This month, I’ve been taking part in the Letterboxd Hooptober challenge. The goal is to watch 31 horror films in October, including films that meet specific criteria such as “directed by Wes Craven” or starring a black woman.
I’m posting my thoughts on each of the movies here, as and when I get time. If you want to follow along in real time, my Hooptober list is available here.
Cemetery Man (DellaMorte DellAmore)
Zombies, guns and sex, OH MY!!!
Cemetery watchman, Francesco Dellamorte, is tasked with dispatching the recently deceased when they rise from their graves.
I’m generally not a big fan of Italian horror films. There are exceptions (Suspiria for example), but they generally leave me cold. Lots of splatter for splatter’s sake.
But one of the Hooptober criteria is 4 Italian horror films, so we dug up Cemetery Man (ha!) and gave it a try.
This film is a weird mix. There are zombies, but they’re kind of secondary. As the tagline suggests, the film is more about the lead, Francesco Dellamorte (played by Rupert Everett) trying (and sometimes succeeding) to hook up with a procession of identical women. It’s also a comedy.
Rupert Everett is better known for playing more… British characters so this feels like a massive departure. Maybe he just likes Italian horror films.
After the disappointment of Mr. Harrigan’s Phone, and with my general dislike of Italian horror, I went into this somewhat reluctantly. But I was pleasantly surprised. It was odd and silly and fun, and I enjoyed it.
Cemetery Man is a twofer when it comes to the Hooptober challenge – both an Italian film and a film by Michele Soavi. It would also count as a comedy, but we’ve got that covered.
[Hooptober 11 – Cemetery Man by Philip Harris first appeared on Solitary Mindset on 26th October 2024]