Revisiting the Gates of Hell Trilogy

Lucio Fulci, a name that is unknown to some, but one that is more than familiar to fans of the horror genre. While he has directed a variety of films spanning a number of genres, Fulci is undoubtedly most well known for his numerous horror films that have earned him the title of the Italian godfather of gore. Now I'm a huge fan of Italian horror cinema, and to me Fulci is one of the greats, right up there with the likes of Dario Argento and Mario Bava. While many of his films gained criticism upon their initial release, in the years since his passing there has been a newfound appreciation for Fulci and his works, and he is now considered to be one of horror cinema's most influential filmmakers. I mean he even got a mention on an episode of Fair City for god's sake, that's how you know you've made it. Tonight I'll be looking at what many consider Fulci's finest works, his crowning achievement, the Gates of Hell trilogy. While Fucli did refer to these three films as a 'trilogy' their stories are in no way connected, instead they are connect thematically, each focusing on the interaction between the lands of the living and the dead. The films have their fair share of critics, understandably, but I'm not here to criticise, I'm here to discuss why these films are so bloody good. It all began in 1980, when City of the Living Dead was released...

City of the Living Dead (1980)

I've often found this films title to be a bit misleading, not only does the film take place in a town rather than a city, but the eponymous living dead don't even show up until the final act. Furthermore, one could also be mistaken to believe that it's an unofficial follow up to one of George Romero's Living Dead films, if you're looking for that then try Zombi 2. Misleading titles aside, City of the Living Dead is a rollercoaster ride of suspense and gore, and a film that perfectly embodies Fulci's distinct filmmaking style. Set in the town of Dunwich (in a nod to H.P. Lovecraft), the film follows a young woman and a journalist (Catriona MacColl & Christopher George) who race against time to stop the gates of hell from opening after a priest commits suicide. Now I have no idea why a priest killing himself would cause the gates of hell to open, but when watching a Fulci film one must remind oneself to not think too much about plot details. Instead, attention must be paid to atmosphere and the use of practical effects, the latter particularly shining through in this installment.

Now Lucio Fulci didn't just earn the title 'godfather of gore' for no reason, the man has a talent for blood and guts. Any doubts about Fulci's keen eye for gore can be put to rest after City, specifically after the infamous car scene. The scene occurs fairly early in the film and opens on a young couple kissing inside a car, always a good decision in a horror film. So what happens next? Are they attacked by a masked killer? Does one of the 'living dead' get to them first? Not even close. The couple soon find themselves at the hands of the spirit of Father Thomas (Fabrizio Jovine), the priest from the beginning, who uses his evil eyes to wreak havoc on them. The young girl soon begins to bleed from her eyes and foam at the mouth, all before she spews up her innards in one of horror cinemas most disgusting scenes. It's a tough moment to watch, Fulci drags out the scene and relishes in every gory detail, putting great emphasis on the realistic looking organs pouring from this poor woman's mouth. While it is heavy on the gore, Fulci also puts an equal amount of effort into the atmosphere as well. Combining quick cuts between the gruesome imagery and shots of Father Thomas' sinister gaze with the fantastic score from Fabio Frizzi, Fulci manages to craft this constant sense of dread and hopelessness to balance out the gore. In doing this, not only does Fulci make us feel ill with the disturbing imagery, but he also creeps under our skin to provide some more psychological shocks as well. 

Fulci's talent for gore is matched only by his skill at creating ambiance, something that I will expand upon in when discussing the other two installments. Which takes me to the second film of the Gates of Hell trilogy, The Beyond...

The Beyond (1981)

Often considered the best of the trilogy, The Beyond follows a young woman (Catriona MacColl, again) who plans to re-open an old hotel in New Orleans that, unbeknownst to her, is built over a portal to the underworld. It's a similar set up to its predecessor, changing the setting from Dunwich to New Orleans while keeping Catriona MacColl, yet The Beyond manages to exceed City in every possible way. While Fulci retains the same level of explicit gore from City, this film relies much more on atmosphere and Fulci really turns the suspense up to 11 here with help from composer Fabio Frizzi. Along with that, the film is by far the most aesthetically pleasing of the trilogy, with gorgeous cinematography and a memorable production design. As for the plot, well it's batshit crazy. From blind psychics, to zombies, to acid blood (?), there are a lot of things in The Beyond that don't add up, moments that feel out of place and incidents that are never resolved. However, these oddities somehow manage to contribute to the overall atmosphere, providing this sense of surrealism that fits in nicely with the themes of supernatural and 'the other side'. Whether this was intentional or simply lazy writing is unclear, but who cares, the final product is a surrealistic nightmare that will haunt you until the day you die.

