204 reviews
The great thing about this movie is that it's not scared to walk a dangerous line between two rarely compatible genres - tongue in cheek horror comedy and European art flick. On its simplest level, it's a schlock zombie flick - pandering to the gore fans. But on another level, it has enough thought-provoking material and poetic direction to please the turtle-neck brigade at your local arts and drama society.
Director Michael Soavi risked alienating both camps with this approach. After all - do fans of George A. Romero *really* want to see zombies that don't seem all that dangerous? Or hear philosophical dialogue about the blurry line between what is alive and what is dead? And conversely - do the coffee-house beatniks really want their poetic escapism dampened by bullets through nuns eyeballs and flying, biting severed heads in bridal veils??? If you had asked me a year ago I would have said that the mix sounded ridiculous.
Now though - I stand corrected.
On the side appealing to my sense of aesthetics and intellect - Michael Soavi's direction was wonderful. The screen is alive with wide angles, slo-mo flowing silks and drips of water. Reminiscent of Ridley Scott in his better days in fact. But wait? What's this cutting through the arty farty pretension? A Sam Raimi style track and pan here? A Jean Paul Jeunet style superimposition there? The whole film is an exercise in visual flair. I can only wish that hollywood had more directors of this calibre. On top of this - the screenplay was superbly written. It delivered shock, comedy or deep sentiment with perfect timing. The climax was stunning and left me very quiet throughout the closing credits.
On the side appealing to my sense of "Hey lads, let's crack open a few beers and watch some chicks get naked and eaten by zombies!" I was equally satisfied. The gore and heaving breast content is most adequate. The zombies were brilliantly designed and had distinct personalities. Even in its deeper moments the film always seems to have it's tongue firmly in its cheek and a mischevious gleam in its eye.
At various times I was reminded of Evil Dead 2, The Hudsucker Proxy, Bad Taste, City of the lost children, and Zombie flesheaters to name but a few. An unusual mix indeed - but one that somehow works. All said and done, I heartily recommend this movie to anyone willing to try out - just for once - a zombie flick with a brain (pun intended).
Director Michael Soavi risked alienating both camps with this approach. After all - do fans of George A. Romero *really* want to see zombies that don't seem all that dangerous? Or hear philosophical dialogue about the blurry line between what is alive and what is dead? And conversely - do the coffee-house beatniks really want their poetic escapism dampened by bullets through nuns eyeballs and flying, biting severed heads in bridal veils??? If you had asked me a year ago I would have said that the mix sounded ridiculous.
Now though - I stand corrected.
On the side appealing to my sense of aesthetics and intellect - Michael Soavi's direction was wonderful. The screen is alive with wide angles, slo-mo flowing silks and drips of water. Reminiscent of Ridley Scott in his better days in fact. But wait? What's this cutting through the arty farty pretension? A Sam Raimi style track and pan here? A Jean Paul Jeunet style superimposition there? The whole film is an exercise in visual flair. I can only wish that hollywood had more directors of this calibre. On top of this - the screenplay was superbly written. It delivered shock, comedy or deep sentiment with perfect timing. The climax was stunning and left me very quiet throughout the closing credits.
On the side appealing to my sense of "Hey lads, let's crack open a few beers and watch some chicks get naked and eaten by zombies!" I was equally satisfied. The gore and heaving breast content is most adequate. The zombies were brilliantly designed and had distinct personalities. Even in its deeper moments the film always seems to have it's tongue firmly in its cheek and a mischevious gleam in its eye.
At various times I was reminded of Evil Dead 2, The Hudsucker Proxy, Bad Taste, City of the lost children, and Zombie flesheaters to name but a few. An unusual mix indeed - but one that somehow works. All said and done, I heartily recommend this movie to anyone willing to try out - just for once - a zombie flick with a brain (pun intended).
- The_Dead_See
- Dec 16, 2000
- Permalink
Rupert Everett plays a cemetery caretaker named Francesco Dellamorte.He and his mute sidekick Gnaghi spend most of their evenings shooting zombies in the head,or splitting their skulls in half with the shovel,having to dispatch them again when they tend to rise from the grave after seven days.Rupert falls for a mysterious beautiful young widow(the breathtaking beauty Anna Falchi).After the two of them have sex on her husband's grave,her husband wakes up and takes a bite out of her,sending her to the grave."Cemetery Man" is one of the best Italian horror movies ever made.It's so wonderfully stylish that it truly blew me away.There is plenty of gore to satisfy fans of Italian horror.Highly recommended.Michele Soavi is a genius!
