The Antichrist

The Antichrist

Original Title: L’antichristo

Directed by: Alberto De Martino

Italy, 1974

Horror/Satan/Occult, 112 min

Distributed by: Optimum Releasing.

As far as satanic possession movies go there’s not too many of them tach come off as anything else than cheesy Exorcist rip offs. These past weeks I’ve seen several variants on the old possessed teenage chick story, and it’s fair to say that the most of them all fall into the same pitfalls and needless to say they all have the same familiar traits that we know all to well.

Current stuff like Manuel Carballo’s La posesión de Emma Evans (Exorcismus) 2010, Daniel Stamm’s The Last Exorcism 2010 or even Paco & Balaugeró’s [Rec]2 2009, all play by the book, and you know before the last act rolls through you will have seen bile, rolling eye whites, foul language snarled out by the possessed and in the most cases levitation. Needless to say these movies look fantastic, a lot has happened since William Friedkin unleashed his 1973 milestone movie based on Peter Blatty’s novel of the same name. But I still hold a naïve fascination for those movies released much nearer to that landmark of genre cinema, the stuff so painfully trying to cash in on the success of The Exorcist. I’m obviously talking about movies like Mario Bava’s Lisa e il diavolo (Lisa & The Devil) 1974 - also recut with alternate material to assimilate Fridekin’s movie under the name House of Exorcism, Amando De Ossorio’s La endemoniada (The Possessed) 1975 and Alberto de Martino’s L’antichristo (The Antichrist) 1974 to name a few.

Those movies, despite how they did at the box-office back then, have become somewhat cult classics by today’s standards. Back then they where painfully trying to get in on the action, and being so close to that original flick, I feel that they where lost at the time. Today it’s movies like these that I can appreciate as they tried to pull stuff off on minimal budgets and to some extent succeeded in mimicking the sensationalism of the original.

Since a terrible accident in her childhood Ippolita Oderisi [Carla Gravina] has been paralyzed from waist down. Her religious father Massimo [Mel Ferrer] is supportive and takes her on pilgrimages to various sacred places and statues of saints in hope of some miracle cure. Even Bishop Ascanio Oderisi [Arthur Kennedy] is concerned and holds masses to pray for Ippolita. Although when Ippolita’s brother Fillipo [Remo Girone] turns up at a party with his mate Marcello Sinibaldi [Umberto Orsini] desperately trying to match the two together, Ippolita pretty soon realises that Sinibaldi is a psychiatrist with a hidden agenda.

Convinced that Ippolita’s handicap is rooted in her background, perhaps in a former life way before that childhood accident, Dr. Sinibaldi persuades Ippolita to undergo some regression therapy hypnosis. That’s when the trouble starts. In her previous life Ippolita was a witch, also playing dual roles with a spiffy longhaired blonde wig, and this witch was burned at the stake for being in league with Satan. Obviously this demonic force takes a grip of Ippolita and pretty soon she can’t tell the awoken past life persona from the real Ippolita. Which is a great thing for us as this gives De Martino and his cinematographer Aristide Massaccesi – yes old loveable Joe D’Amato – an opportunity to mess around with back projection, mate screens and creating some pretty neat levitation, transformation and freaky special effect moments including a couple of really impressive imploding mirrors and television screens along the way.

Like any movie in the demonic possession realm Ippolita vomits bile, she spreads her legs and taunts everyone around her with her sexuality, makes sideboards and cupboards levitate around the room and decomposes with each day that goes until there’s only the demon present and almost no Ippolita at all. Finally the moment we have been awaiting is upon us, Massimo's brother, Bishop Oderisi, arrives to take on the age old nemesis of the church and the final battle commences… or wait it doesn’t because this movie holds yet another surprise for it’s audience.

In film theory some studies latch frantically onto what’s known as the image system, it’s at times so farfetched that it becomes almost more parody than anything else. One of my favourite passages in all the writings Russian filmmaker Andrej Tarkovsky left behind is when he discusses the reoccurrence of horses, apples and billowing fields in his work. After years of film students and academics trying to force their theories and interpretations of his “image system” Tarkovsky himself wrote that he simply liked the look of horses, apples and billowing fields. That’s fucking brilliant and such a smack in the face of over analytical bullshit. Which also is one of the reasons I write the crap I write on here, there’s no need to sneer at alternative low budget cinema, as it’s filled to the brim of the same symbolism, traits, storytelling and image systems that the acknowledged filmmakers and art house posers have been using for all time.

