Aristide Massaccesi
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Aristide Massaccesi (15 December 1936 – 23 January 1999), known professionally as Joe D'Amato, was an Italian film director, producer, cinematographer, and screenwriter who worked in many genres ( westerns, '' decamerotici'', peplum,
war film War film is a film genre concerned with warfare, typically about navy, naval, air force, air, or army, land battles, with combat scenes central to the drama. It has been strongly associated with the 20th century. The fateful nature of battle s ...
s,
swashbuckler A swashbuckler is a genre of European adventure literature that focuses on a heroic protagonist stock character who is skilled in swordsmanship, acrobatics, and guile, and possesses chivalrous ideals. A "swashbuckler" protagonist is heroic, ...
,
comedy Comedy is a genre of dramatic works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. Origins Comedy originated in ancient Greec ...
,
fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that involves supernatural or Magic (supernatural), magical elements, often including Fictional universe, imaginary places and Legendary creature, creatures. The genre's roots lie in oral traditions, ...
, postapocalyptic film, and
erotic thriller The erotic thriller is a film subgenre defined as a thriller with a thematic basis in illicit romance or sexual fantasy. Though exact definitions of the erotic thriller can vary, it is generally agreed "bodily danger and pleasure must remain i ...
) but is best known for his horror,
erotic Eroticism () is a quality that causes sexual feelings, as well as a philosophical contemplation concerning the aesthetics of sexual desire, sensuality, and romantic love. That quality may be found in any form of artwork, including painting, sculp ...
and
adult An adult is an animal that has reached full growth. The biological definition of the word means an animal reaching sexual maturity and thus capable of reproduction. In the human context, the term ''adult'' has meanings associated with social an ...
films. D'Amato worked in the 1950s as
electric Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter possessing an electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described by Maxwel ...
and set photographer, in the 1960s as camera operator, and from 1969 onwards as cinematographer. Starting in 1972, he directed and co-directed around 200 films under numerous pseudonyms, regularly acting as cinematographer as well. Starting in the early 1980s, D'Amato produced many of his own and other directors' genre films through the companies he founded or co-founded, the best known being Filmirage. From 1979 to 1982 and from 1993 to 1999, D'Amato also produced and directed about 120 adult films. Among his best known erotic films are his five entries into the
Black Emanuelle ''Black Emanuelle'' (Italian language, Italian: ''Emanuelle nera'') is a Softcore pornography, softcore sexploitation film from 1975 directed by Bitto Albertini. The film was set in Africa and shot mostly in Kenya. The music was composed by Nico ...
series of films starring
Laura Gemser Laurette Marcia Gemser (born 5 October 1950) is an Indonesian-Dutch retired actress, model and costume designer. She is primarily known for her work in Cinema of Italy, Italian Sex in film, erotic cinema, most notably the ''Emmanuelle#Other film ...
(1976–1978) and his horror/pornography crossover films '' Erotic Nights of the Living Dead'' and '' Porno Holocaust'' (both shot in
Santo Domingo Santo Domingo, formerly known as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city of the Dominican Republic and the List of metropolitan areas in the Caribbean, largest metropolitan area in the Caribbean by population. the Distrito Na ...
in 1979). In the horror genre, he is above all remembered for his films '' Beyond the Darkness'' (1979) and '' Antropophagus'' (1980), which have gained cult status, as well as '' Absurd'' (1981).


Biography


Early life and work (1936–1969)

Joe D'Amato was born on 15 December 1936 in
Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
, Italy. His father was Renato Massaccesi, who after an incident on a ship had been declared a war invalid and had started to work at the
Istituto Luce The Istituto Luce ("Light Institute", with ''Luce'' being the acronym for ''L'Unione Cinematografica Educativa'', i.e. "The Educational Film Union") was Italy’s public film agency corporation, created in 1924 during the Fascist era. The institu ...
in Rome first as electrician, fixing power generators left by the United States army at Cinecittà, and then as chief photographic technician. In 1950, at the age of 14, D'Amato joined his father at work together with his brothers Carlo and Fernando (called Nando). Being the most enterprising of the three sons, D'Amato took on the task of delivering the
movie camera A movie camera (also known as a film camera and cine-camera) is a type of photographic camera that rapidly takes a sequence of photographs, either onto film stock or an image sensor, in order to produce a moving image to display on a screen. In c ...
s his father sold. D'Amato also assisted in the dubbing of Italian film productions and designed title and end credits with Eugenio Bava, cutting the letters out by hand. In 1952, D'Amato worked as a still photographer on the set of '' The Golden Coach'', later as
electric Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter possessing an electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described by Maxwel ...
. In the 1960s, D'Amato eventually moved on to work as a
camera operator A camera operator, or depending on the context cameraman or camerawoman, is a professional operator of a film camera or video camera as part of a film crew. The term "cameraman" does not necessarily imply that a male is performing the task. ...
on numerous films including
Mario Bava Mario Bava (; 31 July 1914 – 27 April 1980) was an Italian filmmaker who worked variously as a director, cinematographer, special effects artist and screenwriter. His low-budget genre films, known for their distinctive visual flair and stylish ...
's '' Hercules in the Haunted World''.


First work as cinematographer and director (1969–1975)

