EssenceStory Well Deserved Praise

BootDigest Such a frustrating disappointment

CommentsXp Best movie ever!

Quiet Muffin This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

Leofwine_draca Yet another Fulci zombie film, CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD has a number of differences from Fulci's other zombie flicks in order to make it enjoyable even for those who are familiar with his work. THE BEYOND was a dream-like fantasy, ZOMBIE FLESH EATERS was an old-fashioned adventure romp, while CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD is a detective story mixed in with typical zombie mayhem. Even those who are fans of Fulci's other films tend to criticise this one for its shoddy production values. In this case I am forced to disagree. I found this to be an atmospheric, intriguing film with characters I cared about (they're more fleshed out here than in other similar slices of celluloid) and at times I would even call the film scary. Firstly though, the criticisms.There were a number of elements which were uncomfortably similar to the same director's ZOMBIE FLESH EATERS, especially when the music began a slow beat and a zombie came out of the ground, which was almost exactly like the previous year's effort. The film was also rather dark which was in some cases annoying, but it wasn't too bad. The special effects weren't as pronounced as in Fulci's other films, in particular the zombies looked like they were covered in makeup instead of the fantastic, undead Spanish Conquistadors from ZFE. There was also a noticeable lack of gore (for Fulci that is - to a mainstream viewer, this would appear as sick as hell), apart from the two infamous "vomit" and "drill" scenes, and all around the special effects aren't used as well here as in Fulci's other 'masterpieces'.What we do have in the film's favour is an excellent second half, with the disappearing zombies playing tricks on our minds. These scenes are truly unnerving, especially the dead zombie in the kitchen. A very chilling scene. The acting is also good all round for a change. Catriona MacColl plays much the same type of character - a woman caught up in evil around her - as she did in THE BEYOND, but it's impossible to deny that she is a very warm and likable actress. Christopher George, star of countless cheap horror and exploitation films (THE EXTERMINATOR for example), is excellent as the typical American detective, I loved his performance. Carlo de Mejo (THE OTHER HELL) is bearded and sometimes unintentionally hilarious as the psychiatrist, and John Morghen (described once, by John Martin I believe, as the "whipping boy" of Italian horror) is creepy as the town weirdo. Michele Soavi, the guy in the mask from DEMONS, has a small role too.I don't know why this film gets so much criticism, really. It may be clichéd with all the shock scenes but they are very effective and enjoyable. I was also actually scared by some moments, which is rare for me in a horror film. To the film's credit, there are a couple of times Fulci tries something a little different from his usual formula. The death of Emily's parents is made more horrific as Fulci only suggests it by having blood dripping through the ceiling. He could easily have set up some rubber corpses but it's made all the more worse as he leaves the deaths to our imagination. Another scene - the maggot storm - appears to have been borrowed from Argento's SUSPIRIA, but it's much more over the top and effective here.There's a heavy, claustrophobic atmosphere, helped once again by Fabio Frizzi's excellent score, which is a little reminiscent of his work for ZOMBIE FLESH EATERS but otherwise stirring. The film suggests the decay - both moral and physical - of small town life very well, and has a scary, unpleasant atmosphere where nobody is safe from the zombies. Well worth seeing, this gets a thumbs up from me.

