La chiesa (1989)

Country of Origin: Italy
Year of Production: 1988
Running Times: 97 mins (Italy - video)     97 mins 44 seconds (UK - video)     103 mins (Italy - theatrical)     110 mins (USA - video)
Format: colour     35mm
Ratio: 1.66:1
Sound:

PRODUCTION
Production Companies: ADC Films/Cecchi Gori Group / Tiger Cinematografica/Reteitalia
Production Executive: Giuseppe Mangogna
Producer: Dario Argento
Unit Manager: Saverio Mangogna

SCRIPT
Script: Dario Argento, Lamberto Bava (uncredited), Franco Ferrini, Dardano Sacchetti (uncredited), Michele Soavi
Story: Dario Argento, Franco Ferrini

DIRECTION
Director: Michele Soavi
Assistant Director: Filiberto Fiaschi

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Renato Tafuri
Camera Operators: Alessandro Carlotto, Enrico Maggi
Assistant Camera: Alfonso Vicari, maurizio Cremesini
Gaffer: Fernando Massaccesi
Key Grip: Augusto Proietti
Stills: Franco Vitale
Production Equipment: Ciakitalia
Camera equipment: Technovision
Lighting Equipment: Franco Petracca and Co
Labs: Eastman Kodak

EDITING
Editor: Franco Fraticelli
1st Assistant Editor: Piero Bozza
2nd Assistant Editor: Roberto Priori

MUSIC
Music: Simon Boswell (Imagination); Keith Emerson; Philip Glass (Floe; Civil Wars); Goblin (Massimo Morante, Fabio Pignatelli, Claudio Simonetti); Fabio Pignatelli; Carlo-Rinaldi (Go To Hell); A. Manzo (The Wire Blaze)
Music Performed By: Martin Golday (Floe); Goblin (Civil Wars); Zooming on the Zoo (Go To Hell); Definitive Gaze (The Wire Blaze); Simon Boswell (Imagination)
Music Producer: Bixio - CEMSA

SOUND
Production Sound Mixer: Giulio Viaggiani
Boom Operator: Claudio Paolucci
English Dialogue: Nick Alexander
Additional Sound Effects: Soundtrack; L & M Anzellotti
Soundtrack Supervisor: Vincent Messina

COSTUMES AND MAKE-UP
Make Up Artist: Rosario Prestopini
Make Up: Franco Casagni, Laura Borzelli
Hair: Piero Cucchi, Assunta Emidi
Wigs: Rocchetti and Carboni
Costume Designer: Maurizio Paiola
Wardrobe Assistant: Claudio Antonucci
Dressmaker: Carla Latini
Costume Houses: Sartoria Izzo; Neriteatromoda; GP11
Footwear: LCP
Costume Jewellery: Laba

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects: Renato Agostini
Special Effects Creations: Sergio Stivaletti
Special Effects Assistant: Barbara Morosetti
Special Stage Effects: A. & G. Corridori
Titles and Opticals: Studio AM

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Production Designer: Massimo Antonello Geleng
Assistant Set Designer: Daniela Giavonnoni
Set Dresser: Caterina Napoleone
Set Construction Chief: Aldo Taloni
Set Furnishing: E. Rancati; GRP; GR Postiglione; Dedalo; Cinears; Immaginotera
Carpeting: Artigiana Arredatorie e Tappezzieri
Props: Osvaldo Monaco, Fabio Altamura

OTHER CREW
Script Continuity: Marisa Calia
Animals Supplied By: Marco Stefanelli, Grunwald Martino P.
Assistant to the Director: Claudio Lattanzi
Production Secretaries: Daniela Rocco, Ezio Maggi
Production Accountant: Carlo Du Bois
Bookkeeper: Antonella Villanti
Paymaster: Carlo Cestari
Insurance Brokers: Cinesicurtà
Transportation: Romana Trasporti, Cinematografici
Unit Publicity: Enrico Lucherini, Gianluca Pignatelli

