Lucio Fulci is considered many things by many people. Some view him as a poor man’s Dario Argento while others see Fulci as a true visionary and trendsetter. Those that claim that Argento is Italy’s premier horror director selectively remember his classic films and not the many abysmal ones that clutter the later years of Argento’s work. On the other hand, Fulci operated as a “gun for hire” director, dabbling in many genres such as Erotic Comedy, Crime
Thrillers and Horror with many uneven results. Probably most remembered for his atmospheric zombie films, comparing Fulci to any other Italian filmmaker is an exercise in futility as he was in a class all by himself. Fulci’s movies are well known, infamous even, but who exactly is the man behind the terror? This is the question that Mike Baronas’ exhaustive and impressive documentary aims to answer.

The interviews are kick-started by the simple question, “What is your fondest memory of Lucio Fulci?” It’s amazing how varied the responses ultimately are, but naturally the subject of Fulci’s legendary temper is mentioned many times. What I found to be a revelation was that Fulci knew he had to keep the production of his films on budget and the shooting period on schedule. This presents a man who knew what he had to do to get the job done and not just a child screaming at everyone who didn’t do exactly what he said. The Italian film industry was  experiencing a boom at the time and, knowing the number of movies Fulci directed, it is understandable that he would employ such tactics to keep his career going and the directing offers rolling in.

The interviews themselves vary in length from a couple of minutes to over five minutes in length. Baronas has broken down the participants into three distinct sections: “Victims” featuring various actors and actresses who have worked on Fulci productions such as Catriona MacColl, Al Cliver and Jared Martin; “Accomplices” consists of crew members under Fulci’s regime including screenwriter Dardano Sacchetti and Special FX artist Gianetto De Rossi; “Peers” offers recollections of Fulci by others in his field such as directors Lamberto Bava, Sergio Martino and Bruno Mattei. The sheer number of “big hitters” in the sadly now almost dormant Italian movie industry is staggering, with a true sense of nostalgia prevalent. As a fan of the Italian Horror scene of the late 70’s and 80’s, it was like rediscovering some of these films all over again. It was especially a highlight seeing many reclusive actors and actresses again such as Veronica Lazar.

Since almost all of these interviews take place in relaxed, casual settings the audio quality can be uneven at times, with background noises sometimes threatening to drown out the participants, such as dogs barking or background restaurant noise. Fortunately those speaking Italian are provided with accompanying subtitles which are clear and easy to read. Surprisingly, the picture quality is consistent, clean and crisp to the eye.

If you are Lucio Fulci fan- this is the production for you. Even long time followers of Fulci will find new information and insightful anecdotes to satisfy them. Most documentaries are usually longwinded, pretentious pieces which elevate their subjects up on an obvious, unrealistic pedestal. PAURA LUCIO FULCI REMEMBERED presents a loving tribute to an all too human director by the people who knew him best. Fulci is presented as a person with a wickedly devious sense of humor who was an underappreciated master of his craft, which many people overlook based on the sheer number of projects he has directed. I find it interesting that it is thought that Fulci, at the time, would have been taken more seriously as a director if he cut down on the number of projects he would ultimately undertake. This production also shows us another side of the man, one plagued by health problems, a wife’s suicide and the responsibility of raising a family alone. Many of the participants offer warm and personal anecdotes about Fulci, happy that such a tribute to their lost friend is being filmed, but a few also seemed caught off guard with the question directed at them. PAURA emerges as one of the most honest looks at a subject and should be seen by any devotee of Fulci as well as anyone with a budding interest in the man and his work.

I find it ironic that Baronas first envisioned this project when a meeting with Fulci during the January 1996 Fangoria Weekend of Horrors never happened due to a massive blizzard. I was at that same convention and also looked forward to meeting Fulci, whose movies always seemed more blue-collar and easier to identify than Argento’s. That blizzard also sent me home early on one of the last trains still running. I always figured that I would be able to see Fulci another time but sadly he passed away in March of 1996. PAURA is Mike Baronas’ tribute to Fulci, a tribute to a man by a fan he never knew he had.

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