Paura nella citta dei morti viventi (1980)

Country of Origin: Italy
Year of Production: 1980
Running Times: 89 mins (Germany; UK)     90 mins (Australia; Norway)     91 mins (Italy)     92 mins (USA)
Format: colour     35mm
Ratio: 1.85:1
Sound:

PRODUCTION
Production Company: Dania Film / Medusa Distribuzione / National Cinematografica
US Executive Producer: Robert Warner
Producer: Giovanni Masini
Unit Manager: Giannfranco Coduti

SCRIPT
Script: Lucio Fulci, Dardano Sacchetti

DIRECTION
Director: Lucio Fulci
Assistant Director: Roberto Giandalia

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Sergio Salvati
Camera: Roberto Forges Davanzati
Assistant Camera: Maurizio Lucchini
Key Grip: Giancarlo Serravalli
Chief Electrician: Roberto Belli
Stills: Garibaldi Schwarze
Labs: Luciano Vittori, Roma, Italy

EDITING AND POST PRODUCTION
Editor: Vincenzo Tomassi
Assistant Editors: Pietro Tomassi, Armando Pace

MUSIC
Music: Fabio Frizzi
Music Publishers: Flipper - NC

SOUND
Sound Engineer: Ugo Celani
Sound Mixer: Bruno Moreal
Boom: Eros Giustini
Sound Effects: Studio Sound
Sound Studios: N.C.

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Make Up: Franco Rufini
Assistant Make Up: Rosario Prestopino
Hair: Luciano Viti
Costume Designer: Massimo Antonello Geleng
Assistant Costumes: Luciana Morosetti

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects: Gino de Rossi

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Set Designer: Massimo Antonello Geleng
Assistant Set Designer: Ovidio Taito
Set Dresser: Giacomo Carlo Carducci
Props: Rodolfo Ruzza
Set Furnishings: Rancati-Cimino

MISCELLANEOUS
Continuity: Rita Agostini, Donatella Botti
Production Secretary: Franco Galizi
Assistant Production Secretary: Alfredo Fornacini

LOCATIONS
Locations: New York City, New York, USA; Savannah, Georgia, USA; INCIR - De Paolis Studios, Rome

STUNTS
Stunt Co-Ordinator: Nazzareno Cardinali

CAST
Christopher George (Peter Bell)
Katriona MacColl (Mary Woodhouse)
Carlo De Mejo (Gerry)
Antonella Interlenghi (Emily Robbins)
Giovanni Lombardo Radice (Bob)
Daniela Doria (Rose Kelvin)
Fabrizio Jovine (Father William Thomas)
Luca Venantini (John Robbins)
Michele Soavi (Tommy Fisher)
Venantino Venantini (Mr Ross)
Enzo D'Ausilio (Sheriff Russell's deputy)
Adelaide Aste (Madame Teresa)
Luciano Rossi (policeman in apartment)
Robert Sampson (Sheriff Russell)
Janet Agren (Sandra)
Lucio Fulci (Dr Joe Thompson - uncredited)
Michael Gaunt (gravedigger - uncredited)
Perry Pirkanen (blond gravedigger - uncredited)
Martin Sorrentino (Sergeant Clay - uncredited)

Following the death by suicide of the local priest, a gateway to Hell opens beneath the town of Dunwich and the dead are soon roaming the streets. A journalist and a psychic rush from New York to Dunwich to try to close the gateway before All Saints Day, after which, the dead will be free to pour out from Hell and conquer the living. (Full Synopsis)

The disjointed narrative conspires with atmospheric photography to make this one of the strangest of Fulci's horror films. The extremely messy gore scenes are what lured the punters in but the film has other assets as well - mean, moody and lots of fun, it's not as impressive as Fulci's subsequent L'aldila and Quella villa accanto al cimitero (both 1981) but there's barely a dull moment and the gore is satisfyingly gross. (Full Review)