Of course, I couldn't talk about a Fulci film without discussing the gore, and oh boy does The Beyond have its fair share of it. Eye plucking, throat ripping, this film has it all, but the most memorable moment is by far the infamous spider scene. The scene takes place in a library where Martin (Michele Mirabella), a friend of MacColl's character Liza, investigates the blueprints of the Seven Doors Hotel. Suddenly, he is struck by a mysterious force, causing him to fall from a ladder onto the ground where he is devoured by tarantulas. Now Fulci could have easily made this scene much shorter by having the spiders quickly scuttle over Martin, biting him a few times, then disappearing. Nope, like the aforementioned scene from City, the spider scene is prolonged so that Fulci can really emphasise the graphic violence involved in it. The tarantulas slowly creep toward Martins motionless body, allowing for tension to build before we get to the gory stuff. We then see close ups of the arachnids literally tearing the flesh from Martins body with their fangs, one particular shot of a spider tearing away his bottom lip really made me squirm. Fulci really pays attention to detail here, emphasising every wound inflicted on poor aul Martin and how it was done, as if I needed any more reason to fear tarantulas. Throughout the scene it feels as though there is this supernatural presence pulling the strings, throwing Martin from the ladder and possessing the spiders in a sense. This is a recurring theme throughout and is present in the majority of the death scenes in The Beyond, contributing to that sense of surrealism I mentioned earlier. It's almost as though the protagonists are being picked off one by one, by some paranormal entity. It's this underlying presence of the supernatural that makes the film all the more unsettling and is a major contribution to the spine-chilling atmosphere throughout.

The Beyond is a gruesome and disturbing film that feels like it was pulled out of one of Lucio Fulci's darkest nightmares. Here, he focuses much more on ambiance and creating that eerie atmosphere that makes the film so unsettling. At the same time, Fulci pours an equal amount of effort into visually scarring us for life. The Beyond is often considered Fulci's magnum opus, but there is still one more film to discuss...

The House by the Cemetery (1981)

Now many consider this to be the worst film to the trilogy, the plot is all over the place, the dubbing is awful, and the ending doesn't make much sense. However, The House by the Cemetery is one of my favourite Fulci films and left me feeling scared out of my wits when I first watched it. This one doesn't focus on some gate to hell, despite being part of the trilogy, but instead follows the Boyle family and their struggles with the mysterious forces that plague their new house..by the cemetery. Catriona MacColl is back yet again as Lucy Boyle, while Paolo Malco plays her husband Norman who is drawn to the mysterious house after his former colleague was murdered there. However, most of the film focuses on their son Bob (Giovanni Frezza), who befriends a mysterious ghost girl who warns him of the dangers lying within his new home. Now first of all, why would anyone call their child Bob? Secondly, why did Fulci decide to dub him over with such a painfully annoying voice. That's the one thing I dislike about this film, forget the plot holes, Bob is a pain in the arse. 

Moving on from Bob, I want to talk about what made this film so unsettling for me. First of all, credit is due to composer Walter Rizzati, who brings this much more ominous score to the table in comparison to those by Fabio Frizzi. There is a lot more use of piano, giving it a more melancholic sound that suits the tone of the film and aids in creating its unnerving atmosphere. Speaking of atmosphere, oh boy, this film is oozing with it. I feel like this may be the most ambient film of the trilogy due to the score and Fulci's masterful direction, every moment is chilling. One particular moment that stuck with me, despite not being explicitly terrifying, was the mannequin scene. We linger on this very realistic looking mannequin in a shop window with a piercing gaze, it constantly looks as though its about to spring to life and break through the glass. Instead, its head falls to the floor, continuing to stare off into the distance and leaving a bloody stump at the top of its neck. This scene freaked me out, not because of the blood, but because of the mannequin. It just looks so real as though its staring right at you, and while it doesn't exactly do anything, the fact that it doesn't makes the scene all the more unsettling. It's later revealed that the mannequin is actually identical to the families new babysitter, but that's a whole other confusing subplot that I won't get too into.

It was at this moment when we really get a taste of HBTC's sense of ambiance, it's a lot stronger than it's predecessors but manifests itself in subtle ways, making it clear that Fulci has really mastered the horror genre. The film also contains some of the most suspenseful moments of Fulci's filmmaking career, from the scene where Bob attempts to flee from the basement, to the scene where the real estate agent is brutally murdered, this is edge-of-your-seat tension right here. While I would love to go on about those particular scenes, I feel like I've spoken enough about Fulci and his skills at bringing gore to life, so I'll leave it there for tonight. I could go on forever about each little detail in the Gates of Hell trilogy and Fulci's talent for the craft, but I think I've written enough for tonight. Sure, Fulci may not be the best at crafting a coherent story, but he's a damn fine director and his talents behind the camera are incomparable. Now go, go and watch some Fulci films, sit back, relax, and brace yourselves..