- HumanoidOfFlesh
- Oct 4, 2003
- Permalink
Okay, forget the really cheesy American title ("Cemetery Man") and just pick it up if you ever see it. Anyone with an open mind and any mind at all should be able to like this film, if not for the bizarre story for Michele Soavi's incredible visual style, the perfect performances by Everett and Lazaro, or just as a plain, good old time.
"Dellamorte Dellamore" begins like a fun B-horror movie telling us of the care-taker of th Buffalora cemetery, Francesco Dellamorte. In the cemetery some dead people come back to life 7 days after burial, but, Dellamorte isn't too bothered by this, he just takes it as part of his job to put the dead back in the ground, answering his door with a gun in hand, ready to dispense some Grim Reaper-type justice. But, within the first three minutes we know from the visual complexity of the film that this won't be just any B-horror movie, and within the first ten minutes we get a glimpse of what is to come - a fascinating meditation on the difference (if any) between life and death, a philosophical look at insanity and loneliness, a recurring love story that grows more bizarre with each telling, and eventually a big old representation about how life is just what we make of it. The dead returning and the whole zombie thing is just a doorway into Dellamorte's world. Fortunately, it never takes itself too seriously, if it had it would be a dull bore, but thankfully Romoli throws in lots of wit and dark humor ("I'd give my life to be dead"), and Soavi never lets us get bored with his always moving, floating camera and elaborate but never over-done sets.
Everett gives one of the best performances in film history because it is so subtle, he delivers his lines with just the right amount of sarcasm, cynicism, and un-emotionalism (is that a word?) to pull off what was probably an incredibly difficult performance - but he does it perfectly. Francois Hadji-Lazaro, playing Dellamorte's mute and retarded assistant manages to build more of a character with his simple one word vocab of "Nyah" and his facial expressions than most big over-done actors/actresses in movies now-a-days. Anna Falchi is mainly there to provide mysteriously beautiful looks, which she does, in all three of her roles and all of her many lives and unlives. Soavi was the protogé of Italian horror-stylist Dario Argento, but in "Dellamorte Dellamore" he comes fully into his own with his own bizarre and incredible style. This isn't just a case of the student copying the teacher, in this case the student might have even surpassed the master. Ah, if only you could see one movie this life time.
"Dellamorte Dellamore" begins like a fun B-horror movie telling us of the care-taker of th Buffalora cemetery, Francesco Dellamorte. In the cemetery some dead people come back to life 7 days after burial, but, Dellamorte isn't too bothered by this, he just takes it as part of his job to put the dead back in the ground, answering his door with a gun in hand, ready to dispense some Grim Reaper-type justice. But, within the first three minutes we know from the visual complexity of the film that this won't be just any B-horror movie, and within the first ten minutes we get a glimpse of what is to come - a fascinating meditation on the difference (if any) between life and death, a philosophical look at insanity and loneliness, a recurring love story that grows more bizarre with each telling, and eventually a big old representation about how life is just what we make of it. The dead returning and the whole zombie thing is just a doorway into Dellamorte's world. Fortunately, it never takes itself too seriously, if it had it would be a dull bore, but thankfully Romoli throws in lots of wit and dark humor ("I'd give my life to be dead"), and Soavi never lets us get bored with his always moving, floating camera and elaborate but never over-done sets.
Everett gives one of the best performances in film history because it is so subtle, he delivers his lines with just the right amount of sarcasm, cynicism, and un-emotionalism (is that a word?) to pull off what was probably an incredibly difficult performance - but he does it perfectly. Francois Hadji-Lazaro, playing Dellamorte's mute and retarded assistant manages to build more of a character with his simple one word vocab of "Nyah" and his facial expressions than most big over-done actors/actresses in movies now-a-days. Anna Falchi is mainly there to provide mysteriously beautiful looks, which she does, in all three of her roles and all of her many lives and unlives. Soavi was the protogé of Italian horror-stylist Dario Argento, but in "Dellamorte Dellamore" he comes fully into his own with his own bizarre and incredible style. This isn't just a case of the student copying the teacher, in this case the student might have even surpassed the master. Ah, if only you could see one movie this life time.
