Fulci for Fake is an interesting biopic, a film made by an actor looking to understand the complicated person he is about to portray. In this case, our filmmaker is Simon Scafidi, a dead ringer for Fulci himself, in fact we first see him made up as an old Fulci. We hear the premise of this film—the desire to share the fascinating life stories of one Italy’s most fascinating filmmakers—while he pulls off the makeup, ultimately revealing a man who could be mistaken for a young Fulci at a glance, an excellent choice for the role and a way to transport us back to the beginning of the project and then back to the genesis of his career. From there it is an incredible journey full of intimate details and anecdotes shared with us by former cast and crew and his daughters. The stories are fantastic and reveal a man who loved film and life but was also embattled and bitter, a perfectionist and a self-proclaimed misogynist, a man who loved his grandson but also one whom neither of his daughters can recall receiving any affection from  as children.

His fears and anxieties and anger and rage play out as themes in many of his films, and we are treated to an analysis by a filmmaker who is simultaneously breaking down the films but also helping us connect what we are learning about Fulci as a man with what many watching already know about Fulci as a filmmaker and the result is an enriched look at his filmography and career, one that is from an earnest and heartfelt lens and I found it endearing and bighearted at times as well. I kept waiting for some bombshell revelation, information that would turn this into a nightmare and ruin the kind tone of the film, but that never happens. In fact it ends on note of conciliation as his daughter Camilla breaks down crying as she recalls her father holding her hand for the first time, shortly before he passed away. 

Many of us, fans of the genre, only know Fulci from the films we’ve seen, and most of us have probably only seen one or two of those (and that is not a judgement, his work is not widely available generally (Shudder has a lot of his work available) and, if I am completely honest, not all of his work aged well, so your mileage may vary in this day and age.), but with no context. I think that is why I enjoyed this film and can recommend it to you, dear reader. It provided me a better understanding of the man behind the camera, which helps me to relate to what I am seeing. Late in the film, Fulci’s daughter Antonella says that the best way to know him is to put yourself behind the camera in every scene, and to try to think like the person who would be filming that scene. It’s haunting advice, and I think this documentary makes it much easier to do that. It does not seek to vindicate or elevate Fulci, it exists to give us a look at the man behind the curtain, and we are shown a complex and complicated man, at once revered and reviled by his daughters and feared and loved by his crew, cast and friends. It’s provided me a whole new appreciation for what he put on film during a career that spanned decades.

This biopic, Fulci for Fake, will be to fans of Lucio Fulci and his films what The Last Dance is to fans of Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls or what Tiger King is to people who like stories that are… actually that one was for the masses, bad example I guess, but you can take my meaning I think. Check it out if you’re so inclined.