He was known as The Maestro of Splatter and The Godfather of Gore. But who was the real Lucio Fulci? When an actor (Nicola Nocella of EASY and Pupi Avati’s THE YOUNGEST SON) agrees to portray the infamous director, he sets out to research the triumphs, tragedies and truths behind Fulci’s life, work and legacy. Through never-before-seen home movies, rare behind-the-scenes footage from his classic films, audio confessions from Fulci himself, and revealing interviews that include composer Fabio Frizzi, cinematographer Sergio Salvati, former actor/assistant Michele Soavi and for the first and final time, the dual participation of daughters Antonella and Camilla Fulci, writer/director Simone Scafidi creates an unflinching portrait of the one of the most visceral, controversial and immortal horror filmmakers of all time.

Jamie’s Take (3.5 / 5)

I have been reviewing several Fulci films as of late with Demonia and Aenigma being the most recent. Now it was time to review this in depth look at the Italian Godfather of gore, the documentary Fulci For Fake. And yes, the comparison to the Orson Welles documentary F For Fake is intentional.

Using footage of the director while making films from the 50’s – 90’s, the documentary comprises of not only footage of Fulci on set but also interviews with colleagues who have worked with him on several pictures. Many of the stories mentioned here do sound familiar: Fulci was demanding and harsh on set, he could be a womanizer, his sense of humor was rather dark and sadistic. All of the things mentioned on other Severin blu ray releases where the crew and actors spoke about the director, with some even talking in a lovely manor about the man are all basically re-told.

But the heart and soul of the documentary is the interview with one of Fulci’s daughters, Camilla. Now in a wheelchair due to a disease which director Simone Scafidi never reveals, her heartbreaking account on her father not only while working as a script contitunity expert and script supervisor on his later films but also growing up is both fascinating and quite sad (Camilla died shortly after the documentary was released in 2019). Stories regarding Fulci’s wife committing suicide is mentioned however it isn’t explored too deeply as to the reasons why as well as this disease that affected Camilla. But as she recounts tragedy’s in her life such as a horse accident that left her paralyzed for many years, hearing the heartbreak Fulci dealt with brings the viewer closer to the mysterious man, a better understanding on why his late 70’s – mid 80’s films were so gruesome.

While I was intrigued upon hearing the on set stories and learning a bit more about his life (his fondness for children was a nice positive reflection on the man) the film was a bit disjointed and unfocused at times. First off, the movie jumps around continuously and doesn’t go in chronological order from when he was young to when he passed away in 1996. At one point there would be discussion about his later films and then suddenly the documentary bounces back to 1972’s Don’t Torture a Duckling. It’s rather jarring and could prove confusing for the casual viewer who is unfamiliar with Fulci’s work.

Also, and maybe this is because F For Fake may have done the same thing (I have not seen it so I could be wrong) but I wasn’t understanding the point of having an actor play Fulci with re-enactments. The actor, Nicola Nocella, looks nothing like Fulci even with the make-up. Shifting focus from the interviews to strange re-enactments of a shirtless Nocella laying around in a room with a prostitute was both puzzling and just fucking weird. I guess it gives the doc a different look than the regular “talking heads” type documentary but I didn’t care for this artistic approach.

Finally, it seems that Fulci’s other daughter Antonella was pushed to the side and is only interviewed at the very end. One would think this would provide the viewer with a conclusion that is both satisfactory and revealing but alas, she doesn’t say much that wasn’t already said. It is apparent they were not close as he was to Camilla.

Severin’s special features once again doesn’t disappoint as there are countless more interviews with not only Scafidi but with many of the other crew members he has worked with. I particularly  liked seeing the home movies on his private life. Only complaint would be a needed commentary track by maybe Scafidi, explaining why the decision to keep certain aspects of his life out or mention only briefly. Still, the special features are plentiful.

Clocking in at just 91 minutes, Fulci For Fake moves fast (albeit too fast) and provides viewers a look into the life of a gifted but cursed and quite sad film maker. One may be disappointed in that there aren’t as many stories on the making of such films as Zombie, The Beyond, or City of the Living Dead to name a few. Instead the film focuses more on Fulci’s life rather than his art.

Hidden Treasure/Dumpster Fire?

Jamie says: Hidden Treasure!

Jamie's Take:	(3.5 / 5)
Blu-Ray Extras:	(4.0 / 5)
Average:	(3.8 / 5)

• Interview with Director Simone Scafidi
• Crew Interviews
• Camilla Fulci Uncut: The first and only video interview with Lucio Fulci’s daughter
• Lucio Fulci & Friends: Interview outtakes with Sergio Salvati, Fabio Frizzi, Paolo Malco, Michele Soaviand Enrico Vanzina
• The Eye Of The Witness: Biographer Michele Romagnoli recalls his relationship with the director
• Looking For Lucio: Rare home movies from Fulci’s private life and location scouts, with accompanying commentary by Michael Romagnoli and Lucio Fulci
• Lucio Fulci’s Audio Tapes: Audio highlights from conversations between Lucio Fulci and Michael Romagnoli for the writing of Fulci’s memoir
• Zombie Parade at the Venice Film Festival
• Trailer