In Buffalora, Francesco Dellamorte (Rupert Everett) is the administrator of the local cemetery and he lives in a house by the cemetery with the intellectually disabled gravedigger Gnaghi (François Hadji-Lazaro) that is his only friend. The cemetery has a peculiarity since the dead reanimates on the seventh night after their death and Dellamorte and Gnaghi together hunt them down. When a gorgeous widow (Anna Falchi) attends the funeral of her old husband, Dellamorte falls in an unrequited love with her. One day, he shows the ossuary to her stimulating her sex drive, and they make love on the top of her husband's grave. However he awakes and bites her, and when she raises, Dellamorte shoots her. On the next days, Gnaghi falls in love with the mayor's daughter Valentina Scanarotti (Fabiana Formica) but she is beheaded in a motorcycle accident with her friend Claudio (Alessandro Zamattio). Along the next days, Dellamorte meets two women that looks alike his deceased love, but his romance ends tragically. He decides to leave Buffalora with Gnaghi, but their journey abruptly ends.
"Dellamorte Dellamore" is an unconventional, weird, funny and cult black comedy. The surrealistic plot has a great cinematography, direction and performances. Dellamorte is a detached character and Rupert Everett is excellent. Anna Falchi is very sexy and has an amazing body. Unfortunately the dubbing is terrible. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "Pelo Amor e Pela Morte" ("For the Love and for the Death")
"Dellamorte Dellamore" is an unconventional, weird, funny and cult black comedy. The surrealistic plot has a great cinematography, direction and performances. Dellamorte is a detached character and Rupert Everett is excellent. Anna Falchi is very sexy and has an amazing body. Unfortunately the dubbing is terrible. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "Pelo Amor e Pela Morte" ("For the Love and for the Death")
- claudio_carvalho
- Jun 2, 2015
- Permalink
There was a distinct lack of truly great horror in the nineties; but this film, Dellamorte Dellamore, tops the list of what little good ones there were. It's actually quite shocking that this came out during a huge depression for horror cinema, because it's easily one of the greatest horror movies I ever saw. Dellamorte Dellamore is a rather strange mix of horror, romance, twisted fairytale and comedy that isn't quite like anything else in cinema; horror or otherwise. The film knows that it's not the usual sort of film, and revels in this fact throughout. Dellamorte Dellamore buys itself a licence do whatever it wants through the fact that it so weird, and therefore no matter what the film throws at you; it's easy to just back and enjoy it. The film is directed by Dario Argento's talented understudy, Michele Soavi and finds an unlikely lead in Rupert Everett. The story follows Everett; the keeper of a cemetery in a small Italian town called Buffalora. He lives there with his assistant; the deformed Gnaghi, but this isn't quite the normal cemetery, however, as here the dead come back to life and it's up the cemetery man to put them back to sleep. When he meets the most beautiful woman he's ever seen in his cemetery, however, it appears that his luck is starting to change.
The atmosphere presented in this film is truly brilliant, and one of Dellamorte Dellamore's main assets. A cemetery is always going to present a macabre location for a film's characters to inhabit, but the Gothic design in this film ensures that Buffalora's cemetery is more than the horror film norm. The way that the smoke protrudes from the graves, along with several little special effects that director Michele Soavi has seen fit to implement all help to give the film that unique ambiance that it portrays so well. Soavi has given this film it's own style throughout, and even the zombies adhere to it. Soavi's zombies, like the rest of the film, don't stick to convention and rather than being covered with blood, falling to pieces of screaming "brains!", these zombies really look like they've been underground, and also manage to tie in with the downbeat tone of the rest of the movie. A lot of imagination has gone into Dellamorte Dellamore, and almost every sequence is soaked in it. It's things like the way that the cemetery man's assistant takes the mayor's daughter's head from her grave and puts it in the television that makes Dellamorte Dellamore what it is, and not just any other zombie movie.