In 1969, Piero Livi's ''Pelle di bandito'' and Silvio Amadio's ''No Man's Island'' (Italian: ''L'Isola delle Svedesi'') were D'Amato's first films as
cinematographer The cinematographer or director of photography (sometimes shortened to DP or DOP) is the person responsible for the recording of a film, television production, music video or other live-action piece. The cinematographer is the chief of the camera ...
. In the next few years, D'Amato continued to work as cinematographer on Italian productions such as
Umberto Lenzi Umberto Lenzi (6 August 1931 – 19 October 2017) was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and novelist. A fan of film since young age, Lenzi studied at the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia and made his first film in 1958 which went unre ...
's '' A Quiet Place to Kill'',
Massimo Dallamano Massimo Dallamano (17 April 1917 – 4 November 1976) was an Italian cinematographer, film director, and screenwriter. He is best known for his work on Sergio Leone's Dollars Trilogy, and for directing several giallo and poliziotteschi films ...
's '' What Have You Done to Solange?'' and some of Demofilo Fidani's low-budget Spaghetti Westerns. D'Amato took on the role of director for the first time in 1972. He started out with a number of small western films ('' Go Away! Trinity Has Arrived in Eldorado'' and ''A Bounty Killer in Trinity'') and decamerotici ('' More Sexy Canterbury Tales'' and '' Novelle licenziose di vergini vogliose'') which he partly directed, partly co-directed before going on to direct the gothic horror film '' Death Smiles on a Murderer'' (1973) and the war film '' Heroes in Hell'' (1974), both starring
Klaus Kinski Klaus Kinski (, born Klaus Günter Karl Nakszynski 18 October 1926 – 23 November 1991) was a German actor. Equally renowned for his intense performance style and notorious for his volatile personality, he appeared in over 130 film roles in a ...
. D'Amato briefly relinquished directing and reverted to cinematography in films such as Luigi Batzella's '' The Devil's Wedding Night'',
Steve Carver Steve Carver (April 5, 1945 – January 8, 2021) was an American film director, producer, and photographer. Biography Carver attended Manhattan's High School of Music and Art and received his BA from Cornell University and his Master of Fine Art ...
's '' The Arena'' and five films directed by
Alberto De Martino Alberto De Martino (12 June 1929 – 2 June 2015) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. Born in Rome, De Martino started as a child actor and later returned to the cinema where worked as a screenwriter, director and dubbing supervis ...
: ''
Crime Boss A crime boss, also known as a crime lord, mafia don, mob boss, kingpin, or godfather is the leader of a criminal organization. Description A crime boss has absolute or nearly absolute control over the other members of the organization and is ...
'', '' The Killer Is on the Phone'', '' Counselor at Crime'', '' The Antichrist'', and – two years later – '' Strange Shadows in an Empty Room''. When D'Amato was in Canada shooting a sleigh ride sequence for
Lucio Fulci Lucio Fulci (; 17 June 1927 – 13 March 1996) was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and actor. Although he worked in a wide array of genres through a career spanning nearly five decades, including Commedia all'italiana, comedies and spagh ...
's '' Challenge to White Fang'', the film's producer Ermanno Donati asked him to stay and direct the adventure film '' Red Coats'' for him, in which D'Amato used the pseudonym "Joe D'Amato" for the first time. It turned a good profit, and D'Amato later considered it his best film in this period.


First films with Laura Gemser and the Black Emanuelle series (1975–1977)

D'Amato's next film '' Emanuelle's Revenge'' (1975), which he co-directed with Bruno Mattei (who remains uncredited because D'Amato was a "rising name"), was one of several films at the time whose titles alluded to the successful French erotic film '' Emmanuelle'' (1974). In retrospect, it was a kind of turning point in D'Amato's career, being his first pornographic film – though still softcore. In his next film, the commedia sexy '' Voto di castità'' (1976, scripted by
George Eastman George Eastman (July 12, 1854March 14, 1932) was an American entrepreneur who founded the Kodak, Eastman Kodak Company and helped to bring the photographic use of roll film into the mainstream. After a decade of experiments in photography, he ...
), D'Amato met
Laura Gemser Laurette Marcia Gemser (born 5 October 1950) is an Indonesian-Dutch retired actress, model and costume designer. She is primarily known for her work in Cinema of Italy, Italian Sex in film, erotic cinema, most notably the ''Emmanuelle#Other film ...
, who would star in many of his films and in the 1980s and early 1990s would also regularly work as costume designer for his productions. In this first film, she only played the small part of a French maid, but it was during the shoot that D'Amato got the idea to use her as star in his next film. '' Eva nera'' was the exotic erotic drama which D'Amato directed starring Gemser as topless snake dancer alongside Jack Palance and Gabriele Tinti – her future husband. The film was produced by
Harry Alan Towers Harry Alan Towers (19 October 1920 – 31 July 2009) was a British radio and independent film producer and screenwriter. He wrote numerous screenplays for the films he produced, often under the pseudonym Peter Welbeck. He produced over 80 f ...
and Lucio Fulcisano and shot both on location in
Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
and at the Elios Studios near Rome. Gemser, who had previously starred in Bitto Albertini's ''
Black Emanuelle ''Black Emanuelle'' (Italian language, Italian: ''Emanuelle nera'') is a Softcore pornography, softcore sexploitation film from 1975 directed by Bitto Albertini. The film was set in Africa and shot mostly in Kenya. The music was composed by Nico ...
'' (1975), went on to shoot the following five films of the Black Emanuelle series under D'Amato's direction. (Albertini, on the other hand, had to find a new actress for his own '' Black Emanuelle 2'' (1976) – a sequel only in name.) Although the main character's name in the Black Emanuelle series alluded to the original French Emmanuelle, it was spelled slightly differently in order to avoid a plagiarism lawsuit. Also, the character itself is different: Black Emanuelle is an international reporter and photographer who travels to exotic locations. D'Amato added some violence and horror to the series such as the fake snuff film footage in '' Emanuelle in America'', a
gang rape In scholarly literature and criminology, gang rape, also called serial gang rape, party rape, group rape, or multiple perpetrator rape,Ullman, S. E. (2013). 11 Multiple perpetrator rape victimization. Handbook on the Study of Multiple Perpetrato ...
scene in '' Emanuelle Around the World'' (1977), and gore scenes in the cannibal film '' Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals''. As D'Amato later remembered, this "was a very good period in my life. Movie business was very good. We travelled round the world, finding new and fascinating locations for our movies."


The Caribbean phase (1978–1979)