Getting back on track, it’s fair to say that the image system of The Antichrist has to be toads. Toads figure in several occasions throughout the movie and these toads are obviously associated with negative values, evil magical beasts and demonic creatures. The reason for this is of course the metaphoric value that they hold, the transformation from tadpole to full grown toad represents the resurrection, the rebirth. Much like the rebirth of the demon in The Antichrist. Then there’s the symbol value of strong feminine energy, clearly the energy of the female demon. It’s also a key part of the antichrist communion, where the torn off head of the toad serves as the body of Satan!

This is a great little movie. It’s entertaining as hell and takes several sudden turns. It has a lot going for it with the back-story that slowly lets out more information as it goes along. For a while I was sure that the Mel Ferrer relationship with Swedish starlet Anita Strindberg would be milked and become a sinister back-story where Ferrer had cheated on his wife with Strindberg before that terrible accident hence being projected guilt that had paralyzed Ippolita. There’s a small indication of oedipal jealousy in there, but nothing that really pays off apart from a few lines of possessed blasphemy and raunchy talk concerning her father and future wife’s sexual appetites. But it never goes for the guilt trip in that classic way. Instead the entire back-story arc is dedicated to the witch trial and execution. A parallel story that’s also reflected in the main narrative, such as the last minute redemption that turns former life witch Ippolita into the saint she visits at during the opening sequence. This opening sequence is mirrored in more than one-way during the movie’s climax, but you’ll just have to check it out to see in what way.

I find that Alberto De Martino’s script, co-written with Vincenzo Mannino and Gianfrano Clerici is satisfying as it uses what we've seen and brings something new with it - a very salty italian twist just the way we want it. This approach is nothing new for Mannino – writer of several character driven Poliziotteschi about Police Inspector Betti, commonly portrayed by Maurizio Merli and epic adventures also “in the familiar style of others” like Enzo G. Castellari’s L’ultimo squalo (Great White) 1981 or Ruggero Deodato’s I predatori di Atlantide (The Raiders of Atlantis) 1982, has been down that path on more than one occasion. But perhaps it mostly the movies he worked as co-writer on, stuff like Deodato’s La casa sperduta nel parco (House on the Edge of the Park) 1980, Lucio Fulci’s Lo squartatore di New York (The New York Ripper) 1982 and Murder-Rock: uccide a passo di danza (Murder-Rock: Dancing Death) 1984 that he’s most known for. Movies he primarily co-wrote with Gianfranco Clerici. Regular readers will know that I have something of a fetish for movies based on Clerici’s scripts, as I feel he very much indeed did write/work on some of the finest genre movies to ever come out of Italy.

Every demonic possession movie demands a grand entrance of Old Nick himself, and at least one moment that leaves it’s mark on the audience. The Black Mass where past life Ippolita engages in a satanic orgy is fantastic. I won’t spoil it for you but there’s a goat scene – which isn’t graphic at all, but fantastically suggestive and really brilliantly edited by Vincenzo Tomassi, who you recall edited all those Lucio Fulci movies. Tomassi brings a great flow to The Antichrist and it rarely feels as if it’s loosing pace, and there’s several brilliant juxtapositions you really need to see if you are into suggestive editing – and fucking amazing movies. Apart from the goat incident, there’s a hilarious moment where Ippolita flashes her lady parts to Bishop Oderisi, and his reaction is priceless, and just one of several splendid moments in The Antichrist.

I’ve hade the soundtrack by Ennio Morricone and Bruno Nicolai lying around for years, and it’s finally been a treat to actually put some images to the mental ones those tracks have been conjuring all these years. Needless to say the music is tremendously fitting when you have images to go with it.