Horror movies aren't known for great acting, but Dellamorte Dellamore breaks convention once again on that front. Rupert Everett puts in a performance that goes over and above what audiences have come to expect from him given his earlier roles. Like the rest of the film, he just fits in; and if you'd never seen Everett in anything before, you would think that he made this kind of movie all the time. The fact that he isn't essentially a horror film actor only makes the performance even more impressive. Anna Falchi stars opposite him in three different female roles, and looks absolutely great in all of them. The rest of the cast is made up of lesser-known actors, with the very odd François Hadji-Lazaro standing out most among them. Director Michele Soavi started out working under the great Dario Argento, but the few films he has directed himself show that he is a bigger talent than his resume lets on. Here, for example, he has created a film that absolutely stands on it's own. Dellamorte Dellamore goes beyond the title 'horror film', and comes out in a sub-genre all of it's own. Films like this don't often come to the attention of the mainstream; and that's a shame because originality like this should be praised to high heaven. Dellamorte Dellamore is a film that is impossible to ignore and, providing you can find a copy, ignoring is definitely not the recommended action!
The atmosphere presented in this film is truly brilliant, and one of Dellamorte Dellamore's main assets. A cemetery is always going to present a macabre location for a film's characters to inhabit, but the Gothic design in this film ensures that Buffalora's cemetery is more than the horror film norm. The way that the smoke protrudes from the graves, along with several little special effects that director Michele Soavi has seen fit to implement all help to give the film that unique ambiance that it portrays so well. Soavi has given this film it's own style throughout, and even the zombies adhere to it. Soavi's zombies, like the rest of the film, don't stick to convention and rather than being covered with blood, falling to pieces of screaming "brains!", these zombies really look like they've been underground, and also manage to tie in with the downbeat tone of the rest of the movie. A lot of imagination has gone into Dellamorte Dellamore, and almost every sequence is soaked in it. It's things like the way that the cemetery man's assistant takes the mayor's daughter's head from her grave and puts it in the television that makes Dellamorte Dellamore what it is, and not just any other zombie movie.
Horror movies aren't known for great acting, but Dellamorte Dellamore breaks convention once again on that front. Rupert Everett puts in a performance that goes over and above what audiences have come to expect from him given his earlier roles. Like the rest of the film, he just fits in; and if you'd never seen Everett in anything before, you would think that he made this kind of movie all the time. The fact that he isn't essentially a horror film actor only makes the performance even more impressive. Anna Falchi stars opposite him in three different female roles, and looks absolutely great in all of them. The rest of the cast is made up of lesser-known actors, with the very odd François Hadji-Lazaro standing out most among them. Director Michele Soavi started out working under the great Dario Argento, but the few films he has directed himself show that he is a bigger talent than his resume lets on. Here, for example, he has created a film that absolutely stands on it's own. Dellamorte Dellamore goes beyond the title 'horror film', and comes out in a sub-genre all of it's own. Films like this don't often come to the attention of the mainstream; and that's a shame because originality like this should be praised to high heaven. Dellamorte Dellamore is a film that is impossible to ignore and, providing you can find a copy, ignoring is definitely not the recommended action!
Cemetery Man, is an Italian film although it is in English and is based upon the novel by Tiziano Sclavi. The film is set in Italy and is about a man named Francesco Dellamorte, who lives and works at the local cemetery with his mute assistant Gnaghi. In the graveyard several bodies seem to come back alive a week after they died and Francesco, has to kill them. Francesco, then meets a woman who comes to the cemetery often to visit her late husband and soon she falls in love with Francesco. Things get complicated after they have sex on her husband's grave and he comes back to life and she dies of shock. The rest of the movie includes other very unusual things including Francesco meeting other women who look exactly the same as the woman from the cemetery and his partner Gnaghi, falling in love with the decapitated head of a local town girl. Winner of The Silver Scream Award for director Michele Soavi at The Amsterdam Fantastic Film Festival, The David Award for Best Production Design at The David di Donatello Awards, The International Fantasy Film Award for Best Actor (Rupert Everett, who plays Francesco) at The Fantasporto Awards, The Audience Award for Michele Soavi at The Gerardmer Film Festival and The Best Actor Award at The Malaga International Week of Fantastic Cinema. Cemetery Man, has good direction, a good script, good performances from everybody involved, good original music, good production design and good makeup and special effects. The film is low budget and is amaturely done but I enjoyed it. The film is a little slow moving and it is filled with dry and dark humour which for the most part works and the film is a well made film and is quite smart and original. I also liked the way the film looked and film dreamlike and like we are watching someone's dream or a nightmare. The film comes up with clever twists and never gets boring and the last half hour is a real mind twister which I didn't totally understand but I liked it all the same. A very original and interesting horror film that also works as a dark comedy and works well.
