Al Cliver
Encyclopedia
Al Cliver is an Italian actor who is perhaps best known for starring in horror and exploitation
films, especially ones by directors Lucio Fulci
and Jesús Franco
.
. He decided to use the name Al Cliver as his stage name, as it was trendy for Italian actors at that time to use American stage names. He decided on after Al Capone
, or Al Pacino
and his surname was taken from a death row prisoner who wrote a best selling book.
Cliver made his acting debut in 1974 in Il Saprofita. He has starred is erotic, adventure and crime movies, but he is mostly memorable for starring in exploitation and horror films such as Lucio Fulci's Zombi 2
, The Black Cat
, The Beyond and Demonia
and Jesús Franco's The Cannibals and The Devil Hunter.
and has acted along side her in the films Forever Emmanuelle, Blue Belle, Velluto Nero and Un Giorno alla fine di Ottobre. After their split they acted together in Molto di Più and L'Alcova.
Cliver was diagnosed with throat cancer in August 2008. He had to undergo surgery which has left him speaking strained in a mere whisper. He lives in Bali and is the owner and manager of holiday villas.
Exploitation film
Exploitation film is a type of film that is promoted by "exploiting" often lurid subject matter. The term "exploitation" is common in film marketing, used for all types of films to mean promotion or advertising. These films then need something to exploit, such as a big star, special effects, sex,...
films, especially ones by directors Lucio Fulci
Lucio Fulci
Lucio Fulci was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and actor. He is perhaps best known for his directorial work on gore films, including Zombie and The Beyond , although he made films in genres as diverse as giallo, western, and comedy...
and Jesús Franco
Jesús Franco
Jesús "Jess" Franco is a Spanish film director, writer, cinematographer and actor. His career took off in 1961 with his cult classic The Awful Dr. Orloff, which received wide distribution in the United States and England...
.
Career
Cliver was discovered at the age of 16, he then started doing a few commercials and later at around the age of 22 he got into the world of Italian cinemaCinema of Italy
The history of Italian cinema began just a few months after the Lumière brothers had patented their Cinematographe, when Pope Leo XIII was filmed for a few seconds in the act of blessing the camera.-Early years:...
. He decided to use the name Al Cliver as his stage name, as it was trendy for Italian actors at that time to use American stage names. He decided on after Al Capone
Al Capone
Alphonse Gabriel "Al" Capone was an American gangster who led a Prohibition-era crime syndicate. The Chicago Outfit, which subsequently became known as the "Capones", was dedicated to smuggling and bootlegging liquor, and other illegal activities such as prostitution, in Chicago from the early...
, or Al Pacino
Al Pacino
Alfredo James "Al" Pacino is an American film and stage actor and director. He is famous for playing mobsters, including Michael Corleone in The Godfather trilogy, Tony Montana in Scarface, Alphonse "Big Boy" Caprice in Dick Tracy and Carlito Brigante in Carlito's Way, though he has also appeared...
and his surname was taken from a death row prisoner who wrote a best selling book.
Cliver made his acting debut in 1974 in Il Saprofita. He has starred is erotic, adventure and crime movies, but he is mostly memorable for starring in exploitation and horror films such as Lucio Fulci's Zombi 2
Zombi 2
Zombi 2 is a 1979 zombie horror film directed by Lucio Fulci. It is the best-known of Fulci's films and made him a horror icon. Though the title suggests this is a sequel to Zombi Zombi 2 (also known as Zombie, Island of the Living Dead, Zombie Island, Zombie Flesh Eaters and Woodoo) is a 1979...
, The Black Cat
The Black Cat (1981 film)
The Black Cat is a 1981 Italian horror film directed by Lucio Fulci, using his usual violent style. The film is based loosely on the story of the same name by Edgar Allan Poe.- Plot :...
, The Beyond and Demonia
Demonia (film)
-Plot:A Canadian archaeological team in Sicily accidentally unleashes vengeful ghosts of five demonic nuns whom were murdered 500 years earlier and the ghosts now set out to kill the group and townspeople alike.- External links :...
and Jesús Franco's The Cannibals and The Devil Hunter.