Of the 12 films D'Amato directed in 1978 and 1979, 9 were shot in the
Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles of the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. It shares a Maritime boundary, maritime border with Puerto Rico to the east and ...
. In a 1982 interview, he said that once the trip was paid for, the costs were low and the setting suggestive ("the Caribbean... all for free"; Italian: "i Caraibi... tutto gratis"). The first time D'Amato went to
Santo Domingo Santo Domingo, formerly known as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city of the Dominican Republic and the List of metropolitan areas in the Caribbean, largest metropolitan area in the Caribbean by population. the Distrito Na ...
was in May 1978 for the erotic horror film '' Papaya, Love Goddess of the Cannibals''. He returned there in September to shoot the mercenaries-at-war film '' Tough to Kill''. In mid-October 1978, back in Italy, D'Amato started shooting the nunsploitation film '' Images in a Convent'', and in early 1979, which was to become a particularly productive year, he directed the violent erotic thriller ''Il porno shop della settima strada'' (''The Pleasure Shop on Seventh Avenue'') on location in New York, both films produced by Franco Gaudenzi's company Kristal Film. From late June to early July 1979, D'Amato went to
South Tyrol South Tyrol ( , ; ; ), officially the Autonomous Province of Bolzano – South Tyrol, is an autonomous administrative division, autonomous provinces of Italy, province in northern Italy. Together with Trentino, South Tyrol forms the autonomo ...
to shoot and direct the horror film '' Buio Omega'' starring Kieran Canter and Cinzia Monreale, a remake of Mino Guerrini's '' The Third Eye'' produced by Dario Rossetti and Ermanno Donati with music by
Goblin A goblin is a small, grotesque, monster, monstrous humanoid creature that appears in the folklore of multiple European cultures. First attested in stories from the Middle Ages, they are ascribed conflicting abilities, temperaments, and appearan ...
. Immediately afterwards, D'Amato went back to Santo Domingo to film ''Paradiso blu'', an Italian counterpart to '' The Blue Lagoon'' starring Anna Bergman and Lucia Ramirez, and the voodoo-themed ''Orgasmo nero'' (''Sex and Black Magic'') starring Ramirez, Susan Scott and Richard Harrison, before directing two films combining hardcore pornography and horror – '' Porno Holocaust'' and ''Le notti erotiche dei morti viventi'' ('' Erotic Nights of the Living Dead'') – as well as three adult thrillers: ''Hard Sensation'', ''Porno Esotic Love'' and ''Sesso Nero''. For ''Porno Esotic Love'', D'Amato reused material from ''Eva nera'' (1976), especially those scenes D'Amato had shot with Laura Gemser in Hong Kong. (''Eva nera'' had done very poorly at the Italian box office and therefore was still relatively unknown.)


First work as producer (1979–1982)

The voodoo-themed '' Sesso nero'', written by
George Eastman George Eastman (July 12, 1854March 14, 1932) was an American entrepreneur who founded the Kodak, Eastman Kodak Company and helped to bring the photographic use of roll film into the mainstream. After a decade of experiments in photography, he ...
, was the last film D'Amato shot in the Caribbean, at the end of 1979, and the first film D'Amato produced on his own, through his newly founded company, P.C.M. (Produzioni Cinematografiche Massaccesi). Of the Caribbean group of films it received the earliest theatrical release – the films only being released gradually throughout 1980 and 1981. After his return from the Caribbean, D'Amato also co-founded Filmirage and used the companies to produce and direct the gore film '' Antropophagus'' (1980, produced through P.C.M. and Filmirage) and its follow-up, the
slasher film A slasher film is a subgenre of horror films involving a killer or a group of killers stalking and murdering a group of people, usually by use of bladed or sharp tools. Although the term "slasher" may occasionally be used informally as a generic ...
'' Absurd'' (1981, co-produced by Filmirage and Metaxa), both of which starred
George Eastman George Eastman (July 12, 1854March 14, 1932) was an American entrepreneur who founded the Kodak, Eastman Kodak Company and helped to bring the photographic use of roll film into the mainstream. After a decade of experiments in photography, he ...
and later became cult films for fans of extreme cinema. D'Amato also founded and co-founded two further production companies "Cinema 80" and "M.A.D." (an
acronym An acronym is a type of abbreviation consisting of a phrase whose only pronounced elements are the initial letters or initial sounds of words inside that phrase. Acronyms are often spelled with the initial Letter (alphabet), letter of each wor ...
for ristideMassaccesi, Alessandroni, and onatellaDonati) on 15 January 1980 and 9 January 1981, respectively. For M.A.D., Alessandroni, an engineer, provided the funding, while his son acted as producer on set. Donatella Donati, the daughter of Ermanno Donati, became D'Amato's assistant and constant collaborator, usually acting as production secretary and
assistant director The role of an assistant director (AD) on a film includes tracking daily progress against the filming production schedule, arranging logistics, preparing daily call sheets, checking cast and crew, and maintaining order on the set. They also have ...
. The two companies were the main vehicles for D'Amato's film production of this period. From 1980 until 1982, D'Amato produced 14 hardcore pornographic films through both companies (Cinema 80: 9 films, M.A.D.: 5), 10 of which he directed and lensed himself, while 3 of the films (''Blue erotic climax'', ''Labbra vogliose'' and ''Le porno investigatrici'') were directed by Claudio Bernabei. Officially, Bernabei was both executive manager and director, his pseudonym Alexander (or Alexandre) Borsky being used for almost all directorial credits although the films were for the most part directed by D'Amato personally, who was only given credit in the non-committal phrase "a Joe D'Amato film" () used for marketing purposes. The reason for this lay in avoiding one of two
criminal charge A criminal charge is a formal accusation made by a governmental authority (usually a public prosecutor or the police) asserting that somebody has committed a crime. A charging document, which contains one or more criminal charges or counts, can t ...
s per film since the state only charged the executive manager of the company and the director; them being the same person, only one charge was brought forth. One notable exception was ''Porno video'' (1981; sometimes: ''Pornovideo''), which was directed entirely by Giuliana Gamba (under the pseudonym Therese Dunn); it was the first film D'Amato produced for another director – a practice he would start expanding six years later in his Filmirage period. ''Il succo del sesso'' (1982; a punning title which can mean both "The Essence of Sex" and "The Juice of Sex") was the only film of this period that was directed but not produced by D'Amato, being a "Promo Film" production of Giovanni Perrucci's. The average Cinema 80 or M.A.D. film cost 55 million lire, was shot in 10 days, edited over a period of two months, and had a generic title such as ''Super climax'', ''Super hard love'' or ''Voglia di sesso'' (literally: ''Lust for Sex''). A group of three films produced through Cinema 80 stands out. In 1981, building on
Tinto Brass Giovanni "Tinto" Brass (born 26 March 1933) is an Italian film director and screenwriter. In the 1960s and 1970s, he directed many critically acclaimed avant-garde films of various genres. Today, he is mainly known for his later work in the Erot ...
's ''
Caligula Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (31 August 12 – 24 January 41), also called Gaius and Caligula (), was Roman emperor from AD 37 until his assassination in 41. He was the son of the Roman general Germanicus and Augustus' granddaughter Ag ...
'' (1979), D'Amato produced, shot and directed '' Caligula... The Untold Story'' in both a hardcore and a softcore version, starring David Brandon, Laura Gemser and Gabriele Tinti. It recounted the final days of the Roman Emperor
Caligula Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (31 August 12 – 24 January 41), also called Gaius and Caligula (), was Roman emperor from AD 37 until his assassination in 41. He was the son of the Roman general Germanicus and Augustus' granddaughter Ag ...
and was followed by two purely hardcore pornographic films – ''Una vergine per l'impero romano'' and '' Messalina orgasmo imperiale'' – in which D'Amato reused sets and costumes from the first film, albeit on a significantly lower budget. The three films were signed by D'Amato as director under different pseudonyms and released separately in December 1982, May 1983 and July 1983. They have been called his "porno- peplum
trilogy A trilogy is a set of three distinct works that are connected and can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works. They are commonly found in literature, film, and video games. Three-part works that are considered components of ...
". ''Messalina orgasmo imperiale'' (shot in 1982) also happened to be the last film of this period. Another hardcore film that D'Amato originally intended to shoot himself for producer Riccardo Billy in co-production with a Chinese company, ''Love in Hong Kong'' (1983, starring Mark Shannon and Marianne Aubert), ended up being entirely delegated to his assistant Bernabei for lack of time, who directed the film on location in
Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
. It survives only in a truncated softcore version.


