Luigi Cozzi
Encyclopedia
Luigi Cozzi is an Italian
movie director and screenwriter who directed mainly science fiction and horror films in the mid-1970s and throughout the 1980s. He was born in 1947 in Busto Arsizio
, Italy.
. Cozzi worked as an assistant director and screenwriter on a number of Argento's most famous movies, even directing a made-for-TV movie called The Neighbor for the "Doorway To Darkness" television series produced by Argento in 1973.
Cozzi's first professional film was a 1975 giallo
he made called The Killer Must Kill Again after which he was hired to direct a number of bigger budget science fiction and fantasy films, such as Contamination, Starcrash
, Hercules
and Hercules 2. Cozzi worked with a lot of well-known genre actors such as Caroline Munro
, Sybil Danning
, Lou Ferrigno
, Joe Spinnell, Klaus Kinski
, and Brett Halsey
.
In 1986, he wrote and planned to direct Sinbad of the Seven Seas, but the producer replaced him at the last minute with director Enzo Castellari. Castellari changed Cozzi's script drastically and several million dollars later, wound up submitting three hours of non-releasable footage to the producer, who shelved the project. In 1989, Cozzi was hired back to come in and fix up the picture, the producer spending an additional half million dollars finishing it.
Cozzi wrote a script he called De Profundis, which was supposed to be an unauthorized finale to Dario Argento's unfinished "Three Mothers" Trilogy (begun in his films Suspiria and Inferno). Cozzi shot the film as "De Profundis" (which means "From the Deep") starring Caroline Munro, but the American
distributors (who at that time were planning a series of Edgar Allan Poe
films) changed the title of Cozzi's film to "The Black Cat" at the last minute, although the film had no connection to Poe. Their Poe film series, however, never materialized. Cozzi's retitled film received very poor (if any) distribution, and does not seem to have ever been released on video. Cozzi later discovered that director Lucio Fulci
had expressed an interest in directing his screenplay, without realizing that Cozzi was already directing the film himself. (It's probably just as well, since Fulci had already directed a film called The Black Cat back in 1981
.
Cozzi also worked on the special effects in Dario Argento's Phenomena
, and was an assistant director on The Stendahl Syndrome, Two Evil Eyes
and Nosferatu in Venice (a sequel to Nosferatu the Vampyre), which gave him the chance to work with Klaus Kinski. When the director on Nosferatu in Venice quit the picture unexpectedly, Kinski attempted to finish directing it himself, and the producer brought Cozzi in to help Kinski to complete it. The film did very poorly, mainly because Kinski refused to wear the Nosferatu make-up he wore in the earlier film. Cozzi also co-wrote the screenplays for Four Flies on Grey Velvet
and Lamberto Bava
's Jaws
knock-off Monster Shark
. Some of his work was done under his Americanized stage name Lewis Coates.
Cozzi's final horror film Paganini Horror was a major disappointment to him, since he was unable to work effectively within the tiny budget he was given. Argento's wife Daria Nicolodi
co-wrote the script with Cozzi and starred in it. In 1987-88, Cozzi directed 9 episodes of the Italian television series Turno Di Notte (some of which starred Asia Argento and Daria Nicolodi). He later made two documentaries on the films of Dario Argento, and for years operated and managed Dario Argento's retail movie memorabilia store in Italy.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
movie director and screenwriter who directed mainly science fiction and horror films in the mid-1970s and throughout the 1980s. He was born in 1947 in Busto Arsizio
Busto Arsizio
Busto Arsizio is a city and comune in the region of Lombardy, in northern Italy, 25 km north of Milan in the province of Varese.The economy of Busto Arsizio is mainly based on industry and commerce.-History:...
, Italy.
Biography
Cozzi has been interested in film making since his teen years, producing a low budget science fiction film at age 21 called The Tunnel Under the World, which brought him to the attention of producer Dario ArgentoDario Argento
Dario Argento is an Italian film director, producer and screenwriter. He is best known for his work in the horror film genre, particularly in the subgenre known as giallo, and for his influence on modern horror and slasher movies....
. Cozzi worked as an assistant director and screenwriter on a number of Argento's most famous movies, even directing a made-for-TV movie called The Neighbor for the "Doorway To Darkness" television series produced by Argento in 1973.
Cozzi's first professional film was a 1975 giallo
Giallo
Giallo is an Italian 20th century genre of literature and film, which in Italian indicates crime fiction and mystery. In the English language it refers to a genre similar to the French fantastique genre and includes elements of horror fiction and eroticism...
he made called The Killer Must Kill Again after which he was hired to direct a number of bigger budget science fiction and fantasy films, such as Contamination, Starcrash
Starcrash
Starcrash is an Italian 1979 science fiction film, which was also released under the English title of The Adventures of Stella Star . The film is a low budget and is often regarded as a rip-off of Star Wars...
