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Antonio Margheriti

Antonio Margheriti

Director and writer, also producer · Died November 4, 2002, aged 72 · Rome, Italy

​From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.   Antonio Margheriti (19 September 1930 – 4 November 2002), also known under the pseudonym Anthony M. Dawson, was a prolific Italian filmmaker. He was born in Rome and died in 2002 from a heart attack in Monterosi, Viterbo, near Rome at the age of 72. Margheriti started out in the Italian film industry in 1956 as a screenwriter. He started directing in 1960, his first film being "Spacemen" (aka "Assignment Outer Space"). Margheriti is known for his science fiction, horror, spaghetti western and action movies. He was the director of such cult movies as Cannibal Apocalypse, Castle of Blood, The Virgin of Nuremberg, Assignment Outer Space, Wild Wild Planet, Naked You Die, Mr. Super Invisible, The Last Hunter, Battle of the Worlds and numerous others. Most of his films were directed under the pseudonym of Anthony M. Dawson. He stopped using his real name in the USA early in his career, when he realized the English translation of the name "Antonio Margheriti" was "Anthony Daisies", and he thought it sounded too effeminate. He was the only Italian director who worked directly for American production companies like MGM, United Artists, 20th Century Fox, Columbia Pictures, etc. with films like: Yor, the Hunter from the Future, Take a Hard Ride, Killer Fish, etc. Margheriti said his action/adventure films were his favorites, and his least favorite movies were the sword-and-sandal peplum films he made in the early 1960s (such as "Devil of the Desert" and "Giants of Rome"). For years, director Richard Morrissey disputed Margheriti's claim that he had directed "Andy Warhol's Frankenstein" in the early 1970s, saying that Margheriti was mostly just a technical advisor on that film. Morrissey said Margheriti did however direct a very, very brief segment of the movie (mostly the scenes involving the two children roaming around in the lab). Margheriti worked with many well-known genre actors such as Lee Van Cleef, John Saxon, Claude Rains, John Morghen, Klaus Kinski, Barbara Steele, Reb Brown, Donald Pleasence, Yul Brynner, David Warbeck, Luciano Pigozzi, Marvin Hagler, Terence Hill, Fred Williamson, Christopher Lee and many others. Most of his later films were shot in the Philippines (especially his war films). Margheriti also collaborated on the special effects in two Italian cult films which he did not direct, Sergio Leone's "Fistful of Dynamite" (1971) and Aldo Lado's "The Humanoid" (1979). Margheriti retired from filmmaking in 1996 at age 66. He died in 2002 of natural causes. Margheriti's son Edoardo and his daughter Antonella are both also involved in filmmaking. Eli Roth's character in the 2009 Quentin Tarantino film Inglourious Bastards took Margheriti as his namesake. Description above from the Wikipedia article Antonio Margheriti,  licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
September 19, 1930
Died
November 4, 2002 (aged 72)
From
Rome, Italy
Works as
Director and writer, also producer
Titles
36 on MovieCove · 68 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 38 days to Oct 27Up 4% in 30 days

What are Antonio Margheriti's films like?

Across their 31 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Survival.

Genres

Action9 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 14th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Horror8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 28th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Horror movies
Comedy5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 11th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Adventure4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 21st percentile
: browse their Adventure movies
Drama2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 48th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
26%
Survival
24%
Bonds
21%
Self
10%
Power
10%
Ideas
6%
Society
3%
Survival11 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice7 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship6 titles, browse their movies with this themeRevenge4 titles, browse their movies with this themeGreed5 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty5 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeViolence4 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 31 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 17 · Serious 6 · Dark 8

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 3 · Stylized 15 · Heightened 13

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 5 · Charged 16 · Intense 10

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 13 · Shifting 15 · Whiplash 3

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 13 · Some laughs 12 · Funny 6

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 11 · Even-paced 17 · Relentless 3

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 20 · Engaged 11 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 26 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 2

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
18
Thrilling
18
Absurd
12
Dread
8
Joyful
6
Other
18

How their films linger

Fun20 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good13 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 9 with a twist

  • Happy19
  • Bittersweet7
  • Tragic4
  • Ambiguous1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Antonio Margheriti's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 27 of their 36 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (18).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Antonio Margheriti's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

68 credits, 36 with a MovieCove page; 3 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • 'Cannibal Apocalypse' Redux (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    as Inspector (uncredited)

  • Incontro con Antonio Margheriti (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Actor

  • Virtual Weapon(1997)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • Indio 2 - The Revolt (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Director

  • Black Cobra 3: The Manila Connection(1990)

    Special Effects

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • Alien from the Deep (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Director

  • Indio (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Director

  • The Commander (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Director

  • Treasure Island in Outer Space (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Show 5 episodes · Director

  • Commando Leopard (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Director