Something I find intriguing about The Antichrist is the way De Martino uses, or rather not doesn't use his cast. There are some pretty damned good genre names in there, but none of them really get a moment to shine. Instead the whole movie does belong to Gravina who gives a grand performance in the lead. But it still feels kind of sore not to use the cast more than De Martino has. Mel Ferrer is about as interesting as drying paint, Strindberg more or less disappears from the flick after she once briefly get’s her kit off (next to an obviously bothered Ferrer who has to snog her next), the iconic Alida Valli is merely there for two small sequences and Kennedy, well he does his five minute bit and then fucks off. It’s odd and primarily saved by Gravinas dedicated performance.

As a little bonus for you if you want to get über-geeky, look out for bit part actor Ernesto Colli as the possessed man, he’s part of the mirror imagery I was talking about earlier, he's one of those faces you always remember and recognise in the large amount of movies he had bits in. And keep your eyes open when Filippo walks into the party after the opening segment. That blonde on his arm is another Scandinavian actress, this time none other than Ulla Johannsen! Doesn’t ring a bell? Well perhaps you remember her better as the naked chick with the machinegun in Enzo G. Castellari’s Ouei maledetto treno blindato (The Inglorious Bastards) 1978. There's iconic imagery if there every was iconic imagery!

Alberto De Martino followed The Antichrist with the Poliziotteschi Una Magnum Special per Tony Saitta (Blazing Magnum) 1976, held by many as one of the finest entries into that genre. It’s comes as no surprise to see that Clerici and Mannino wrote the script. Only three years later De Martino ventured back into satanic territory with Holocaust 2000, which wasn’t only a take on Richard Donner’s 1976 hit The Omen, but also sports a great performance from Spartacus himself, Mr. Kirk Douglas.

Image:

1.85:1 Colour.

Audio:

Dolby Digital Mono, 2.0 English dialogue.

Extras:

None.

The Eroticist

The Eroticist
Aka: The Senator prefers Women
Original Title: All’onorevole piaccionio le donne
Directed by: Lucio Fulci
Italy/France, 1972
Comedy, 109min
Distributed by: Severin Films

Good old Lucio Fulci, mostly know for those fantastic eighties horror flicks and his early seventies Gialli. Unfortunately those great movies have him pigeonholed as a horror director, and not the skilled craftsman that he actually was. If you haven’t already been there, I’d encourage any fan of the Maestro, to track back-over and watch the stuff he directed in between those two periods of dark features – some, like The Eroticist where directed during the first period, and you will see that these movies are a definitive reminder of just how talented Lucio Fulci really was.

But even if we decide that The Eroticist is a funny and entertaining comedy with some kinky tricks up it’s sleeve, just keep in mind that this is a Lucio Fulci movie and like many other of his features, there will be a certain bitterness lingering in your mouth after watching it.

The Eroticist is a political satire, with comedic and erotic elements (even though I hate using the word erotic - as it's so individual what you see as erotic) as that’s not really what the movie is after, it’s merely a device just like in the films of Pasolini or Fellini, and is closer to the kinky farce than erotica – that stands out amongst Fulci’s non-horror cannon as a real likeable piece of film. Set during the last days of the Presidential election, between senator Torsello and Christian Democrat Giancinto Puppis [Lando Buzzacanca – who starred in Lucio’s earlier film Operazione San Pietro 1967, and would return to Fulciville later in the third comedy Il cav. Constante Nicosia demoniaco, ovvero: Dracula in Brianza (Dracula in the provinces) 1975. Being a mere puppet for the church, Puppis is obviously the man that they – or rather Cardinal Maravigli [Lionel Stander] - wants' put in office to rule the proud country.

But there’s a problem, as Puppis has a compulsive disorder that unaware forces him to grab women's behinds. A news crew who are balefully watching footage to seek out material to cause scandal and prove that the senator is gay, end up finding him catching a quick grab off the elderly Indian ambassadors bum instead. This sets off a series of events that has Puppis old college buddy Father Lucion [Renzo Palmer] attempt to approach the Senator with the compromising material. Puppis has no recollection of the ass grabbing taking place at all, and because of their old friendship, Lucion offers to get Puppis into a rehab programme to solve his unfortunate problem. The rehab location though couldn’t have been in a worse place - a monastery run by Father Scirer [Francis Blanche] – and there are nuns everywhere to Puppis despair. Amongst them Sister Hildegarde [Laura Antonelli] whom he unconsciously clamps his bottom grabbing hand on, and later will return to play a vital part of the twist ending.

