Exploring the Horror Films of Michele Soavi

Among the great Italian horror filmmakers, Argento, Fulci, Bava, etc. Michele Soavi is often a name that goes overlooked. Perhaps it's because his horror career was shortly lived, or that his films are somewhat of an acquired taste, but for some reason Michele Soavi's name never quite reached the level of fame as his legendary predecessors. Beginning his career as an actor before moving onto several assistant directing jobs, Soavi made his first big break when he worked as a second assistant director on Dario Argento's Tenebre. Soavi would subsequently work on a number of other Argento films such as Phenomena and Opera, along with the Argento-produced Demons directed by Lamberto Bava.

In 1985, Soavi released a documentary chronicling the career of Dario Argento entitled Dario Argento's World of Horror, this was his directorial debut. While he only ever made four horror films in total, Soavi has worked with the likes of Terry Gilliam and Joe D'Amato (of Antropophagus fame), along with directing a number of television films as well. Soavi was once considered Dario Argento's protege, and two of his four horror films were even produced by Argento himself, so what happened? Before we look at what became of Michele Soavi, it's only right to take a look at his career in the horror genre.

Stage Fright (1987)

Soavi's first horror film is a sort of hybrid of slasher and giallo films, taking tropes from both genres to create an interesting type of horror film. Stage Fright follows a group of actors rehearsing for a musical entitled 'The Nite Owl', about a serial killer dressed in a giant owl mask. However, the actors soon find themselves locked inside the theater at the mercy of a deranged lunatic who dons the nite owl mask. Stage Fright has one of my favourite opening scenes in horror, not because it's scary or particularly shocking, but because it's funny. The film opens with a young woman walking through a dark street, laden with neon signs and graffiti, before being attacked by a mysterious killer. However, soon it is revealed that this is all part of the musical as a strange dance number kicks in, giving the audience a brief laugh before the terror begins. The film has the formula of a slasher, but the style of a giallo, which works really well on Soavi's part. The old theater setting makes for the perfect setting for Stage Fright, acting as a sort of fun house that the killer can use to his advantage. One of the best kill scenes sees one of the actresses standing by a hole in the floor, the killers hands slowly rise up and grab her ankles, pulling her down from below. When her co-stars try to rescue her however, her torso comes clean off, leaving her cut in half. 

Stage Fright is quite tense at times, especially in one of the final scenes in which Alicia (Barbara Cupisti) attempts to retrieve a key from the stage, right below the killers feet. The killer sits silently, surrounded by his victims, whilst he nonchalantly pets a cat. There are some comedic elements as well however, including Giovanni Lombardo Radice's stereotypically camp actor, you can feel Soavi's subtle sense of humour seep in from time to time. The ending is a bit strange to say the least, it felt like Soavi was trying to fit in one last 'twist' to scare the audience, but it feels extremely hammy and just left me laughing. Who knows, maybe that was his intention. Stage Fright may not be Soavi's best film, but it's a fun cross-genre thriller that kicked off his career as a director.

The Church (1989)

Soavi's second horror film was originally intended by Dario Argento, to be a third-entry into the Demons franchise. Soavi however, had other ideas and wished to make a more mature horror film that the more action-packed Demons films. Soavi got his wish and thus The Church was born. The film is set in a large gothic cathedral that sits above a demonic grave, sealed by Teutonic Knights during the Middle Ages. However, when new librarian Evan (Thomas Arana) discovers the sealed grave and opens it, ancient spirits begin to plague the church, possessing the minds and bodies of its patrons. It's easy to see how this could have been a Demons film, the second half follows a group of visitors being trapped inside and falling victim to the supernatural activity, a common formula in both Demons films. However, while those films were over-the-top and filled to the brim with gore, The Church is much more subtle and incorporates elements of surrealism as well. The hallucinations and gothic imagery create this nightmarish atmosphere that gradually builds from the start, concluding in an apocalyptic finale that sees hell being raised.

The Church has become a recent favourite of mine, due to its gothic imagery and soundtrack by Keith Emerson, Phillip Glass, Fabio Pignatelli, and of course, Goblin. The plot itself may not be the most solid thing about the film, but in Italian horror cinema, is it ever? The film relies more on atmosphere and imagery as opposed to story, but it's extremely effective in creating a solid chill factor. It feels somewhat like an Argento film, and his influence undoubtedly shines through at times, but this is very much Soavi's film and solidified his directorial style. While it does rely mainly on hallucinogenic imagery and atmosphere, naturally there are some extremely shocking death scenes in the film such as one involving an underground train, and another bizarre sequence involving and elderly couple. The practical effects are all extremely impressive, especially those at the end of the film, you'll know them when you see them. In my opinion, The Church is Soavi's best horror film, a slow-burning gothic nightmare that is guaranteed to chill you to the bone.

