Luigi Cozzi

Luigi Cozzi (born in Italy in 1947) was interested in filmmaking since his teen years, producing a low budget sci-fi film at age 21 called "THE TUNNEL UNDER THE WORLD", which brought him to the attention of producer Dario Argento. His first real movie was a 1975 giallo called "THE KILLER MUST KILL AGAIN", after which he was able to direct a number of bigger budget sci-fi/ fantasy films, such as "STARCRASH", "HERCULES" and "CONTAMINATION".

In 1986, he wrote and directed "SINBAD OF THE SEVEN SEAS", but the producer replaced him with director Enzo Castellari. Castellari changed the script drastically and several million dollars later, wound up submitting 3 hours of non-releasable footage to the producer, who shelved the project in disgust. In 1989, Cozzi was hired back to come in and fix up the picture, and he spent an additional half million dollars finishing it.

Cozzi wrote a script called "DE PROFUNDIS", which was supposed to wrap up the unfinished Dario Argento "Three Sisters" Trilogy begun in "SUSPIRIA" and "INFERNO". Cozzi made the film (with Caroline Munro) but it was inexplicably retitled to "THE BLACK CAT" by the producer upon its release, and received very poor distribution. (Cozzi later discovered that director Lucio Fulci had expressed interest in directing his screenplay, without realizing that Cozzi was shooting the film himself. This would have been very confusing if it had happened, since Fulci had already directed a totally different film called "THE BLACK CAT" back in 1981!)

Cozzi also worked on the special effects in Dario Argento's "PHENOMENON", and was an assistant director on "THE STENDAHL SYNDROME", "NOSFERATU IN VENICE" (which gave him the chance to work with Klaus Kinski) and "TWO EVIL EYES". He also co-wrote the screenplays for "FOUR FILES ON GRAY VELVET" and Lamberto Bava's Jaws rip-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. He later made a documentary on the films of Dario Argento, and continues to be a big horror buff to this day, although it appears his filmmaking days are over.

Filmography

• The Neighbor (1973) Made-for-TV Movie

• The Killer Must Kill Again ' (1975) aka "The Spider"

• Starcrash (1978) aka "Stella Star", aka "Female

Space Invaders". starring Caroline Munro

• Contamination (1980) aka "Toxic Spawn", aka "Alien

Contamination"

• Hercules (1983) starring Lou Ferrigno

• Hercules 2 (1985) aka "The Adventures of Hercules",

starring Lou Ferrigno

• Nosferatu In Venice (1988) co-director

• Sinbad of the Seven Seas (1989) starring Lou Ferrigno

• De Profundis (1989) aka "The Black Cat"

• Paganini Horror (1989)

• Dario Argento: Master of Horror (1991) Documentary