Weirdhouse Cinema Rewind: City of the Living Dead

In this Halloween special of Weird House Cinema, hosts Rob Lamb and Joe McCormick discuss Lucio Fulci’s 1980 supernatural horror film, City of the Living Dead. They explore the movie’s dreamlike narrative, its status as the first entry in the "Gates of Hell" trilogy, and its notoriously visceral practical effects. The episode also covers behind-the-scenes anecdotes, including the film’s unique production in Savannah, Georgia, and the cast’s dynamic with the director.

Topics discussed

Sponsorships and show introduction Welcome to Weird House Cinema Rewind Fulci's Gates of Hell trilogy context Quality of gore effects in the film Supernatural and theological themes Horror as natural entropy and rot Fulci's directorial intent and importance The film's lack of a core plot Setting in Dunwich and allusions Filming in Savannah and visual effects All Saints Day and the priest's role Sponsor breaks and Fulci's career peak Zombie film naming conventions Characters as ciphers and archetypes Dismissal of All Saints Day traditions Comparison to other Fulci films Tension between lead actors Fulci's difficult working style Behind the scenes with actors Carlo De Ruggiero's filmography Shift in protagonist focus Intestinal amnesia and madness Connection to Cannibal Apocalypse Character Bob and local stereotypes The hanging priest as a symbol Actor appearances in Demons Creating memorable special effects Fabio Frizzi's Italo horror score Sound design and zombie moans Sponsor breaks for health and cars Opening scene in the cemetery Transition to New York City Camera pans and atmospheric shots Mary's channeling and visions Detective's skepticism and confrontation The Book of Enoch reference The entity rising from the floor Zombie makeup and appearance The magic doll and sorcery Failed attempts to enter the tomb Father Thomas's suicide impact Jerry the psychiatrist's demeanor Bob's discrimination in Dunwich Orderly Meds sponsorship Autotrader sponsorship Gilead PrEP sponsorship Journalist at the cemetery Filming logistics for grave scenes Mary trapped in the coffin Terror of the casket sequence Revelations about Dunwich Summary of remaining plot events Emily's ghost and zombie lighting Characters joining forces The zombie hive set design Sandra's attack and Jerry's intervention The tomb fire and escape The ambiguous ending theories Orderly Meds sponsorship Autotrader and TD Bank ads Visual style of Dunwich town The gut emesis scene setup Description of the vomiting effect Southeast Asian vampiric head traditions Guts as a symbol of mortality Critique of the funeral industry The shattering window effect Bob's death by drill Live maggot effects and Fulci Orderly Meds sponsorship Autotrader and TD Bank ads Cigar line in the climax The priest's remaining guts Final freeze frame and meaning Rewatch experience and dreamlike quality Closing remarks and Halloween wishes Orderly Meds sponsorship Geico and Autotrader ads Gilead PrEP sponsorship and outro

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