Behind the Trash

BEHIND THE TRASH

Listed below are the men and women who worked closely in the Italo-exploitation area. This will be expanded in the future to accommodate all of European exploitation’s major figures. All of the below filmmakers have played a pivotal role in this area and starred, acted, wrote or been involved in dozens of features. Features do not include made-for-TV films and are for their respective headings – for example, a director would not have an acting role under ‘final film’, even if their final directorial involvement preceded an a film in which they starred in.

If there are any errors on this page, please contact us.

Directors

Dario Argento
Born: 7 September 1940 (Rome, Italy)
Debut Feature: Bird With the Crystal Plumage (1970)
Claim to Fame: Deep Red (1975), Suspiria (1977)
Trivia: Scripted a number of films before his directorial debut, including the Charles Bronson/Sergio Leone Western Once Upon A Time in the West (1968)
Final Film: The Third Mother (2007)
Where Are They Now?: Currently promoting his film The Third Mother across the world.

Lamberto Bava
Born: 3 April 1944 (Rome, Italy)
Debut Feature: Macabre (1980)
Claim to Fame: Demons (1985)
Trivia: Son of legendary director Mario Bava.
Final Film: Ghost Son (2006)
Where Are They Now?: Seems to be continuing to direct after a number of films over the past 10 years. Rumours of a ‘Masters of Italian Horror’ series have Lenzi’s name attached to a segment, along with Umberto Lenzi and Sergio Martino.

Mario Bava
Born: 31 July 1914 (San Remo, Italy)
Debut Feature: L’Orecchio (1946)
Claim to Fame: Kill Baby…Kill! (1966), Twitch of the Death Nerve (1971)
Trivia: Was a much more prolific cinematographer than director, having lensed over seventy films. He became a cinematographer in 1939.
Final Film: Shock (1977)
Where Are They Now?: Bava died in Rome on April 27 1980.

Antonio Climati
Born: Unknown.
Debut Feature: Savage Man, Savage Beast (1975) [as director]
Claim to Fame: Savage Man, Savage Beast (1975)
Trivia: Was a cinematographer for many Jacopetti and Prosperi Mondo films before directing his own with Mario Morra. Jacopetti produced many of these… his 1988 film The Green Inferno was called ‘Cannibal Holocaust 2’ in many areas.
Final Film: The Green Inferno (1988)
Where Are They Now?: Retirement?

Luigi Cozzi
Born: 7 September 1947 (Busto Arsizio, Italy)
Debut Feature: Tunnel Under the World (1969) [as director]
Claim to Fame: The Killer Must Kill Again (1975), Contamination (1980)
Trivia: Contamination appeared on the famed video nasty list drafted up by the VRA in the UK… Cozzi worked as a Second Unit Director for a number of projects with Argento.
Final Film: Dario Argento: Master of Horror (1991) [as director]; a documentary on the titular director
Where Are They Now?: Runs a horror memorabilia store in Rome ‘Profondo Rosso’.

Joe D’Amato
Born: 15 December 1936 (Rome, Italy)
Debut Feature: Scansati... a Trinità arriva Eldorado (1972)
Claim to Fame: Emanuelle in America (1977), Antropophagos (1980)
Trivia: Directed over one hundred pornographic films after the exploitation era and right until his death… one of the tortured women in Emanuelle in America sued D’Amato for causing her emotional distress due to the graphic extremity of the filmed scenes, and the director couldn’t leave Italy for 5 years until reparations were paid
Final Film: Troll 3 (1990) [as director; dozens more pornographic straight-to-video titles]
Where Are They Now?: D’Amato died in Rome on January 23 1999 of a heart attack.

Ruggero Deodato
Born: 7 May 1939 (Potenza, Italy)
Debut Feature: Hercules: Prisoner of Evil (1964)
Claim to Fame: Cannibal Holocaust (1980), House on the Edge of the Park (1980)
Trivia: The effects in Cannibal Holocaust were so realistic that Deodato was tried for murdering his actors. He was acquitted of the charge, but the film remained banned because it depicted death to animals.
Final Film: The Washing Machine (1993)
Where Are They Now?: Deodato made a cameo role in Eli Roth’s 2007 film Hostel II, and rumours of a Cannibal Holocaust 2 (for release in 2009) are in the works.

Lucio Fulci
Born: 17 June 1927 (Rome, Italy)
Debut Feature: I Ladri (1956) [as director]
Claim to Fame: Zombi 2 (1979), The New York Ripper (1982)
Trivia: Fulci’s New York Ripper shocked the British censors so much that Chief Censor James Ferman had the print escorted out of the country by armed guards… Fulci wrote The Wax Mask and agreed to collaborate with Argento after a long-standing hatred for the director.
Final Film: The Wax Mask (1997) [screenplay, slated to direct].
Where Are They Now?: Fulci died in Rome on March 13 1996 of a diabetes-related illness.