Father Scirer tries to cure the poor senator who’s absence now is major business. With everyone searching for the Senator, Cardinal Maravigli finally sees the footage of Puppis grabbing ass – and as he’s been preparing Puppis, and manipulating him for the role of president since he was a small child – throws a tantrum claiming that Puppis affection for young boys is preferable over the scandalous womanizing. After Puppis tells Father Scrier of his surreal and erotic dreams – which a definitive highlight of the movie and simply outstanding – he feels cured and takes off for official business. But he’s definitely not cured and instead ravages the French Ambassadors wife Anita Strindberg in the bushes during an official ceremony. Strindberg here in her in her Second Lucio Fulci movie, the first being Una lucertola con la pelle di donna (A Lizard in a Woman’s Skin) 1971. - I love that title - Someone really needs to track Strindberg down and interview her about her work in Italian genre cinema – that would be an exclusive. Spinning out of control completely, Cardinal Maravigli steps in to halt the carousel surrounding Puppis, and it’s no laughing matter at all as this man of the clergy comes out in all his wrath and fury sparing no one in his divine mission to put Senator Puppis at the power of the state.

The Eroticist contains an obviously commentary on state and church – themes that Fulci returned to on several occasions in one-way or another. He’d previously used these methods of critique in Operazione St Pietro 1967, somewhat in Beatrice Cenci 1969 and would yet again go after them thematically in Non si sevizia un paperino (Don’t Torture a Duckling) 1972. It's not by chance that it's Father William Thomas [Fabrizio Jovine] who opens the gates to hell in Paura nella città dei morti viventi (City of the Living Dead) 1980. But The Eroticist is the movie that drives these themes the hardest (until Duckling – but that story is for another time) and definitely contains some of his most harsh critique against the church. Fulci had a catholic background, and knew exactly what to plug into to get his point across.

Here’s it’s presented both with complexity as the Church interfering and manipulating national politics, in Cardinal Maravilgli’s atrocities, and also through simple ways as all the priests having pornographic magazines in their desk draws. It’s an age-old complex problem that haunts the Catholic Christians still to this day, and just as Fulci points out, they tend to look lighter on paedophilia than on sexual relations with women. It's that strange Latin relationship that fuels the old Freudian dichotomy the Madonna and the Whore. No wonder the Nunsploitation genre was such a success!

If you know your Fulci, - which I'm sure you all do - you can see that the movie holds his many trade marks and traits that regularly returned to, there’s also a few scenes – mainly the erotic fantasies of Puppis – that are shot in the same floating camera style as the dream sequences of A Lizard in a Woman’s Skin, but this time with Eva Czemery’s as Puppis’ fantasy woman instead of Strindberg. In an amusing way the lustful, happy dream sequences of The Eroticist are polarizations of the dark unpleasant dream sequences of movies to come. And then there’s the darkness of the movies climax, a trait that Lucio Fulci used in many, many of his films.

Remember that this is a comedy, but it still ends on a classic Fulci down note. On that earlier statement of Fulci’s frequent use of downbeat endings and profound cynicism that saps through his body of work, well I hold a theory that this started after his wife passed away – or rather after her depression and suicide after learning of her cancer. That’s heavy shit and it’s definitely going to affect the people in the close family, so I see that as a starting point to Fulci’s exploration of the dark. The movies that predate this event are nowhere near as baleful and gloomy as the work that followed. Probably due to his own depression, and most likely loss of faith in those beliefs he may once have held. Lucio Fulci was exorcising his own personal demons, and mocking the world around him. This is what drove him to become the misogynistic, shaggy malcontent man that we all love and cherish so much.

Character wise, comedian Lando Buzzacana gives a great performance, and the constant battle between his Catholicism and his desire for women, a desire that brings him guilt; anguish and self-loathing at times, are hilarious. These character traits make him a much more interesting character than the regular man in office who misuses his stature to feel up young women. And at the same time there’s a risk of Puppis’ compulsive disorders running his career – which is a great value to put at risk, and amusingly it’s constantly a current topic as politicians and celebrities one after the other get caught with their pants down bringing their careers to a grinding halt. Unless you are Berlusconi and can ordain a new law to get you off the hook.

