Paura nella città dei morti viventi (1980)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Lucio Fulci

Writers:

Lucio Fulci (story)
Dardano Sacchetti (story)

Release Date:

May 1983 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

And the dead shall rise and walk the earth!

Plot:

A reporter and a psychic race to close the Gates of Hell after the suicide of a clergyman caused them to open, allowing the dead to rise from the grave.

Plot Keywords:

Priest | Suicide | Reporter | Psychic | Death

Cast

Christopher George	...	Peter Bell
Catriona MacColl	...	Mary Woodhouse (as Katriona MacColl)
Carlo De Mejo	...	Gerry
Antonella Interlenghi	...	Emily Robbins
Giovanni Lombardo Radice	...	Bob
Daniela Doria	...	Rosie Kelvin
Fabrizio Jovine	...	Father William Thomas
Luca Venantini	...	John-John Robbins (as Luca Paisner)
Michele Soavi	...	Tommy Fisher
Venantino Venantini	...	Mr. Ross
Enzo D'Ausilio	...	Sheriff Russell's deputy
Adelaide Aste	...	Theresa
Luciano Rossi	...	Policeman in apartment
Robert Sampson	...	Sheriff Russell
Janet Agren	...	Sandra

Also Known As:

City of the Living Dead (International: English title)
Fear in the City of the Living Dead (Italy) (literal English title)
Pater Thomas (Europe) (bootleg title)
The Gates of Hell (USA)
Twilight of the Dead (USA) (pre-release title)

Runtime:

93 min | Australia:90 min (cut)

Country:

Italy

Language:

English | Italian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Denmark:16 | Germany:16 (cut) | Germany:18 (SPIO/JK) (uncut version) | UK:18 (re-rating: 1986) (cut) (re-rating: 2001) (uncut) | UK:X (original rating: 1981) (cut) | Finland:(Banned) (1985) | Finland:K-18 (2001) | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Norway:18 (re-rating) (uncut) (2007) | West Germany:18 (heavily cut) | Italy:VM14 (DVD rating) | Sweden:18 (video rating) | Argentina:18 | Australia:R | France:-16 (cut) | Italy:VM18 | USA:Unrated | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Dania Film

Trivia:

Future director Michele Soavi was originally up for the role of "Bob". However, Fulci changed his mind and decided to cast Giovanni Lombardo Radice instead, and Soavi was given a smaller role.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Mary could not have been buried alive as she would not have survived the embalming.

Quotes:

[examining the dead body of Emily Robbins]
Dr. Joe Thompson: Well, she certainly wasn't strangled. There doesn't seem to be any kind of physical abuse.
Sheriff Russell: Well, what was the cause of her death then?
Dr. Joe Thompson: Some kind of cardiac arrest. Only that expression on her face is like pure fear, like something scared her to death.
Sheriff Russell: Scared her?
Dr. Joe Thompson: [to Emily's father] Excuse me, Mr. Robbins, do you know if your daughter had a heart condition?
Mr. Robbins: No... no...
Sheriff Russell: Well, what's our procedure?
Dr. Joe Thompson: Sit tight. Everything depends on the autopsy.
Sheriff Russell: All right, I'll sit tight. But what am I supposed to do in the meantime?
[...]

Movie Connections:

Featured in Death Is Beautiful: Michele Soavi Directs Dellamorte Dellamore (2006) (V)

What the hell......

I saw this movie umpteen years ago as "Gates of Hell" when it first came out, in a theater in San Jose, CA, no less. Now it's under the original (?) title, City of the Living Dead, and it may be slightly different from what I saw way back then, but overall it's still the same. While Argento is the king of the "stylish" horror movie, Lucio Fulci is the king of the "gross-out". Hands down. We have a woman vomiting up her innards, lots of maggots, lots of rot, a drill through a head, zombies grabbing handfuls of skull and squeezing till the insides come out, etc. Sound good to you? Then read on. Oh, and this has Christopher George in it too, minus Linda Day George, oh well. A priest who has hanged himself in the New England town of Dunwich has somehow set off a chain of events that are opening the gates of hell. Somehow (I'm guessing here) someone has to find the grave of the priest and do something to prevent the gates of hell from opening on All Hallow's Eve, or something to that effect. But this is an Italian movie, so you're mostly along for the ride and the opportunity to squirm in your seat as one gruesome thing after another is shoved in your face. I'm not saying this is a terrible movie, although technically it could be labeled as such. It's just not one you watch to feel better about your life and the world in general.