Italian Gothic
Horror Films,
1980–1989
Also by RobeRto CuRtI
And FRom mCFARlAnd
Mavericks of Italian Cinema: Eight Unorthodox Filmmakers,
1940s–2000s (2018)
Bracali and the Revolution in Tuscan Cuisine (2018)
Riccardo Freda: The Life and Works of a Born Filmmaker (2017)
Italian Gothic Horror Films, 1970–1979 (2017)
Tonino Valerii: The Films (2016)
Italian Gothic Horror Films, 1957–1969 (2015)
Italian Crime Filmography, 1968–1980 (2013)
Italian Gothic
Horror Films,
1980–1989
RobeRto CuRtI
McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Jefferson, North Carolina
ISBN (print) 978-1-4766-7243-4
ISBN (ebook) 978-1-4766-3524-8
lIbRARy oF ConGRess CAtAloGuInG dAtA ARe AvAIlAble
bRItIsH lIbRARy CAtAloGuInG dAtA ARe AvAIlAble
© 2019 Roberto Curti. All rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form
or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying
or recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,
without permission in writing from the publisher.
Front cover: Italian lobby card for the 1981 film Murder Obsession,
featuring a screaming Anita strindberg
Printed in the united states of America
McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Box 611, Jefferson, North Carolina 28640
www.mcfarlandpub.com
to Cristina, my light half.
Acknowledgments
my most sincere thanks go to the following, who in one way or another
contributed to the making of this book: mark thompson Ashworth, enzo
boetani, Ricky Caruso, davide Cavaciocchi, Francesco Cesari, brigitte
Christensen, luigi Cozzi, michele de Angelis, Pierpaolo de sanctis, Alessio
di Rocco, Christoph draxtra, steve Fenton, Jacqueline Freda, mario and
Roderick Gauci, Julian Grainger, troy Howarth, Peter Jilmstad, Frank la-
fond, stefano loparco, leandro lucchetti, Fabio melelli, domenico
monetti, Antonio José navarro, Chris orgelt (bIFFF), stefano Patrizi, Al-
berto Pezzotta, Roberto Poppi, Fabio Pucci, luca servini, Pete tombs,
david C. tucker, davide vincenti.
vi
table of Contents
Acknowledgments
vi
Introduction
1
A Note on the Entries
11
Abbreviations
13
Italian Gothic Horror Films, 1980–1989
1980
15
Blow Job (Soffio erotico) 15
•
Inferno 18
•
Macabro 30
•
Il medium 34
• Mia moglie è una strega 36
• Ombre 39
•
Paura nella città dei morti viventi 42
1981
51
L’altro inferno 51
•
Black Cat 55
•
Bollenti spiriti 60
•
C’è un fantasma nel mio letto 62
• …E tu vivrai nel terrore!
L’aldilà 64
• Fantasma d’amore 73
• Murder Obsession 75
•
Quella villa accanto al cimitero 84
1982
93
Amityville II: The Possession 93
•
Assassinio al cimitero etrusco 96
•
La casa stregata 99
• Manhattan Baby 101
• Notturno con
grida 105
• La villa delle anime maledette—The Damned 108
1983
111
La bimba di Satana 111
•
Zeder 114
1985
121
Dèmoni 121
•
Fracchia contro Dracula 127
•
Monster Dog,
a.k.a. Leviatán 130
1986
134
Anemia 134
•
La casa del buon ritorno 136
•
Dèmoni 2 … l’incubo
ritorna 139
1987
142
La croce dalle 7 pietre 142
•
Spettri 146
1988
149
Blood Delirium (Delirio di sangue) 149
•
Il bosco 1 152
•
La casa
3—Ghosthouse 154
• La casa 4 (Witchcraft) 157
• Killing Birds—
Raptors 159
• Il nido del ragno 162
• Nosferatu a Venezia 166
vii
viii Table of Contents 1989
171
La chiesa 171
• Etoile 175
• I frati rossi 178
• Paganini
Horror 181
• Streghe (Witch Story) 185
Appendix 1: Direct- to-Video Releases
189
Appendix 2: Made- for-TV Films
199
Bibliography
211
Index
215
Introduction
“World champions!”
riddled with eleven gun and machine- gun
bullets, stuffed in the trunk of a red Renault
on July , 982, Italy won the 2th edition
parked in the very center of Rome.
of the FIFA soccer World Cup, defeating West
Aldo moro’s killing marked the begin-
Germany 3– during the final match at the “san-
ning of the end for the Red brigades and other
tiago bernabeu” stadium in madrid, spain. Al-
terrorist groups. It generated a widespread
most 37 million Italians were watching tv on
sense of revulsion in public opinion, and
that night, and as the referee blew the final whis-
many defections from the ranks of these
tle the nation exploded in a collective exultation,
groups. the bR and other groups performed
while tv commentator nando martellini
more violent acts, with 29 victims in 978, 22
shouted, over and over, “Campioni del mondo!”
in 979 and 30 in 980. but the terrorists were
(“World champions!”). It was more than just a
becoming more isolated, and with the contri-
victory: it was a collective catharsis, and not only
butions of the so- called “pentiti” (repentants)
because soccer was (and still is) Italy’s most pop-
the bR columns were dismantled. but moro’s
ular sport. the soccer World Cup came as a
death was the deflagration that started a chain
symbolic revival, marking the end of one of the
reaction of political events, such as the resign-
darkest periods in Italian history.
ing of the President of the Republic Giovanni
After the kidnapping of premier (and
leone on June �
��5, 978, and the Communist
leader of the democrazia Cristiana party) Aldo
Party losing 4 percent of votes in the June 979
moro on march 6, 978, at the hands of the
terrorist group brigate Rosse (Red brigades),
first time since 948—and abandoning its
the whole nation had fallen into a state of
strategy of “historic compromise,” that is, the
shock. the ensuing 55 days of moro’s impris-
plans of a government in convergence with
onment, the exhausting negotiations, the let-
democrazia Cristiana in name of a greater
ters written by the premier to government
political good (to which moro was also favor-
leaders, his family and the Pope, and moro’s
able: not by chance, his body was found in a
dramatic photographs in his cell sent to the
road symbolically equidistant from the
newspapers by the brigate Rosse had marked
democrazia Cristiana and Partito Comunista
the eruption of death on the political scene.
Italiano headquarters). Finally, in mid–octo-
death and politics had become one and the
ber 980 a long and massive strike at turin’s
same: a grim, terrible spectacle which had in-
FIAt automobile plant (which had started
vaded every single minute in the media, day
after the company’s announcement that it
after day. All this had climaxed on may 9, with
would lay off some 4,000 employees due to
the finding of moro’s lifeless body, executed
the market for cars being in recession) came
by his kidnappers after a summary “trial” and
to an unexpected end with 40,000 FIAt em-
2 Introduction ployees marching through the streets of turin
they wanted to purchase cars, clothes, jewels
and demanding their right to go back to work.
and other expensive status symbols, eat and
It was, as the Washington Post noted, “the ul-
drink in fashionable restaurants. Consumerism
timate repudiation of both their own union
had become a way to elevate oneself above his
leadership and, of course, the Communists.”2
or her social status and feel like a member of
After the collective commitment of 968,
the elite. the climate was favorable for the ad-
the social struggles and their degeneration,
vent to power of another political force. In 983,
which gave way to the “years of lead” (973–
the rise of PsI (Italian socialist Party) and bet-
980), characterized by the violent confronta-
tino Craxi’s designation as prime minister was
tion between the state and the militant ter-
the coronation marking such an era.
rorist groups, ordinary people were losing
milan, the economic center of this new
touch with politics. the disengagement (or
trend, the design and finance capital, was nick-
“political reflux”) led to the refusal of ideolo-
named “la Milano da bere” (drinking milan)
gies and parties and the rise of neoliberal
for its excesses—cash, cocktails, cocaine—and
ideas. the discovery in 98 of the subversive
silvio berlusconi was its undisputed emperor.
pseudo–masonic lodge Propaganda due (or
Already a successful entrepreneur who had
P2) didn’t improve upon this widespread dis-
founded his empire on construction with the
trust. A clandestine far- right organization led
building of the residential neighborhood of
by licio Gelli, P2 counted among its members
milano due (milan two) in the late 960s,
some of Italy’s most powerful individuals
berlusconi had entered the world of commu-
(politicians, industrialists, military leaders, et
nication and television as early as 973, when
cetera). Its plans for a “democratic Rebirth”
he set up a small cable television company
encompassed corruption, murder and as-
named telemilano, originally limited to serv-
sorted crimes (including, possibly, a partici-
ice the milano due area, which later evolved
pation in the 980 explosion at the bologna
into Canale 5, Italy’s first national private tv
train station, which killed 85 people and
station. between 980 and 984 berlusconi (a
wounded more than 200), and were aimed at
P2 member, incidentally) expanded his broad-
the control of mass media, suppression of
casting empire by absorbing the competitors
trade unions, and the radical rewriting of the
and becoming the monopolist in the tv mar-
Italian Constitution in order to favor a total-
ket with his company Fininvest: in 982 he
itarian state.