Personal life
Cliver was born Pierluigi Conti in Alexandria, Egypt. From 1975 to 1988, he was in a relationship with French actress Annie BelleAnnie Belle
Annie Brilland is a French actress and social worker. Her acting career began in 1974 and throughout the seventies, has had a series of varied roles in both French and Italian cinema, working with such directors as Jean Rollin, Ruggero Deodato and Joe D'Amato.-Early life:Belle was born in Paris,...
and has acted along side her in the films Forever Emmanuelle, Blue Belle, Velluto Nero and Un Giorno alla fine di Ottobre. After their split they acted together in Molto di Più and L'Alcova.
Cliver was diagnosed with throat cancer in August 2008. He had to undergo surgery which has left him speaking strained in a mere whisper. He lives in Bali and is the owner and manager of holiday villas.
Filmography
- 1974 - Il Saprofita - as Servant
- 1975 - Una Ondata di Piacere - as Irem
- 1976 - Forever Emmanuelle - as Nicola
- 1976 - Blue Belle - as Philip
- 1976 - Amore Grande, - Amore Libero
- 1976 - Il Colpaccio
- 1976 - Velluto Nero - as Horatio
- 1976 - I Padrino della Città - as Rick
- 1976 - Una Donna Chiamata Apache - as Tommy
- 1977 - Un Giorno alla fine di Ottobre
- 1977 - No alla Violenza - as Inspector Ettore Moretti
- 1978 - Milano... Difendersi o Morire - as Domino
- 1978 - Provincia Violenta - as Roberto Mauri
- 1979 - The Cannibals - as Jeremy Taylor
- 1979 - L'Alberto della Maldicenza - as Franco
- 1979 - Zombi 2Zombi 2Zombi 2 is a 1979 zombie horror film directed by Lucio Fulci. It is the best-known of Fulci's films and made him a horror icon. Though the title suggests this is a sequel to Zombi Zombi 2 (also known as Zombie, Island of the Living Dead, Zombie Island, Zombie Flesh Eaters and Woodoo) is a 1979...
- as Brian Hull - 1980 - Flying Sex - as Roman Tracy
- 1980 - Molto di Più
- 1980 - The Devil Hunter - as Peter Weston
- 1981 - The Black CatThe Black Cat (1981 film)The Black Cat is a 1981 Italian horror film directed by Lucio Fulci, using his usual violent style. The film is based loosely on the story of the same name by Edgar Allan Poe.- Plot :...
- as Sgt. Wilson - 1981 - The Beyond - as Dr. Harris
- 1982 - 2020 Freedom Fighters - as Nisus
- 1983 - I Briganti
- 1983 - Spy Connection - as Boris, the torturer (uncredited)
- 1983 - I Paladini - Storia d'Armi e D'Amori - as Selvaggio (credited as Pierluigi Conti)
- 1983 - Endgame - Bronx Lotta Finale - as Ron Shannon
- 1984 - L'Alcova - as Elio De Silveris
- 1984 - I Guerrieri Dell'anno 2072 - as Kirk
- 1984 - Murderock - Uccide a Passo di Danza - as Voice Analyst (uncredited)
- 1985 - La Piovra 2 - (TV mini-series), (credited as Pierluigi Conti)
- 1986 - Lussuria - as Roberto
- 1986 - Le Miniere del Kilimangiaro - as British Governor's Aide
- 1987 - Laura Oggetto Sessuale - as Marcello
- 1988 - Quandro Alice Ruppe Lo Specchio - as Randy (credited as Pier Luigi Conti)
- 1988 - Il Fantasma di Sodoma - as Drunken Nazi (uncredited)
- 1989 - La Casa nel Tempo - as Peter (TV movie)
- 1990 - DemoniaDemonia (film)-Plot:A Canadian archaeological team in Sicily accidentally unleashes vengeful ghosts of five demonic nuns whom were murdered 500 years earlier and the ghosts now set out to kill the group and townspeople alike.- External links :...
- as Porter (credited as Al Clever) - 2004 - Building a Better Zombi - as Himself (video documentary)
- 2008 - Paura: Lucio Fulci Remembered - Volume 1 - as Himself (video documentary)
- 2011 - Mondo Holocausto! - as Geoffrey Daniels