‘City Of The Living Dead’ 4K UHD Blu-Ray Review – Lucio Fulci Elevates Gore To An Artform

“The Dead Shall Rise and Walk the Earth” When a priest hangs himself in a cemetery, he opens the gates of hell in the mysterious New England town of Dunwich. At the same moment, Psychic Mary Woodhouse (Catriona MacColl- House By the Cemetery, The Beyond) enters a trance and witnesses the cosmic events unfold, causing her to seemingly die of fright. After being buried alive, she is rescued by skeptical reporter Peter Bell (Christopher George – Pieces, Enter the Ninja, Rat Patrol) who joins her on the journey toward Dunwich to help close the gates of hell before evil is unleashed upon the world! Will they be able to close the gates in time or will the souls of Dunwich be forever stuck in the twilight void?

Lucio Fulci’s gut-spewing, brain smashing, head drilling, Lovecraftian zombie nightmare features an amazing list of Italian talent behind the scenes with a screenplay co-written by Dardano Sacchetti (Rat Man, Demons), special FX by Gino De Rossi (Zombie, Cannibal Ferox) cinematography by Sergio Salvati (Contraband, The Beyond), and soundtrack by Fabio Frizzi (Contraband, The Psychic). With supporting performances by Giovanni Lombardo Radice (Phantom of Death, House on the Edge of the Park), Carlo De Mejo (Contamination, House by the Cemetery) and Janet Agren (Rat Man, The Iron Commissioner), City of the Living Dead (a.k.a. The Gates of Hell) is among the greatest Italian Horror films of all time!

For thoughts on City of the Living Dead, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic: 

[youtube https://youtu.be/mpIRV9Y4wVs?si=87B-QNuqQAKGK6Mb&t=957]

Video Quality

Cauldron Films presents City of the Living Dead with a tremendous 2160p transfer in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio sourced from an updated 4K restoration with Dolby Vision HDR. The level of detail and clarity is simply amazing with an excellent amount of thick natural film grain intact. The grain primarily resolves well with some minor fluctuations due to the original photography. The texture on display in the outfits and within the environments and production design are a revelation. Even the grotesque special effects details present with impressive, stomach-churning clarity that makes his work all the more visceral. This transfer does not register much of anything in the way of print damage such as nicks or scratches. This presentation is true to the original look of the film with the added resolution making elements seem more natural. There does not appear to be any jarring digital anomalies such as compression artifacts, banding or any other such nuisances that would distract.

The application of Dolby Vision for increased color output is one of the biggest benefits this disc offers. The new master features some colors in the landscapes and the gnarly special effects such as exposed organs that pop off the screen with a striking intensity. There is some baked-in color fluctuation during a latter section of the movie which has been finessed to look the best that it can given the source elements. Lighting is an essential part of establishing the mood of this film and this disc handles every slight environmental change such as dense fog with ease. Black levels are quite robust with nothing in the way of crush present, and highlights are solid as a rock with no evidence of blooming. This presentation from Cauldron Films to look the best it has yet on home entertainment. 

Audio Quality

The 4K UHD Blu-Ray disc comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mono track in both English and Italian which captures the sonic ambitions of the film perfectly. The score from Fabio Frizzi has never sounded better and is used impeccably to establish the vibe of the story. There is never a moment where it threatens to overwhelm competing sounds, and it maintains a good balance so that dialogue comes through crisp and clear. The environmental sounds such as the splatter of guts and screams are rendered well alongside everything else. There does not seem to be any egregious instances of age-related wear and tear. Cauldron Films has given this film a carefully preserved audio presentation that brings the movie to life in a thrilling manner. There are optional English SDH subtitles provided for the English version, and forced English subtitles for the Italian version of the film. 

Special Features

Feature Film (4H UHD & Blu-Ray)

• English Version (1:32:52) and Italian Version (1:32:52)

• Audio Commentaries: This disc provides a nice array of commentaries tracks, one new to this release and three archival commentary tracks. The two tracks provided by film historians take on a more historical and analytical perspective as they deliver a good history of the production and legacy of the film along with backgrounds of the performers, insights into the unexpected layers of the narrative and how it fits into the career of Lucio Fulci, and much more that is well worth a listen. The remaining two commentary tracks take a more personal approach as the performers tell very compelling stories about their involvement with the picture and how it has impacted their lives. There is a lot to dig into if you are a fan of the feature. 

