La chiesa (1989)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Michele Soavi

Writers:

Nick Alexander (dialogue: English version)
Dario Argento (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

10 March 1989 (Italy)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Fantasy

Tagline:

It will make you squirm.

Plot:

An old Gothic cathedral, built over a mass grave, develops strange powers which trap a number of people inside with ghosts from a 12th Century massacre seeking to resurrect an ancient demon from the bowels of the Earth.

Plot Keywords:

Demon | Female Nudity | Sequel | Supernatural | Witchcraft

Cast

Hugh Quarshie	...	Father Gus
Tomas Arana	...	Evan
Feodor Chaliapin Jr.	...	The Bishop
Barbara Cupisti	...	Lisa
Antonella Vitale	...	Bridal Model
Giovanni Lombardo Radice	...	Reverend
Asia Argento	...	Lotte
Roberto Caruso	...	Freddie
Roberto Corbiletto	...	Hermann, the Sacristan
Alina De Simone	...	Lottie's Mother
Olivia Cupisti	...	Mira
Gianfranco De Grassi	...	The Accuser
Claire Hardwick	...	Joanna
Lars Jorgenson	...	Bruno
John Karlsen	...	Heinrich
Katherine Bell Marjorie	...	Heinrich's Wife
Riccardo Minervini	...	Schoolboy
Enrico Osterman	...	The Torturer
Micaela Pignatelli	...	Fashion shoot photographer
Patrizia Punzo	...	Miss Brückner
John Richardson	...	Architect
Matteo Rocchietta	...	Younger Schoolboy
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Michele Soavi	...	1st Policeman at Lisa's House (uncredited)

Directed by
Michele Soavi

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Nick Alexander		dialogue: English version
Dario Argento		writer
Fabrizio Bava		prologue (uncredited)
Lamberto Bava		uncredited
Franco Ferrini		writer
M.R. James		story "The Treasure of Abbot Thomas" (uncredited)
Dardano Sacchetti		uncredited
Michele Soavi		writer

Produced by
Dario Argento	....	producer
Mario Cecchi Gori	....	producer
Vittorio Cecchi Gori	....	producer

Original Music by
Keith Emerson
Philip Glass
Goblin
Fabio Pignatelli

Cinematography by
Renato Tafuri

Film Editing by
Franco Fraticelli

Production Design by
Massimo Antonello Geleng

Costume Design by
Maurizio Paiola

Makeup Department
Laura Borselli	....	makeup artist
Franco Casagni	....	makeup artist
Piero Cucchi	....	hair stylist
Assunta Emidi	....	hair stylist
Rosario Prestopino	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Giuseppe Mangogna	....	executive in charge of production
Saverio Margogna	....	unit manager
Ezio Orita	....	production secretary

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Filiberto Fiaschi	....	assistant director

Art Department
Fabio Altamura	....	props
Daniela Giovannoni	....	assistant set designer
Osvaldo Monaco	....	props
Barbara Morosetti	....	assistant designer: special scenic creations
Caterina Napoleone	....	set dresser
G.P. Postgione	....	set furnishing
Antigone Predatori	....	carpenter
E. Rancati	....	set furnishing
E. Rancoti	....	set furnishing
Sergio Stivaletti	....	special scenic effects
Aldo Taloni	....	set construction chief
E. Tappezzeri	....	carpenter

Sound Department
Luca Anzellotti	....	sound effects editor
Luciano Anzellotti	....	additional sound effects (as L. Anzellotti)
Massimo Anzellotti	....	additional sound effects (as M. Anzellotti)
Mauro Anzelotti	....	additional sound effects soundtrack
Claudio Paolucci	....	boom operator
Giulio Viggiani	....	production sound mixer

Special Effects by
Renato Agostini	....	special effects
Danilo Bollettini	....	special effects
Massimo Cristofanelli	....	special effects
Sergio Stivaletti	....	special effects

Stunts
Arnaldo Dell'Acqua	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Alessandro Carlotto	....	camera operator
Maurizio Cremisini	....	assistant camera (as Maurizio Cremesini)
Enrico Maggi	....	camera operator
Fernando Massaccesi	....	gaffer
Nicola Pecorini	....	Steadicam operator
Augusto Proietti	....	key grip
Alfonso Vicari	....	assistant camera
Franco Vitale	....	still photographer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Claudio Antonucci	....	wardrobe assistant
Carla Latini	....	dress maker

Editorial Department
Piero Bozza	....	first assistant editor
Roberto Priori	....	second assistant editor

Music Department
Max Carola	....	composer: additional music
Max Carola	....	conductor
Martin Goldray	....	musician: synthesizer, Philip Glass pieces
Massimo Morante	....	musician (as Goblin)
Fabio Pignatelli	....	musician (as Goblin)

Other crew
Marisa Calia	....	continuity
Carlo Cestari	....	paymaster
Carlo Du Bois	....	production accountant
Maurizio Garrone	....	animal trainer
Claudio Lattanzi	....	assistant to director
Enrico Lucherini	....	unit publicist
Enzo Orita	....	production secretary
Grunwald Martino P.	....	animal supplier
Gianluca Pignatelli	....	unit publicist
Daniela Rocco	....	production secretary
Marco Stefanelli	....	animal supplier
Sergio Stivaletti	....	special scenic creations
Antonella Villanti	....	bookkeeper (as Antonella Villaniti)

Production Companies

• ADC Films
• Cecchi Gori Group Tiger Cinematografica
• Reteitalia

Distributors

• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Blue Underground (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• DMEG (2004) (Sweden) (video)
• Gativideo (1994) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Media Blasters (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Nippon Columbia Co. Ltd. (1990) (Japan) (VHS)
• Shriek Show (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• South Gate Entertainment (1991) (USA) (VHS)
• Spike K.K. (2001) (Japan) (DVD)
• Vivivideo (Italy) (VHS)

