Lazario's Contemporary Horror Digest - Volume 3
Posted: Tue May 22, 2007 4:15 pm
I forgot a few older flicks that I think deserve some attention. Expect this Volume to be very much out of chronilogical order and in a more experimental form.
<center>Nightmare City
<img src="http://image.allmusic.com/00/adg/cov200 ... "></center>
Sub-genres: Zombie, Mutant / Disease, Sci-Fi Horror / Apocalyptic, Exploitation, Splatter, Vampire
Director: Umberto Lenzi
Screenwriters: Antonio Cesare Corti, Luis María Delgado, Piero Regnoli
Cast: Hugo Stiglitz (Dean Miller), Laura Trotter (Dr. Anna Miller), Francisco Rabal (Major Warren Holmes), Maria Rosaria Omaggio (Sheila Holmes), Mel Ferrer (General Murchison), Stefania D'Amario (Jessica Murchison), Sonia Viviani (Cindy), Pierangelo Civera (Bob), Eduardo Fajardo (Dr. Kramer), Achille Belletti (Jim the "Dream" Hospital Patient), Sara Franchetti (Liz), Ugo Bologna (Mr. Desmond), Manuel Zarzo (Colonel Donahue), Tom Felleghy (Lieutenant Reedman)
Producers: Diego Alchimede, Luis Méndez
Music Composer: Stelvio Cipriani
Cinematographer/Director of Photography: Hans Burman
Film Editor: Daniele Alabiso
Art Director: Mario Molli
Costume Designer: Silvana Scandariato
Makeup Artists: Franco de / Di Girolami, Giuseppe Ferranti
Filming Location(s): De Paolis Studios, Rome, Lazio, Italy
Italian Theatrical Release Date: December 11, 1980
U.S. Theatrical Release Date(s): November 18, 1983
Advertisting / Promotional Tagline(s): (1) Now They Are Everywhere! There Is No Escape! / (2) Don't Get Caught "Alive"
Filmed in: Widescreen / Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Region 1 DVD first released: August 6, 2002 (1 release to date) / Screen Format: Widescreen, Languages: English Mono, Subtitles: none / Scene Chapters: 25 / Special Features: Director's Interview, Theatrical Trailer, Director's Text Profile
Notable Facts / Trivia
1. According to director Umberto Lenzi, both Franco Nero and Fabio Testi were considered for the lead in the film. However, the producer insisted on a Mexican leading man to appeal to Mexican audiences. Hence, the role went to Hugo Stiglitz.
International Video History/Facts
1. The 1986 UK Stablecane video version was cut by 3 minutes, 5 seconds by the BBFC to remove scenes of gore and violence including an eye gouging and a woman's breast being sliced off. All the cuts were fully waived for the 2003 Anchor Bay DVD release.
2. The 1999 German Laser Pacific Red Edition DVD release, Grossgrangriff Der Zombies, uses a Japanese print of the movie. Japanese text appears sometimes at the bottom of the screen when a major character is introduced. A fairly common inclusion for their imported movies, this text usually provides the name of and sometimes a brief description of the character.
What the Critics Have to Say:
DVD Verdict, Brett Cullum - "(a) harrowing tale," "fun to sit through," "it has a somewhat nifty climax in an amusement park, and a really surreal journey into a television station that is scarier than any zombie antics on any movie in the set"
DVD Verdict, Bill Gibron - "(a) sublime gore epic," "straddle(s) humor and horror in an expert and exciting manner," "regale(s) as (it) repulse(s)," "add Nightmare City to (the) pantheon of slaughter and knee slap extravaganzas," "(a) pleasant surprise," "includes several nifty set piece attacks," "hyper-kinetic and active," "special," "incredibly deranged," "when it comes to rotting corpses that can fight, bite, run, kick, shoot, stab, drive, drink, punch, prod, poke, and overall pester the bejeezus out of you while still looking like an overcooked salami, Nightmare City is the movie to beat"
Classic-Horror - "(a) work of art," "delightful," "extraordinary," "extremely harmonious," "stellar," "quite an amusing film"
Horror DVD's - "very fast-paced and exciting," "it has just as much, if not more vigor and energy as most films today. Lenzi masterfully paces the mutant attacks, the chase scenes, and the various set-pieces," "there's plenty of gore to go around," "there are scenes of horror that have a genuine impact," "the movie deals with very broad themes, such as man's relationship with technology, how society is imprisoned by it, and, as displayed by Dean's argument with General Murchison about freedom of the press, how even seemingly free countries are never truly democratic," "a cult classic," "a very memorable film, and (...) also a very enjoyable one," "it is definitely worth a look"
Horror DVD's (another review) - "Nightmare City is held in high regard by zombie fans all over the world," "this is a real fun film to watch," "the zombies look different and run around like they've had one too many coffees, but the basic premise is still the same, and the movie is all the better for it," "undeniably entertaining," "the pacing is fast," "it is tough to get bored with the proceedings," "the inconsistent mix of effects actually serves the film nicely," "truly a great party movie," "if you are looking for a fun 90 minutes then make sure you have this Nightmare"
<center>Original Photos

