Umberto Lenzi

[Pete]

Discuss the films of Umberto Lenzi here.

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[Gojirosan]

Oasis Of Fear is excellent.

Ironmaster is extremely under-rated.

Nightmare City isn't that good really.

All the Carroll Baker films should be gathered into a box set.

[Pete]

Yes, Oasis of Fear is excellent. That and Seven Bloodstained Orchids are my favourite Lenzi films.

I haven't seen Ironmaster

Nightmare City is comedy gold!

[bizarre_eye@Cult Labs]

I find Lenzi's work a bit hit and miss (especially his later work), but I love most of his '70s gialli, especially Seven Blood Stained Orchids, Spasmo, Oasis of Fear, Paranoia, and Eyeball.

Nightmare City is a fun cheese-fest, and for me on par with Lenzi's other prime zombie outing: Black Demons (which I know a lot of people don't really care for).

Lenzi's Cannibal Ferox, Man From Deep River and to a lesser extent Eaten Alive were very decent entries into the Cannibal genre, and even though they don't (for me) top Deodato's Cannibal Holocaust and Last Cannibal World, or Martino's Mountain of the Cannibal God they are very good all the same.

I also found Nightmare Beach to be enjoyable in a stupid, fun kind of way. It's as if he was two different people in a lot of ways though, as when you compare his mind-bending and beautiful gialli with a lot of his more cheese-induced later efforts, it's as though they were directed by completely different people.

Also, the worst of his films (that I've seen) is probably Hell's Gate: a best avoided yawn fest.

[Pete]

I enjoyed Eyeball but I think it is his weakest giallo.

I think Man From Deep River is an excellent film. Cannibal Ferox and Eaten Alive are bad but fun (apart from the animal scenes).

Battle Force is pretty good (and has an amazing cast) and Thunder Squad is worth a look.


Black Demons, Hells Gate and The House of Witchcraft rank among the worst Italian horror films ever made IMO.

[bdc]

Anybody has some love for Kriminal?
I love masked super-criminal movies...

Big fan of Orgasmo and Paranoia as well!

[broonage]

His Italian police flicks are the daddies of Euro crime.

[Beyond72]

I adore Nightmare City, it's cheese but on a epic scale!
I also love the way he compares it to "Philadelphia" because they both feature the infected.
I was also quite surprise to see him gush over Fulci on the Paura - Lucio Fulci Remembered disc and even label Lucio a genius but true to form he finishes with but so am I. - Legend!

[Philleh]

Huge fan here; I even like Black Demons, Nightmare Beach, Hitcher in the Dark and Ghosthouse!

From Corleone to Brooklyn is one of his gangster films that was a lot of fun and in need of a release! Hint. Hint

[bizarre_eye@Cult Labs]

I forgot about Ghosthouse. Really like that one too, mate.