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Born in 1931, Bruno Mattei grew up in Rome, Italy where his father owned a small film editing studio. At age 20, Mattei started working odd jobs at his father's company as his assistant, then on to other small spots. Mattei wanted to follow in his father's footsteps as a film editor. Mattei found himself working as an editor for a number of directors whom included Roberto Bianchi Montero (SO SWEET... SO DEAD) and Nick Nostro. Mattei claimed to have edited over 100 films in the 1960s and early 1970s.

Bruno is probably the only Italian cult filmmaker that keeps making movies in the new millenium. Some of the genres he has worked in: Sexploitation, Nazisploitation, Nunsploitation, Cannibals, Zombies, Horror, Gialli, Spaghetti Westerns, Post-Apocalypse, Action, Commandos, Sci-Fi, Mondo, Sword & Sorcery, Women-In-Prison, Comedies and even hardcore pornography. Bruno Mattei is an expert in any cult cinema subgenre you could possibly think of.

After working with famed Spanish director Jess Franco, Mattei made his debut as a director with the film ARMIDA, IL DRAMA DI UNA SPOSA (1970) under the alias Jordon B. Matthews. Mattei eventually had more pseudonyms then any working director in the world.

He returned to editing before making another comeback in 1976 with two Nazisploitation films, WOMEN'S CAMP 119 and SS GIRLS, both low-budget productions. SS GIRLS is a crazy and sleazy SALON KITTY imitation, even involving some martial arts. Mattei followed these taboo-transgressing films with two excursions into mondo "shockumentaries" starring Laura Gemser, MONDO EROTICA (1977) and PORNO EXOTIC LOVE (1978), both directed under his many pseudos. Although obscure, PORNO EXOTIC LOVE is known for it's ground-breaking penis transplant sequence. Concentrating on shock value, LIBIDOMANIA (1979) and LIBIDOMANIA 2 (1980) are known among exploitation aficionados for mixing mondo cinema with hardcore pornography.

Always on the lookout for new exploitation, Mattei followed went on making the "nunsploitation" films TRUE STORY OF THE NUN OF MONZA (1980) and THE OTHER HELL (1980). Both of them involved a partnership with writer/director Claudio Fragasso (ZOMBIE 4: AFTERDEATH, MONSTER DOG) who helped Mattei write and direct the back-to-back productions.

Starting under yet another alias, Vincent Dawn, Mattei directed HELL OF THE LIVING DEAD aka ZOMBIE CREEPING FLESH, a low-budget zombie film inspired by wordwide hits such as DAWN OF THE DEAD (1978) and Lucio Fulci's ZOMBIE (1979). It was filmed in Spain with inserted jungle footage from New Guinea and a patch soundtrack from Goblins' DAWN OF THE DEAD music.

Mattei worked relentlessly through the 1980s. After directing two unbelievably sleazy Women-In-prison films, starring Laura Gemser (BLACK EMANUELLE), Mattei collaborated with Cannon Films for the making of the sword-and-sorcery film THE SEVEN MAGNIFICENT GLADIATORS (1983). Both Mattei and Fragasso collaborated on the sci-fi/horror flick RATS A NIGHT OF TERROR (1984), inspired from the futuristic movies of the early 1980s. It was actually a post-apocalyptic NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD using rats instead of zombies. Mattei considers RATS his best work despite working on a low-budget.

In the mid-80's Mattei directed a pair of violent and gory Spaghetti Westerns, WHITE APACHE and SCALPS, although the spaghetti western died in the early 70s. The screenplay of SCALPS was writen by cult actor Richard Harrison of NINJA TERMINATOR fame.

During the late 80s Bruno directed several commando and action flicks for Flora Film, mostly immitations of well-known American hits. STRIKE COMMANDO parts 1 & 2, DOUBLE TARGET, ROBOWAR, COP GAME, BORN TO FIGHT and ultimately TERMINATOR II aka SHOCKING DARK. Continuing to work for Flora, Bruno shot about half of ZOMBI 3 (1988) after Lucio Fulci left production due to serious illness. However Mattei was not credited.

Throughout the 1990s, Mattei directed a series of erotic thrillers (including MADNESS starring David Warbeck) and the TV movie JAWS 5 aka CRUEL JAWS (1995) which was the unofficial sequel to the famous series that Steven Spielberg started.

Mattei continues to direct today with more than 50 Italian films in his filmography. Recently he caught the exploitation audience's attention once again with his SNUFF TRAP (a sleazy and gory 8MM rip-off) and with his two immitations of Ruggero Deodato's CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST (1979): CANNIBAL WORLD aka CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST THE BEGINNING (2003) and LAND OF DEATH aka CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST: CANNIBAL VS. COMMANDO (2003). The former also has shades of PREDATOR, continuing the fine ROBOWAR tradition. Mattei is now returning to the Women-In-Prison genre with THE JAIL (2006).

Some people consider his films to be cheap, insipid, and technically inept because of their low budgets and poor production values. However Bruno Mattei remains an influential cult film director around the world for his radical filmmaking.

HELL OF THE LIVING DEAD Trailer