4 star restoration of a gruesome worm-riddled horror.
City of the Living Dead is an Italian supernatural horror film, written and directed by the godfather of gore Lucio Fulci (The House by the Cemetery, Don’t Torture a Duckling).
Originally released in 1980, it has enjoyed a 4K UHD restoration and is available on Limited Edition 4K UHD from 25th March 2024, courtesy of Arrow Films. It will also stream on Arrow. It is presented in English or Italian with English subtitles.
“The problem is on your mind. It can’t accept the truth. But I’ll help you just the same. In the book of Enoch, the killer is…”
In a cemetery in the town of Dunwich a priest Father William Thomas (Fabrizio Jovine – The Psychic, The Secret of Seagull Island) takes his own life by hanging, unwittingly opening a gateway to Hell which will allow the dead to rise.
Meanwhile in New York a seance reveals a vision, as Mary (Catriona MacColl – Horse Head, A Good Year) sees the priest and a headstone identifying the town. She dies of fright, but fellow medium Theresa (Adelaide Aste – Passage to Paradise) is well versed in the Book of Enoch and predicts that on All Saint’s Day (in about two days time), the dead will rise up and take over the Earth if they cannot find his grave and close the gateway.
Reporter Peter Bell (Christopher George – Mortuary, Chisum) takes an interest in the case and discovers Mary being buried alive. He rescues her and the two head to Dunwich to investigate.
The good people of Dunwich have their own problems, there are maggot storms, walking dead, murders, not to mention perfectly normal folks losing their minds and bodies appearing out of nowhere. Can our heroes make it to the town and save the day?
“Keep refusing the truth. At this very precise moment, in some other distant town, horrendously awful things are happening. Things that would shatter your imagination.”
City of the Living Dead is an extremely gruesome film, pretty disgusting in places by anyone’s standards. 
It’s filled with blood and guts, maggots, intestines, brains and other such lovely things which the 4K restoration really brings to life in glorious technicolour.
What also stands out is the excellent soundtrack of eighties horror movie electronic music, which sounds just great and really enhances the experience.
It’s trippy and surreal and very much of the era in which it was made, with the usual Italian flair for the dramatic. While it’s not a classic, it’s a fun ride and with this new release bursting with special features, well worth adding to your horror collection.
“The City of the Dead. The Living Dead. A cursed city, where the gates of Hell have been opened.”
City of the Dead is available on Limited Edition 4k UHD from 25th March 2024.
4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS
• Restoration from a 4K scan of the original camera negative by Cauldron Films
• 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
• Original uncompressed 1.0 mono, 2.0 stereo and optional 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
• Original English and Italian soundtracks
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for the English soundtrack
• Optional English subtitles for the Italian soundtrack
• Audio commentary with star Catriona MacColl and journalist Jay Slater
• Audio commentary with star Giovanni Lombardo Radice and writer Calum Waddell
• We Are the Apocalypse, interview with writer Dardano Sacchetti
• Through Your Eyes, interview with Catriona MacColl
• Dust in the Wind, interview with cameraman Roberto Forges Davanzati
• The Art of Dreaming, interview with production designer Massimo Antonello Geleng
• Tales of Friendship, interview with cinematographer Sergio Salvati
• I Walked with a Zombie, interview with actor Giovanni Lombardo Radice
• They Call Him “Bombardone”, interview with special effects artist Gino De Rossi
• The Horror Family, interview with father and son actors Venantino and Luca Venantini
• Songs from Beyond, interview with composer Fabio Frizzi
• Carlo of the Living Dead, interview with actor Carlo De Mejo
• Building Fulci’s City, video appreciation by Stephen Thrower, author of the definitive tome, Beyond Terror: The Films of Lucio Fulci
• Reflections on Fulci, appraisal of Fulci’s Gothic period by actor, writer and director Andy Nyman (Ghost Stories)
• The Dead Are Alive!, video essay by Kat Ellinger on Lucio Fulci and the Italian zombie cycle
• Behind the Fear, behind the scenes 8mm footage with Roberto Forges Davanzati audio commentary
• The Gates of Hell, alternative US theatrical release opening titles
• Original trailers and radio spots
• Extensive image gallery featuring over 150 stills, posters and other ephemera from the FAB Press and Mike Siegel archives
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Colin Murdoch
• Double-sided fold-out poster
• Six double-sided, postcard-sized lobby card reproductions
• Limited edition 60-page booklet featuring writing by Travis Crawford and Roberto Curti, excerpts from archival interviews with Lucio Fulci, and original reviews
