AN INTERVIEW WITH GIOVANNI LOMBARDO RADICE

12.05.2007

Born on September 23 1954, Giovanni Lombardo Radice is one of the most famous Italian horror/exploitation actors of eighties. Credited in many of his films as John Morghen, Giovanni has starred genre classics such as Cannibal Apocalypse and City of the Living Dead and many of his performances have gone down in infamy, not least because of the way his characters' meet their demise. Now, Giovanni dedicates his time to Italian theatre and opera, having written, acted and directed a number of plays in his home country.

Giovanni was kind enough to grant MJ Film Reviews an exclusive interview, where he speaks candidly about some of his starring roles and experiences on the movie set.

Your debut film House on the Edge of the Park was a highly controversial thriller and apparently took 19 days to shoot. What was it like working on such a hectic schedule?

It was my first so I didn’t have any other movie experience to compare with it. It surely put me on the very useful habit (for Italian movies) to be as quick as possible. But I was used to theatre so, at least, moving into space was no problem and had and still have (thanks to God) an elephant memory. And David helped me a lot, which is something I’m still very grateful to him (Hi buddy!!!)

You followed House with City of the Living Dead, which was directed by one of Italian horror's leading directors, the late Lucio Fulci. What was it like working with Fulci?

Quite easy for me, because he respected and after a time loved me, as I respected and later on loved him, being quite sorry for his obvious being a very unhappy man. As a director he was very competent and had a talent into creating atmospheres that were very inspiring for an actor. And he had with him Salvati and Gelengh who were very good at their respective jobs. He yelled at production (probably deserving it being the De Angelis fellow) and at stupid actors behaving like the stars they weren’t. I think he was entitled to. And he was a very cultivated man, not showing it off, as others I worked later on, mixing Proust with Wurstel and pretending to be acknowledged jeniuses.

You seem to have good memories of your film Cannibal Apocalypse. Aside from your fondness for Antonio Margheriti, what made the film so easy for you to star in?

The role. The plot was preposterous but Bukowski was a well written character, something an actor can work with. And he had, as Ricky before him, a frailness that at that time of my life was deeply mine.

Now to Cannibal Ferox, which you have professed a number of times to be quite ashamed about. Now that it has become to be appreciated as a bona fide cult horror classic, have your regrets eased?

Not in the least, quite the reverse, they increased. I’ve seen the movie quite recently, forcing myself into it, and I confirm it’s one of the biggest pieces of fascist and racist shit possibly ever conceived. And it’s much worst now than when it was done, because in the meanwhile mankind didn’t improve at all, and things like violence and paedophilia spread out like the plague. To watch the scene in which Mike Logan (as not to say I) tries sexual and violent approach with the two little natives makes me puke. Because, dear fans of the bloody fucking movie, the point is not demonstrating Mike is a villain (which has already been demonstrated to boredom), but just to titillate the worst instincts of those who take pleasure into raping children. It’s quite pointless to hide behind a finger. And that goes for Zora’s tits and for many other niceties in the movie. I’ve read on Internet a few years ago fans comments on those bits that made me mad with rage, because I consider violence against women and children the worst sin on earth. If someone feels otherwise is entitled to do so, with my best wishes to go to jail or have his mother, sister, wife, daughter or son passing such an ordeal. Hope I made my point once and for all.

When you refused to kill an animal for Ferox, director Umberto Lenzi said 'DeNiro would do it', to which you famously replied 'DeNiro would kick you in the ass'. What was the cast and crew reaction to your comment?

I think we were alone, maybe at dinner time, the day before shooting. It wasn’t a big scene. I wouldn’t have done it in public. Not my style.

So no good memories of Ferox at all?

Bitching and gossiping with Lorraine in French, so as not to be understood by others……smoking some real interesting joints…re-reading War And Peace I had brought along.

You returned to work with House on the Edge of the Park's director Ruggero Deodato for a second time on Phantom of Death. Was it your past experience of Deodato that compelled you to work with him again?

Can I smile at this question (often asked for this or that movie)? You (a general you) seem to think that actors choose what they do, whilst very few can afford it and the others, me included, just do what they are offered because of bread and butter. In that case I was happy to work with Ruggero again and very pleased to have Michael York as my partner (better say having the honour to be his partner). But I wasn’t “compelled” to anything, just paying bills.

You made a welcome horror comeback when you starred in the 2006 remake of The Omen. Why was this?

As above. Because they called me and I need working. I was than very excited to be in Prague for the first time and wasn’t disappointed a bit. The most wonderful town I visited in my life. And John Moore was a pleasure to work with and more than kind to me. I could have skipped the make up process of the last scene….but you can’t win them all, can you?

What is your favourite of your films and why?

Maybe I remember with warmer affection Gates Of Hell [City of the Living Dead], because we were a bunch of kids getting along very well and having a lot of fun. Michele, Antonella Interlenghi (God bless her eternal beauty), a young production assistant called Ian, myself….. Youth……

How do you feel about the global cult following that has generated from many of the horror films you have starred in?

I’m still bewildered and astonished, but I’m accepting it (Which I didn’t for many years). I like riding. And if this is the horse, or one of them, why not jump on it? That’s why I opened my site http://www.giovannilombardoradice.com/ and my page www.myspace.com/giovannilombardoradice

What can we expect from you in the future?

You can expect some serious theatre in Italy (that I guess you couldn’t care less about) and some movies if they come and me attending horror conventions for the first time. And surely you can expect me not answering anymore to any question about Cannibal Shit Ferox. And I would love to see Australia, so if after this interview you still feel being fans promote me with someone there, I’d love to visit.