Lucio Fulci (Italian pronunciation: [ˈlutʃo ˈfultʃi]; 17 June 1927 – 13 March 1996) was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and actor. He is perhaps best known for his directorial work on gore films, including Zombie (1979) and The Beyond (1981), although he made films in genres as diverse as giallo, western, and comedy. Fulci is known as the "Godfather of Gore" a title also given to Herschell Gordon Lewis. Fulci was born in Rome on 17 June 1927. After studying medicine in college and being employed for a time as an art critic, Fulci opted for a film career first as a screenwriter, then later as a director, working initially in the comedy field. In the early to mid-1960s, Fulci directed around 18 Italian comedies, many starring the famous Italian comedy team Franco and Ciccio. Most of these early films were not distributed well (if at all) in the USA. In 1969, he moved into the thriller arena, directing giallos (such as Lizard in a Woman's Skin and Sette note in nero) and action films (such as White Fang and Four of the Apocalypse) that were both commercially successful and controversial in their depiction of violence and religion.