Texas Frightmare Weekend is proud to announce a “Tour of Italy” with three legends of Italian horror cinema!
Lamberto Bava gained much of his experience from his father, legendary cinematographer, special effects designer and director, Mario Bava. Lamberto entered filmmaking as his father’s personal assistant starting with the film Planet of the Vampires. He even co-wrote the screen play for Beyond the Door II. As assistant director he helmed the Italian classics Kill Baby, Kill, Bay of Blood, Hatchet for the Honeymoon as well as Inferno and Tenebre with Italian master Dario Argento.
His directorial debut came with Macabre followed by followed by A Blade in the Dark and Devilfish which was playfully lambasted by Mystery Science Theater 3000 for it’s “so bad it’s good” qualities. He also directed the critically acclaimed giallo Delirium.
However, Lamberto Bava enjoyed the most commercial success with the gore classic Demons (produced by Dario Argento) which finds a a group of people trapped in a West Berlin theater infected by ravenous demons. The demon plague spreads, all set to a rocking 80′s soundtrack featuring Motley Crue, Billy Idol, Saxon, Scorpions, Accept and more. He quickly followed up with the sequel Demons 2 starring Asia Argento and TFW 2008 guest Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni.
Lamberto later returned to “giallo” thrillers with Delirium and directed TFW 2012 guest Joanna Pacula in Body Puzzle.
Ruggero Deodato is the director of the controversial Italian horror film Cannibal Holocaust. This film single handedly invented a new subgenre that would be copied by films like Canibal Ferox, Mountain of the Cannibal God, Eaten Alive and more. Cited by some as being the first “found footage” film, Cannibal Holocaust inspired a current craze of films like Paranormal Activity, [REC], Quarantine, Cloverfield and countless others. Upon it’s release Cannibal Holocaust was banned in several countries for it’s graphic scenes of gore and animal cruelty. Deodato was even arrested and tried when officials suspected that certain footage featuring mutilated and murdered bodies were real. He was was exonerated after the actors were paraded into the courtroom alive.
In addition he also directed House on the Edge of the Park and Body Count both starring the recently deceased David Hess (Last House on the Left) and Cut and Run.
Despite the controversy surrounding his films there’s no arguing the influence they have had on fans and filmmakers alike. We’re pleased to welcome Ruggero Deodato to his first ever southwest horror convention appearance!
Sergio Stivaletti is the regular special effects designer/make up artist of Dario Argento, Lamberto Bava and Michele Soavi. His fantasically gruesome creations are the visual candy that in part made Dario Argento’s Opera and Michele Soavi’s Dellamorte Dellamore (Cemetery Man) the great films that they are. Perhaps his greatest efects work is from Lamberto Bava’s Demons and Demons 2.
His directorial debut came with The Wax Mask, a film based on a story by Gaston Leroux (The Phantom of the Opera) with a screenplay by Dario Argento and Lucio Fulci. His current project is Dracula 3D starring Rutger Hauer and directed by Dario Argento.
Dave Alexander has been the Editor-in-Chief of Rue Morgue magazine since the fall of 2009, and an editor there since 2005, when he moved from Alberta, Canada (sometimes called “Texas North”) to join the Rue Crew. In addition to working on the magazine, he programs monthly CineMacabre movie nights in Toronto, hosts panels at the annual Festival of Fear movie nights, is a published fiction writer, an award-winning filmmaker, and can be seen on television and in documentaries such as Zombiemania talking about things dark and dead.