, Hercules
Hercules
Hercules is the Roman name for Greek demigod Heracles, son of Zeus , and the mortal Alcmene...
and Hercules 2. Cozzi worked with a lot of well-known genre actors such as Caroline Munro
Caroline Munro
Caroline Munro is an English actress and model known for her many appearances in horror, science fiction and action films of the 1970s and 1980s.-Early career:...
, Sybil Danning
Sybil Danning
Sybil Danning is an Austrian actress known for her many roles in B movies, science fiction films, and action films.-Early life:Danning was born in Ried im Innkreis, Austria as Sybille Johanna Danninger...
, Lou Ferrigno
Lou Ferrigno
Louis Jude "Lou" Ferrigno is an American actor, fitness trainer/consultant, and retired professional bodybuilder. As a bodybuilder, Ferrigno won an IFBB Mr. America title and two consecutive IFBB Mr. Universe titles, and appeared in the bodybuilding documentary Pumping Iron...
, Joe Spinnell, Klaus Kinski
Klaus Kinski
Klaus Kinski, born Klaus Günter Karl Nakszynski , was a German actor. He appeared in more than 130 films, and is perhaps best-remembered as a leading role actor in Werner Herzog films: Aguirre, the Wrath of God , Nosferatu the Vampyre , Woyzeck , Fitzcarraldo and Cobra Verde .-Early...
, and Brett Halsey
Brett Halsey
Brett Halsey , is an American film actor, sometimes credited as Montgomery Ford. He is best known as the original John Abbott on the soap opera The Young and the Restless, a role he held from May 1980 to March 1981, before being replaced by Jerry Douglas.-Career:Interested in acting since he was a...
.
In 1986, he wrote and planned to direct Sinbad of the Seven Seas, but the producer replaced him at the last minute with director Enzo Castellari. Castellari changed Cozzi's script drastically and several million dollars later, wound up submitting three hours of non-releasable footage to the producer, who shelved the project. In 1989, Cozzi was hired back to come in and fix up the picture, the producer spending an additional half million dollars finishing it.
Cozzi wrote a script he called De Profundis, which was supposed to be an unauthorized finale to Dario Argento's unfinished "Three Mothers" Trilogy (begun in his films Suspiria and Inferno). Cozzi shot the film as "De Profundis" (which means "From the Deep") starring Caroline Munro, but the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
distributors (who at that time were planning a series of Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective...
films) changed the title of Cozzi's film to "The Black Cat" at the last minute, although the film had no connection to Poe. Their Poe film series, however, never materialized. Cozzi's retitled film received very poor (if any) distribution, and does not seem to have ever been released on video. Cozzi later discovered that director Lucio Fulci
Lucio Fulci
Lucio Fulci was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and actor. He is perhaps best known for his directorial work on gore films, including Zombie and The Beyond , although he made films in genres as diverse as giallo, western, and comedy...
had expressed an interest in directing his screenplay, without realizing that Cozzi was already directing the film himself. (It's probably just as well, since Fulci had already directed a film called The Black Cat back in 1981
1981 in film
-Events:*January 19 - Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer acquires beleaguered concurrent United Artists. UA was humiliated by the astronomical losses on the $40,000,000 movie Heaven's Gate, a major factor in the decision of owner Transamerica to sell it....
.
Cozzi also worked on the special effects in Dario Argento's Phenomena
Phenomena (film)
Phenomena is a 1985 Italian horror film directed by Dario Argento. An edited version of the film was released in the United States under the title Creepers , the game called Clock_Tower_ that was released in 1995 for snes , was loosely based on Phenomena.Jennifer Connelly stars as a young girl who...
, and was an assistant director on The Stendahl Syndrome, Two Evil Eyes
Two Evil Eyes
Two Evil Eyes is a 1990 double feature horror film written and directed by the Italian Dario Argento and the American George A. Romero. The two had previously worked together on the immensely popular Dawn of the Dead in 1978.-Overview:...
and Nosferatu in Venice (a sequel to Nosferatu the Vampyre), which gave him the chance to work with Klaus Kinski. When the director on Nosferatu in Venice quit the picture unexpectedly, Kinski attempted to finish directing it himself, and the producer brought Cozzi in to help Kinski to complete it. The film did very poorly, mainly because Kinski refused to wear the Nosferatu make-up he wore in the earlier film. Cozzi also co-wrote the screenplays for Four Flies on Grey Velvet
Four Flies on Grey Velvet
Four Flies on Grey Velvet is a 1971 Italian mystery thriller film, directed by Dario Argento. The screenplay is also by Argento, from a story by him, Luigi Cozzi, Mario Foglietti and Bryan Edgar Wallace .-Plot:...
and Lamberto Bava
Lamberto Bava
Lamberto Bava is an Italian film director, specializing in horror and fantasy films.Bava was born in Rome, Italy, the son of cinematographer/director Mario Bava, and grandson of cameraman Eugenio Bava...