LOCATIONS
Locations: Budapest, Hungary; hamburg, Germany; De Paolis Studios, Rome, Italy; R.P.A. Studios, Rome, Italy

STUNTS
Stunt Co-Ordinator: Arnaldo Dell'Aqua

CAST
Hugh Quarshie (Father Gus)
Tomas Arana (Evan)
Feodor Chaliapin (the Bishop)
Barbara Cupisti (Lisa)
Antonella Vitale ('princess' model bride)
Giovanni Lombardo Radice (sacristan)
Asia Argento (Lotte)
Roberto Caruso (Freddie)
Roberto Corbiletto (Hermann)
Alina De Simone (Lotte's mother)
Olivia Cupisti (Mira)
Gianfranco de Grassi (the accuser)
Claire Hardwick (Joanna)
Lar Jorgenson (aka Lars Bodin-Jorgensen) (Bruno)
John Karlsen (Heinrich)
Katherine Bell Marjorie (Heinrich's wife)
Riccardo Minervini (older schoolboy best friend)
Enrico Osterman (torturer)
Micaela Pignatelli (fashion shoot photographer)
Patrizia Punzo (Miss Brückner)
John Richardson (architect)
Matteo Rocchietta (younger of schoolboy best friends)
Michele Soavi (policeman - uncredited)

PLOT SUMMARY

During medieval times, a cathedral is built on the site of a massacre, where hundreds of bodies of suspected Satanists were buried by blood thirsty Knights Templar. Centuries later, the church is being renovated and a librarian accidentally unleashes the demons that possessed the long-dead devil worshippers. The church becomes sealed and a group of people trapped inside are killed off one-by-one.

Nothing we haven't seen before but done with a considerable amount of panache by Soavi, confirming him as not only one of the most impressive directors of his generation but also positioning him as Italian horrors last great hope. The script lets him down, but he barely seems to notice and stages some excellent set pieces while ladling on the atmosphere. Not his best work, but certainly not bad.

Italy
Theatrical Distributor: Cecchi Gori
Video Distributor: Vivivideo/Cecchi Gori Home Video

UK
Video Distributor: First Independent Films Ltd

USA
Video Distributor: Video Search of Miami; South Gate Entertainment (1069) (30 January 1991)

Germany
Rating: 18

Italy
Rating: 18

USA
Rating: R

1988
September
Day Unknown: Shooting begins

November
Day Unknown: Shooting ends

1989
March
10: Italy - theatrical release

POSTER TAGS

It will make you squirm.

In this unholy sanctuary you haven't got a prayer ...

Cathedral of Demons - early title
The Church - UK/USA title
Demon Cathedral - early title
Demons 3 - early title
In the Land of the Demons - early title
Return to the Land of the Demons - early title
El engendro del diablo - Spanish title

SEE ALSO
Demoni (1985)
Demoni 2 (1986)
The Magic Cloak of Oz (1914)
The Kid (1921)
Rosemary's Baby (1968)
Hexen bis aufs Blut gequ_lt (1970)
The Omen (1976)
The Shining (1980)
Inferno (1980)
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Poltergeist (1982)
Koyaanisqatsi (1983)
Phenomena (1985)
The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)

MAGAZINES

Foreign Sales, Italian Movie Trade vol.14 no.10/11 (October/November 1988) pp.3, 4; 61 (Italy)
production notes; credits

Starburst no.129 (May 1989) p.21 (UK)
review

BOOKS

Art of Darkness pp.250; 291-292; 299
illustrated review (by Chris Gallant); credits; video data

Aurum Encyclopedia of Film: Horror (2nd edition) p.444
review, credits

Hoffman's Guide to SF, Horror and Fantasy Movies 1991 - 1992 p.70
review, credits

Mondo Argento pp.46; 68
illustrated review (by Alan Jones); credits

possession, churches, curses, knights templar, mass graves, satanism, revenge, demons, librarians, priests, photographers, models