Gore Spotlight: The Gates of Hell

When one thinks of gore, a couple of images come to mind. It may be the infamous carnage from 'Cannibal Holocaust' or the mind numbing F/x from Romero's 'Day of the Dead', but for me, it rings the name of a man, Lucio Fulci.

Many of Fulci's films are images of gothic representations and atmospheric death scenes known for their brutal gore. 'New York Ripper', 'House by the Cemetary', and 'The Beyond' are films known for their 'in your face' brutality, but for me, the one film that is forever etched in my mind is 'The Gates of Hell'. Never in my horror cinema experiences have I seen such an atmospheric onslaught of death and carnage.

We start with a scene from an old Gothic style graveyard with one of the creepiest scores I have ever heard. We later see a priest who looks like he hasn't slept for days make his way through a foggy maze of monuments and tombstones. During this sequence, we are taken to New York where a seance is taking place. We later jump back to the priest and ultimately subjected to a shocking sequence. From out of nowhere, the priest hangs himself in the graveyard. This isn't your normal child loving priest I mind you, this priest's death just opened the gates of Hell!

'The Gates of Hell' is chock full of unforgettable images. During one infamous scene, we have a couple parked in the middle of nowhere in their van. The guy repeatedly tries to 'get some' off the chick, but she seems a little creeped out by the location. From out of nowhere, images of the priest begin to surface and all kinds of things begin to happen! The boyfriend stares in disbelief as his girlfriend's eyes begin to bleed and she vomits up her entire intestinal tract!

We also have a good 'buried alive' scene which can boast itself as being one of the most intense scenes in horror movie history.

Hmmm, I almost forgot to mention that there are zombies in this film! They're not your regular stereotypical zombies. They have been summoned by the priest and now walk the Earth covered in maggots! Not only do they crave human flesh, they can disappear and reappear and crush the back of your head with their bare hands.!

Last but not least, a suspected child molester gets his demise by way of a huge power drill through the head in what could be labeled as the most brutal death in horror cinema history!

'The Gates of Hell' in my opinion is one of the best horror movies of our time. It doesn't beat around the bush in its attempts to make you cringe and absolutely repulse you. This movie, in many ways can be considered the epitome of horror in my own opinion. It's an overlooked gem which deserves higher acclaim, but will always be cherished by Fulci-philes everywhere.