City of the Living Dead” is a horror movie that marks the beginning of Lucio Fulci’s “Gates of Hell” trilogy, followed by the celebrated “The Beyond” and “The House by the Cemetery.” Keep reading to find our city of the living dead review.
Although some may argue that it’s the least satisfying of the three in the gates of hell trilogy, still has its unique charm. Fulci may have used the same stars and costumes in the three movies to save money, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that this film has an otherworldly rhythm, peppered with memorable shock scenes. Although it lacks a coherent plot and typical professional production qualities, it is still fascinating and compelling in its own right.
The film starts with a priest who hangs himself in the graveyard of Dunwich, a small town built on the ruins of Salem, MA. Meanwhile, in NYC, a psychic has a vision that his death has opened the portals to hell, leading to a prolonged conversation about “The Book of Enoch” that has nothing to do with the rest of the movie. At Mary’s funeral the next day, she revives in her coffin, and reporter Peter Bell frees her. They head to Dunwich to close the gate before All Saints’ Day, for otherwise, all hell will break loose on earth.
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The town of Dunwich is a chaotic mess, with teleporting zombies ripping the brains out of townsfolk, and blow-up sex dolls inflating themselves by themselves. Despite the lack of typical filmmaking qualities, “City of the Living Dead” achieves a surreally disorienting sense of absurdly non-sequitur horror. It’s not the scariest of Fulci’s films, but it will still make you squirm. If you’re a fan of Italian horror films of the Golden Age of Grindhouse, you won’t be disappointed with this classic of the genre, albeit with flaws that are easy to overlook.
On August 11, 1980, the Italian version of City of the Living Dead, titled “Paura nella città degli morti viventi,” was released. The Gates of Hell was the name given to it when it was later released in the US in 1983.
It is known that the movie was popular enough to inspire two sequels as a part of Lucio Fulci’s unofficial “Gates of Hell” trilogy, even if the movie’s box office results are not widely known. Additionally, the movie has a cult following in Europe and the United States, especially among admirers of Italian horror movies.
City of the Living Dead has detractors despite its commercial success. Many reviews condemned the film’s weak performances and special effects, as well as its unconvincing narrative structure and premise. The movie has also received appreciation for its terrifying scenes and bizarre atmosphere, and it is still regarded as a treasured masterpiece of the Golden Era of Grindhouse.
The films are considered to be the best italian zombie movies.
You can check out the film on Amazon.
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