The Filmirage years (1982–1993)

In 1980, D'Amato had taken over a company from producer Ermanno Donati. D'Amato had renamed the company to "Filmirage" and used it to produce his own and, from 1987 onwards, also other directors' films for the international market. In 1982, D'Amato used Filmirage to produce, shoot and direct the first film of the Ator series: ''Ator l'invincibile'' ('' Ator, the Fighting Eagle'') starring Miles O'Keeffe and Sabrina Siani, which was directly inspired by ''
Conan the Barbarian Conan the Barbarian (also known as Conan the Cimmerian) is a fictional sword and sorcery hero created by American author Robert E. Howard (1906–1936) and who debuted in 1932 and went on to appear in a series of fantasy stories published in ''We ...
''. It was followed by '' Ator 2 - L'invincibile Orion'' (English titles: ''The Blade Master'' and ''Cave Dwellers'') the following year, in which O'Keefe was flanked by Lisa Foster. In 1983 and 1984, D'Amato produced and shot the post-apocalyptic action films '' Endgame'' (1983) starring Al Cliver, George Eastman, Laura Gemser and Gordon Mitchell, which D'Amato directed alone, and '' 2020 Texas Gladiators'' (1984) starring Al Cliver and Sabrina Siani, which D'Amato co-directed with George Eastman. The films follow the success of ''
Mad Max ''Mad Max'' is an Australian media franchise created by George Miller and Byron Kennedy. It centres on a series of post-apocalyptic and dystopian action films. The franchise began in 1979 with '' Mad Max'', and was followed by three sequels: ...
'' (1979) and ''
Mad Max 2 ''Mad Max 2'' (released as ''The Road Warrior'' in the United States) is a 1981 Australian Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, post-apocalyptic Utopian and dystopian fiction, dystopian action film directed by George Miller (filmmaker), G ...
'' (1981). In 1984 and early 1985, D'Amato briefly reactivated his company M.A.D. to produce 10 hardcore pornographic films, all of which were directed by Luca Damiano and starred Marina Hedman. D'Amato is reported to have collaborated on some of these himself as well, although it remains speculative in which function and on which ones. Later in 1985 D'Amato left hardcore pornography behind and for a period of eight years exclusively shot softcore and
horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit physical or psychological fear in its viewers. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with Transgressive art, transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements of the genre include Mo ...
s. According to an interview D'Amato gave in 1990, hardcore, as opposed to softcore, had only been profitable the first four years in the late 1970s and early 1980s while the novelty and controversy lasted. D'Amato began this hardcore-free period by directing four softcore dramas set during
fascism Fascism ( ) is a far-right, authoritarian, and ultranationalist political ideology and movement. It is characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural social hie ...
in Italy and starring Lilli Carati and
Laura Gemser Laurette Marcia Gemser (born 5 October 1950) is an Indonesian-Dutch retired actress, model and costume designer. She is primarily known for her work in Cinema of Italy, Italian Sex in film, erotic cinema, most notably the ''Emmanuelle#Other film ...
: ''L'alcova'' ('' The Alcove''), ''Il piacere'' ('' The Pleasure''), ''Lussuria'' ('' A Lustful Mind''), and ''Voglia di guardare'' ('' Midnight Gigolo''). The four films recall the style and themes of
Tinto Brass Giovanni "Tinto" Brass (born 26 March 1933) is an Italian film director and screenwriter. In the 1960s and 1970s, he directed many critically acclaimed avant-garde films of various genres. Today, he is mainly known for his later work in the Erot ...
's ''La chiave'' ('' The Key'') while their plots and characters are not interconnected in any way. Together with
Harry Alan Towers Harry Alan Towers (19 October 1920 – 31 July 2009) was a British radio and independent film producer and screenwriter. He wrote numerous screenplays for the films he produced, often under the pseudonym Peter Welbeck. He produced over 80 f ...
, D'Amato co-produced ''Warrior Queen'' (working title: ''Pompeii''), shot in 1985 at the Elios Studios near Rome to cash in on the success of the
miniseries In the United States, a miniseries or mini-series is a television show or series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. Many miniseries can also be referred to, and shown, as a television film. " Limited series" is ...
'' The Last Days of Pompeii'' (1984). It was a
sword-and-sandal Sword-and-sandal, also known as peplum (: pepla), is a subgenre of largely Italy, Italian-made historical, mythological, or biblical epics mostly set in the Greco-Roman antiquity or the Middle Ages. These films attempted to emulate the big-budget ...
film starring Sybil Danning, Donald Pleasence and David Brandon and was directed by Chuck Vincent. In an interview, Larry Revene, Vincent's usual cinematographer, remembered that he worked on the
sync sound Sync sound (synchronized sound recording) refers to sound recorded at the time of the filming of movies. It has been widely used in movies since the birth of sound movies. History Even in the silent film era, films were shown with sounds, often ...
for this film instead, because "Aristide shot it. He wasn't only a director/producer, he was also a cameraman." In the United States, the film had a brief theatrical run in a cut R rated version before being released in a longer version on video. There followed a phase in which D'Amato directed softcore films predominantly in the United States, often takes on popular American films. First, he went to
New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...
to produce and shoot two films starring Jessica Moore as the novelist Sarah Asproon: '' 11 Days, 11 Nights'' (1987) and ''Top Model'' (1988). ''11 Days, 11 Nights'' was inspired by
Adrian Lyne Adrian Lyne (born 4 March 1941) is an English film director. Lyne is known for sexually charged narratives that explore conflicting passions, the power of seduction, moral ambiguity, betrayal, and the indelibility of infidelity. In the mid 197 ...
's film '' 9½ Weeks'' but reversed the roles with the woman being the dissolute character; it was a commercial success. In 1989, D'Amato's main actress was Valentine Demy with whom he produced and directed ''Afternoon'' and ''Dirty Love'', the latter reminiscent of another of
Adrian Lyne Adrian Lyne (born 4 March 1941) is an English film director. Lyne is known for sexually charged narratives that explore conflicting passions, the power of seduction, moral ambiguity, betrayal, and the indelibility of infidelity. In the mid 197 ...
's films, '' Flashdance''. After these, D'Amato produced and directed two erotic dramas with Tara Buckman: '' Blue Angel Cafe'' and ''High Finance Woman''. Beyond producing his own softcore films, D'Amato also used Filmirage to produce other directors' films:
Michele Soavi Michele Soavi, sometimes known as Michael Soavi (born 3 July 1957)Baldassarre, Angela (1999) "The Great Dictators: Interviews with Filmmakers of Italian Descent", Guernica Editions, is an Italian filmmaker, actor, and screenwriter best known f ...
's debut ''
Stage Fright Stage fright or performance anxiety is the anxiety, fear, or persistent phobia that may be aroused in an individual by the requirement to perform in front of an audience, real or imagined, whether actually or potentially (for example, when perf ...
'' (which was also the debut of D'Amato's son Daniele Massaccesi as assistant cameraman), Deran Serafian's '' Interzone'',
Umberto Lenzi Umberto Lenzi (6 August 1931 – 19 October 2017) was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and novelist. A fan of film since young age, Lenzi studied at the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia and made his first film in 1958 which went unre ...
's '' Ghosthouse'' (''La casa 3'') and '' Hitcher In The Dark'', Fabrizio Laurenti's '' Witchery'' (''La casa 4'') and '' The Crawlers'' (''Troll 3''), George Eastman's ''Metamorphosis'', Claudio Fragasso's ''
Troll 2 ''Troll 2'' (or ''Goblins'') is a 1990 independent dark fantasy horror film written and directed by Claudio Fragasso under the pseudonym Drake Floyd. It stars Michael Stephenson, George Hardy, Connie McFarland, and Jason Wright. The plot ...
'' and '' Beyond Darkness'' (''La casa 5''), Franco Molé's '' The Room of Words'', and
Lucio Fulci Lucio Fulci (; 17 June 1927 – 13 March 1996) was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and actor. Although he worked in a wide array of genres through a career spanning nearly five decades, including Commedia all'italiana, comedies and spagh ...
's '' Door to Silence''. D'Amato not only produced, but also partially directed the horror film '' Killing Birds'' and but for the first scene directed the sharksploitation drama '' Deep Blood''. At the beginning of the 1990s, D'Amato revisited his ''Ator'' series with a concluding entry entitled '' Quest for the Mighty Sword'', featuring the Son of Ator. Then, he revived the character of Sarah Asproon in ''11 Days, 11 Nights 2'', this time played by Kristine Rose and again set in New Orleans. With Rose as protagonist, D'Amato also directed ''Passion's Flower'', a remake of '' The Postman Always Rings Twice'', before shooting two softcore films starring Carmen di Pietro in 1991, both with a more violent angle than the preceding ones: ''Devil in the Flesh'' follows a group of mercenaries who encounter some nurses at an isolated hospital, and ''Dangerous Obsession'' tells of a woman who turns the tables on her assailant. After these, D'Amato directed '' Return from Death (Frankenstein 2000)'' (1992), his last horror film, which combined a modern take on the traditional ''Frankenstein'' story with elements of the rape and revenge film. In 1993, inspired by the success of the Chinese erotic comedy ''
Sex and Zen ''Sex and Zen'' (, ''The Carnal Prayer Mat's Stash of Illicit Love'') is a Hong Kong films of 1991, 1991 Cinema of Hong Kong, Hong Kong erotic film, erotic sex comedy film directed by Michael Mak (director), Michael Mak, and starring Amy Yip and ...
'' (1991), D'Amato then went to the
Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
to shoot a number of Asian themed softcore films, for which he often used Chinese pseudonyms. Among them are such diverse films as ''Chinese Kamasutra'', ''China and Sex'' and ''I racconti della camera rossa'' (translation: ''The Tales of the Red Chamber''; named after China's classical novel '' Dream of the Red Chamber''), the latter two structurally and thematically reminiscent of Italian decamerotici.


