo Ragona. The story is taken from the novel "I Am Legend" by Richard Matheson (the same author who inspired Romero for the creation of his zombies) and is played by a great Vincent Price. It tells the otherwise very simple story of a virus that eliminates all the inhabitants of the Planet and turns them into vampire zombies. Price alone manages, mysteriously, to survive such a bacterium from outer space, but he will have to watch out for the blood lusts of the monsters who will hunt him down. Another very interesting title answers to the name of Night Of The Devils directed by Giorgio Ferroni in 1972; it is a reprise of the myth of the "wurdalaks" of Tolstoyan memory, already treated by the master Mario Bava in his Black Sabbath (1963). The wurdalak is a creature of the night, somewhere between a vampire and the living dead, masterfully described by these two homegrown authors.

However, the full-time debut of Italian zombies in the celluloid world can be dated to 1974: the title is a mile long (Let Sleeping Corpses Lie), the director is Spanish (Jorge Grau) and Italian production, while the actors are quite well-known in our cinema (Arthur Kennedy and Ray Lovelock). The story centers on an ultrasonic machine, used as an insecticide, but which manages to awaken from their eternal rest the dead buried nearby. These are attracted by the "taste" of the flesh of the living, who will try hard to fend off the onslaught of the ravenous horde. Of the film, the outstanding special effects stand out, while the script does not suffer too much from the inevitable similarity to the Romerian progenitor released in '68. A characteristic feature of this film is the fact that it enjoyed three theatrical releases. It was rescheduled under the title Da dove vieni? so subsequently, following the flourishing of titles belonging to this "subgenre" , the film of Grau circulated in Italian theaters as Zombie 4: After Death...

But we would have to wait a few more years (1978) and the film Dawn of the Dead for the phenomenon in our country to spread like wildfire, with very interesting titles with good international success. A first real stronghold in this regard is directed by Fulci: Zombie Flesh Eaters (1979); the title might mislead, as this is not a sequel, but an entirely independent film that was a resounding success in the United States. Set between America and the Caribbean, it tells of a girl searching for her father, a noted scientist; aided by a journalist, they travel to a Caribbean island where the dead seem to come back to life hungry for human flesh. The origin of it all seems to be a voodoo ritual, and the zombies will not just terrorize the locals... Played by Tisa Farrow (sister of the more famous Mia), Ian McCulloch, Olga Karlatos and Al Cliver (Pierluigi Conti), has on its side a rather interesting script, little inclined to easy imitation, while the special effects of Maurizio Trani are well done, with some truly memorable moments (the eye of the Karlatos pierced by a wooden splinter or the fight between a zombie and a shark in the open sea).

The following year is still Fulci to lead the dance with a somewhat peculiar zombesco, titled City Of The Living Dead. It is the story of a village (Dunwich) in which a priest commits suicide, unleashing the forces of evil that take possession of the bodies of the deceased by bringing them back to life to slaughter the inhabitants of the area. An interesting diversion with references to the writer H.P. Lovecraft, in which the zombies look more like ghosts that disappear and reappear at various points on the screen. The effects are always creepy, and the artistic cast is prominent, with the presence of Kathryne MacColl, Janet Agren, Antonella Interlenghi, John Lombardo Radice, etc. What is most disconcerting is the script that is not always clear, with some confusion in the plot. All in all, this is another enjoyable film on the genre.

1980 was a particularly prolific year for the zombie genre: director Marino Girolami (under the pseudonym of Frank Martin) rotates Zombie Holocaust, an honest title with copious doses of healthy splatter and decent gore. It can be deduced from the title. Girolami Was inspired by at least two films: Zombie Flesh Eaters by Fulci and Cannibal Holocaust by Deodato. In fact, the story centers on strange cases of cannibalism occurring in the United States; after some research, it turns out that a tribe stationed in the West Indies is dedicated to this practice. Also charismatic in the film is the figure of the "mad doctor" who, after making modifications on the brains of deceased men, has created an army of the living dead of which the tribe has a fearful respect. In reality, the film suffers from an illogical plot, proving that you cannot mix two good scripts to create one confusing one. However, the special effects are respectable, handled by the same makeup artist as in Zombie Flesh Eaters (Maurizio Trani), and some scenes are borderline sustainable.

In the same year Andrea Bianchi (under the "original" pseudonym of Andrew White) film Burial Ground. The script and the actors are as confusing as can be found, but nonetheless it has its funny moments, peppered with very homemade but effective special effects (memorable is the sequence in which a nano-zombie bites off the breasts of Mariangela Giordano, one of the main characters). In short, a professor unwittingly awakens the dead with an Etruscan ritual and assaults the villa's guests. A story as mentioned not up to the mark, but rather dynamic and full of bloody tricks and gore. It will not bore those who can settle in....

