City Of The Living Dead

Rating:
Summary: Fulci may be gone, but his legacy lives!
Review: Those who have seen "City of the Living Dead"(aka The Gates of Hell), might want to check out the DVD version, regardless if you liked it or not. The story, without spoiling much, is about a town that becomes "damned" after a preist kills himself. Doing so, the preist opens up the Gates of Hell. Now, no one is safe(of course)from zombies who can apear and dissapear like nothing, and, well, uh, can make the town's people bleed out of their eye's, and, well, I'm not gonna' ruin it for you. Just check it out. The FX in this flick are gory, gory, and gory! Not to over-hype it, but it does have some really good gory scene's. Now, the DVD it'self. I give it 4 stars, because I have seen it countless times on VHS, and I must say, on DVD it has never looked better. Don't go looking for ton's of bonuses though, because there are not very many at all. All in all, the movie it'self lacks an amazing plot, but what it lacks of, it makes up for in suspence and gore. If you are a Fulci fan, why are you reading this? Get to ordering!!

Rating:
Summary: Not your typical LIVING DEAD FARE.
Review: Like Dario Argento, I accidently stumbled upon Lucio Fulci during my countless HORROR MOVIE searches on AMAZON.COM and reading some of the reviews I decided to purchase some of his films namely ZOMBIE, HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY and CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD. Being a HUGE fan of horror movies, I thoroughly enjoyed ZOMBIE and HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY (in a B-Movie kind of way) but I must frankly admit, I was a little disappointed with CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD. The films reputation is what attracted me to it. Many have called it extremely gruesome, gory, sick, an acquired taste and tasteless and although some scenes in the film were just that, the film was no where near as shocking as many other films I have seen.

The rather confusing plot deals with a Priests unexplained suicide, a cursed town, maggots and as the title would suggest, the living dead. The films MAJOR disappointment is in the make-up. The zombies in this film didn't really look like zombies. They looked more like humans dipped in honey, oatmeal and mustard. Other's looked like they were in the last stages of small pox. Although grotesque it failed to convince me that they were the "living" dead. Also, the fact that the ghouls kept appearing then disappearing then "re-appearing", changed the atmosphere from a zombie film to a ghost story. I still have no idea what they were exactly- zombies, ghouls, ghosts, zombie-ghosts? Help! !

The films strengths lies in a couple of tense scenes. The gut regurgitation scene made me quite nauseous and the head-drilling scene was quite convincing - especially for the time period. Also, the scene depicting pretty Catriona MacColl trapped in the coffin, screaming and gasping for air took my breath away.

I also want to point out that I have to DISAGREE with some of the reviews about the acting. The acting is no where near as bad as some constantly state. In fact, the acting is far better than many of the hollywood stuff released at the time. So please give these actors a break because talent-LESS they WERE NOT.

For Fulci fans, this film is recommended. Although not his best work, you will find it interesting viewing. For the Fulci curiousity seeker, I recommend starting with something else, either ZOMBIE, HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY and definately THE BEYOND - his BEST work. And for those unfamiliar with Euro/Italian-Horror I strongly suggest you skip ANYTHING FULCI all together and start with Dario Argento, his films, although gory, are quite handsomely produced and cleverly executed. In other words - stay clear of these films UNLESS of course GUT PUKING, MAGGOTS, and OOZING BRAINS is your cup of tea.

Rating:
Summary: How could they end the film like that.
Review: Although this movie has some redeeming qualities, such as the atmosphere of suspense and the exceedingly well-done gore effects in some scenes for a movie of this period, many aspects of the movie were just plain irritating.

"Zombies" would appear out of nowhere and disappear right back into nothingness. Some cars have the steering wheel on the left, and some on the right. The characters are not characters - they are their lines (interestingly, I don't think it was the actors' fault, there).

Finally, both the climax and the ending left much to be desired. Any film student (or gas station attendant, for that matter) could have thought up and filmed a better ending than we are presented with here.

Rating:
Summary: Classic Fulci...
Review: Yes, this is the Fulci gore classic, now given the long overdue DVD treatment by Anchor Bay. Throw out those ancient dupes and tapes riddled with print damage and artifacting, this DVD is superior! But first, the story (what little there is): The Gates of Hell have been opened by a Dunwich priest who has hanged himself in a cemetary. That's it. What follows is typical Fulci mayhem and gory goodness. Yep, here on the DVD we get to see the ultra savage head drilling, the girl puking her guts up (look fast for future Italian horror director Michele Soavi as her boyfriend) and plenty of scalping and brain ripping, all in their uncut gory glory! As you might have guessed, the plot is secondary to the gore and atmosphere. As a result, many viewers will be turned off by the minimal (and convoluted) plot, and the atrocious dubbing. But for the real Fulci fans who are already primed in his style, they will eat this up. Anchor Bay's DVD treatment truly adds to the enjoyment of the film. It truly is great to see this film (and HEAR it) in digital quality, COMPLETELY UNCUT! Nevertheless, "City of the Living Dead" does have it's share of problems. Obviously the plot is nothing to write home about (like you care anyway) and Fabio Frizzi's score seems tacky (to me anyway). But once again, Gino De Rossi's amazing gore effects and Fulci's keen eye for gory detail (and some stylish direction, to boot) keep things humming. Finally, compared to the other entries in Fulci's "horror quartet" , I'd rate this light years ahead of "Zombie", and just behind "The Beyond" (his best in this genre) and "The House by the Cemetary."

Rating:
Summary: Extreme, Effective Fulci Gorefest
Review: CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD is a beautiful Fulci film, expertly directed and gorgeously photographed. The performances are top notch considering the genre and foreign origins of the film.

