Bruno Mattei

Directing

Bruno Mattei

Born 1931-07-30 · Rome, Lazio, Italy

Bruno Mattei (30 July 1931 – 21 May 2007) was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and editor who directed exploitation films in many genres, including women in prison, nunsploitation, zombie, mondo, cannibal, and Nazisploitation films. Born in 1931, Bruno Mattei grew up in Rome, Italy, where his father owned a small film editing studio. Mattei made his debut as a director with the drama Armida, il dramma di una sposa(1970) under the alias "Jordon B. Matthews". He eventually had more pseudonyms than any working director in the world. He returned to editing before making another comeback in 1976 with two low-budget Nazi exploitation films, Women's Camp 119 (1977) (aka "Women's Camp 119") and Casa privata per le SS (1977) (aka "SS Girls"). Mattei followed these taboo-breaking films with excursions into porno films and mondo "shockumentaries", all directed under his many pseudonyms, concentrating on "shock value" with films such as Mondo erotico (1973), "Libiodomania" and "Libidomania 2". Always on the lookout for new exploitation avenues, Mattei followed with "nunsploitation", with the softcore sex film La vera storia della monaca di Monza (1980) and the violent sex thriller The Other Hell (1981). Both films involved a partnership with writer/director Claudio Fragasso, who helped him write and direct the back-to-back productions. Using yet another alias, "Vincent Dawn", Mattei directed Hell of the Living Dead (1980) (aka "Hell of the Living Dead"), a low-budged zombie picture inspired by other zombie cannibal movies such as Dawn of the Dead (1978) and Lucio Fulci's Zombi 2 (1979). "Virus" was filmed in Spain and used jungle footage from New Guinea and a patch soundtrack from Goblins "Dawn of the Dead" soundtrack, which was a minor hit in Italy and abroad. After directing two women's prison films starring Laura Gemser, Mattei moved to directing sword-and-sorcery flicks, starting with I sette magnifici gladiatori (1983). Both Mattei and Fragasso collaborated on the sci-fi/horror flick Rats - Notte di terrore (1984), inspired by the futuristic movies of the early 1980s. Mattei considers this his best work, despite his still having to work with a very low budget. He worked relentlessly through the 1980s, directing a pair of "spaghetti westerns", some action flicks and about half of Zombi 3 (1988) after Lucio Fulci was taken off the production, though Mattei was not credited with it. In the early 1990s Mattei directed a series of erotic thrillers and a made-for-TV movie, Cruel Jaws (1995) (TV), which was inspired by Steven Spielberg's Jaws (1975). Mattei continued making films, with more than 50 to his credit by the 200s. In early 2007 his health becan to decline rapidly after he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Despite his doctor's warnings, he went through with a surgical operation to have the tumor removed in May of that year. After the surgery he fell into a coma from complications, and died a few days later on May 21, 2007 at age 75.

Acting credits

Zombie Flesh Eaters 2 poster
5.2

When a terrorist's body, infected with a stolen chemical, is recovered by the US military, the corpse is cremated, unintentionally releasing a virus and bacteria into the atmosphere over a small island.

Zombie Flesh Eaters 2

1988

Night of the Zombies poster
5.4

A rat causes a chemical leak at a Papua New Guinea research facility, leading a group of eco-terrorists to demand the closure of all facilities. When a team of Interpol commandos are enlisted to eliminate the terrorists, they find themselves embroiled in a zombie outbreak.

Night of the Zombies

1980

Night Killer poster
5.0

Melanie Beck is the only surviving victim of a killer-rapist who wears a Freddy Krueger-esque mask and claw. Despite having seen the killer's face, Beck has blocked it from her memory. Becoming suicidal, she tries to kill herself on the beach but is saved by Axel, another rapist sleazeball who keeps her locked in his hotel room. All this builds to a mind blowing conclusion.

Night Killer

1990

Paura: Lucio Fulci Remembered - Volume 1 poster
6.0

This documentary examines the life and legacy of controversial Italian filmmaker Lucio Fulci through interviews with his colleagues, each of whom answers the question, "What is your fondest memory of Lucio Fulci?". The responses are as varied as the people who knew the late writer-director, providing a nuanced look at the man behind such gory grindhouse classics as City of the Living Dead and The House by the Cemetery.

Paura: Lucio Fulci Remembered - Volume 1

2008

Zombies: The Beginning poster
4.0

A woman floating on a raft in the middle of the Pacific. She was found by a rescue team and taken ashore. Once there, she tells a story of how she escaped from an island full of zombies. She was persuaded to lead a commando unit to the island to explore.

Zombies: The Beginning

2007

Legittima vendetta poster
6.5

An upscale couple visit a villa owned by a chick named Rita for some rest and relaxation, but the husband and Rita have other plans... until Rita and the wife come up with OTHER other plans...

Legittima vendetta

1995

The Films of Bruno Mattei poster
9.0

A look into the films and career of cult film director Bruno Mattei.

The Films of Bruno Mattei

2016

Behind the camera

Women's Prison Massacre poster
4.6

Emanuelle is framed by a corrupt D.A. while investigating a drug smuggling operation and has to tough it out under lock and key, dealing with a strict warden and abusive guards.

Women's Prison Massacre

1983

Caligula and Messalina poster
4.5

When the deranged emperor Caligula falls for an insatiable gladiatrix, their reign launches a mind-bending bacchanal of torture, sodomy, incest, castration, and aroused livestock.

