1. A big event in high school was when a group of buddies
and I took the subway to the one theater in Atlanta that was showing Cemetery
Man. It was a horror geek pilgrimage to see a bonafide Italian Zombie Movie. A
great movie, a great memory. Cemetery Man became a reference point in our
marathon movie conversations. The director Michele Soavi did this movie before Cemetery
Man, and you can see the same style here, especially when winged lizard man
shows up.
2. This movie is all about the atmosphere. Nothing scary
happens, but it’s so beautifully shot, staged, and lit that you don’t care. Great
atmosphere and takes full advantage of the huge gothic cathedral they shot in.
If you get to shoot in an ancient gothic cathedral, it can only help your
movie. You got Cathedral? Movie makes itself.
3. Asia Argento is here as a gawky preteen who loves to go
out to cheesy Italian discos and dance with preppy little dweebs in Member’s
Only jackets. This was way before I met Asia at a Fango convention, married
her, only to have the relationship fall
apart under the microscope of public scrutiny. It was nobody’s fault.
Somethings aren’t built to last.
4. Hey, it has the degenerate from Gates of Hell, Giovanni
Lombardo Radice, all grown up and bald, this time playing a priest. Even in the
white collar, this guy is a greasy mess.
5. Speaking of greasy messes, everyone in this movie ends up
coated in baby oil. I liked that, lots of greasy hair and greasy, grimy skin,
and an alter made of muddy, writhing bodies. I guess that was an alter. Maybe
an animal head? Not sure what they were going for, but it looked cool. Bottomline:
There are no wet wipes in this world.
6. I liked that they didn’t go Evil Dead make up in depicting the possessed people. People just start
acting crazy. You don’t know who’s possessed, or if everyone is possessed. Is
anyone sane in this movie?!? The over the top acting and dubbing adds to this
confusion. Are they crazy and possessed, or is this just bad acting? It’s
great.
7. The greatest
dubbing comes when someone gets possessed and starts retching and gagging. I
can picture the actor in the sound booth making all these noises, the director
trying to guide his gacks and groans. Hilarious.
8. Philip Glass on the soundtrack, if that’s your kind of
thing, kind of thing, kind of thing, kind of thing, kind of thing, kind of
thing, kind of thing. You also get Goblin. So it’s legit.
9. Goat Head Man was fantastic. Imagine the love scene in Rosemary’s Baby, but with a big rubber goat head.
10. I missed this when it came out in the 80s. I love the
homemade feel.
All done in camera. I didn’t see one optical. Feels like theater and photography, not like Home Video with CG
monsters thrown on top.
Pairs well with: Prince of Darkness (1987) – It’s Carpenter,
so you know it’s awesome, and the two movies share a lot of plot similarities.
Show Stopper! Two words: Subway Train
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