- cultfilmfan
- Feb 26, 2005
- Permalink
From the land that spawned probably the most zombie films to this date, ranging in quality from excellent to exremely dull, comes one film that rises above nearly all the rest. DELLAMORTE DELLAMORE (aka CEMETERY MAN) is that film, and if you haven't seen it yet, you are seriously missing out. The story is about lonely cemetery attendant Francesco (Rupert Everett (!?) in one of his very early roles)and his mute, Igor-like assistant Gnaghi. Every seven days, the dead rise from their graves (for no real apparent reason...) and it is Francesco and Gnaghi's job to dispatch them. The 2 live a pretty solitary existence until a mysterious woman comes along and into Francesco's life. Cut to the chase- Francesco and the woman have sex on her newly buried husband's grave, and when he returns from the dead, everything goes haywire from there...
DELLAMORTE DELLAMORE is several films rolled into one...zombie gore film, dark comedy, romance story - similar in some ways to perhaps DEADALIVE (not nearly as silly or gory), but this is a hard film to make a comparison on. It really is it's own unique experience and should definitely be viewed by anyone into horror/zombie films. Again, one of my all-time zombie favorites...Highly Recommended 9/10
DELLAMORTE DELLAMORE is several films rolled into one...zombie gore film, dark comedy, romance story - similar in some ways to perhaps DEADALIVE (not nearly as silly or gory), but this is a hard film to make a comparison on. It really is it's own unique experience and should definitely be viewed by anyone into horror/zombie films. Again, one of my all-time zombie favorites...Highly Recommended 9/10
- Leofwine_draca
- Jun 14, 2016
- Permalink
Dreadful. I hope I can save two hours of your life by warning you away from this. I just finished watching the film, BTW.
I love good cross genre films. This isn't one of them. Show me a sci-fi musical, a dramatic farce, or a religious action flick, I'll watch them all. But you cannot just throw epigrammatic quips at a rambling, camp, schlock-horror fest and draw my applause.
I love philosophical films. This isn't one of them. Anyone who is amazed at the depths of intellect plumbed in this film hasn't read a good book lately. Or ever. The "thought-provoking" dialogue is trite, at best. Perhaps it lost something in the translation.
I love a good horror-comedy. This isn't one of them. Laugh! I thought I'd never start! Squirm? Only when trying to think of a polite way to phrase my feedback of the film to the friend who recommended it.
Rupert is incongruously good in the setting of this film, but even he cannot resurrect it. I only wish he had shot the director instead if the zombies.
For shame, that the land that gave rise to The Inferno should also give rise to this. Dante would be spinning in his grave.
I love good cross genre films. This isn't one of them. Show me a sci-fi musical, a dramatic farce, or a religious action flick, I'll watch them all. But you cannot just throw epigrammatic quips at a rambling, camp, schlock-horror fest and draw my applause.
I love philosophical films. This isn't one of them. Anyone who is amazed at the depths of intellect plumbed in this film hasn't read a good book lately. Or ever. The "thought-provoking" dialogue is trite, at best. Perhaps it lost something in the translation.
I love a good horror-comedy. This isn't one of them. Laugh! I thought I'd never start! Squirm? Only when trying to think of a polite way to phrase my feedback of the film to the friend who recommended it.
Rupert is incongruously good in the setting of this film, but even he cannot resurrect it. I only wish he had shot the director instead if the zombies.
For shame, that the land that gave rise to The Inferno should also give rise to this. Dante would be spinning in his grave.
Dellamorte Dellamore (aka Cemetery Man) is one of those ingenious, creative movies that appear once in a blue moon and is virtually unrecognized. It tells the story of a cemetery caretaker's troubled life and descent into madness, while at the same time, trying to rid himself of the zombies that rise from the ground after burial. Featuring Rupert Everett giving one of the best performances in cinematic history, Dellamorte Dellamore is a unique blend of humor, horror, and romance into a gothic art-house flick. This movie is proof that American film-makers have a lot to learn.