The good Aristide Massaccesi (under his usual stage name of Joe D'Amato) tries the mix route, crossing the genre with erotic or even hardcore, as in the case of Erotic Nights of the Living Dead. An architect buys land on a Caribbean island to build a tourist complex; but an old man and his granddaughter (Laura Gemser) live on the island and warn them against setting foot on that cursed land. Indeed, there is a reason: the island's dead come back to life to take revenge on the living! The story itself is not the most original, but the attempt to merge two opposing styles (splatter/horror and porn) is not to be considered evil. Although the gore scenes are concentrated in the final part of the film, the sexual side is not really an end in itself and makes the film definitely appealing, even if one cannot call it a masterpiece. An interesting diversion.

Moving on to 1981, we still find Lucio Fulci On the shields with his new zombiesque The Beyond. This title probably touches the heights of Italian horror cinema, with its highly dramatic moments and truly excellent special effects. A woman inherits a hotel in Louisiana; she intends to restore it and put it back into operation as it once was, but in the meantime some strange incidents bedevil the work. She learns of a mad painter who was murdered within those very walls many years before because of her discovery: the hotel is one of the seven gates to the afterlife located on the globe! Those who attempt to pass through it will find the army of the living dead ready to tear apart anyone who stands in their way. Good performances by the actors (Kathryne MacColl and David Warbeck), good script (although it gets a little lost along the way at times), good soundtrack by Fabio Frizzi and absolutely memorable tricks done by the very talented Giannetto De Rossi.

In 1981 also Bruno Mattei (behind the pseudonym of Vincent Dawn) fits into the thread of the living dead with its Virus - Hell Of The Living Dead. We are in New Guinea and a radioactive leak from a HOPE (translated into our language means "hope") power plant turns people into flesh-hungry zombies. A group of military personnel is sent to the site to try to find out the origin of the mutation of the locals; on their way they will meet a couple of journalists who will join the mission, but the fate of the protagonists will not be the most heroic... Anything can be said about this film, except that it is devoid of major action and bloody effects (combined with disgusting stock scenes from some documentaries). Moreover, in some respects, the plot of Virus - Hell Of The Living Dead will be taken up by the more wasteful he Return of the Living Dead (1985) by Dan O'Bannon. Otherwise, we are in the average range proposed by the genre: a botched script written in a few hours, actors who would express themselves better in some insulting TV commercial, translations performed by the first people found on the street, etc. Nevertheless, the film can be watched without being boring, and this is already a good point in its favor. It should be noted that the music, which makes up the soundtrack, is taken from Dawn of the Dead by Romero and performed by the Goblin. What you don't invent to save money....

Also in 1981 we find an anomalous film on the genre; in fact Umberto Lenzi directs a title that will have some similarities with films only broadcast in theaters in the years to come: Nightmare City. The usual leak of radioactive material contaminates scientists at a chemical factory; the contagion spreads through scratches and bites, so the chaos generated is total. The substantial difference between this and other films in the genre is that Lenzi's zombies are not hollow puppets that move mechanically, but intelligent beings that can run, use objects, drive vehicles, etc. While maintaining the rotting corpse exterior, the mutation acts instantaneously transforming the victims into furious and hungry beings similar to those depicted in Zombi 3. Interesting diversion on the theme, although the problems of this title are much the same as those created by a shoestring budget; while making use of actors of some prominence (Mel Ferrer, Maria Rosaria Omaggio, Francisco Rabal), the acting was not taken care of; the special effects of the monsters also look like they were created with mud! However, the film still manages to entertain and give some interestingly effective scenes.

It is 1983's most interesting and technically sound film of the whole genre: the director is Pupi Avati and the title Zeder. Scholar Paul Zeder found some soils, named "K," where buried corpses come back to life. In the years to come, this discovery is reworked by a number of scholars, but two unsuspecting young people also become involved. The affair is shrouded in mystery and people who have no intention of divulging the news, even at the cost of human lives. Excellent end result of Avati, which manages to create an indescribable tension thanks to the good contribution of actors such as Gabriele Lavia and to a really effective soundtrack. There are not a lot of special effects, but the focus is directed on the very intriguing story and the development of sometimes quite complex situations.

The zombie-movie seems to have given much and a period of relaxation follows. It will have to wait until 1987 to observe a new homegrown production: Zombi 3 by Lucio Fulci. In fact, the direction of the film should be divided between. Mattei and Fulci, who abandoned the project halfway through partly due to health reasons and partly disappointed with the result that was coming to fruition. Mattei reworked, together with the screenwriter Claudio Fragasso, partly the story and shot the missing parts to close the film. Unfortunately, the confusion of ideas is quite evident and the end result disappointed many horror fans. The story is set in the Philippines, where a strange virus infects the inhabitants of the region. It will be up to the military to intervene to remedy the situation. Aside from the unoriginality of the story, the subject matter is retread, the actors and consequently the acting poor, the ideas thrown out to save a now precarious situation, after the abandonment of the set by Fulci. The film is left to be seen only for some fairly well-crafted effete and nothing else; there is much better even in our country.

Also in 1987 Fragasso, using the same staff and locations, turns Zombies 4: After Death under the pseudonym by which he is better known than Clyde Anderson. A mysterious epidemic decimates the population of an island; Western doctors fail to save the daughter of the village chief who, in revenge for her death, decides to call the dead back to life according to a shamanic ritual. Needless to say, the zombies will slaughter pale faces; one little girl manages to escape, saved by a magical amulet given to her by her parents before perishing under the zombies' blows. Years later the girl returns to the scene of the misdeed with friends, but the situation does not change: the zombies have returned to finish what they left undone. Like its predecessor, it is not saved from the general confusion created by the script, the actors (many of them taken from the set of Zombi 3) inept dubbing and homemade special effects. A curiosity: the film is also known by the alternative title of Zombies 4: After Death. Also contributing to the title's disadvantage is the fact that the version circulated in Italian theaters is the cut version. That is, the splatter sequences present, instead, in the foreign versions have been purged.

The following year is the turn of mixed leadership: Killing Birds (Raptors). The direction was credited to Claudio Lattanzi, but in reality, most of the work has been borne by. Joe D'Amato (the film was produced by his Filmirage). Some young students go in search of a rare specimen of the bird; they go to a distinguished scholar (Robert Vaughn) that sends them to a specific area. But in that vicinity also lies a sinister-looking house... They will realize this when the sun goes down and some eerie figures rise from their rest to torment those present.
The subject is not bad, but the story has some inconsistencies and the slow pace of its unfolding does not help the viewer from recovering from a certain apathy. The work of D'Amato (who replaced Lattanzi in his execution) is not enough to lift the fortunes of Killing Birds (also known by the title Zombies 5); moreover, the presence of the undead is limited to the last 15 to 20 minutes, when by then the situation is already precarious.

It is 1991 and Umberto Lenzi films perhaps his first true zombie-movie: Black Demons. Actually, this is not a sequel to the diptych of Lamberto Bava, despite the title may suggest otherwise. Some boys go on vacation to Brazil; one of them witnesses a macumba and becomes fascinated. They set out for the jungle and find hospitality in a "fazenda." Nearby is a small cemetery where some slaves, killed by their despotic master, are also buried. During the night, the boy goes there and repeats the recorded macumba: the effect is to awaken the slaves who will take revenge for their deaths on their descendants. The film in question is not bad, although the usual flaws in acting and dubbing emerge; the special effects are not to be despised and some solutions are very reminiscent of the Lucio Fulci old-fashioned way; even the script makes sense, where the walking dead are relocated to South America and kill only for revenge and not to satiate their appetite.

The swan song for Italian zombies is given by a particular film, directed by Michele Soavi, in which the living dead almost play a supporting role within a story centered on the protagonist (who was later also converted into the legendary comic book Dylan Dog). The title is Cemetery Man, featuring a famous Rupert Everett in the part of a cemetery janitor (Francis Dellamorte). The whole film revolves around his character and his role as "guardian" of the dead, preventing them from coming back to life with a gunshot to the head. Francesco is a peculiar person, torn between his insipid profession and his love for a woman (Anna Falchi) who will leave this vale of tears to reappear later in other guises. Soavi directs a highly articulate film that has divided critics and viewers: those who love it and those who hate it. Undoubtedly it shows some flaws, starting with some confusion in the story, to the very underwhelming supporting actors. In contrast we have some excellent special effects (curated by the ineffable Ankle boots), of the gothic atmospheres dear to certain cinema of Mario Bava and partly to Fulci, a good soundtrack to frame the plot.

This is basically where the history of Italian zombie cinema stops. It has been 10 years since the last film and we are still waiting for someone to inherit the baton of the various Fulci, Lenzi, Mattei, D'Amato, etc. The genre seems to have returned to new vigor, after the discrete trials of 28 Days Later and Dawn of the Dead (a kind of remake of the film by Romero), but in our country there is now a chronic problem: finding a few producers and directors who, with courage, still want to invest in action cinema. While in Europe there seems to be some awakening (see Spain, France and England), Italy has remained at the post, anchored on the positions that once allowed us to export films all over the world.
The present does not come our way, let us hope at least for the future....

Update January 10, 2016

New Italian zombie-themed works include:

  • Eaters (Luca Boni and Marco Ristori)
  • Zombie Massacre (Luca Boni and Marco Ristori)
  • Zombie Massacre 2 (Luca Boni and Marco Ristori)
  • Anger of the Dead (Francesco Picone)
  • Apocalypse Zero (Francesco Picone)
  • E.N.D. - The Movie (Allegra Bernardoni, Luca Alessandro, Domiziano Cristopharo, Federico Greco)

 

Special edited by Maxena

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Barbara Torretti
Barbara Torretti
Editor and moderator of the DarkVeins community. Passionate about horror cinema, I also do reviews and interviews pertaining to the film, music and art circuit.

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