Later work and death (1993–1999)

Later in 1993, D'Amato went back to predominantly producing and directing
hardcore pornography Hardcore pornography or hardcore porn is pornography that features detailed depictions of sexual organs or sexual acts such as sexual intercourse, vaginal, anal sex, anal, oral sex, oral, or Non-penetrative sex#Manual sex, manual intercourse; e ...
. In order to return to adult filmmaking more easily, D'Amato initially teamed up with Luca Damiano, with whom he shot roughly 20 films before continuing on his own. Although
video Video is an Electronics, electronic medium for the recording, copying, playback, broadcasting, and display of moving picture, moving image, visual Media (communication), media. Video was first developed for mechanical television systems, whi ...
had become the standard for adult films, D'Amato continued to shoot on 35mm film for a few years before finally transitioning to video for his last productions in 1997 and 1998 – a development which he saw critically: When shooting on video, there was little difference between the individual films in terms of profit, which helped minimise production risk, but the overall profit and hence the quality of the individual productions that were shot on video were lower compared to productions shot on film. The crew on an early 35mm shoot such as ''Juliet & Romeo'' had been much larger, including lighting staff, camera assistants, make-up artists, and set decorators; dubbing was done in post-production. Among D'Amato's best known films from this late hardcore period are his collaborations with Rocco Siffredi (''Tarzan X – Shame of Jane'', ''Marco Polo'', ''Marquis de Sade'', ''Torero'') and Kelly Trump (''Messalina'', ''Kamasutra'', ''Lolita''), his pornographic versions of Shakespearean drama (''Juliet & Romeo'', ''Anthony and Cleopatra'', ''Othello 2000''), westerns (''Outlaws'', ''Calamity Jane''), swashbucklers (''Raiders''), the Bible (''Sodom & Gamorra''), Greco-Roman mythology (''Olympus'', ''Amor & Psyche'', ''Ulysses'', ''Hercules – A Sex Adventure''), Roman emperors (''Nero – Orgy of Fire'', ''Caligula – The Deviant Emperor'') and other famous people (''Robin Hood'', ''Goya'', ''Amadeus Mozart'', ''Thief of Love – Giacomo Casanova'', ''Rudy – Valentino's story'', ''Scarface''). Two recurring actresses in his films from 1996 to 1999 were Selen (''Raw & Naked'', ''Queen of the Elephants'', ''Sahara'', and ''Selen the Girl from Treasure Island'') and Éva Henger, with whom he shot the time travel films ''Experiences'' and ''Experiences 2'', a trilogy on the capital sins, ''Phantom'' (using footage from the silent film '' The Phantom of the Opera''), and ''Showgirl''. Whereas D'Amato's adult films were very rarely without a plot entirely, D'Amato stated in a 1997 interview that one had used to include more plot whereas now the only thing they wanted was porn – and very hard one at that: "double, triple, quadruple penetrations, anal ...". In between shooting adult films from 1994 to 1999, D'Amato also made efforts at returning to genre films, four of which came to fruition. In 1995, he directed the erotic drama ''Provocation'' set in the Italian countryside of the 1930s starring Erika Savastani, and in 1997 the erotic comedy ''Top Girl'' set in and around an American TV station and the
erotic thriller The erotic thriller is a film subgenre defined as a thriller with a thematic basis in illicit romance or sexual fantasy. Though exact definitions of the erotic thriller can vary, it is generally agreed "bodily danger and pleasure must remain i ...
''The Hyena'' starring Cinzia Roccaforte, which received a limited theatrical release in Italy. In 1998, D'Amato directed the swashbuckler '' I predatori delle Antille'' (aka ''Sexy Pirates''), starring Anita Rinaldi. On 23 January 1999, Joe D'Amato died of a heart attack in
Monterotondo Monterotondo is a town and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Rome, central Italy. History According to some historians, Monterotondo is the heir of the ancient Sabine town of Eretum, although the modern settlement appeared in the 10th-11th c ...
, a ''
comune A (; : , ) is an administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions () and provinces (). The can also have the City status in Italy, titl ...
'' in the
Metropolitan City of Rome Capital Metropolitan City of Rome Capital () is an area of local government at the level of metropolitan city in the Lazio region of Italy. It comprises the territory of the city of Rome and 120 other ''comuni'' (: ''comune'') in the hinterland of the c ...
. According to Luigi Cozzi, his death happened unexpectedly while he was busy preparing a new film. His last film was the adult film ''Showgirl'' (1999), a take on
Paul Verhoeven Paul Verhoeven (; born 18 July 1938) is a Dutch filmmaker, who has worked variously in the Netherlands, the United States, and in France. He is known for directing genre films with strong satirical elements, often featuring graphic violence and ...
's '' Showgirls'' (1995).


Names under which D'Amato is credited


Birthname

Throughout his career, D'Amato used his birthname Aristide Massaccesi only once for a directorial credit, namely for '' Death Smiles on a Murderer'' (1973). However, it was regularly used for other credits. For his first work as camera operator, it was the only name he was credited with, and as cinematographer, writer of stories and scriptwriter, he credited himself or was credited with it regularly until the early 1980s.