- HarryWarden
- Aug 3, 1998
- Permalink
- jrdepriest
- Nov 9, 2006
- Permalink
In Michele Soavi's confusing art-house zombie film, Dellamorte Dellamore, Rupert Everett plays Francesco, a caretaker in a cemetery where the dead don't stay buried for long. Aided by his simple assistant, Gnaghi, Francesco deals with the cemetery's zombie problem by either shooting the undead in the head or splitting their skulls with a spade.
However, soon after falling for the mysterious beautiful widow of one of his recently interred, Francesco finds himself busier than ever before
Having garnered some particularly favourable comments from some of IMDb's more respected horror officianados, I decided to see what the fuss was all about. I've just finished watching the film, and I can honestly say that I haven't been this disappointed by a horror film for quite some time.
With its dreary, muddled pseudo-philosophical plot, and an extremely bland performance from leading man Everett, Dellamorte Dellamore is an irritating and plodding mess that not even some splattery gore (courtesy of Sergio Stivaletti) and welcome gratuitous nudity (from busty Anna Fialchi) can save. I am at a loss to understand the amount of in-depth analysis and discussion that this pretentious bilge has received from its misguided fans.
However, soon after falling for the mysterious beautiful widow of one of his recently interred, Francesco finds himself busier than ever before
Having garnered some particularly favourable comments from some of IMDb's more respected horror officianados, I decided to see what the fuss was all about. I've just finished watching the film, and I can honestly say that I haven't been this disappointed by a horror film for quite some time.
With its dreary, muddled pseudo-philosophical plot, and an extremely bland performance from leading man Everett, Dellamorte Dellamore is an irritating and plodding mess that not even some splattery gore (courtesy of Sergio Stivaletti) and welcome gratuitous nudity (from busty Anna Fialchi) can save. I am at a loss to understand the amount of in-depth analysis and discussion that this pretentious bilge has received from its misguided fans.
- BA_Harrison
- Sep 24, 2006
- Permalink
- LanceBrave
- Nov 2, 2013
- Permalink
I scoured the shelves of my local video store, looking and looking for something in the horror section that might actually fall under the category of "quality horror movie." Well, this movie - out of an offering of what seemed like hundreds - is the only one that seemed to stick out and grab me, so I rented it. And I'm glad I did, I was NOT disappointed.
This movie possesses all those "pluses" that I like in those movies that I give high marks to. Namely, it is absorbing, thick with atmosphere, adroitly filmed, has great location scenery and expertly designed sets, and has compelling, believable characters who actually make you care about their individual fates as the movie unfolds. Yes, this movie has all that, and it is hard to believe that I found all this in a (gasp!) Italian zombie flick.
But it's true, and as you can see from previous comments herein, most other people commenting on this film were also quite impressed with the film.
I also like the ending... I will be the first to admit that the ending is as enigmatic and puzzling as many other segments of the film. Perhaps that's why I like the ending: it's not a slick, hokey happy-ending sort of finish. And by the way, has anybody else noticed that the ending is a clever variation of the proverbial "cliff hanger" ending??
Anyway, I heartily recommend this movie to anyone who is a horror-zombie-gore-fantasy film lover who wants some quality goods. There is gore aplenty, though I never found it to be disgusting or disturbing. Plus, there are some beguiling and wonderfully sexy scenes featuring that most beautiful model/actress from Finland, Anna Falchi. Rupert Everett is captivating as the title character, and the guy who plays his half-wit assistant Gnaghi is wonderfully expressive - it's hard to believe he barely utters a complete sentence the entire film.
Oh, and one more thing... after seeing this film, should the need ever arise, you should be utterly inspired to go out and plug rampaging zombies squarely in the head with dum-dum bullets.
This movie possesses all those "pluses" that I like in those movies that I give high marks to. Namely, it is absorbing, thick with atmosphere, adroitly filmed, has great location scenery and expertly designed sets, and has compelling, believable characters who actually make you care about their individual fates as the movie unfolds. Yes, this movie has all that, and it is hard to believe that I found all this in a (gasp!) Italian zombie flick.