Gualtiero Jacopetti
Born: 4 September 1919 (Barga, Italy)
Debut Feature: Mondo Cane (1962) [as director]
Claim to Fame: Mondo Cane (1962), Africa Addio (1966)
Trivia: Began the Mondo 'shockumentary' craze with Mondo Cane... when filming Africa Addio, Jacopetti narrowly avoided being executed by African rebels for being white… After completion of Africa Addio, allegations emerged that Jacopetti staged killings for the film and was tried for war crimes, but was not convicted…worked closely with Franco Prosperi when directing his mondo pictures… married a 13 year old gypsy to avoid a statutory rape charge.
Final Film: Mondo Candido (1975) [as director]
Where Are They Now?: In retirement in Italy.

Umberto Lenzi
Born: 6 August 1931 (Massa Marittima, Italy)
Debut Feature: Mia Italida stin Ellada (1958) [as director]
Claim to Fame: Nightmare City (1980), Cannibal Ferox (1981)
Trivia: Lenzi has long been called a rip-off merchant, and he straight-out copied scenes from a number of more successful films for this 1980 cannibal picture Eaten Alive.
Final Film: Sarayevo inferno di fuoco (1996) [director]
Where Are They Now?: In retirement in Italy. Rumours of a ‘Masters of Italian Horror’ series have Lenzi’s name attached to a segment, along with Lamberto Bava and Sergio Martino.

Antonio Margheriti
Born: 19 September 1930 (Rome, Italy)
Debut Feature: Legs of Gold (1958) [as co-director]
Claim to Fame: Cannibal Apocalypse (1980), The Last Hunter (1980)
Trivia: Frequently used the name ‘Anthony Dawson’ for Western audiences.
Final Film: Cyberflic (1997)
Where Are They Now?: Margheriti died in Lazio, Italy on November 4 2002 of a heart attack.

Sergio Martino
Born: 19 July 1938 (Rome, Italy)
Debut Feature: Mille peccati... nessuna virtu (1969) [as director]
Claim to Fame: Torso (1973), Mountain of the Cannibal God (1978)
Trivia: When filming Torso, it was not revealed to his actors what the ending of the film was.
Final Film: Mozart is a Murderer (1999)
Where Are They Now?: Rumours of a ‘Masters of Italian Horror’ series have Martino’s name attached to a segment, along with Lamberto Bava and Umberto Lenzi… currently filming a comedy film in Italy titled L’Allenatore nel pallone 2

Bruno Mattei
Born: 30 July 1931 (Massa Marittima, Italy)
Debut Feature: Armida, il dramma di una sposa (1970) [as director]
Claim to Fame: Hell of the Living Dead (1980), Violence in a Women’s Prison (1983)
Trivia: Took over from Fulci in 1988 for Zombi 3 along with long-time collaborator Claudio Fragasso… during the 2000s, he attempted to revive the Italian exploitation cycle.
Final Film: Zombies: The Beginning (2007) [director]
Where Are They Now?: Mattei entered a coma before dying on May 21 2007.

Franco Prosperi
Born: 2 September 1926 (Rome, Italy)
Debut Feature: The Slave of Rome (1960) [as director]
Claim to Fame: Mondo Cane (1962), La Settima Donna (1978)
Trivia: Directed the infamous ‘mondo films’, including Mondo Cane and Africa Addio, with Gualtiero Jacopetti (and, for Mondo Cane and Women of the World, Paulo Cavara)… went on to produce Antonio Climati’s mondo films.
Final Film: The Wild Beasts (1984) [director]
Where Are They Now?: In retirement in Italy.

Michele Soavi
Born: 3 July 1957 (Milan, Italy)
Debut Feature: Dario Argento’s World of Horror (1985) [as director]
Claim to Fame: The Church (1989), Cemetery Man (1994)
Trivia: One of the youngest European exploitation directors, and made some of the last films of the seventies and eighties cycle… had bit-parts in many Italo-exploitation films, including Tenebrae, New York Ripper and Demons.
Final Film: The Goodbye Kiss (2006)
Where Are They Now?: Has directed one TV-movie in Italy in 2007, so presumably Soavi is still working in the film business.

Cast Members

Laura Gemser
Born: October 5 1950 (Java, Indonesia)
Debut Feature: Amore Libero… Free Love (1974)
Claim to Fame: Black Emanuelle (1975), Emanuelle in America (1977)
Trivia: Starred in almost all of the Black Emanuelle films and frequently collaborated with Joe D’Amato… never filmed hardcore scenes herself, despite starring in many films with XXX content... often starred alongside her late husband Gabriele Tinti
Final Film: Love Project (1992)
Where Are They Now?: Retired in Italy.

David Hess
Born: 19 September 1942 (New York City, USA)
Debut Feature: The Cold Sweat (1970) [voice]
Claim to Fame: Last House on the Left (1972), House on the Edge of the Park (1980)
Trivia: After the phenomenal success of Wes Craven’s rape-and-revenge shocker Last House on the Left, Hess starred in a number of Italian exploitation rip-offs, including House on the Edge of the Park and Hitchhike... a prominent musician and wrote music for some of his films, most notably Last House.
Final Film: Fallen Angels (2006)
Where Are They Now?: In negotiations for roles in a number of horror films, including Black Friday and a 2008 remake of Abel Ferrara’s The Driller Killer.