's Jaws
Jaws (film)
Jaws is a 1975 American horror-thriller film directed by Steven Spielberg and based on Peter Benchley's novel of the same name. In the story, the police chief of Amity Island, a fictional summer resort town, tries to protect beachgoers from a giant man-eating great white shark by closing the beach,...
knock-off Monster Shark
Monster Shark
Monster Shark is a 1984 Italian horror film, and one of several environmental disaster films to emerge following the success of the 1975 film Jaws, including films such as: Great White, Orca, Piranha, Tentacles and Tintorera.- Plot :The film takes place along...
. Some of his work was done under his Americanized stage name Lewis Coates.
Cozzi's final horror film Paganini Horror was a major disappointment to him, since he was unable to work effectively within the tiny budget he was given. Argento's wife Daria Nicolodi
Daria Nicolodi
Daria Nicolodi is an Italian actress and screenwriter.- Early life and career :Daria Nicolodi was born in Florence on June 19, 1950. Her father was a Florentine lawyer and her mother, Fulvia, was a scholar of ancient languages. Her maternal grandfather was composer Alfredo Casella...
co-wrote the script with Cozzi and starred in it. In 1987-88, Cozzi directed 9 episodes of the Italian television series Turno Di Notte (some of which starred Asia Argento and Daria Nicolodi). He later made two documentaries on the films of Dario Argento, and for years operated and managed Dario Argento's retail movie memorabilia store in Italy.
Filmography (as Director)
- The Neighbor (1973) Italian made-for-TV Movie, episode of Dario Argento's "Doorway To Darkness" series
- Eyewitness (1973) Italian made-for-TV Movie (Cozzi just wrote the screenplay)
- The Killer Must Kill Again (1975) aka "The Spider/ Il Ragno", starring George Hilton
- Take All of Me (1978) aka "Dedicated to a Star", drama
- StarcrashStarcrashStarcrash is an Italian 1979 science fiction film, which was also released under the English title of The Adventures of Stella Star . The film is a low budget and is often regarded as a rip-off of Star Wars...
(1979) aka "Stella Star", aka "Female Space Invaders". starring Caroline Munro, David Hasselhoff and Joe Spinnell - ContaminationContamination (film)Contamination is a 1980 science fiction horror film directed by Luigi Cozzi and starring Ian McCulloch.-Plot:...
(1980) aka "Toxic Spawn", aka "Alien Contamination", starring Ian McCulloch - HerculesHercules (1983 film)Hercules is a 1983 Italian adventure film written and directed by Luigi Cozzi. The film follows the exploits of Hercules.Part of the adventure finds Hercules battling giant robots brought to life by stop motion animation. The musical score was provided by Pino Donaggio.Despite not being a critical...
(1983) starring Lou Ferrigno & Sybil Danning - Hercules 2 (1985) aka "The Adventures of HerculesThe Adventures of HerculesThe Adventures of Hercules is the 1985 sequel to the film Hercules. It was written and directed by Luigi Cozzi , and had Lou Ferrigno reprising his role as the title character.-Summary:The film begins in outer space, just as the first film does, and begins with a retelling of the...
", starring Lou Ferrigno & William Berger - Turno di Notte (1987–88) Cozzi directed nine episodes of this Italian TV series (some of which starred Asia Argento and Daria Nicolodi)
- Nosferatu in Venice (1988) aka "Vampire in Venice", starring Klaus Kinski (Cozzi co-directed this film)
- Sinbad of the Seven SeasSinbad of the Seven SeasSinbad of the Seven Seas is a 1989 film directed by Enzo G. Castellari revolving around the adventures of Sindbad the Sailor. It claims to be based on Edgar Allan Poe's story "The Thousand and Second Tale of Scheherazade," though no similarity can be found between its plot and the story...
(1989) starring Lou Ferrigno (Cozzi co-directed and edited this film) - De Profundis/ From The Deep (1989) aka "The Black Cat", aka "Demons 6" (starring Caroline Munro & Brett Halsey)
- Paganini Horror (1989) co-written by Daria Nicolodi
- Dario Argento: Master of Horror (1991) Documentary
- Il Mondo di Dario Argento 3: The Museum of Horrors (1997) Documentary