LUCIO FULCI'S BIO
Born in Rome Italy in July 17, 1927, Lucio Fulci found his true studying medicine. After his upper-class girlfriend dropped him because he wasn't rich enough, Fulci switched into film school in an attempt to woo her back. Although she never returned to him, he became a lover of film under Italy's greatest film theorists. After school, Fulci work and for filmmakers such as Max Ophuls, Marcel L'Herbier and his mentor, Steno.
In the early 1950s, Fulci worked as a screenwriter and assistant director on
many popular Italian comedies, including UN AMERICANO A ROMA featuring the comic
genius, Toto. In 1959 Fulci made his directorial debut (The Thieves), again
featuring Toto. I LADRI was a flop; Fulci left the world of film to work with
the well-known writer Ugo Pierro Vivarelli, collaborating on Italian
rock-and-roll songs. His talent for composing eventually led him into musical
comedy. Over the next seven years, Fulci directed numerous including I RAGAZZI
DEL JUKE BOX (The Jukebox Kids), URLATORI ALLA SBARRA (Howlers of the Dock) and
AGENTI SEGRETISSIMI (The Worst Secret Agents.)
In 1966, with the film TEMPO DI MASSACRO (The Brute and the Beast), Fulci broke
away from comedy, first making westerns and then with UNA SULL'ALTRA (Perversion
Story) into a succession of successful thrillers. The thriller was new to
Italian audiences and Fulci cashed on their curiosity. Coming off his first
major success, Fulci directed a medieval film entitled BEATRICE CENTI, which
flopped at the box office and had the audience shouting, "Kill the Director"
during one of its screenings. Lucio regarded BEATRICE CENTI as one of his best,
a film too sophisticated for Italian audiences.
Over the next eight years, Fulci directed ten more films, most falling with the
thriller genre. UNA LUCERTOLA CON LA PELLE DI DONNA (Lizard in a Woman's Skin)
was one of the most notable; it featured the wizard Carlo Rambaldi, and
represents Fulci's first foray into effects-based filmmaking. In 1972, Fulci
released NON SI SEVIZIA UN PAPERINO (Don't Torture the Duckling), a biting
political and religious satire; it won numerous awards and was very successful
with the Italian public. Unfortunately for Fulci, a homosexual politician
assumed the film was poking fun at him and had the director blacklisted for over
two years. In 1977, Fulci directed his last thriller, 7 NOTES IN NERO (The
Psychic), which received a limited theatrical release in the United States and
proved to be a major hit in Italy.
In 1979, Dario Argento's re-edited edition of George Romero' DAWN OF THE DEAD
forever changed the face of Italian cinema. It was a film that ignited Italy's
passion for producing low-budget horror and subsequently sparked Fulci's
long-time career with the "walking dead." Based upon the financial success 7
NOTES IN NERO, Fulci teamed up with legendary film producer Fabrizio De Angelsis
to make ZOMBIE, cashing in on Italy's zombie craze. Infused with a theme, the
film grossed over thirty million dollars and Fulci was established as a premiere
horror director. The success of Fulci's ZOMBIE also forged a five-picture
collaboration with De Angelsis that led to such films as GATTO NERO (The Black
Cat), PAURA NELA CITTA DEI MORTI VIVENTI (The Gates of Hell) and most notably
THE BEYOND, a film which many consider to be Fulci's best.
After the success of THE BEYOND, Fulci directed one more picture in
collaboration with De Angelsis, the notorious SQUARTATORE, DI NEW YORK (The New
York Ripper). The film was a total disaster for both director and producer.
Banned in many countries, Fulci had made a slasher film that both lost money and
failed critically. Its unsatisfactory release and production nightmares put an
end to the relationship with his best producer. Fulci went on to make fifteen
more horror films within a nine-year span, none of which had the impact of THE
BEYOND.
On March 3, 1996, after eating a piece of cake before retiring to bed, Lucio
Fulci died from a diabetic attack. The Italian film community and horror fans
aboard were shocked by the sudden loss. Fulci was three weeks away from going
into production on WAX HOUSE, collaboration with Dario Argento. Many considered
the film to be the start of a new era for Fulci. The crossover of two great a
strong public response and most probably financial success. But fans around the
world were left to discover Fulci's talent within his previous body of work. For
the past ten years, his cult status among "video nasties" - the extreme films
available through specialized stores - has been steadily growing. With the
re-release of THE BEYOND in North America this summer, fans will once again
experience the journey into a nightmare from the mind of Italy's greatest horror
director
THE ABOVE INFO TAKEN FROM WWW.HOUSEOFHORRORS.COM
FULCI MOVIES...NOT ALL OF THEM...THESE ARE THE ONES THAT I HAVE SEEN AND OR PERSONALLY OWN
ZOMBIE
DEMONIA