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12 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Fulci on Fulci, June 23, 2001
I'll begin this review by warning everybody that it will only focus on the content of the film, not the DVD itself (which is still 2 months from release at the time of this review). This being an Image Entertainment release though, I feel safe in my assumption that the sound and video quality will be at least acceptable.This is in a way Fulci's autobiography. Fulci on Fulci if you will. A look (sort of) into the mind of one of the Italian Cinema's most controversial and prolific filmmakers, at least that was the idea. This movie can only be taken on one level, gore munching fun. Unfortunately all of the potential of a poignant look into the mind of the maestro is absolutely wasted, and what's left is a somewhat 2 dimensional story. A director of violent movies (Lucio Fulci) tries to cure himself of all the mental anguish having created such pieces of horror celluloid bestows upon him. In his hunt for absolution, he finds himself in the office of one of the most ludicrously acted doctors this side of Brian Yuzna's The Dentist, who takes it upon himself to live out every murderous fantasy he's ever had and pin the wrap on Fulci. This idea in itself would have still made for an interesting movie, if not an incredibly deep one, but as anybody interested in this movie probably already knows, only around of half of the movie is actually a new film. Most of Cat in the Brain (or Nightmare Concert as it is also commonly known) plays as sort of a Fulci's greatest hits, being made up of gory highlights from many of his lesser known latter films (and a few movies that he didn't actually direct). It's not unlike, if Lucio's career had been a television series, this would be his end of the 5th season "flash back episode". Even though many have taken issue with the somewhat plaguristic leanings of this movie, the idea itself still kind of works. The problem is the execution is such that the viewer's head is left absolutely spinning. The film cuts from story, to random gore, to story and back again, allowing the film to get to the point where even the most rabid of gore hounds will be tapping his foot and wondering "When is the blood gonna stop, and the film gonna start again?" Interestingly enough, through all of this mayhem, Fulci proves to not be all that bad of an actor (his 8,000,000 Hitchokian cameos more than likely got him ready for the role), but unfortunately for the film, he is the only one who appears very fit for the screen. This film will more than likely only be truly enjoyed by Fulci (or eurohorror) enthusiasts, and while others might enjoy it, they probably won't be able to sit through repeated viewings. But if you are an admirer of the late maestro's work, then there is no reason to not own this "ode to himself". And besides, where else but in a movie made by Fulci, about Fulci would we see multiple Italian beauties swooning "Look, it's the director Lucio Fulci, maybe I can be in his next movie." From the sound of it, she probably has never seen what most often happens to girls in Fulci's movies.
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