  • Jungle Raiders(1985)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • Code Name: Wild Geese(1984)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • The Ark of the Sun God (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Director

  • Yor: The Hunter from the Future(1983)

    Director · Screenplay · Special Effects

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films

  • The World of Yor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Show Creator

  • The Last Blood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Director

  • Fuga dall'arcipelago maledetto(1982)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • The Hunters of the Golden Cobra(1982)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • Car Crash (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Director · Special Effects · as Racing Official (uncredited)

  • The Last Hunter(1980)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Cannibal Apocalypse(1980)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Killer Fish(1979)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films

  • The Humanoid(1979)

    Special Effects Supervisor

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films

  • The Squeeze (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Director

  • Death Rage(1976)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • Take a Hard Ride(1975)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • The Slight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Screenplay

  • Blood for Dracula(1974)

    Assistant Director

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Fantasma en el Oeste(1978)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films

  • Manone il ladrone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Director · Screenplay

  • The Stranger and the Gunfighter(1974)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Flesh for Frankenstein(1973)

    Director · Makeup Effects · Second Unit Director · Special Effects Makeup Artist

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Mr. Hercules Against Karate(1973)

    Director · Adaptation

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films

  • Seven Deaths in the Cats Eyes(1973)

    Director · Screenplay · Story

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • Treasure Island(1972)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Novelle galeotte d'amore (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Director · Screenplay

  • 1001 Nights of Pleasure (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Director · Screenplay

  • Duck, You Sucker!(1971)

    Special Effects

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Web of the Spider(1971)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • Mr. Superinvisible(1970)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films

  • And God Said to Cain...(1970)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • The Unnaturals (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Director · Writer

  • I Love You (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Director · Screenplay · Story

  • Vengeance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Director · Screenplay

  • The Young, the Evil and the Savage(1968)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • Mission Stardust(1967)

    Special Effects

    Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films

  • Joe l'implacabile(1967)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films

  • Snow Devils (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Director · Associate Producer

  • Shoot Loud, Louder... I Don't Understand (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Special Effects

  • War Between the Planets (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Director · Producer

  • War of the Planets (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Director · Producer

  • The Wild, Wild Planet(1966)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • Lightning Bolt (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Director

  • Killers Are Challenged(1966)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • The Long Hair of Death(1964)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Giants of Rome(1964)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films

  • Hercules, Prisoner of Evil (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Director

  • The Slave Merchants (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Director

  • Castle of Blood(1964)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Mondo Inferno (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Director

  • Horror Castle(1963)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • The Fall of Rome (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Director · Screenplay · Story

  • War Gods of Babylon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Second Unit Director

  • The Golden Arrow(1962)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films

  • Battle of the Worlds(1961)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films

  • Assignment: Outer Space (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Director

  • Gambe d'oro(1958)

    Co-Director · Screenplay · Story

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • A Sailor's Promises (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Co-Director · Screenplay · Story

Career shape

A full career of 68 titles from 1958 to 2002.

Biggest box office

Yor: The Hunter from the Future (1983)

$2.8M worldwide

Highest rated

Castle of Blood (1964)

Midcredits 74th

Most popular right now

Killer Fish (1979)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting3 of 68: 2 only acting, 1 with another roleDirecting56 of 68: 30 only directing, 26 with another role · typical Midcredits score14thWriting22 of 68: 1 only writing, 21 with another role · typical Midcredits score28thProducing4 of 68: 0 only producing, 4 with another roleOther crew11 of 68: 9 only other crew, 2 with another role · typical Midcredits score13th

68 titles, 26 with more than one role — directing and writing overlap on 21 of them.

By decade

1950s2 · crew1960s25 · crew1970s20 · crew1980s16 · 1 acting · 16 crew1990s4 · 1 acting · 3 crew2000s1 · acting

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Antonio Margheriti's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 14th percentile, the median of all 36; across their 31 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 25th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

25thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 31

Approval · how many liked their films

15thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 31

Reach · how many have seen their films

53rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 31

Midcredits score across 36 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up1
  • 50th to 74th3
  • 25th to 49th11
  • Below 25th21

Shape of the crowd

21 of their 36 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Universally Panned4
  • Crowd Pleaser2
  • Broadly Agreed8
  • Mixed21

Most divisive · director, writer

Yor: The Hunter from the Future (1983)

75th percentile spread · 53% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director

Castle of Blood (1964)

Midcredits 74th · 63% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 59/100 and the pacing 43/100 in their films, across 29 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Antonio Margheriti's work okay for kids?

Across up to 5 MovieCove titles with content scores, every category sits near the median of all films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Sex & Nudity5 titles30–59 · median 37 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Antonio Margheriti work with?

People who share at least 2 of Antonio Margheriti's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Luciano Pigozzi shares the most, 10.

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles