City of the Living Dead (1980) MPM/Horror RT: 93 minutes No MPAA Rating (extremely graphic bloody violence and gore, some language) Director: Lucio Fulci Screenplay: Lucio Fulci and Dardano Sacchetti Music: Fabio Frizzi Cinematography: Sergio Salvati Release date: April 8, 1983 (US) Cast: Christopher George, Katriona MacColl, Carlo De Mejo, Antonella Interlenghi, Giovanni Lombardo Radice, Daniela Doria, Fabrizio Jovine, Luca Paisner, Michele Soavi, Venantino Venantini, Enzo D’Ausilio, Adelaide Aste, Robert Sampson, Janet Agren. Box Office: N/A Body Count: 15 AKA: The Gates of Hell (US release)
Rating: ****
You may have already seen Lucio Fulci’s City of the Living Dead without realizing it. It was released as The Gates of Hell in the US in April ’83. Like most Italian-made gorefests, it carried a “No One Under 17 Admitted” policy in lieu of an MPAA rating. This one is particularly sick and gross. If you ever wanted to see somebody throw up their insides, this is your big chance.
I didn’t like City of the Living Dead the first time I saw it. I rented it from the Video Den in December ’84 with high hopes. While I enjoyed the gore, I had no idea what was going on. It didn’t make a lot of sense to me. At the time, I didn’t realize it was directed by the same guy who did The House by the Cemetery which I saw that October. It took a few viewings over the years to make me a fan. Now, I LOVE IT! It’s so weird and creepy. How can I NOT love it?
It all starts when Father Thomas (Jovine, Contraband) hangs himself in the Dunwich town cemetery. He’s seen by psychic Mary (MacColl, The Beyond) in a trance during a séance in New York. She dies on the spot, presumably of fright. What could possibly be that scary? In her vision, she saw “[a] city of the dead. The living dead. A cursed city where the gates of hell have been opened.” When the priest killed himself, he somehow opened them. When that happens, the dead rise and walk the earth. If they’re not closed by All Saints Day, “no dead body will ever rest in peace”. This is according to the ancient book of Enoch.
We find all this out after Mary comes back to life while lying in her coffin in her grave. She’s rescued from being buried alive by a reporter Peter (George, Pieces) who hears her cries. He’s there investigating her mysterious “death”. I’d say he has an even bigger story now. He and Mary set off to find the town of Dunwich which doesn’t appear on any map. It turns out it’s built on the ruins of the original Salem where witches were burned to death at the stake in the 17th century.
Meanwhile, all hell is breaking loose in Dunwich. Strange things start happening. People die in gruesome ways. People like Emily (Interlenghi, La Cage Aux Folles 3), the assistant to local psychiatrist Gerry (De Mejo, The House by the Cemetery). She meets her grisly fate at the maggot-covered hands of Father Thomas when she goes to help town outcast Bob (Radice, Cannibal Ferox), a young man regarded as a rapist by many of the locals. Hers isn’t the worst death. Others get it much worse like the guy killed by a mechanical drill to the head. Fulci shows it from every possible angle. That’s the money shot! Three people have their brains ripped from the backs of their skulls. Several folks fall victim to zombies. Then there’s the girl that pukes up her internal organs. Basically, City of the Living Dead is a complete bloodbath. Who says that’s a bad thing?
The narrative of City of the Living Dead essentially consists of a confusing series of events leading up to Peter, Mary, Gerry and one of his patients Sandra (Agren, Red Sonja) rushing to close the gates of hell before it’s too late. That’s the thing about these Italian-made splatter movies; they don’t always make sense. In this case, it’s a good thing. It gives them a nightmarish feel. Where else but a bad dream will you see a maggot attack?
City of the Living Dead is absolutely thick with atmosphere. The town of Dunwich appears to exist in a permanent mist. Everybody acts like they’re from another planet. The crypt that serves as the setting for the finale looks great. In fact, the whole movie is GREAT! It’s effectively eerie, creepy and scary. The gore effects by Franco Rufini are top shelf and A1. The score by Fabio Frizzi augments the movie’s unsettling tone. The cinematography and editing by Sergio Salvati and Vincenzo Tomassi are two of the movie’s strongest assets. BTW, they worked on all three films in the GOH trilogy. Even the acting isn’t too bad. I LOVE MacColl and it’s always great to see the late Christopher George.
I am so glad I gave City of the Living Dead multiple chances. It’s one of Fulci’s best movies. I’d even say it’s something of a gore masterpiece.