Giallo Fanatic It has got to be one of the most disgusting movies ever made with its often macabre and tasteless violence. But that is what violence really is, right? It has one of the most awe inspiring special effects ever put on film (the drilling head scene comes to mind) and make up effects. The make up was so effective I could almost taste the flesh of the living dead and it added to its dreadful atmosphere of heresy and sin. The premise is almost the same as 'Zombi 2', but in a more metaphysical and heretical way. But first: year of release: 1980, genre: horror/fantasy, director: Lucio Fulci, writers: Lucio Fulci and Dardano Sacchetti, themes: sin, heresy, death, afterlife and doom, plot: close the Gates of Hell before it is too late, summary: a priest commits a sin by hanging himself on a cemetery and consequently opens the Gates of Hell; a medium and a reporter sets out to close the Gates of Hell again before All Saints Day. We are thrown into a much more otherworldly heresy and sin compared to 'Zombi 2'. 'City of the Living Dead' is much more metaphysical and supernatural in its depiction. It is also more obvious with its main themes compared to what Fulci wanted to communicate to his audience in 'Zombi 2'.Here I feel he is more original than when he made 'Zombi 2', which was basically made to cash in on 'Zombi's' (Dawn of the Dead) success. (Although 'Zombi 2' is more than just a cheap cash in). I feel Lucio is a little more personal with his movie here, Fulci having grown up as a strict Catholic tries to communicate his passion to the audience. Fulci suffered a lot because of his religion, because of its strict rules and doctrines and he even once proclaimed that our Christian God is a God of Passion (Passion etymologically means suffering), which he shows in his movie here by having a priest break a taboo by committing suicide. A broken taboo which opens the Gates of Hell and the dead return from Hell to haunt the living. A vision of Doom and Apocalypse that some circles in Christianity long for so the sinners can be judged and burn in Hell. Because, honestly, in the views of Christianity there is nothing more despicable than mankind. Man who has to spend his life to repent his sins and pray and beg for Absolution so that he may come home to Eden, which he was thrown out of because of his foolish wife tempted him to take a bite of the Forbidden Fruit. Petty and small man is according to the Holy Book, which many people take seriously. That is the essence of this movie and what Lucio Fulci wanted to communicate to the audience.Besides its strong themes the movie has its atmosphere, I did not get drawn in by the story or plot but by the atmosphere of the movie. That feeling of heresy and angst of doing something wrong. Breaking a taboo which has strong consequences and fills one with regret and fear of what is to come. After those years ago that is what I remember most about this movie. What I also remember is the gloriously disgusting make up effects and the tasteless violence with its Goth and Metaphysical atmosphere which I find hard to match in other movies besides Mario Bava's movies. Mario Bava's 'Black Sunday' and 'Black Sabbath' come to mind and this movie plays out like a Black Sabbath heavy metal song. Slow, heavy and dreadful, full of lyrics of Doom and Death. Although some of the acting in the movie can be quite weak and the movie's pace is quite inconsistent it is a movie I became quite fond of over the years. I really did not like it at first. I felt it was too slow and its shock tactics too old fashioned and predictable, but I could not deny its Goth and I find it hard to resist. This is a really pessimistic movie with little to no sense of humor so overall it is not really an entertaining movie. But when it comes to horror, Goth, gore and violence it really is an undeniable gem. Albeit for the ones who are familiar with the Italian horror movies.I am restraining myself a little by giving it a 9/10 rating, because although it is fantastic as a horror/Goth Fantasy for me some of the acting and incoherent pace still makes me think this is not a masterpiece.

richiej-39205 The scene early on in this film where the zombie rises from a pile of leaves amuses me to no end. Most people- before being turned undead by whatever unseen forces- are usually buried in A COFFIN a few feet down- not literally right at the surface. Of course with all the goofs and lapses in plot and continuity, this is just one example, but I thought I'd point it out since viewers have mentioned most of the others.The infamous gore scenes are too fake-looking to be truly stomach- churning. If Tom Savini had done the FX on Fulci's movies..oh man think of how that would have been. Christopher George is always a pleasure and adds some respectability to the otherwise poor acting. The worms and maggots on some of the zombies were better actors!

Sammy_Sam_Sam Okay, this is the briefest of brief reviews! I love 'Don't Torture a Duckling'; it's a great movie. I really like 'The Beyond' (for all it's negative aspects, it's a fine film). 'Zombie Flesh Eaters' is brilliant (a personal favourite). This film is not in the same league. It's a really trashy B movie with poor effects and it simply has none of the magic which makes his best movies what they are. I really wanted to like the film, but in truth it wasn't all that good. If you see it cheap to buy somewhere then perhaps pick it up for a viewing, but I can almost guarantee that you won't like it anywhere near as much as the movies mentioned above!