Director: Simon O’Neill

Cast: Luigi Cozzi, Ruggero Deodato, Me Me Lai

Production Company: Bumdealoneill Productions

Runtime: 26 minutes

What’s in a name? That which we call a writer by any other name, should be just as sweet. Unless you work in the film industry…

Director Simon O’Neill brings us the story of a different Simon O’Neill in his entertaining documentary, The Man with My Name (2017).

The film’s title refers to the fact that the director shares the same name as his subject. Well, at least the same name as his most popular pseudonym.

This short focuses on Giovanni Simonelli, an Italian screenwriter who is best known for his thrillers, giallos, peplums, biblical epics, and spaghetti westerns.

You probably know Giovanni Simonelli (Simon O’Neill) from such films as Seven Deaths in the Cat’s Eye (1973), Bloody Psycho (1989), and A Cat in the Brain (1990).

The documentary is also about the many reasons people in the film industry change their names. It’s interesting to hear about all the different situations that lead to the fateful decision.

The Man with My Name was nominated for “Best Documentary” at the Underground Cinema Awards and received “Honourable Mention” at SpookScreen in 2018.

There are interviews with Ruggero Deodato from Cannibal Hollocaust (1980), Catriona MacColl of City of the Living Dead (1980), Luigi Cozzi from Starcrash (1978), and even Simonelli himself.

O’Neill has found an interesting and humorous way to provide us with factual information. I was both entertained and informed by his novel approach.

The Man with My Name brings to light the life of Giovanni Simonelli while also explaining why so many in the film industry use an alias. It’s pretty sweet…

– John Migliore

For more information on the film, check out the links below…

Teaser Trailer

The Man with My Name on Vimeo

IMDb Page

Official Site