Massimo Pupillo

Domenico Massimo Pupillo[1] is an Italian film director. Puplillo was born in Rodi Garganico, Puglia in 1922.[1][lower-alpha 1] He started his career in film through his acquaintance Fernandel as Marcel Pagnol's assistant.[1] He claims to have made over 250 short films before the release of his film Gli amichi dell'Isola, a feature film set in Sardinia with unprofessional actors.[1] After directing Terror-Creatures from the Grave, he went on two direct two more horror films in a row: Bloody Pit of Horror and La vendetta di Lady Morgan.[1]

After making these horror films, Pupillo stated that he originally made them to get out of making documentary films and enter the commercial film market.[3] After making La vendetta di Lady Morgan he declared he was finished with making horror films with his following directorial work becoming scarce.[3] His follow-ups included the Western Django Kills Softly released in 1967 and the mondo film Love: The Great Unknown.[3] Pupillo also wrote a few mondo films prior to directing including Primitive Love and Sweden: Heaven and Hell which were both directed by Luigi Scattini and Taboos of the World by Romolo Marcellini.[3]

Pupillo later described himself as "disgusted" by the type of cinema he was making and primarily worked in television during the 1970s.[3] His last feature film was Sa Jana which was shot in Sardinia.[3] According to Merrill Aldighieri and Lucas Balbo's documentary Mondo Pupillo - Une conversation avec Massimo Pupillo, it is likely that Pupillo died on December 29, 1999 but no evidence has been found to confirm this.[3]