The Eroticist has a neat little plot that is played out through a cheeky and frisky narrative. The script was written by Fulci, Sandro Continenza (Riccardo Freda’s The Iguana with The Tongue of Fire 1971, and Jorge Grau’s Let Sleeping Corpses Lie 1974] and Ottavio Jemma who Fulci previously wrote the screenplay to his debut feature I ladri (The Thieves) 1959. And it is a great movie almost like one of those transplanted hand horror stories, but instead of the hand having its owner commit crimes, Puppis' hand forcefully grabs female bottoms.

Finally I’ll just point out that The Eroticist also saw the start of a fabulous collaboration, between the great director and his frequent editor, as this was the first movie Vincenzo Tomassi and Lucio Fulci worked on together.

So put aside your blu-ray versions of City of the Living Dead and The New York Ripper, and start tracking backwards to see how this fantastic director evolved from comedic genius to the godfather of gore.

Image:
Widescreen 1.85:1

Audio:
Dolby Digital Mono, Italian dialogue, with optional English subtitles.


Extras:
There’s a great documentary - The History of Censorship on the Severin release which sees Lando Buzzacana, Gianetto de Rossi and Cinematographer Sergio D’Offfizi discuss the history of the movie, share some memories and dark secrets and talk of the problems it came upon when it was released.

And today I'll give you a little teaser of the great humour of Lucio Fulci with this clip from the movie. The Senator and Father Lucion on their way to rehab stop at a gas station.

Puzzle

Puzzle
Original Title: L’uomo Senza Memoria
Directed by: Duccio Tessari
Italy, 1974
Giallo, 92 min.
Distributed by NjutaFilms.

Story:
In London a tricky problem is presented to Edward [Luc Merenda], who has just recovered from a serious car accident. He can’t remember who he is. This is especially troublesome for him as people from his past start turning up and demanding that he “gives back the money” he owes them. He learns that his passport claiming he is Peter Smith is a fake and his real name is in fact Edward. The trail leads him to Italy where his wife Sara [Senta Berger] still unaware that he’s still alive has started putting together the shatters of her life since he went missing in London some years ago. After an awkward reuniting Sara decides to give the “dirty rotten bastard” a second chance. Edward is remorseful to learn that he was a “dirty rotten bastard”, but he has really lost his memory and needs her to give him a chance so that he can get back on track. Then George [Bruno Corazzari] shows up outside their door. George claims to be a mate of Edwards, and if Edward doesn’t return the drugs and money he was holding onto when he went missing George will kill him and then their common boss will kill George. Edward has to start putting together the pieces of his puzzle in rapid progression now, because there are lives at stake.


Me:
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it until time stands still, there’s nothing as entertaining as a good Old Italian Giallo. I’ll fight to the death to declare that there are NO bad Gialli, the scale goes from great ones and lesser good ones, bad is not part of the genre. Duccio Tessari’s L’uomo senza memoria is one of those Giallo that could have been so much more, but if you can stay with it through out the fist half the second half really takes off and it manages to redeem any tediousness that it may have caused in the set up. Luc Merenda walks around in confusion, always the hard ass, dishing out sarcastic comments and uses his fists over his mind as he tries to puzzle his life back together. But unfortunately he never quite manages to persuade me that he’s really confused, more just his regular old Detective mimicry as he tries to figure stuff out. Austrian Import Senta Berger pulls this off like a charm. She fits the midlife wife who is desperately trying to put her life together again with the help of neighbour kid Luca [Duilio Cruciani] and Doctor Reinhardt [Umberto Orsini] as she flirts her way through her crisis. The dramatic tightening of the noose half way through as the pieces start to fall together and the original plan to smuggle drugs out of Italy is exposed really good and presents a great example of Giallo at it’s better state. It’s also a tightly woven movie as all the plot plants get paid off towards the conclusion, Little Luca’s constant photographing of Sara, the chainsaw the gardener keeps forgetting to put away, that disgusting little dog, all subtly planted just to comeback and deliver new pieces of information, who the mysterious woman is, where the drugs are etc., as the movie moves towards a truly grizzly climax.


