City of the Living Dead (1980)

Synopsis

The movie City of the Living Dead (1980) is an Italian supernatural horror film directed by Lucio Fulci. The story follows a priest named Father Thomas, played by Fabrizio Jovine, who hangs himself in a cemetery, causing a portal to open to the gates of hell. The town of Dunwich is soon plagued by supernatural occurrences, including the dead rising from their graves and attacking the living.

The movie City of the Living Dead (1980) centers around a psychic named Mary Woodhouse, played by Catriona MacColl, who has a vision of Father Thomas’ suicide and the impending doom that will befall the town. She teams up with a reporter named Peter Bell, played by Christopher George, to try to close the portal to hell before All Saints’ Day, which is only a few days away.

The movie City of the Living Dead (1980) and particularly the climax features a surreal and disturbing sequence that has become one of the most iconic scenes in horror cinema.

Cast

Christopher George as Peter Bell
Catriona MacColl as Mary Woodhouse
Carlo De Mejo as Gerry
Antonella Interlenghi as Sandra
Giovanni Lombardo Radice as Bob

Trivia

City of the Living Dead (1980) was the first film in Lucio Fulci’s “Gates of Hell” trilogy, which also includes The Beyond (1981) and The House by the Cemetery (1981).
The film was originally banned in the UK due to its graphic violence and gore, but it was eventually released with heavy cuts.
City of the Living Dead (1980) features a memorable scene in which a character’s head is impaled on a drill, which has become one of the most iconic moments in the film.