The Sect (1991)

From possessed churches to satanic cults, The Sect is Soavi's throwback to the satanic films of the 1970's, again produced and co-written by Dario Argento. This Rosemary's Baby- style film follows Miriam (Kelly Curtis), a young schoolteacher from Frankfurt who becomes the target of a mysterious cult after an encounter with a mysterious old man. Beginning with a Manson-esque murder in a desert in 1970, the film then cuts to Frankfurt in 1991 where our protagonist finds herself falling down a rabbit hole of satanic terror. Much like The Church, The Sect relies heavily on atmosphere and nightmarish imagery, this time including a giant demonic bird and a possessed hanky (?) in some of the more shocking scenes. The sense of atmosphere and growing paranoia is extremely reminiscent of those satanic 70's horror films, while the presence of an unnaturally intelligent bunny rabbit incorporates elements from Alice in Wonderland as well. While Soavi certainly wears his influences on his sleeve, this very much feels like his own film and further solidified his directorial style.

My favourite part of The Sect however, has to be the subplot involving Miriam's friend Kathryn (Mariangela Giordano), who by far has the worst luck in the film. First she gets attacked by the aforementioned possessed handkerchief, after Miriam helps her pull it off, Kathryn soon disappears. It soon becomes clear that something is not quite right with Kathryn as she then attempts to seduce a random truck driver. The scene leads the viewer to believe that Kathryn is about to kill him, but then Soavi throws a curveball and shows Kathryn subsequently slaughtered by the terrified driver. Finally, her mangled corpse proceeds to attack poor Miriam in the morgue, finishing off some of the most bizarre character development in horror history. The Sect can feel a bit slow at times, but when it shocks it really shocks, especially during a scene towards the end where the demonic bird-beast makes a return. It's an interesting film soaked in paranoia, blending elements of satanic films with folk horror to create another memorable film from Michele Soavi.

Dellamorte Dellamore (1994)

Also known as Cemetery Man, but come on, how cool does Dellamorte Dellamore sound? Michele Soavi's most widely known horror film was also, unfortunately, his last, but there are many who consider this to be the last great Italian horror film, and what an achievement that is. The film stars Rupert Everett as grave digger Francesco Dellamorte, whose job involves preventing the dead from rising from their graves. However, things get complicated when Dellamorte takes an interest in the widow of a recently deceased man (Anna Falci), leading him down a strange road of love and zombies. This is definitely the most comedic of Soavi's horror films, incorporating dark humour that feels very in-line with the likes of Peter Jackson's Braindead. One example is the budding relationship between Dellamorte's mentally challenged friend Gnaghi (Francois Hadji-Lazaro) and the zombified severed head of the Mayor's daughter (Fabiana Formica). But as viewers soon realise, this is more than just a zombie film.

Much like Soavi's previous elements, Dellamorte Dellamore blurs the lines between dreams and reality, something that becomes more apparent as the film progresses. While it initially presents itself as a zombie flick, it soon becomes apparent that Dellamorte Dellamore is something much more complex. Soon zombies become the least of Francesco's worries. The film has some wonderful special effects including Falci's zombified bride and perhaps the best onscreen depiction of the grim reaper, it's certainly one of Soavi's most visually impressive films as well. However, the film also has a lot of substance to back up it's impressive visuals, constantly leaving the audience to ponder the reality of the situation. Everett is fantastic as Dellamorte and is perhaps why this film is so popular with international audiences as well. His performance in this is incredibly underrated and only gets better the more things develop. Dellamorte Dellamore marked a fitting end to Soavi's stint in the horror genre, incorporating all of his usual tropes such as gothic imagery, dreamlike sequences, and wonderful special effects. It certainly is the last great Italian horror.


So what became of Soavi? Well unfortunately, in the mid-nineties his son became extremely ill, so in order to care for him Soavi had to retire from the industry. While it's hard not to think of how Soavi's careers could have went if he had have continued making horror films, it's extremely admirable to see him put his career aside in order to take care of his family. Soavia has since returned to directing, although so far he has been limited to television movies. There was news in 2008 that Soavi was working on a new film entitled The Catacombs Club co-written by Terry Gilliam and based off a screenplay originally written by Richard Stanley. It would have supposedly involved a man discovering a world full of strange creatures beneath a casino that he is constructing. While it certainly sounded like a fantastic idea, unfortunately The Catacombs Club never took off, and Soavi is yet to make another horror film. While his career in the horror genre was shortly lived, he has certainly left an impact on hardcore fans of the genre, and his films have been praised by the lies of Quentin Tarantino and Martin Scorsese. Perhaps someday he'll return to the genre.