Duccio, with several successful Peplum & Spaghetti Westerns to his credit only ventured into Giallo territory a few rare times, Puzzle being one of them. Not quite as known as his previous attempt The Bloodstained Butterfly, but on the other hand the story here has been scripted by Giallo Script Maestro Ernesto Gastaldi which almost always guarantees placing the movie in the upper half of that above mentioned scale. Staying true to most Gialli, the who dunnit toying with the audience is there, but also by stepping away from the common Gialli traits of sex, murder and assassins in black gloves Gastaldi and Tessari flip this one over and instead focus on the characters, the amnesia and the actual mystery of what goes where, who know what and who is who. As mentioned previously if you just stay put during those first forty minutes the second half is a great piece of Giallo frenzy with double crossing mates, backstabbing foes, and also when the gorgeous Swede Anita Strindberg makes her entrance into the film, although she’s definitely underused this time around. Its brilliant how they really use the amnesia to create empathy for Edward, and also how as his vicious background as a henchman comes crawling back to him in flashes every time there is a violent encounter. And once again the genre proves that you can’t trust anyone in a Giallo, because when you least expect it the tables can and will be turned and friends prove to be foes. Is George going to stick up for his old mate and turn sides, is Sara’s best friend and suitor Reinhardt going to turn against her, is Sara even who she says she is, how much does Edward really remember or will it even be the little Luca who is going to be the mastermind behind the fiendish dope plan? Those are the questions that you face when watching this excellent movie.

Image:
Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1

Audio:
Italian or English Dolby Digital Stereo 2.0, Optional Swedish, Danish, Finnish and Norwegian Subtitles

Extras:
Original Trailer for Puzzle, Trailers for other NjutaFilms/AWE titles [Cannibal Ferox, Mountain of the Cannibal God, Cannibal Holocaust, Eaten Alive, City of the Living Dead and Beyond] Slideshow, Duccio Tessari filmography.

Almost Human

Almost Human,
Original Title: Milano odia: la polizia non può sparare
Directed by: Umberto Lenzi
1974, Italy
Drama / Thriller / Crime, 90min
Distributed by: NoShame DVD

Story:
In a desperate attempt to hit the big-time and gain the lacking respect of the other hoods, badass wannabe Giulio, [Tomas Milian] decides to kidnap Mary Lou [Laura Belli], the daughter of his girlfriend Iona's [Anita Strindberg] boss. Leaving a bloody trail of violent death and murders as they cruise Milan, Inspector Grandi [Henry Silva], swears to bring these beasts to a halt. Even if he has to put his own life on the line.

Me:
A fantastic Italian genre movie [Polizia] by Umberto Lenzi. A fast paced, high speed rollercoaster ride all the way through. Milian is wonderful as the psychotic Giulio, who stops at nothing to make his fortune. There's a fascinating drama within the group of criminals who have kidnapped Mary Lou, as Carmine [Ray Lovelock] falls in love with Mary Lou and realises that Giulio is going to kill her anyway when he gets the ransom money, and how this affects the earlier comradely within the band of kidnappers. Henry Silva is sort of wrong for the good guy cop, as he's usually the bad guy, but it works. The usual Italian 70-80's genre movie additives, like soundtrack by Morricone and script by Ernersto Gastaldi, make this a genre gem worth checking out.

Image:
Widescreen 2.35:1, 16x9 enhanced, remastered in high definition from the original 2P negative. It's a great looking print. English subtitles for the Italian audio are available

Audio:
Dolby Digital 2.0, with both the Italian soundtrack and the English soundtrack.

Extras:
Being a NoShame release you are bound to expect a lot of extras and this one is no exception.
Like a Beast...Almost; a 37 minute documentary about the movie featuring interviews with director Umberto Lenzi, screenwriter Ernesto Gastaldi, and actors Ray Lovelock and Gino Santercole. Original trailers; the Italian and International versions. Poster & still gallery, and the customary booklet with linear notes and biographies. My favourite extra has to be Milan Unleashed, a half-hour documentary/interview with lead star Tomas Milian.

Pleased to say it, once again NoShame keep releasing fantastic movies and fantastic editions, it’s a joy to watch this great Lenzi movie once again.