Pseudonyms

The first
pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true meaning ( orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individual's o ...
s used by Aristide Massaccesi were his actor's credits in the
Spaghetti Western The spaghetti Western is a broad subgenre of Western films produced in Europe. It emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's filmmaking style and international box-office success. The term was used by foreign critics because most o ...
s ''Straniero... fatti il segno della croce!'' (1968) and '' Dead Men Don't Make Shadows'' (1970), for which he used puns on his birthname: Ariston Massachusetts and Arizona , respectively. His best known pseudonym is the anglicized Joe D'Amato, which he first adopted as director of '' Giubbe Rosse'' (1975). In 1991, D'Amato stated he had discovered the name in some calendar and chosen to use it because it sounded promising: in its mixture of American and Italian, it was similar to those of
Brian de Palma Brian Russell De Palma (; born September 11, 1940) is an Americans, American film director and screenwriter. With a career spanning over 50 years, he is best known for work in the suspense, Crime film, crime, and psychological thriller genres. ...
and
Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November17, 1942) is an American filmmaker. One of the major figures of the New Hollywood era, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Martin Scorsese, many accolades, including an Academ ...
. Joe D'Amato became the name Massaccesi was most associated with, even more than his birth name. D'Amato used this main pseudonym of his exclusively for credits as producer and director and not for credits as cinematographer or writer. The pseudonym Federiko Slonisko, sometimes also spelled Federico Slonisco or any mixture of these two spellings (including the short form Fred and several other mis- or variant spellings), was regularly used for D'Amato's work as cinematographer starting in 1982. The pseudonyms Federico Slonisco Jr. and Dan Slonisko (including variant spellings) are also sometimes considered to belong to D'Amato. However, D'Amato's son Daniele, a camera operator and cinematographer, started his career working for his father. The pseudonym Michael Wotruba was used as D'Amato's directorial credit on: * '' Novelle licenziose di vergini vogliose'' (1973) – also screenplay * ''Pugni, pirati e karatè'' (1973) * ''Diario di una vergine romana'' (1973) * '' Heroes in Hell'' (1974) – also screenplay * '' The Arena'' (1974) – Italian version: director; international version: second unit director This pseudonym is also to be found as directorial credit for '' Death Smiles on a Murderer'' (1973) in the entry at Public Cinematographic Register, but was later changed to D'Amato's birthname for the release. David Hills was used by D'Amato as directorial pseudonym on the following films: * '' Caligula... The Untold Story'' (1981) – also screenplay * '' Ator, the Fighting Eagle'' (1982) * '' Ator 2 - L'invincibile Orion'' (1983) * '' Quest for the Mighty Sword'' (1990) * ''Frankenstein 2000'' (1991) * '' I predatori delle Antille'' (1998) David Hills was also used as directorial credit on an early announcement of '' Deep Blood'' (1989), but was exchanged by the allonym Raf Donato for the official release. As producer, D'Amato used this pseudonym on ''
Troll 2 ''Troll 2'' (or ''Goblins'') is a 1990 independent dark fantasy horror film written and directed by Claudio Fragasso under the pseudonym Drake Floyd. It stars Michael Stephenson, George Hardy, Connie McFarland, and Jason Wright. The plot ...
'' and '' Interzone''. For the last two films of D'Amato's "porno-peplum trilogy", ''Una vergine per l'impero'' and ''Messalina orgasmo imperiale'' (both released 1983), D'Amato used Dirk Frey as cinematographer and Robert Hall and O.J. Clarke as director, respectively. The directorial credit of ''Il succo del sesso'' (1983), which D'Amato directed, reads Gilbert Damiano - an allusion to Gerard Damiano. The pseudonym Peter Newton was used for D'Amato's credit as cinematographer on ''Paradiso blu'' (1980) and his directorial credit on '' Absurd'' (1981). For the latter, he also used Richard Haller for his credits as cinematographer and co-producer. Kevin Mancuso was used for the directorial credit on ''2020 Texas Gladiators'' (1982); D'Amato co-directed the film with George Eastman so it can be considered a pseudonym for both Eastman and D'Amato. D'Amato used the name Dario Donati as director and editor on '' Convent of Sinners'' (1986) and as director on ''Delizia'' (1986). The female pseudonym Joan Russell was used for D'Amato's directorial credit on ''Una tenera storia'' (1992). It was also used not for D'Amato, but for Donatella Donati and Antonio Tentori as story and screenwriting credit in ''Frankenstein 2000'' (1992), which D'Amato produced and directed. For his oriental films of 1993, D'Amato used a number of new pseudo-oriental pseudonyms. For ''I racconti della camera rossa'' he used Robert Yip as director, Lim Seng Yee as scenarist and Boy Tan Bien as cinematographer. For ''Chinese kamasutra'' he signed with the pseudonyms Chang Lee Sun (director), Fu Shen (scenarist) and Hsu Hsien (cinematographer). And for ''Il labirinto dei sensi'', he signed his scenario with Leslie Wong while using Joe D'Amato and Federico Slonsiko for the directorial and cinematographic credits respectively.