bought Italia from the Rusconi family, and
the P2 scandal further weakened the na-
two years later he acquired Rete 4 from mon-
dadori. In 984 he owned the three major net-
came to the fore, and the new decade marked
works outside RAI, each targeted at a specific
the return from the public to the private sphere:
audience (general, young, female/elderly).
Italians were rediscovering consumerism, and
the constant violation of the laws on the part
the advent of private tv networks gave new
of berlusconi’s channels prompted the mag-
impulse to frivolities, advertising, and all things
istrate to forcibly obscure them, but Craxi,
revolving around pure and simple entertain-
berlusconi’s close friend, was the right man
ment. Italy’s 982 soccer triumph (with the new
in the right place, and he came to his aid.
President of the Republic, ex- partisan sandro
between october 984 and June 985, the
Pertini, watching the game on the stands of the
socialist premier favored the development of
madrid stadium, significantly representing the
berlusconi’s tv empire with the so- called
whole of Italy) became the coronation of all
“decreti Berlusconi” (“berlusconi decrees”),
that—and more. After a decade of blood and
which made this system “temporarily” legal.
bullets, people wanted to smile. even more,
It wasn’t until 990 that a new law (the so-
Introduction 3
called “Legge Mammì”) consolidated what
theatrically dropped dramatically. In the
Craxi’s decrees had established, making berlus-
969–970 season there were 587 releases, in
coni the most powerful man in Italy.
979–80 there were 480, and in 989–90 the
number decreased again to 376. In the early
980s, the hardcore porn market had been an
Death Smiles at the Murderer, or:
illusory oasis for some, but by the end of the
Cinema vs. Television
decade, home video (with movies being dis-
tributed not only in video shops, but in news-
the number of spectators, venues and
stands as well, often at cut- rate prices) had al-
films distributed theatrically can provide an
most completely consumed that area too. the
idea of the quick death of Italian cinema
rise of home video in the mid–980s meant
throughout the decades. In 970, there had
that some titles found a second commercial
been 525 million moviegoers; in 980 the
life: lucio Fulci’s films, for instance, were
number had decreased dramatically to 24.8
among the most rented in video stores.
million. In 990, there would be only 90 mil-
newspapers announced “Berlusconi a
lion. meanwhile, the seconda and terza visione
capofitto nel cinema”4 (“berlusconi dives
venues—second-run and third- run cinemas,
headlong into cinema”) in July 986, reporting
located in the outskirts of cities and small
the news of the tv mogul’s massive entry in
towns respectively—were gradually closing
the movie business through a deal between
down, engulfed in the red- light circuit or sim-
Reteitalia—a subsidiary of the Fininvest hold-
ply dismantled to make room for banks,
ing owned by berlusconi, founded in 979 and
megastores and bingo halls, cutting short the
devoted to producing and purchasing films
commercial life of b- movies. the ,560 the-
and tv programs—and one of the country’s
aters (of which 6,929 were “industrial venues”
major distribution companies, medusa. At
while the rest comprised parish cinemas, cul-
first Reteitalia was fully engaged in foreign
tural associations, and so on) active in 970
tv acquisitions, submitting Italian audiences
were reduced to 8,453 in 980 (of which 5,336
to a steady diet of American tv shows, from
were industrial venues) and 3,923 in 990
The Dukes of Hazzard to The Jeffersons, but
(with 2,59 industrial venues). the percentage
berlusconi’s plans rapidly expanded to cinema.
of first run theaters on the market, which was
the company began purchasing the “diritti
a very low in 970, at just .6 percent, became
d’antenna” (broadcasting rights) in 983 by
92 percent in 980, and 94 percent in 990.3
paying huge sums in advance to producers, a
this indicated that there was no longer room
system which soon replaced the “guaranteed
for the “mercato di profondità” (deep market),
minimum” advanced by distributors for the