But it's true, and as you can see from previous comments herein, most other people commenting on this film were also quite impressed with the film.
I also like the ending... I will be the first to admit that the ending is as enigmatic and puzzling as many other segments of the film. Perhaps that's why I like the ending: it's not a slick, hokey happy-ending sort of finish. And by the way, has anybody else noticed that the ending is a clever variation of the proverbial "cliff hanger" ending??
Anyway, I heartily recommend this movie to anyone who is a horror-zombie-gore-fantasy film lover who wants some quality goods. There is gore aplenty, though I never found it to be disgusting or disturbing. Plus, there are some beguiling and wonderfully sexy scenes featuring that most beautiful model/actress from Finland, Anna Falchi. Rupert Everett is captivating as the title character, and the guy who plays his half-wit assistant Gnaghi is wonderfully expressive - it's hard to believe he barely utters a complete sentence the entire film.
Oh, and one more thing... after seeing this film, should the need ever arise, you should be utterly inspired to go out and plug rampaging zombies squarely in the head with dum-dum bullets.
Sometimes you just like a movie instantly. I could describe Cemetery Man a movie you can't take your eyes off. That's how I felt. The visual style and the cemetery as the location are perfect for a horror movie, and the music adds to the atmosphere. I got drawn in instantly.
Then there's the humorous aspect. I don't know how to describe it. I've never really seen a movie with this kind of tone. It's not overblown comedic but often quite hilarious. Comedy is a difficult thing to pull off, especially when combining with something different, but I think this movie nails it.
The plot is so weird that it's hard to describe. The first half made at least some kind of sense but towards the end I fell off the wagon. But I still loved all the weirdness and randomness of it. There's also some philosophical and poetic talk about life, death, and love, but I didn't really grasp yet is it actually something deep or just empty babbling.
I'm definitely going to watch it again at some point, and recommend for fans of cemeteries, comedy-horror, and weirdness.
Then there's the humorous aspect. I don't know how to describe it. I've never really seen a movie with this kind of tone. It's not overblown comedic but often quite hilarious. Comedy is a difficult thing to pull off, especially when combining with something different, but I think this movie nails it.
The plot is so weird that it's hard to describe. The first half made at least some kind of sense but towards the end I fell off the wagon. But I still loved all the weirdness and randomness of it. There's also some philosophical and poetic talk about life, death, and love, but I didn't really grasp yet is it actually something deep or just empty babbling.
I'm definitely going to watch it again at some point, and recommend for fans of cemeteries, comedy-horror, and weirdness.
- SkullScreamerReturns
- Aug 16, 2020
- Permalink
For those who don't know Soavi, this guy has directed 25% of Gilliam's "Munchausen". So if you loved the final "Death" sequence, this film features the same imagery - laced with poetry, wit, humor, romance, sheer cinematic beauty, satire, onirism. This is the best Italian fantasy since "Suspiria"by a genius of a director. And if you want something completely different, it's all in here. Michele, where are you ? We need you.
- trustyourforce
- Jul 6, 2022
- Permalink
It's been called one of the best horror films you've never seen, and I would have to whole-heartedly agree! Italian director Michele Soavi (who gave us such great horror films as Stage Fright and The Church) makes perhaps his biggest genre landmark with this unique masterpiece.
Cemetery caretaker Francesco, along with his dim-witted assistant, spends his days re-laying the dead to rest when they rise from their graves. But, is there something more to life than keeping zombies down?
Dellamorte Dellamore is an excellent black comedy/zombie film, yet it is very unlike any other film of its genre. Gianni Romoli delivers a weird and frequently off-beat story, based upon characters from the graphic novel by Tiziano Sclavi. This film has a kind of oddly philosophical depth to it, as well as a genuinely heart-felt hero. Of course it also packs plenty of exciting action with loads gore, sex, and dark humor. Dellamorte Dellamore is a truly wild and often fun ride from its humorous opening sequence to its mystifying conclusion. Michele Soavi's direction is terrifically colorful, flaring with beautiful imagery and dark atmosphere. The settings are very nicely detailed and give the movie a great comic book feel. The special FX makeup is outstanding and the music score is perfect.