Also known as GATES OF HELL, CotLD opens revolves around the suicide of a priest which opens the gates of Hell. A woman with a link to the beyond and a reporter (Christopher George from PIECES!) are drawn into the bizarre happenings surrounding this turn of events and the blood begins to flow. And does it ever flow: from the eyes of those who are unfortunate enough to stare down the undead, from the mouths of those vomiting their entrails, from the brains of those who don't mind their head when the zombies are around, and from the cheeks of poor old Bob who was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, specifically between a huge drill and a very angry man.

Needless to say, these images amount to some of the most unforgettable Fulci imagery, topping even the eyeball-piercing gore of ZOMBIE. And even better, this film is well-paced and the viewer never grows bored or distracted. Even better, CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD is genuinely frightening. The gore is disgusting, of course, but this film is remarkable in that it effectively marries the gore with true fear - these zombies are scary. They're not the dull-witted, slow-moving zombies like those in Romero films, but instead creatures of pure evil who don't give you time to run away.

In summary, CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD is one of those rare, delightful films that sticks with you a long while after it's ended. A Fulci masterpiece that ranks among the best of his films - probably one of the best horror films ever made and definitely one of the top five zombie films of all time. I can't wait to watch it again.

Rating:
Summary: Fulci, Geeeeeeenious!
Review: this movie is disgusting, disturbing, scary, cheesy at times, and incredibly gory... it is everything that a Fulci fan could ask for in a movie.

**to the people whining about fulci's films,

if you are looking for some clean cut hollywood thriller, this movie is NOT for you. chances are you wouldn't appreciate it's campy charms... :0)

Rating:
Summary: Not very good
Review: I've always come out of Lucio Fulci's films quite dissappointed, just because, they're not very scary, simply gory (and most of the time, the gore looks too fake to be impressive). The film opens well, and fast, and the extremely bad lighting effects for the movie actually kind of help in a way, it just makes it seem kinda dark and brooding. This was a better movie then The Beyond (the same plot pretty much) and Zombie (so-called classic). The one scene with the gut vomiting was done well, the girls eyes, the lighting, the sound effects, actually make it pretty eery. But then it ends and the "Zombies" come out to kill ( I put that in quotes just because I believe zombies are supposed to eat people and not dissappear and reappear like magicians). The ending made no sense at all (although I heard on another version it makes more sense) and the way the "bad guy" gets killed at the end is just stupid. On top of that come the bad acting, average directing and silly script that just make this another cheesy 80's horror flick. You want a real Zombie movie? Watch George Romero's Dead trilogy, now there's a man with real directing and writing talent.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best zombie films ever made!
Review: When a priest hangs himself, and suddenly opens the Gates of Hell, a young psychic falls into a deep coma and is believed to be dead. A reporter (Graduation Day's Christopher George!) hears the pounds and screams for help coming from her coffin once she awakes, and tears it open, pulls the girl out, and rescues her from a premature burial.

They soon discover they have only three days to close the Gates of Hell, or the dead will forever walk the earth. As they travel to the town of Dunwich (where H.P. Lovecraft made the setting of his story The Dunwich Horror), they find that the dead are already rising and attacking the town's many citizens. Will they be able to get to the tomb of the dead priest in time to kill his undead corpse and save the Earth?

This is a wonderfully made zombie/supernatural horror film from director Lucio Fulci (who died in 1996), creator of such classics as ZOMBIE, THE BEYOND, and NEW YORK RIPPER. It may be confusing at time, but it is a scary, scary movie!

Anchor Bay does justice to the film's look, releasing it in widescreen, and equipping this must-own DVD with the theatrical trailer, TV spots, and more! Fans... throw away those dupes and old, used videocassettes! The DVD of CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD (AKA: THE GATES OF HELL) is here!!

Rating:
Summary: the worst film ever!
Review: this movie is in direct competition with "plan 9 from outer space" as the most atrocious movie ever...there isnt much storyline and the repetitive "music score"(one beat from a piano, one beat of a drum) gave me a headache..
never mind that the priest hung himself....i would've hung myself too

Rating:
Summary: As good as it gets.
Review: Storyline? Forget it! Plausible characters and decent acting? Maybe after a couple of glasses of wine you will see that. And yet, this movie still easily competes against Jeepers Creepers and 28 Days Later, to name but a couple of the newer horror movies. If you are one of those who has to fill some kind of superiority void within by spotting every flaw in a movie and then smugly pointing it out to those around you doomed to have to listen (or read your review)---put the muppets in, because you will only have an aneurism trying to keep up with the so-called flaws. For the rest of us who have that magnificent gift of suspending our beliefs for an hour and a half, we will be able to appreciate the feeling of having been put through hell. Fulci's City of the Living Dead does just that. If the movie can be said to have any kind of metaphor, it is that Fulci's zombies are merely extensions of the different kinds of human corruption. How appropriate then that the zombie madness begins with the suicide of a priest, the supposed guardian of other people's faith. Many of the people who get killed off in the movie are flawed in a significant way, from being malicious, to paranoid, to narcistic and prideful. Do they deserve it? Who knows. One of the most disturbing scenes in the film is of a guy getting his head drilled in---the twist is that it isn't the zombies who drill his head in. The zombie gore and the musical soundtrack that often propells things are extraordinary. The music especially conveys a trapped, claustrophic feeling. The only BIG problem I had was with the ending; I've seen this movie three times, and I still have no clue how the movie ends. Still, considering how most Italian horror movies unravel themselves and present their respective denouments, this is getting off rather cheaply!