City of the Living Dead

We the audience are thrown right into Lucio Fulci's horror tale directly from the start as we witness Father Thomas (Fabrizio Jovine) hang himself at a cemetery and the death of Mary Woodhouse (Katerine MacColl) at a deliciously artsy (thanks to Fulci) seance. Before Mary dies she is screaming about the city of the living dead. Mary is not dead and is revived once she is laying within her tomb in the ground. A pretty good scene where journalist Peter Bell (Christopher George) must get her out of her coffin...with a pick axe. Fulci wouldn't have it done any other way. Because of the suicide of Father Thomas though a gate to hell has been opened allowing the dead to walk the earth again. So, Mary and Peter are off to find it and close it.

To me why I rated it higher is because of Fulci. Yes, it is a gory horror film. I mean that is a must when talking about a Fulci horror film. But, it is in his ability to create the atmosphere in the film. He uses shadows wonderfully in this film and while mixed with some swallowing fog and a nice score from Fabio Frizzi you have a nice dark setting for the horror to take place. He also with the assistance of course with co-screenwriter Dardano Sacchetti weaves the story at times without much dialogue. Which when you know what is going on I love in films.

Also starring Michele Soavi (who went on to direct CEMETERY MAN) and Lucio Fulci himself as the coroner Dr. Joe Thompson. Any gore hounds out there give it a try you might like what you see.