I haven’t seen it again since its original theatrical release in Italy but I remember it as a very unique title in the Italian film scene. Just to give you a bit more of scope, it was based on a novel by the Italy’s star comic book writer Tiziano Sclavi, whose character “Dylan Dog” was at that time at the peak of its success. The novel itself was supposed to be the original seed behind the comic book character, whcih might explain the casting of Rubert Everett – Dylan Dog’s aspect was openly inspired to Everett’s features. It’s a pity director Michele Soavi was mostly active, after that film, in TV-series (usually much better than the average), and only directed a couple of interesting but not unforgettable theatrical flicks afterwards.
I love this film! It is brazenly unhinged. It is a perfectly realized horrific nightmare. The atmosphere is to die for. Soavi created a self-contained universe of death (the snow globe!). Madness, necrophilia and Gnaghi’s very particular kind of affection. This is nihilism. I think the hothouse atmosphere of Cemetary Man would have appealed to Andre Breton. Death literally blooms. The surreal attack of this film is deliriously radical. This kind of originality should have been celebrated with howls. Gnaghi!
Back in 1996 Virgin theaters opened in NYC and they ofered free movies the first day, Cemetery Man was playing so I walked in only to walk out disappointed after twenty minutes or so. I remember thinking it made most spaghetti westerns seem luxurious in comparision…
patrick
What are your thoughts and interpretations on this film? I found it to be very good once I got past the poor production values. It is a very cerebral exploration of love and death.