City of the Living Dead

Lucio Fulci, the maestro of Italian gore, had several nauseating set pieces to his credit already by the time City of the Living Dead was released.  A mix-n-match of Romero-style gross-out effects and Lovecraftian atmosphere, the film is more a collection of scenes than a true coherent narrative.  But despite that (or maybe because of it), City is the epitome of over-the-top Italian horror.

After a priest’s suicide opens the gates of hell (the original American title, by the way) a journalist and psychic make their way to the small town of Dunwich to stop the evil from spilling over.  Competing for screen time are a local therapist and artist who notice the town is going to hell…quite literally…zombies are popping up and property values are going down.  

 

Fulci’s emphasis on gore always put him in the “hack” director category. But the first thing you’ll notice – particularly in Cauldron Films' new 4K Ultra HD - is how beautiful everything looks; even if that just happens to be maggots crawling out of someone’s nose!  No matter how you feel about the content, there’s no denying that City is an elegantly looking film, dripping in atmosphere and ominous camera work that amplifies the audience’s unease.  

 

So when Fulci adds an exclamation mark it makes an impression. A drill bit through the skull.  Fists full of brains.  Intestinal regurgitation.  City will test the limits of even the strongest stomachs.  Yet its signature scene – a close call with a pickaxe – recalls Hitchcock at his prime, proving that this “hack” was more than meets the eye.

 

Horror fans never seem to mind upgrading their favorites.  But Cauldron makes this a pretty easy decision, presenting the beautiful new Dolby Vision 4K disc along with a Blu-ray and third disc dedicated to new and archival extras.  That includes four audio commentaries, a trio of Q & A sessions, interviews, location tour and a superb Making Of that breaks-down every effects scene.

 

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