Nightmare Concert

Eines muss man ihm lassen. Lucio Fulci präsentiert uns in dieser Selbstreflexion eine so große Morbidität, dass sie nicht mehr schockieren ist. Sie wirkt nervig und abstoßend. So wird sie auch von der Hauptfigur empfunden. Der Film erzählt von ihren Obsessionen. Fulci hat so die Regie-Absicht erreicht. Schade, dass der Film psychologisch so naiv ist, dass die Gore-Effekte lächerlich amateurhaft sind und die Schauspieler*innen wie in einer Soap-Opera spielen. Die Fans der "Regisseur-Legende" werden wahrscheinlich Spaß haben. Für diejenigen, die sich nicht auskennen, wird der Film höchstwahrscheinlich das erste und letzte Werk von Fulci sein. (29.10.2003)

This film is quite unique among Fulci’s work, it’s essentially an honest self-reflection, delivered with great insight. Fulci plays himself, a director who is so sick of his violent films that he loses track of what is fiction and what is reality in real life. The sights of a steak in a restaurant, or a man with a chainsaw cutting wood in front of his house conjure up images of splashing blood and severed body parts that Fulci cut into the film from his previous works, or are entirely original (but these are in the minority). He consults these ideas with his psychiatrist, who also associates him with a sadistic murderer. At first it seems interesting, but when the same situation is repeated for about the twentieth time (Fulci looks devastated – splatter scene – Fulci looks devastated – splatter scene... and so on and so on.), it gets a bit boring, especially if you already know the scenes from his previous films. It must be said, however, that you won't see such a high density of splatter scenes in one film and Fulci's free creative approach makes this film unique in its own way. (13.10.2003)