Robert Kerman
Born: New York City, USA (date unknown)
Debut Feature: Decadence of Grace (1974)
Claim to Fame: Cannibal Holocaust (1980), Eaten Alive (1980), Cannibal Ferox (1981)
Trivia: Starred in over a hundred XXX films – made famous by his three Italian cannibal films.
Final Film: Spider-Man (2002) [cameo role]
Where Are They Now?: Has had bit parts in American films such as Spider-Man, but hasn’t starred in a film for over a decade.

Ian McCulloch
Born: 5 May 1939 (Glasgow, Scotland)
Debut Feature: It! (1966)
Claim to Fame: Zombi 2 (1979), Zombie Holocaust (1980)
Trivia: Despite being a British actor, McCulloch worked on three major Italian exploitation pictures – Cozzi’s Contamination, Girolami’s Zombie Holocaust and Fulci’s Zombi 2 – before returning to the UK to star in television.
Final Film: Contamination (1980)… dozens of bit parts in television shows such as Doctor Who and Poirot since.
Where Are They Now?: Been on an acting hiatus since 1991.

Giovanni Lombardo Radice
Born: 23 September 1954 (Rome, Italy)
Debut Feature: Cannibal Apocalypse (1980)
Claim to Fame: Cannibal Apocalypse (1980), House on the Edge of the Park (1980), Cannibal Ferox (1981)
Trivia: Notoriously hated Cannibal Ferox, and famously told off director Lenzi… starred in bit-parts in a number of Hollywood films, including Scorsese’s Gangs of New York and the 2006 remake of The Omen.
Final Film: The Hideout (2007) [post-production]
Where Are They Now?: Works as an actor, both in film and on stage, in Italy and the US.

Ivan Rassimov
Born: May 7 1938 (Trieste, Italy)
Debut Feature: Robbery Roman Style (1964)
Claim to Fame: Jungle Holocaust (1977), Emanuelle Around the World (1977)
Trivia: One of Italian exploitation films leading stars… born to Croatian parents.
Final Film: Body Count (1987)
Where Are They Now?: Rassimov died in Rome on March 14 2003.

John Saxon
Born: 5 August 1935 (Brooklyn, USA)
Debut Feature: It Should Happen To You (1954)
Claim to Fame: Tenebrae (1982), A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
Trivia: Saxon was a US actor who moved into the Italian exploitation genre, starring in Argento’s Tenebrae and Margheriti’s Cannibal Apocalypse, among others.
Final Film: The Mercy Man (2007) [post-production]
Where Are They Now?: Working as an actor in the US.

Other Crew Members

Gianfranco Clerici (Screenwriter)
Born: Unknown.
Debut Feature: Zorro il Ribelle (1966)
Claim to Fame: Cannibal Holocaust (1980), The New York Ripper (1982)
Trivia: Along with Ruggero Deodato, Clerici was also charged in relation to the murders of actors in Cannibal Holocaust.
Final Film: Laura non c'è (1998)
Where Are They Now?: Unknown.

Claudio Fragasso (Screenwriter)
Born: 2 October 1951 (Rome, Italy)
Debut Feature: Meet Him and Die (1976)
Claim to Fame: Hell of the Living Dead (1980), Emanuelle in Prison (1983)
Trivia: Directed a number of films with Mattei, including Hell of the Living Dead and Rats: Nights of Terror (1984). He was often uncredited.
Final Film: Coppia Omicida (1998)
Where Are They Now?: Operates a conch-fishing vessel of Northern Italy.

Riz Ortolani (Composer)
Born: 4 September 1931 (Pesaro, Italy)
Debut Feature: Le Vacanze del Sor Clemente (1954)
Claim to Fame: Mondo Cane (1966), Cannibal Holocaust (1980)
Trivia: Nominated for an Oscar for the song ‘More’ in 1966, for the film Mondo Cane, as well as for the 1970 Western Madron… has become one of the most well-respected musicians in horror cinema… his music has been used in Hollywood cinema, including Legally Blonde 2 and Kill Bill Volumes 1 and 2.
Final Film: La Cena per farli conoscere (2007) [as composer]
Where Are They Now?: Working in Italy.

Dardano Sacchetti (Screenwriter)
Born: 27 June 1944 (Rome, Italy)
Debut Feature: Cat O’Nine Tails (1971)
Claim to Fame: Cannibal Apocalypse (1980), City of the Living Dead (1980)
Trivia: Scripted many Fulci films… had his career launched by Dario Argento with Cat O’Nine Tails
Final Film: The Torturer (2005)
Where Are They Now?: Continues to write scripts and teaches seminars at Florence University.