The greatest highlight however comes from the cast. Franois Hadji-Lazaro is very animal-like as Francesco's faithful assistant. Lovely Anna Falchi shines as not only one, but three different characters that become love interest to Francesco. And of course the best of all is our hero Rupert Everett. Everett builds a character that's deep, bizarre, funny, dark, and very sexy. Frankly, he's the force behind this film.
Dellamorte Dellamore is a delightful oddity in the zombie genre, it's a film that invites you to figure life out, while you fight off some murderous zombies in the process. A must-see!!
**** out of ****
Cemetery caretaker Francesco, along with his dim-witted assistant, spends his days re-laying the dead to rest when they rise from their graves. But, is there something more to life than keeping zombies down?
Dellamorte Dellamore is an excellent black comedy/zombie film, yet it is very unlike any other film of its genre. Gianni Romoli delivers a weird and frequently off-beat story, based upon characters from the graphic novel by Tiziano Sclavi. This film has a kind of oddly philosophical depth to it, as well as a genuinely heart-felt hero. Of course it also packs plenty of exciting action with loads gore, sex, and dark humor. Dellamorte Dellamore is a truly wild and often fun ride from its humorous opening sequence to its mystifying conclusion. Michele Soavi's direction is terrifically colorful, flaring with beautiful imagery and dark atmosphere. The settings are very nicely detailed and give the movie a great comic book feel. The special FX makeup is outstanding and the music score is perfect.
The greatest highlight however comes from the cast. Franois Hadji-Lazaro is very animal-like as Francesco's faithful assistant. Lovely Anna Falchi shines as not only one, but three different characters that become love interest to Francesco. And of course the best of all is our hero Rupert Everett. Everett builds a character that's deep, bizarre, funny, dark, and very sexy. Frankly, he's the force behind this film.
Dellamorte Dellamore is a delightful oddity in the zombie genre, it's a film that invites you to figure life out, while you fight off some murderous zombies in the process. A must-see!!
**** out of ****
- Nightman85
- Jul 5, 2009
- Permalink
This bizarre film starts out as Romero-esque zombie comedy flick, then transforms into a hallucinatory-insanity film, then ends like an existential artistic film. I liked the zombie stuff, and cringed at the insanity stuff, and I detested the last 10 minutes.
- al_phillips2000
- Dec 19, 2001
- Permalink
Rupert Everett plays a man in charge of a cemetery in Italy. The problem is that the dead keep coming back to life and Everett must kill them (again) by stopping their brains. Then he meets and falls in love with a beautiful woman. They make love in the graveyard, on top of a grave and things go all wrong...
I saw this thing (I can barely call it a movie) when it slithered on to some art house screens here in America. On one hand I was very pleased to see a film with such incredibly graphic gore get an R rating. But that's about all I liked it about it. Like most Italian horror movies the plot is secondary to gore and imagery but I need a story or at least a character to anchor down a horror movie...this has neither. It's full of people with no personality whatsoever (Everett plays the whole role with a blank face) and the "plot" just comes and goes and makes precious little sense. Also this movie wavers VERY uncomfortably between black humor and gory horror and achieves neither.
If all you care about is a pointless movie with gory violence (and the expected female nudity) this is for you. I was frustrated and actually very bored by the end. The movie does deserve credit--it somehow made blood and gore LOOK boring!!!! A complete waste of time--I can't say talent because there isn't any in front or behind the camera. A 1.
I saw this thing (I can barely call it a movie) when it slithered on to some art house screens here in America. On one hand I was very pleased to see a film with such incredibly graphic gore get an R rating. But that's about all I liked it about it. Like most Italian horror movies the plot is secondary to gore and imagery but I need a story or at least a character to anchor down a horror movie...this has neither. It's full of people with no personality whatsoever (Everett plays the whole role with a blank face) and the "plot" just comes and goes and makes precious little sense. Also this movie wavers VERY uncomfortably between black humor and gory horror and achieves neither.
If all you care about is a pointless movie with gory violence (and the expected female nudity) this is for you. I was frustrated and actually very bored by the end. The movie does deserve credit--it somehow made blood and gore LOOK boring!!!! A complete waste of time--I can't say talent because there isn't any in front or behind the camera. A 1.