• • Film Historian Samm Deighan (New)

• • Film Historians Troy Howarth and Nathaniel Thompson

• • Actress Catriona MacColl moderated by Jay Slater

• • Actor Giovanni Lombardo Radice moderated by Calum Waddell

Extras Disc

• Zombie Kings – Interview with Massimo Antonello Geleng: A 46-minute interview with the production designer who discusses his path to making movies, his early career, working with Lucio Fulci, the creation of some of the memorable sets in City of the Living Dead, the disgusting special effects and more. 

• Requiem for Bob – Interview with Giovanni Lombardo Radice: A 28-minute interview with the actor who discusses his early interest in (and fear of) horror films, his relationship with City of the Living Dead over the years, recollections of working with various people on set, his struggles with addiction, his reputation as as “Italian whipping boy”, claustrophobic experiences and more. 

• The Meat Munching Movies of Gino De Rossi: A 27-minute interview with the special effects artist who takes you through various movies throughout his career giving you all the gory details of how these disgusting effects were brought to life. 

• Carlo of the Living Dead – An Archival Interview with Actor Carlo De Mejo: An 18-minute interview with the actor in which he recalls his time working with Fulci, performing the film in English and his thoughts on the dubbing, his speculation on the ending of the feature, the visual aesthetic of the film and more. 

• On Stage Q&A with Venantino Venantini & Ruggero Deodato: A 46-minute Q&A with the actors (with dominance from Venantini) in which you come to learn a lot about the life and career of Venantini specifically. 

• Catriona MacColl Q&A from The Glasgow Theater: A 20-minute Q&A with the actress from 2010 following a screening of The Beyond in which she shares her memorable experiences with Fulci, why The Beyond ranks among her favorite collaborations and more. 

• Music For A Flesh Feast – Fabio Frizzi Q&A: A 30-minute Q&A from 2012 with the composer in which he discusses his approach to assembling his scores, blending the music with images, working with Fulci and more. 

• Catriona MacColl Archival Video Intro: A five-minute archival introduction from the actress in which she briefly recalls her time working on this film with Lucio Fulci and the legacy of the feature. 

• A Trip Through Bonaventure Cemetery: A five-minute unnarrated exploration of the Savannah, Georgia cemetery. 

• Archival Interviews with Cast and Crew from Paura, Lucio Fulci Remembered Vol. 1: A 43-minute collection of interviews with Catriona MacColl, Carlo De Mejo, Antonella Interlenghi, Luca Venantini, Fabrizio Jovine, Venantino Venantini, Michel Soavi, Dardano Sacchetti, Massimo Antonello Geleng, Gino De Rossi, Rosario Prestopino, Sergio Salvati, and Fabio Frizzi. There are some great anecdotes about Fulci included within this. 

• Trailers: A nearly seven-minute collection of trailers are provided here. 

• Image Gallery: A nine minute collection of stills and promotional materials from the film are provided. 

• Easter Eggs

• • The Gates Of Hell VHS Version: An option to view the film as many probably first saw it on VHS. This is very low quality, and it can be accessed by pushing the left arrow button when hovering over the Image Gallery. 

• • Christopher George – Playgirl’s “Man For June” 1974: If you want a really personal look at the performer, you are in luck with this photo spread. It can be accessed by pushing the right arrow button when hovering over the Image Gallery. 

Final Thoughts

City of the Living Dead is a film that one must really experience rather than analyze in any meaningful manner. That is not to imply that the film does not have a worthy narrative, but the feelings that Lucio Fulci is able to conjure through his grotesque sensibilities is unparalleled. The way in which the filmmaker uses guts and gore is like a work of disgusting art, but you cannot help but be impressed by what he has created. The performances from all involved are very effective, but it is the efforts from the creative team that might be the most impressive aspect of the film. Cauldron Films has released a sensational 4K UHD Blu-Ray package featuring a grand A/V presentation and more special features than you know what to do with. This is the type of release every fan dreams of their favorite movie getting. Recommended 

City of the Living Dead is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray. 

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Cauldron Films has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.