Main cast: Christopher George (Peter Bell), Katriona Mac Coll (Mary Woodhouse), Carlo De Mejo (Gerry), Antonella Interlenghi (Emily Robbins), Giovanni Lombardo Radice (Bob), Daniela Doria (Rosie Kelvin), Fabrizio Jovine (Father William), Luca Paisner (John-John Robbins), Michele Soavi (Tommy Fisher), Venantino Venantini (Mr Ross), Enzo D’Ausilio (The Deputy Sheriff), Adelaide Aste (Theresa), Luciano Rossi (Policeman in Apartment), Robert Sampson (Sheriff Russell), and Janet Agren (Sandra)
Director: Lucio Fulci
Lucio Fulci, the godfather of “Wait, what just happened?” horror, was never one for coherent storytelling. Instead, he built his legacy on a foundation of gratuitous gore, practical effects that somehow manage to be both disgusting and charmingly outdated, and a fog machine so overworked it probably qualified for union benefits. If you’ve ever heard a rumor that Mr Fulci was buried with his beloved fog machine, believe it—it was practically his fifth Beatle.
Nowhere is Mr Fulci’s love for atmospheric nonsense more evident than in City of the Living Dead, or Paura nella città dei morti viventi if you want to impress your Italian friends.
The movie kicks off with Father Thomas hanging himself in the delightfully Lovecraftian village of Dunwich. “Cosmic horror ahead!” you think. “This is going to be deep and unsettling!”
Spoiler alert: it’s neither.
Instead, we’re introduced to four protagonists who are tasked with saving the world by closing a portal to hell. The catch? They seem to have confused racing against time with leisurely road trip. Oh, the world’s ending? Better stop for lunch. And while we’re at it, let’s take a bathroom break. The sense of urgency is so non-existent that you half expect them to stop for ice cream and a quick game of mini golf.
But let’s not forget Lucio Fulci’s pièce de résistance: the death scenes. Whether it’s a man’s head being drilled in excruciating detail (seriously, why do we need to see this?) or a woman vomiting up her own intestines, the gore is both horrifying and hilariously out of place. It’s as if Mr Fulci and co-writer Dardano Sacchetti realized halfway through filming that they needed to throw in some carnage to distract from the fact that nothing else is happening.
The movie eventually picks up steam in the final act, cramming in as much blood and terror as possible. By this point, though, you’re either too bored or too confused to care.
And then there’s the ending, a sudden, abrupt cut to black that feels less like a conclusion and more like the editor fell asleep on the job. Did they run out of money? Did the fog machine finally quit in protest? We’ll never know.
Despite all this, City of the Living Dead isn’t without its charms. It’s a masterclass in how to use lighting, sound, and music to create tension—even when absolutely nothing of importance is happening. Sure, the fog can go from “eerie” to “accidentally hilarious” in the blink of an eye, but it’s all part of the Fulci experience.
Is this Lucio Fulci’s best work? Not even close. However, the death scenes alone are worth the price of admission, or at least a quick YouTube search. Just be prepared to fast-forward through the filler—and maybe keep a fog machine handy for ambiance.
