Incubo sulla città contaminata (1980)

Director:

Umberto Lenzi

Writers:

Antonio Cesare Corti (writer)
Luis María Delgado (writer)

Release Date:

18 November 1983 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

Now They Are Everywhere! There Is No Escape!

Plot:

An airplane exposed to radiation lands, and blood drinking zombies emerge armed with knives, guns and teeth! They go on a rampage slicing, dicing, and biting their way across the Italian countryside.

Plot Keywords:

Blood | Gun | Plane | Biting | Rampage

Cast

Hugo Stiglitz	...	Dean Miller
Laura Trotter	...	Dr. Anna Miller
Maria Rosaria Omaggio	...	Sheila Holmes
Francisco Rabal	...	Major Warren Holmes
Sonia Viviani	...	Cindy
Eduardo Fajardo	...	Dr. Kramer
Stefania D'Amario	...	Jessica Murchison
Ugo Bologna	...	Mr. Desmond
Sara Franchetti	...	Liz
Manuel Zarzo	...	Colonel Donahue
Tom Felleghy	...	Lieutenant Reedman
Pierangelo Civera	...	Bob, Jessica's husband
Achille Belletti	...	Jim, hospital patient
Mel Ferrer	...	General Murchison

Also Known As:

City of the Walking Dead (USA) (reissue title)
Invasion by the Atomic Zombies (International: English title) (literal title)
Invasion de los zombies atómicos (Mexico)
La invasión de los zombies atómicos (Spain)
Nightmare City (USA)

Runtime:

92 min | USA:88 min

Country:

Italy | Mexico | Spain

Language:

Italian | Spanish

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-18 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Norway:18 (uncut) (2008) | Netherlands:16 | Italy:VM18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:18 (video rating) | Australia:R | France:-16 | UK:18 (video rating) (1986) (cut) | Iceland:(Banned) | UK:18 (video re-rating) (2003) (uncut) | USA:R (cut) | Germany:(Banned) | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Incir De Paolis Studios, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company:

Dialchi Film

Trivia:

According to director Umberto Lenzi, both Franco Nero and Fabio Testi were considered for the lead in the film, but the producer insisted on a Mexican leading man to appeal to Mexican audiences. Hence, the role went to Hugo Stiglitz.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: During the airport attack, a soldier runs up to one of the vampires who hits him in the head and takes his machine gun to use on other soldiers. Just before the soldier gets hit, you can see the fake blood already applied to his forehead before the blow strikes.

Quotes:

Dr. Anna Miller: I'm tired. Really tired. And I'm frightened. We'll never get away from these... these monsters. What are we going to do?
Dean Miller: Alright. Nothing is going to happen as long as we stay together I promise you. What we've got to do now is get away from here as fast as we can.
Dr. Anna Miller: Let go of me. Why don't you face it. There's no place for us to go. They're we too will be killed. I don't want us to die I don't want us to but there's nothing we can do. They're everywhere...
Dean Miller: [Dean slaps his wife and then kisses her] Stop it...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Tales of the Contaminated City (2002) (V)

Cheap gore...Great fun!

Thank you George A. Romero!! If it wasn't for your zombiefilms like `Night of the Living Dead' and `Dawn of the Dead', we never would have received all these fun Italian rip-offs. Umberto Lenzi was the man responsible for this `Nightmare City'. Lenzi is an enthusiast schlock-director with an unhealthy obsession for blood and guts. Within a period of only two years, he made 3 Italian gore classics including this one, `Eaten Alive' and – top of the bill – the notorious `Cannibal Ferox'. The latter is shocking…this film is just fun! An apocalyptic horror film with non-stop action and an constantly growing army of superzombies! Zombies according to Lenzi are a bit more energetic than usual…They drive cars and use guns! Technically, they're aren't even zombies but radioactively contaminated victims of a nuclear accident. They arrive in an airplane and soon, the whole city is infested.

The make-up effects are so cheap and nasty it almost becomes hilarious. It seems like the zombies' heads are covered in mud and you can almost smell their rotting flesh. Lots of heads are being shot off and multiple throats are being slit…perfect entertainment if you're a horror lover in other words. Don't bother if you're an opinionated horror-hater or an amateur-critic, though. I'll spare you the effort: the script of `Nightmare City' is as weak as they come (with a very disappointing ending) and the acting is atrocious. If you're a diehard horror-freak with a soft spot for Italian cult, however, this will be one of the most pleasing films you'll ever see.