Director Umberto Lenzi




New Photos
(Updated: June 2nd, 2009)




</center>
Films Covered in Volume 2 (Link)
1. The Last House on the Left (1972)
2. Deranged (1973)
3. Theater of Blood (1973)
4. Black Christmas (1974)
5. Deep Red (1975)
6. Rabid (1977)
7. The Hills Have Eyes (1977)
8. Piranha (1978)
9. Phantasm (1979)
10. The Fog (1980)
11. Creepshow (1982)
12. Videodrome (1982)
13. Psycho II (1983)
14. to come later
Films Covered in Volume 1 (Link)
1. Rosemary's Baby (1968)
2. Twitch of the Death Nerve (1971)
3. The Exorcist (1973)
4. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
5. Carrie (1976)
6. Suspiria (1977)
7. Halloween (1978)
8. Dawn of the Dead (1978)
9. Alien (1979)
10. The Evil Dead (1981)
11. An American Werewolf in London (1981)
12. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
13. Re-Animator (1985)
14. The Fly (1986)
15. Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988)
16. Misery (1990)
17. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
18. Candyman (1992)
19. Dead Alive (1992)
20. Scream (1996)
21. Ginger Snaps (2000)
22. 28 Days Later (2002)
23. Masters of Horror: Sick Girl (2005)
(Note from me: though I've been very quiet lately, I'm not done with this project. Right now, I'm working on collecting new photographs for many prior articles. I've already updated quite a few)
<center>Nightmare City
<img src="http://image.allmusic.com/00/adg/cov200 ... "></center>
Sub-genres: Zombie, Mutant / Disease, Sci-Fi Horror / Apocalyptic, Exploitation, Splatter, Vampire
Director: Umberto Lenzi
Screenwriters: Antonio Cesare Corti, Luis María Delgado, Piero Regnoli
Cast: Hugo Stiglitz (Dean Miller), Laura Trotter (Dr. Anna Miller), Francisco Rabal (Major Warren Holmes), Maria Rosaria Omaggio (Sheila Holmes), Mel Ferrer (General Murchison), Stefania D'Amario (Jessica Murchison), Sonia Viviani (Cindy), Pierangelo Civera (Bob), Eduardo Fajardo (Dr. Kramer), Achille Belletti (Jim the "Dream" Hospital Patient), Sara Franchetti (Liz), Ugo Bologna (Mr. Desmond), Manuel Zarzo (Colonel Donahue), Tom Felleghy (Lieutenant Reedman)
Producers: Diego Alchimede, Luis Méndez
Music Composer: Stelvio Cipriani
Cinematographer/Director of Photography: Hans Burman
Film Editor: Daniele Alabiso
Art Director: Mario Molli
Costume Designer: Silvana Scandariato
Makeup Artists: Franco de / Di Girolami, Giuseppe Ferranti
Filming Location(s): De Paolis Studios, Rome, Lazio, Italy
Italian Theatrical Release Date: December 11, 1980
U.S. Theatrical Release Date(s): November 18, 1983
Advertisting / Promotional Tagline(s): (1) Now They Are Everywhere! There Is No Escape! / (2) Don't Get Caught "Alive"
Filmed in: Widescreen / Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Region 1 DVD first released: August 6, 2002 (1 release to date) / Screen Format: Widescreen, Languages: English Mono, Subtitles: none / Scene Chapters: 25 / Special Features: Director's Interview, Theatrical Trailer, Director's Text Profile
Notable Facts / Trivia
1. According to director Umberto Lenzi, both Franco Nero and Fabio Testi were considered for the lead in the film. However, the producer insisted on a Mexican leading man to appeal to Mexican audiences. Hence, the role went to Hugo Stiglitz.
International Video History/Facts
1. The 1986 UK Stablecane video version was cut by 3 minutes, 5 seconds by the BBFC to remove scenes of gore and violence including an eye gouging and a woman's breast being sliced off. All the cuts were fully waived for the 2003 Anchor Bay DVD release.
2. The 1999 German Laser Pacific Red Edition DVD release, Grossgrangriff Der Zombies, uses a Japanese print of the movie. Japanese text appears sometimes at the bottom of the screen when a major character is introduced. A fairly common inclusion for their imported movies, this text usually provides the name of and sometimes a brief description of the character.
What the Critics Have to Say:
DVD Verdict, Brett Cullum - "(a) harrowing tale," "fun to sit through," "it has a somewhat nifty climax in an amusement park, and a really surreal journey into a television station that is scarier than any zombie antics on any movie in the set"
DVD Verdict, Bill Gibron - "(a) sublime gore epic," "straddle(s) humor and horror in an expert and exciting manner," "regale(s) as (it) repulse(s)," "add Nightmare City to (the) pantheon of slaughter and knee slap extravaganzas," "(a) pleasant surprise," "includes several nifty set piece attacks," "hyper-kinetic and active," "special," "incredibly deranged," "when it comes to rotting corpses that can fight, bite, run, kick, shoot, stab, drive, drink, punch, prod, poke, and overall pester the bejeezus out of you while still looking like an overcooked salami, Nightmare City is the movie to beat"
Classic-Horror - "(a) work of art," "delightful," "extraordinary," "extremely harmonious," "stellar," "quite an amusing film"
Horror DVD's - "very fast-paced and exciting," "it has just as much, if not more vigor and energy as most films today. Lenzi masterfully paces the mutant attacks, the chase scenes, and the various set-pieces," "there's plenty of gore to go around," "there are scenes of horror that have a genuine impact," "the movie deals with very broad themes, such as man's relationship with technology, how society is imprisoned by it, and, as displayed by Dean's argument with General Murchison about freedom of the press, how even seemingly free countries are never truly democratic," "a cult classic," "a very memorable film, and (...) also a very enjoyable one," "it is definitely worth a look"
Horror DVD's (another review) - "Nightmare City is held in high regard by zombie fans all over the world," "this is a real fun film to watch," "the zombies look different and run around like they've had one too many coffees, but the basic premise is still the same, and the movie is all the better for it," "undeniably entertaining," "the pacing is fast," "it is tough to get bored with the proceedings," "the inconsistent mix of effects actually serves the film nicely," "truly a great party movie," "if you are looking for a fun 90 minutes then make sure you have this Nightmare"
<center>Original Photos

