On August 11th, 1980, City of the Living Dead was released in Italy.
When Catriona MacColl was approached as a lead in City of the Living Dead she had her doubts about the script.
“It seemed like a series of special effects without a story.”
That’s kind of what the Fulci experience is all about. Sitting through a bunch of dialogue until the next batshit action or gore scene.
Kind of like Herschell Gordon Lewis.
Both men have been referred to as the “Godfather of Gore”.
![]() |
Daniela Doria about to spew guts |
Somehow Fulci convinced this poor girl to regurgitate a bunch of baby cow intestines on camera before switching to a projectile vomiting dummy. I read this in Fangoria magazine when I was a kid and it really fucked with my head.
It wasn’t until many years later that I actually saw the movie. I mostly just wanted to see the practical effects I’d read about and seen screenshots of so many years before in that magazine.
![]() |
The ol’ slow drill through the temple bit |
![]() |
Christopher George |
Also on this date in 1937 William Dieterle’s The Life of Emile Zola premiered.