Allonyms

An allonym is distinguished from a pseudonym in that it is the given name or pseudonym of a ''different person'' from the one who should be credited. Romano Gastaldi, the pseudonym of Romano Scandariato, was used for the directorial credit on '' More Sexy Canterbury Tales'' (1972), which D'Amato directed while Scandariato was his assistant director, and for ''Fra' Tazio da Velletri'' (1973), which D'Amato left after a disagreement soon after the beginning of the shoot; Scandariato, his assistant, finished the film and was credited. Oskar Faradine, the pseudonym of Oscar Santaniello, was used for the directorial credit on ''A Bounty Killer in Trinity''. The film was reportedly directed by D'Amato and Santaniello was the film's producer. Lupi, however, in his monograph on D'Amato argues on qualitative grounds for Santaniello as actual director. Anna Bergmans name was also used for the directorial credit on ''Paradiso blu'' (1980). Bergman was the main actress, but D'Amato directed the film. Her name was used for the directorial credit because, according to Luigi Cozzi, the producer did not want it to be seen as an erotic film (for which D'Amato was already known at the time). Alexandre Borsky, sometimes spelled Alexander or Borski, was the pseudonym of Claudio Bernabei. Bernabei stated in an interview that he created it with
Walerian Borowczyk Walerian Borowczyk (21 October 1923 – 3 February 2006) was a Polish film director described by film critics as a "genius who also happened to be a pornographer". He directed 40 films between 1946 and 1988. Borowczyk settled in Paris in 1959. A ...
's name in mind. The Borsky pseudonym was used as directorial credit for 14 of the 15 films produced by D'Amato's companies M.A.D. and Cinema 80 from 1980 to 1982. Of these 14 films, Bernabei directed 3, D'Amato 11. In 1993 and 1994, D'Amato briefly reactivated this name as directorial credit for a small number of adult films starring Luana Borgia which he directed while transitioning from softcore to hardcore again. According to an interview he gave in 1995, it was to camouflage his return. Lucky Faar (or Farr) Delly, sometimes wrongly listed as a pseudonym of Joe D'Amato, was in reality the pseudonym of Luciano Fardelli, who acted as administrator of D'Amato's production company M.A.D. in 1984 and 1985. It was used as directorial credit for 10 films directed by Franco Lo Cascio; it is unclear in which of these films D'Amato acted as co-director. Raf Donato, a variant of Raffaele Donato's name, was used for the directorial credit on '' Deep Blood'' (1989). According to D'Amato, Donato had planned to direct the film, but only directed the first scene. D'Amato directed the rest of the film.


Personality

According to the actresses who worked with him, D'Amato was sociable, humorous with a sense of irony, amiable, and supportive; to some he appeared like a father. Both
Laura Gemser Laurette Marcia Gemser (born 5 October 1950) is an Indonesian-Dutch retired actress, model and costume designer. She is primarily known for her work in Cinema of Italy, Italian Sex in film, erotic cinema, most notably the ''Emmanuelle#Other film ...
, with whom he worked together for a long time, and Monica Zanchi pointed out his adventurous and playful approach to filmmaking. Gemser also remembered that D'Amato rarely got angry, and that when it happened he usually took it with irony; when deeply angered, however, he would shout and curse and become insufferable. She also recalled that, much like herself, D'Amato fell asleep easily and anywhere, even in the breaks between rehearsals. Donatella Donati, his regular assistant since the mid-1970s, recalled this penchant as his biggest flaw; in
Cannes Cannes (, ; , ; ) is a city located on the French Riviera. It is a communes of France, commune located in the Alpes-Maritimes departments of France, department, and host city of the annual Cannes Film Festival, Midem, and Cannes Lions Internatio ...
, she once found him asleep on the office floor.


