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IMDbPro

Joe D'Amato(1936-1999)

  • Director
  • Cinematographer
  • Camera and Electrical Department
IMDbProStarmeter
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Joe D'Amato
Joe D'Amato was born Aristide Massaccesi on December 15, 1936, in Rome, Italy. At age 14 he began working for his father, a chief electrician and later the founder of the company A.C.M. By going to school in the daytime, Massaccesi worked afternoons part-time as a stagehand and stage cameraman around various film sets. After attending grade school, from 1953-57, Massaccesi worked for his father. Mole Richardson, another motion picture company, was looking for someone to work as an assistant cameraman and Massaccesi jumped at the opportunity. Starting in 1969 he worked as director of photography as well as assistant director for a number of films until 1974. His first directing work was in 1972's low-budget Stay Away from Trinity... When He Comes to Eldorado (1972), co-directed by Diego Spataro, under the pseudonym Dick Spitfire, but it was a commercial failure. Later that same year Massaccesi directed a western (under the name of Oskar Faradine). He then used his assistant's name, Romano Gastaldi, for his next film, Fra' Tazio da Velletri (1973), as well as a few others.

Massaccesi was reluctant to use his real name early in his directing career, since he was still known mainly as a director of photography and didn't want his directing jobs to jeopardize his cinematography career. He used his real name for screenplay and cinematography roles, but worked under many aliases (such as Michael Wotruba) to disguise the authorship of some films in order not to mix up the different genres of comedy, western, drama, thrillers and others. He used so many phony names that he may well have more pseudonyms credited to him than any other director in the world.

Massaccesi entered the horror genre with Death Smiles on a Murderer (1973) under his real name, which inspired him to make other gothic horror films. Under a new pseudonym, Joe D'Amato, he directed soft-core, erotic films starring Laura Gemser, such as Emanuelle and Francoise (1975), Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals (1977), Emanuelle in America (1977), Erotic Nights of the Living Dead (1980) and others. He also directed such action films as Tough to Kill (1979).

Massaccesi, now referring to himself as Joe D'Amato, entered the "gore" genere films with Beyond the Darkness (1979), which remains his most successful horror film, shot in four weeks on a low budget entirely at a villa near Bressanone and which had an excellent music soundtrack by the rock group Goblin. His next horror film, but less successful than the previous one, was Anthropophagus: The Grim Reaper (1980), directed as "Peter Newton". The film starred Tisa Farrow, sister of Mia Farrow and the star of Zombie (1979), another gore genre flick.

During the 1980s and 1990s D'Amato directed over 100 hardcore porn sex films for the Italian video market, although under his many pseudonyms he continued to direct and produce other films. One of them was StageFright (1987) directed by Michele Soavi on which, under his real name, Massaccesi served as producer. He then directed two "Ator the Invincible" films. He directed the violent, hardcore Caligula: The Untold Story (1982), using the name "David Hills", a commercial exploitation (some might say "rip-off") of the successful film by Tinto Brass.

D'Amato's other films during the 1980s were Paradiso Blu (1980) and violent adventure films such as Deep Blood (1989), which were filmed in Florida, and Ghosthouse (1988). Some of D'Amato's greatest successes abroad were L'alcova (1985) and Pomeriggio caldo (1989), as well as the horror-thriller Hitcher in the Dark (1989) (aka "Hitcher in the Dark").

His long film career came to an abrupt end when, in January 1999, he suffered an unexpected and fatal heart attack at his home in Rome. He was 62. Joe D'Amato had made his mark on Italian cinema as a talented director, scriptwriter, producer and cinematographer with scores of films and more than a dozen aliases to his credit.
BornDecember 15, 1936
DiedJanuary 23, 1999(62)
BornDecember 15, 1936
DiedJanuary 23, 1999(62)
IMDbProStarmeter
See rank

Known for

Emanuelle and Francoise (1975)
Emanuelle and Francoise
5.4
  • Director
  • 1975
2020 Texas Gladiators (1983)
2020 Texas Gladiators
4.4
  • Director(as Kevin Mancuso, action scenes)
  • 1983
Death Smiles on a Murderer (1973)
Death Smiles on a Murderer
5.8
  • Director(as Aristide Massaccesi)
  • 1973
Endgame - Bronx lotta finale (1983)
Endgame - Bronx lotta finale
5.2
  • Director(as Steven Benson)
  • 1983

Credits

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IMDbPro

Director

  • I predatori delle Antille (1999)
    I predatori delle Antille
    • (as David Hills)
  • Plaisir diabolique
    • (as Michael Di Caprio)
  • The Final Assault
  • Experiences 2
  • Experiences
  • La figlia del padrino
  • Il laureato
  • Off Limits
    • (as Raf de Palma)
  • Blow Up
    • (as Raf de Palma)
  • Calamity Jane 2
  • Rio Lust
  • Harem 2000
  • Il fantasma
  • La Venexiana
    • (as Michael Di Caprio)
  • Elixir
    • (as Joe d'Amato)

Cinematographer

  • I predatori delle Antille (1999)
    I predatori delle Antille
    • (as Aristide Massacessi)
  • The Final Assault
    • (as Fred Slonisko)
  • Experiences
    • (as Frederico Slonisko)
  • La figlia del padrino
    • (as Fred Slonisko)
  • Il laureato
    • (as Fred Slonisko)
  • Off Limits
    • (as Federiko Slonisko)
  • Blow Up
  • Rio Lust
    • (as Fred Slonisko)
  • Il fantasma
    • (as Federiko Slonisko)
  • La Venexiana
    • (as Fred Slonisko)
  • Calamity Jane
    • (as Fred Slonisko)
  • Anita e la maschera di ferro
    • (as Fred Slonisko)
  • Dreams of a Country Girl
    • (as Federiko Slonisko)
  • Joe D'Amato's 'Outlaws'
    • (as Fred Slonisko)
  • Raiders
    • (as Federiko Slonisko)

Camera and Electrical Department

  • La Venexiana
    • (as Dan Slonisko)
  • Sahara
    • (as Fred Slonisko)
  • Eternal Desire
    • (as Donald W. Hoffman)
  • Rudy
    • (as Dan Slonisko)
  • La regina degli elefanti
    • (as Fred Slonisko)
  • Rivelazioni d'amore
    • (as Dan Slonisko)
  • Flamenco Ecstasy
    • (as Dan Slonisko)
  • Pussyman 14
    • (as Dan Slonisko)
  • The Joy Club
    • (as Dan Slonisko)
  • Checkmate
    • (as Dan Slonisko)
  • Carmen
    • (as Dan Slonisko)
  • Sex Penitentiary
    • (as Dan Slonisko)
  • Juliet and Romeo
    • (as Dan Slonisko)
  • Trouble
    • (as Dan Slonisko)
  • Robin Hood: Thief of Wives
    • (as Dan Slonisko)

Personal details

Edit
    • December 15, 1936
    • Rome, Lazio, Italy
    • January 23, 1999
    • Rome, Lazio, Italy(heart attack)
    • Daniele Massaccesi
  • Publicity listings
    • 2 Biographical Movies
    • 4 Interviews
    • 4 Articles

Did you know

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  • Trivia
    His alias Joe d'Amato was inspired by the director with whom he worked as a cinematographer, Silvio Amadio in L'isola delle svedesi (1969).
  • Quotes
    The last one, always the last one. Each time I make a movie, it's a little better than the last. I'm not young but I'm very enthusiastic. I'm lucky in that I've been able to make any movie I've wanted to: war movies, thrillers, terror movies, even porno movies. I don't have any movies in me that I haven't been able to do.

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