Possible minor spoilers.
Though less fluid than Zombie, The Gates of Hell still has a lot to offer the open-minded horror fan. A priest's suicide unleashes supernatural forces on the small town of Dunwich. Mirrors break, kittens become aggressive, dust storms kick up...but that's merely an appetizer. We are then confronted with scenes so extremely gory that, while the film is unrated, bolster it to the equivalent of an X.
In Lucio Fulci's feverish nightmare, all hell, quite literally, breaks loose. The film brims with atmosphere, from the seance-hanging to the premature burial to the misty nights of the living dead. Fabio Frizzi's score is the perfect compliment. While characterization may not be Fulci's strong suit, Giovanni Lombardo Radice (also known as John Morghen) is distinctive and oddly engaging as the town scapegoat (who meets a VERY bad end). Catriona MacColl is lovely and vivacious, and everyone else basically stands around.
Fulci's direction mostly concerns the composition of shocking, haunting visuals, and he's not skimping here. He gives us flying fireballs (accomplished perfectly, without a computer-cartoon in sight) and a hail of maggots a la Suspiria, but that's his brand of subtlety! When he really breaks out the big guns...let's just say that this isn't a movie you should watch while eating popcorn. A cinematic milestone is reached as a hemorrhaging woman literally retches her guts up, in unsparing detail. I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll just say that there are generous helpings of blood, guts, and horrifying physical pain (Radice's fate is particularly disturbing). Tense, frightening, and quite daring, this is a must for horror fans who consider themselves unshockable. The only glitch is the ending, which makes no sense at all.
Though less fluid than Zombie, The Gates of Hell still has a lot to offer the open-minded horror fan. A priest's suicide unleashes supernatural forces on the small town of Dunwich. Mirrors break, kittens become aggressive, dust storms kick up...but that's merely an appetizer. We are then confronted with scenes so extremely gory that, while the film is unrated, bolster it to the equivalent of an X.
In Lucio Fulci's feverish nightmare, all hell, quite literally, breaks loose. The film brims with atmosphere, from the seance-hanging to the premature burial to the misty nights of the living dead. Fabio Frizzi's score is the perfect compliment. While characterization may not be Fulci's strong suit, Giovanni Lombardo Radice (also known as John Morghen) is distinctive and oddly engaging as the town scapegoat (who meets a VERY bad end). Catriona MacColl is lovely and vivacious, and everyone else basically stands around.
Fulci's direction mostly concerns the composition of shocking, haunting visuals, and he's not skimping here. He gives us flying fireballs (accomplished perfectly, without a computer-cartoon in sight) and a hail of maggots a la Suspiria, but that's his brand of subtlety! When he really breaks out the big guns...let's just say that this isn't a movie you should watch while eating popcorn. A cinematic milestone is reached as a hemorrhaging woman literally retches her guts up, in unsparing detail. I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll just say that there are generous helpings of blood, guts, and horrifying physical pain (Radice's fate is particularly disturbing). Tense, frightening, and quite daring, this is a must for horror fans who consider themselves unshockable. The only glitch is the ending, which makes no sense at all.