Legacy


Screenings

In 1995, Joe D'Amato was a special guest at the London film festival "Eurofest" which took place at the Everyman Cinema, Hampstead, where he gave an onstage interview to Mark Ashworth inbetween screenings of ''
Stage Fright Stage fright or performance anxiety is the anxiety, fear, or persistent phobia that may be aroused in an individual by the requirement to perform in front of an audience, real or imagined, whether actually or potentially (for example, when perf ...
'', '' Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals'' and ''Frankenstein 2000'', followed by a signing session. Parts of the interview can be found on the Severin DVD release of '' Emanuelle in Bangkok''. Posthumously, on 14 April 2006, the
Cinémathèque Française A cinematheque is an archive of films and film-related objects with an exhibition venue. Similarly to a book library (bibliothèque in French), a cinematheque is responsible for preserving and making available to the public film heritage. Typically ...
in
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
screened a D'Amato double feature from newly acquired theatrical prints under the title ''Le sang et la chair'' (translation: The Blood and the Flesh), consisting of '' Antropophagus'' and '' Le sexe noir'' (both 1980). The ''Joe D'Amato Horror Festival'', under the art direction of
Paolo Ruffini Paolo Ruffini (22 September 1765 – 10 May 1822) was an Italian mathematician and philosopher. Education and career By 1788 he had earned university degrees in philosophy, medicine/surgery and mathematics. His works include developments in a ...
, was held for the first time in
Pietrasanta Pietrasanta is a town and ''comune'' on the coast of northern Tuscany in Italy, in the province of Lucca. Pietrasanta is part of Versilia, on the last foothills of the Apuan Alps, about north of Pisa. The town is located off the coast, where the ...
in April 2007. It took place a second time in October and November 2014 in
Livorno Livorno () is a port city on the Ligurian Sea on the western coast of the Tuscany region of Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of 152,916 residents as of 2025. It is traditionally known in English as Leghorn ...
, moderated by Antonio Tentori. Among the guests was D'Amato's son Daniele Massaccesi, who said that it had been above all the passion for cinema – to never stop making films at any costs – that D'Amato had wanted to pass on to the younger generation of filmmakers. The "Hofbauer Kongress", which takes place at least once every year since 2010 at the Komm Kino in
Nuremberg Nuremberg (, ; ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the Franconia#Towns and cities, largest city in Franconia, the List of cities in Bavaria by population, second-largest city in the States of Germany, German state of Bav ...
, Germany, has repeatedly screened D'Amato's films mostly from 35 mm prints, with the 15th and 16th edition of the festival being especially devoted to the filmmaker. On 1–3 February 2019, honoring the 20th anniversary of D'Amato's death, the Filmarchiv Austria held a "Tribute to Joe D'Amato" at the Metro Kinokulturhaus in
Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
in which 10 films he directed were shown from original 35 mm prints.


Film tributes and dedications

In 1999, Andreas Schnaas shot a remake of, and homage to, D'Amato's '' Antropophagus'' entitled '' Anthropophagous 2000''. The Italian film ''Hyde's Secret Nightmare'' (2011, directed by Domiziano Cristopharo) is dedicated to D'Amato.


Filmography


Notes

* a Both D'Amato and Diego Spataro, who used the alias "Dick Spitfire", stated that D'Amato directed this film. * b The credited director of ''
Troll 2 ''Troll 2'' (or ''Goblins'') is a 1990 independent dark fantasy horror film written and directed by Claudio Fragasso under the pseudonym Drake Floyd. It stars Michael Stephenson, George Hardy, Connie McFarland, and Jason Wright. The plot ...
'' was Claudio Fragasso under the pseudonym "Drake Floyd". * c In his book on Italian horror directors, Louis Paul makes the unsourced statement that D'Amato "ended up finishing Troll 2 ''Troll 2'' (or ''Goblins'') is a 1990 independent dark fantasy horror film written and directed by Claudio Fragasso under the pseudonym Drake Floyd. It stars Michael Stephenson, George Hardy, Connie McFarland, and Jason Wright. The plot ...
'' and '' Troll 3''">The Crawlers (film)">Troll 3''as director in an attempt to save the productions that even he deemed poorly filmed and unreleasable". Regarding ''Troll 3'', Lupi also states that D'Amato directed a part of it. For ''Troll 2'', Paul seems to be the only source for D'Amato's directorial involvement. * d The film's main director was Fabrizio Laurenti under the pseudonym "Martin Newlin". * e The directorial credit of ''Top Girl'' varies. In Italian prints, it is credited to "Andrea Massai"; abroad, the credits read "Joe D'Amato". * f The credits of '' Bounty Killer in Trinity'' list Oscar Santaniello as director under his pseudonym "Oskar Faradine". According to D'Amato himself, he directed the film, but let production manager Santaniello take the credit. Bruckner lists Santaniello as producer and D'Amato as director, and Curti, too, states that the film was "directed by Massaccesi but signed by Santaniello – one of several unsigned directing jobs Massaccesi took on before his official first feature". Lupi, however, considers the movie to be of inferior quality and hence believes that Santaniello was truly the director whereas D'Amato, in his eyes, was only involved as cinematographer and writer. * g '' More Sexy Canterbury Tales'' was directed by D'Amato, but the directorial credit went to assistant director Romano Scandariato under his pseudonym "Romano Gastaldi"; the English film credits "Ralph Zucker" as the director. * h According to an interview given to the Italian magazine ''Nocturno'' by Romano Scandariato, who took the directorial credit under his pseudonym "Romano Gastaldi", D'Amato directed about one third of ''Fra' Tazio da Velletri'' before leaving production due to differences with the producers; Scandariato then finished directing the remaining two thirds. * i As director of '' Mondo Erotico'', only Bruno Mattei was credited; the pseudonym "Jimmy Matheus" was used. D'Amato directed the scenes with
Laura Gemser Laurette Marcia Gemser (born 5 October 1950) is an Indonesian-Dutch retired actress, model and costume designer. She is primarily known for her work in Cinema of Italy, Italian Sex in film, erotic cinema, most notably the ''Emmanuelle#Other film ...
that tie the vignettes together; he remained uncredited. * j Both Enrico Biribicchi, who got the credit, and D'Amato claimed that they had acted as cinematographers on set. * k These 10 films, the so-called "Lucky Faar Delly" series (shot from April 1984 to February 1985), were all produced by D'Amato through his M.A.D. production company, were all directed by Luca Damiano, and all starred Marina Hedman. D'Amato occasionally contributed to the series as co-director, although the extent to which he did remains unclear. In ''Sesso allo specchio'', film critic R. D'Amato observes the use of hand-held camera, which is otherwise not present in the Faar Delly series, as sign of D'Amato's possible involvement. * l Smith lists ''La chiave del piacere'' as an alternate title to ''Wendee, la chiave del piacere'' and states that "according to some sources Massaccesi is the screenwriter".


References


Bibliography

* * * * Interview * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


External links

*
List of adult films directed by D'Amato
on IAFD {{DEFAULTSORT:D'Amato, Joe 1936 births 1999 deaths Film directors from Rome Italian film producers Italian pornographic film directors Italian pornographic film producers Italian horror film directors Giallo film directors