Other Companies

• A. & G. Corridori  special stage effects
• Artigiana Arredatori e Tappezzieri  carpeting
• Bixio C.E.M.S.A  music production
• CIAK Italia  production equipment
• Cinears S.r.l.  set furnishing
• Cinesicurtà  insurance
• Cinevox Records  soundtrack released by
• De Paolis, Rome  sound stages
• Dedalo S.r.l.  set furnishing
• Franco Petracca & Co.  lighting
• G.P. 11 Safas Cantini  costume house (as G.P. 11)
• G.R.P. S.r.l.  set furnishing
• Hungarofilm  dialogue film studio: Budapest Sequences
• Immaginateca Sas  carpeting
• L.A.B.A. S.r.l.  costume jewelry
• L.C.P.  footwear
• R.P.A. Elios Studios  sound stages
• Rocchetti e Carboni  wigs
• Romana Trasporti Cinematografici S.r.l.  transportation
• Sound Track S.n.c  additional sound effects
• Studio A.M.  titles and opticals
• Technovision  camera equipment provided by

Also Known As:

Cathedral of Demons
Demon Cathedral
Demons 3
In the Land of the Demons
The Church

Runtime:

102 min | USA:98 min (R-rated version)

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian | Hungarian | Latin

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Italy:VM14 | Australia:R | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:18 | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Budapest, Hungary

Company:

ADC Films

Trivia:

The design for the lizard-demon-gargoyle creature is taken from a infamous 1600s wood-carving depicting a man selling his soul to the devil.

Quotes:

Father Gus: [after a huge fish like demon is attacking the male model] MY GOD! What's going on here?

Movie Connections:

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

Soundtrack:

Civil Wars

Masterfully devilish chiesa

Michele Soavi (born in 1957 in Italy) began as an assistant director for Dario Argento and the late exploitation king Aristide Massacessi before finally having the opportunity, by Aristide, to direct his first feature film, Deliria aka Stage Fright in 1987. That film was a great example of his talents and it remains as one of the most suspenseful and inventive of the later day giallo related horror mysteries to come out from Italy. He also directed the atmospheric La Setta aka The Sect in 1991 and Dellamorte Dellamore in 1994, neither of these being as wonderful as his second film, La Chiesa aka The Church from 1989, co-written by him with Dario Argento and Franco Ferrini.

The film opens with a slaughter of some sixteenth century village and its people as they're suspected of devil worshipping and other unacceptable anti-religious things and so they get brutally killed and left dying, buried alive. A huge cross was left on them to make it impossible for the demons to rise again and also a church was built on the corpses. In present day, the huge cathedral is still there and serves very fine and safely until someone goes a little too far and plays with things that should have been left alone, resting in peace. Soon the spirits rise and devilish goings-on begin for the unhappy people who get trapped inside the huge church. But what really matters in this film is the talent of Soavi and his wonderful visual style and details to tell the story.

The cinematography is always interesting in Soavi's films and La Chiesa, too, is full of wild camera drives and smooth movements as well as menacing angles to tell about the forthcoming terror. The details I mentioned are, for example, those black statues that inhabit the church, some of which can also be very alive! Stage Fright has a very creepy usage of equally "dead alive" dolls that are captured on film with great power proving how Soavi can nail his audience to the seat with such simple images and things. Especially in La Chiesa in which we never even get to see the statues' dark faces..All the more ominous and wonderful.

The various monsters and devils that rise from the beyond are also convincing and maybe because of they're not shown too much or for too long. They won't look unintentionally funny and laughable but pretty effective especially at the very end. The effects and bursts of infernal gore are pretty graphic but in a very aesthetic way, never becoming too gross or revolting in this fairy tale they're present. The effects are by Sergio Stivaletti who has done effects for many Italian films like Lamberto Bava's Demoni (1985) and Dario Argento's La Sindrome di Stendhal (1996). The film gets also a little surreal at times which is of course great, and among the most memorable parts are the scenes depicting the abyss under the church..as nothing like it is supposed to be there and it all is just too living, again visualised with great usage of camera.

The incredible Italian rock band Goblin has made many immortal soundtracks for Argento and their (Keith Emerson) music in La Chiesa is equally hypnotic variation of the conventional church organs with the usual Goblin elements like repeated lines that are very effective and make the viewing experience again very intense. This must be among the greatest things Italy has given to the world of (movie) composers, alongside such other masters like Riz Ortolani (Cannibal Holocaust), Ennio Morricone (Leone, Il Grance Silenzio plus so many others), Fabio Frizzi (the Fulci composer) and so on. But for the horror genre alone, Goblins are probably the most powerful masters.

Few flaws in the film can be found in the last third that is more tired than the wonderful first hour that preceded it. They just try to explain too much something that wouldn't need or wouldn't even be too possible to be explained and that is very frustrating as it doesn't give anything to the suspense and terror atmosphere that has been created, only effectively tries to weaken it as the viewer starts to feel uncomfortable and also bored. Surreal and supernatural goings-on don't always have to be explained in cinema, let the images explain alone. Also some of the dialogue is a little exaggerated but that may be only in the English dubbing as the film has been widely distributed with the dubbing. There's also some bad and confusing editing especially near the end when things start turn more dramatic but other than these, La Chiesa is another horror masterpiece by Soavi, who has so far made only few horror films (plus a very interesting Argento documentary Dario Argento's World of Horror, in 1985) but who has also proved great talents and ideas to make the already wonderful Italian horror cinema genre even more masterful.

La Chiesa is 8/10 and a very noteworthy example of Italian gothic horror cinema with beautiful settings and locations and equally stunning usage of camera, fantasy and sonic elements.