Themes:
"Despite Massaccesi's extensive and excessive filmography, a number of key concerns dominate, regardless of the genre he worked in. These revolve around themes of morbid loving, voyeuristic perversion (and its frequent punishment), as well as the return of repressed infantile material into the modernised 'adult' world."[1]
Directorial style edit
To Luigi Cozzi, who as screenwriter watched D'Amato on the set of Paradiso blu in 1979, D'Amato as director appeared as "cynical, practical and hurried" (Italian: "cinico, pratico e sbrigativo"), caring only about narrative and continuity, and that the actors made the right gestures and recited their most basic lines; everything else seemed superfluous to him.[2]
Cinematography:
Thomas Weisser:
On "Red Blood, Yellow Gold":
"The director of photography is Francisco Marin, but his cameraman is Aristide (Joe D'Amato) Massaccesi. Maybe that's why it looks so good."[3]
Thomas Weisser: On "Ben and Charlie": "Massaccesi's cinematography is one of the film's major strong points."[4]
Roberto Curti: On "The Counselor": "Aristide Massaccesi's cinematography is especially noteworthy: "Aristide didn't talk nonsense, he knew how to do his job, and he was quick. It took him a couple of seconds to understand how to light a scene. And whenever he was in trouble with the lighting, he would take the camera in his own hands," as De Martino explained. "I'll always remember a scene in Counselor at Crime, the one before the reunion in the bar. I told Aristide: "Damn, I'd need a dolly on this one!," and he replied: "Don't worry, I'll do it..." "How are you gonna do that? It's a long scene!" Just don't worry ..." and he did it - and on the screen it looked just like a dolly."[5] citing: Manlio Gomarasca, “Il cinema è quello che ci fa,” in “Fatti di cinema. Controcorrente 3,” Nocturno Dossier 51, October 2006, p. 14. (interview with Alberto De Martino)
Roberto Curti: On "Death Smiles on a Murderer": "Massaccesi (who also acted as d.o.p. and cameraman) manages to keep the story lively with an abundant use of wide-angle shots, which, paired with Berto Pisano's [...] score, suitably make [sic] up for the scarcity of means."[6]
Jay Slater: On "Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals": "The hand-held cinematography is shaky and a handful of night scenes are badly lit [...]. As Massaccesi would shoot anything up to 50 shots in a single day, the quality of the film is understandably poor."[7] On "Papaya": "badly shot copulation scenes" (ibid., 87) On "Beyond the Darkness": "occasional flash of artistic inspiration and well-framed photography" (page 91)
Violet Blue on D'Amato's late porn films: "his films exceeded the standards and even received great reviews, largely for the fantastic cinematography and excellent framing. [...] His adult features won several AVN awards."[8]
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Filmirage was an Italian film production company specialising in genre films.[9] It was founded in the 1970s by Joe D'Amato and Donatella Donati, the daughter of Ermanno Donati.[9][10]
Selected filmography edit
Bibliography edit
- Sesti, Mario, ed. (1996). La "scuola" italiana: storia, strutture, e immaginario di un altro cinema, 1988-1996. Marsilio.
Reception edit
In his discussion of Interzone, Daniel R. Budnik referred to "[t]he wonderful majesty of Filmirage and their weird way of making films [...]. The strange characterization, offbeat plotting, and weird-looking people." He also called for a book-length treatment on the company.[11]
References edit
- ^ Mendik, Xavier (2015). Bodies of Desire and Bodies in Distress: The Golden Age of Italian Cult Cinema 1970-1985. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. p. 132. ISBN 9781443882880. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
- ^ Lupi 2004, p. 227.
- ^ Weisser, Thomas (2005). Spaghetti Westerns--the Good, the Bad and the Violent: A Comprehensive, Illustrated Filmography of 558 Eurowesterns and Their Personnel, 1961-1977. McFarland. p. 254. ISBN 9780786424429. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
- ^ Weisser, Thomas (2014). Spaghetti Westerns--the Good, the Bad and the Violent: A Comprehensive, Illustrated Filmography of 558 Eurowesterns and Their Personnel, 1961-1977. McFarland. p. 43. ISBN 9781476611693. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
- ^ Curti, Roberto (2013). Italian Crime Filmography, 1968-1980. McFarland. p. 79. ISBN 9781476612089. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
- ^ Curti, Roberto (2017). Italian Gothic Horror Films, 1970-1979. McFarland. p. 92. ISBN 9781476629605. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
- ^ Slater, Jay (2002). Eaten Alive!: Italian Cannibal and Zombie Movies. Plexus. p. 82. ISBN 9780859653145. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
- ^ Blue, Violet (2003). The Ultimate Guide to Adult Videos: How to Watch Adult Videos and Make Your Sex Life Sizzle. Cleis Press Start. p. 142. ISBN 9781573447058. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
- ^ a b Sesti 1996, p. 90.
- ^ Tentori 2014, p. 138.
- ^ Budnik, Daniel R. (2017). '80s Action Movies on the Cheap: 284 Low Budget, High Impact Pictures. McFarland. p. 147.
D'Amato then became a pioneer in the earliest phase of Italian hardcore films (1979-1984). The roughly 30 films that he produced and/or directed represent a little less than a quarter of the entire Italian adult film output during that time.[1]
Siffredi remembers him "seated behind his camera, with his cigar".[2]
He describes him as "analytical, gifted with an ability to simplify", and that he was able to draw four or five different films from a single set, just by changing the lighting.[2]
He also says that D'Amato taught him a lot, and that he was a "true artist".[2]
Marco Polo was shot in the Philippines with part of the same troupe of Filipinos that had helped shoot Apocalypse Now.[3]
Personality
Antonio Bido, who presented a project to D'Amato that in the end did not work out, called D'Amato "forthcoming and polite" ("disponibile e garbato") and remembered that "his passion for cinema transpired through every pore and was contagious". (Tentori, 133) Lilli Carati described him as "a very warm person" ("una persona molto umana"), "always smiling, even if in some moments he could appear gruff" ("burbero"). He was peaceful ("pacioso") and loved being in company, especially of young people. (Carati, Tentori 134)
Private life
D'Amato loved his dogs.(Lilli Carati at Tentori, 134)
- ^ Grattarola & Napoli, p. 106.
- ^ a b c Siffredi 2006, p. 123.
- ^ Siffredi 2006, pp. 122–123.