Director Umberto Lenzi




New Photos
(Updated: June 2nd, 2009)




</center>Films Covered in Volume 2 (Link)
1. The Last House on the Left (1972)
2. Deranged (1973)
3. Theater of Blood (1973)
4. Black Christmas (1974)
5. Deep Red (1975)
6. Rabid (1977)
7. The Hills Have Eyes (1977)
8. Piranha (1978)
9. Phantasm (1979)
10. The Fog (1980)
11. Creepshow (1982)
12. Videodrome (1982)
13. Psycho II (1983)
14. to come later
Films Covered in Volume 1 (Link)
1. Rosemary's Baby (1968)
2. Twitch of the Death Nerve (1971)
3. The Exorcist (1973)
4. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
5. Carrie (1976)
6. Suspiria (1977)
7. Halloween (1978)
8. Dawn of the Dead (1978)
9. Alien (1979)
10. The Evil Dead (1981)
11. An American Werewolf in London (1981)
12. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
13. Re-Animator (1985)
14. The Fly (1986)
15. Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988)
16. Misery (1990)
17. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
18. Candyman (1992)
19. Dead Alive (1992)
20. Scream (1996)
21. Ginger Snaps (2000)
22. 28 Days Later (2002)
23. Masters of Horror: Sick Girl (2005)
(Note from me: though I've been very quiet lately, I'm not done with this project. Right now, I'm working on collecting new photographs for many prior articles. I've already updated quite a few)





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