Denmark
Video Distributor: Video Action / Bio

France
Video Distributor: South Pacific; Lumiere / carrere; Rene Chateau

Germany
Video Distributor: Euro; GMVilm

Greece
Video Distributor: International Video Club

Italy
Theatrical Distributor: Medusa Distribuzione
Video Distributor: Avo Film

Japan
Laserdisc Distributor: Sony / Mount Light (00LS 34-35)

Netherlands
Video Distributor: EVC

UK
Theatrical Distributor: Eagle
Video Distributor: Inter-Light / Intervision; Pacesetter; Network; Vipco

USA
Theatrical Distributor: Jerry Zimmerman / Michael Franzese / Motion Picture Marketing
Video Distributor: Embassy Home Entertainment; K & C Video; New Vision; Paragon Video; Threat Theatre

Australia
Rating: R

France
Rating: -16

Germany
Rating: 18

Italy
Rating: 18

UK
Ratings: X; 18
The original theatrical print was cut by 1 minute. Subsequent video releases were all cut to varying degrees - the Interlight / Intervision version was the same as the theatrical print while the Pacesetter and Vipco releases were cut by 2 minutes 21 seconds. The Network release fared only slightly better, having 1 minute 29 seconds removed.
BBFC: X; 18

USA
Rating: unrated

1980
July
Day Unknown: Italy - shooting begins

August
Day Unknown: Italy - shooting ends
11: Italy - theatrical release

1981
March
Day Unknown: UK - theatrical release

1982
May
9: UK - theatrical release

1983
May
Day Unknown: USA - theatrical release

When the moon turns red the dead shall rise.

The dead shall rise and walk the earth!

From the bowels of the earth they came... to collect the living!

Der neue Lucio Fulci-film... Der Kinosessel wird hier zum elektrischen Stuhl!

Blood Orgy - US drive-in title
City of the Living Dead - UK title
Entrada al Infierno - Spanish video title
Frayeurs - French title
The Gates of Hell - US title
Eine Leiche Hangt am Glockenseil - alternative German title
Miedo en la ciudad de los muertos vivientes - Spanish title
Pater Thomas - European bootleg title
La paura - shooting title
Ein Toter Hing am Glockenseil - alternative German title
Twilight of the Dead - alternate US title
Ein Zombie Hing am Glockenseil - German title

MAGAZINES

Cinefantastique vol.11 no.1 (Summer (1981) p.11 (USA)
illustrated article (by Mike Childs and Alan Jones)

Delirium 3 pp.39-41 (UK)
credits, synopsis, review

L'Ecran Fantastique no.14 p.57 (1980) (France)
review

L'Ecran Fantastique no.16 (1980) pp.17-33; 18-21 (France)
illustrated article, credits; illustrated interview with Lucio Fulci

Fangoria no.195 (August 2000) p.53 (USA)
illustrated DVD review

Films and Filming no.333 (June 1982) pp.33-34 (UK)
review (by Julian Petley)

Rivista del Cinematografo no.7 (July 1981) p.394 (Italy)
credits

Screen International no.341 (1 May 1982) p.20 (UK)
credits, review (by Marjorie Bilbow)

Spaghetti Cinema no.65 (August 1996) pp.40-41 (USA)
credits, synopsis, review

Starburst 30 p.23 (UK)
review

Starburst no.48 (August 1982) pp.12-13 (UK)
illustrated review (by Alan Jones)

Starburst no.64 p.43 (UK
review

Variety 25 May 1983 pp.18, 24 (USA)
credits, review (by Lor)

Video the Magazine August 1986 p.61 (UK)
illustrated review

BOOKS

Beyond Terror pp.162-167; 278
illustrated synopsis, review (by Stephen Thrower); credits

Horror and Science Fiction Films III pp.110-111
credits

Splatter Movies (2nd edition) p.124
review

OTHER SOURCES

screen
credits

zombies; disembowelling; priests; funerals; psychics; seances; buried alive; axes; cats; churches; hanging; new york; coffins; detectives; brains; rats; underground; gore; living dead; violence; power tools; drills; children; cemeteries; maggots; graveyards; skeletons; the supernatural; end of the world; splatter; gateway to hell; suicide

Last Updated: 1 January, 2009