Caligula and Messalina

1981

Women's Camp 119 poster
4.2

A prisoner is forced to serve as a doctor's assistant, giving her a front row seat for the horrible goings-on. There's the experiment to revive Nazi soldiers who have frozen to death by having nude women rub their bodies all over the corpse (that one works), and the experiment tries to "cure" homosexual men by having nude women dance for them. This is only some of the horrors that are going on there.

Women's Camp 119

1977

Women's Camp 119 poster
4.2

A prisoner is forced to serve as a doctor's assistant, giving her a front row seat for the horrible goings-on. There's the experiment to revive Nazi soldiers who have frozen to death by having nude women rub their bodies all over the corpse (that one works), and the experiment tries to "cure" homosexual men by having nude women dance for them. This is only some of the horrors that are going on there.

Women's Camp 119

1977

Violence in a Women's Prison poster
5.6

Laura Kendall, also known as Emanuelle, arrives at a remote prison with a long, fictional rap sheet that will allow her to go undercover to report on the cruelties behind bars.

Violence in a Women's Prison

1982

Nero and Poppea - An Orgy of Power poster
4.2

As the Roman Empire slowly declines, Caesar Nero indulges himself in every known debauchery, including incest with his mother.

Nero and Poppea - An Orgy of Power

1982

Nero and Poppea - An Orgy of Power poster
4.2

As the Roman Empire slowly declines, Caesar Nero indulges himself in every known debauchery, including incest with his mother.

Nero and Poppea - An Orgy of Power

1982

Fellini dice... poster
NR

A story about the mythical film director

Fellini dice...

2006

Rats: Night of Terror poster
4.8

One hundred years after a nuclear war has devastated the planet, society has been reborn into two factions; the underground society and the scavangers above in the wastelands. A group of scavangers on bikes come across a town infested with flesh eating rats, and soon the gore is spilling everywhere.

Rats: Night of Terror

1984

Emanuelle and the Porno Nights of the World N. 2 poster
5.0

Emanuelle hosts this peculiar sexploitation Mondo film that looks at several examples of bizarre sexual behavior.

Emanuelle and the Porno Nights of the World N. 2

1978

Emanuelle and the Porno Nights of the World N. 2 poster
5.0

Emanuelle hosts this peculiar sexploitation Mondo film that looks at several examples of bizarre sexual behavior.

Emanuelle and the Porno Nights of the World N. 2

1978

Robowar poster
4.4

A group of commandos heads into the jungles of Venezuela on a highly classified mission and encounters a robotic killing machine.

Robowar

1988

Emanuelle and Françoise poster
5.1

Emanuelle is out to avenge her sister, who committed suicide after escaping from her sadistic lover Carlo. So she chains Carlo up in her basement, drugs him, and forces him to watch her having sex. As Carlo begins to hallucinate all kinds of bloody horrors and cannibalistic doings, he decides he has to break free and kill Emanuelle.

Emanuelle and Françoise

1975

The Seven Magnificent Gladiators poster
3.2

A bandit leader endowed with supernatural powers by his sorceress mother makes yearly raids on a peasant village. However, the women of the village come into possession of a magic sword, and go in search of a hero who is able to wield it and save their village from the evil bandit.

The Seven Magnificent Gladiators

1983

Cicciolina amore mio poster
3.0

Cicciolina stars in this film which is the first showcase of this future Italian porn star and politician. One man, Riccardino, obsesses over her and it begins to effect his relationship with his girlfriend. Cicciolina though helps bring the two together in order for them to experience the ultimate sexual experience.

Cicciolina amore mio

1979

Cruel Jaws poster
4.3

A tiger shark bred by the Navy as a killing machine is wreaking havoc in the sleepy tourist town of Hampton Bay.

Cruel Jaws

1995

Cruel Jaws poster
4.3

A tiger shark bred by the Navy as a killing machine is wreaking havoc in the sleepy tourist town of Hampton Bay.

Cruel Jaws

1995

The Jail: The Women's Hell poster
7.6

Three women are sent by steamboat to an undisclosed jungle prison called "The Home of Lost Souls". Here they experience the usual beatings, whippings, cat fights and humiliations. The butch warden has a deal on the side with a local pimp who forces them to dance in bikinis at a nightclub and sexually service the patrons. Tired of cages, rape, torture and rats, the girls kill the resident snitch and escape into the jungle.

The Jail: The Women's Hell

2006

Private House of the SS poster
5.2

Top Nazi officials, intent on rooting out traitors and those in the military who may be plotting to overthrow Adolf Hitler, recruit and train a group of beautiful prostitutes whose mission is to use any means necessary to uncover plots against the Fuhrer.

Private House of the SS

1977

Private House of the SS poster
5.2

Top Nazi officials, intent on rooting out traitors and those in the military who may be plotting to overthrow Adolf Hitler, recruit and train a group of beautiful prostitutes whose mission is to use any means necessary to uncover plots against the Fuhrer.

Private House of the SS

1977

Strike Commando poster
4.8

The sole survivor of a Vietnam mission is ordered by his commanding officer to photograph Soviets.

Strike Commando

1987

Strike Commando poster
4.8

The sole survivor of a Vietnam mission is ordered by his commanding officer to photograph Soviets.

Strike Commando

1987

Night of the Zombies poster
5.4

A rat causes a chemical leak at a Papua New Guinea research facility, leading a group of eco-terrorists to demand the closure of all facilities. When a team of Interpol commandos are enlisted to eliminate the terrorists, they find themselves embroiled in a zombie outbreak.

Night of the Zombies

1980

Sexy Night Report poster
4.8

Laura Gemser, as Emanuelle, takes viewers on a worldwide perv vacation and introduces footage of bizarre sexual behavior and performances in the style of a Mondo movie.

Sexy Night Report

1977