quote:

ORIGINAL: Angelus

I haven't seen that many of Bava's films but I'm already a huge fan. Black Sunday (a.k.a. The Mask of Satan/La Maschera del Demonio) is classic horror with gorgeous black and white photography and a fantastic performance by Barbara Steele. Blood and Black Lace and Twitch of the Death Nerve are both damn fine examples of the giallo (a genre I want to explore more). Diabolik is a bit of a change, more of a Swinging 60s crime/caper movie but it's a lot of fun.

I recently bought a Bava boxset on Amazon: Black Sunday, Black Sabbath, The Girl Who Knew Too Much, Knives of the Avanger and Kill, Baby... Kill! all for about £15. As soon as I get time, I'm going to blast through the whole thing. I really want to see Planet of the Vampires as well.

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ORIGINAL: siegfried

I recently purchsed a five disc set of films by Mario Bava for the incredible price of $11.99 (less than four pounds). It included Black Sunday (his breakthrough film, which established his reputation internationally), Black Sabbath, Hatchet For The Honeymoon, Shock (his Final film) and a sixty minute documentary about his career.
Bava set the standard for the Italian horror genre with Black Sunday, and he has been acknowledged as a major influence by other directors such as Dario Argento, Joe Dante, John Carpenter, Tim Burton and Martin Scorsese.
Even today, his films still have the ability to inspire unease.
I certainly intend to explore more of his films, and for anyone who has yet to experience his work, I would recommend the four films quoted above as a good start.

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ORIGINAL: Dr Lenera

That's one I haven't seen,sounds like a bit of a departure from Bava's usual style.  I'm pretty sure there's a DVD which features two different versions with differing scenes,score,etc.   Think that's gonna be my next DVD to buy...........

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ORIGINAL: siegfried

Thanks for all of the suggestions. As I said in my initiial post I'm pretty much of a newcomer to Bava's work, but I've been mightily impressed with what I've seen so far.
Fortunately, quite a number of his films are available here, and I've also just come across a boxed set of Dario Argento's films as well, so I've got some fun evenings ahead.

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ORIGINAL: TheGodfather

Watched tonight:
I Tre Volti Della Paura (Black Sabbath aka The Three Faces of Fear)
The second film from the Mario Bava vol. 1 box that I watched is a film in wich 3 short stories are made into one film. They are all completely different stories but with more or less the same themes (ghost stories and the supernatural things of life).
The Telephone was really thrilling but ended somewhat dissapointed.The Wurdalak was more of a conventional vampire/zombie horror that dragged on for just a bit too long.  A Drop Of Water was absolutely the best of the 3. Really intense and actually frightening. Marvellous.
As a whole I really liked it and with the 90 minutes running time it was just long enough. After Black Sunday, this was another good movie from the Mario Bava box.

7,7/10

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ORIGINAL: Dr Lenera

BLACK SUNDAY
In 1630 Princess Asa is killed on the orders of her brother, for being a witch. 200 years later, two doctors Andre and Thomas are travelling through the village where it all happened. They find the crypt where Asa was buried and when Thomas is attacked by a large bat, the blood drips into Asa's tomb and brings her back to life. Summoning her dead lover Igor, she sets out to wreak revenge on the descendents of her executors and possess her identical twin Katia, whom Andre has fallen in love with.......


Although this was not quite the first Italian horror movie, it was the first one that was a big international success and was a really impressive directorial debut from Mario Bava. Although it seems perhaps a little tame now, it ran into a lot of censor trouble at the time of it's release 1960 and was actually banned in the UK for 8 years. Even after then it was cut.

The film is very reminiscent of a Universal studios horror movie in it's style and feel, and has an incredible dark fairy tale feeling, with tons of fog and model scenery put to great use [Bava would become a master at making the most of small budgets] , but of course no Universal film opened with a woman having a mask with spikes on the inside hammered onto her face! This shocking scene still packs a punch, and later on we get to see a stake hammered into an eye [one of several interesting variants has on traditional vampire lore], but some of the best bits of the film are actually non-violent.

Asa's vampiric lover rising from the grave is one of the best tomb risings ever seen, with creepy lighting and loud sound effects-it's really effective and still maybe a little scary, while Katia's first appearance beside the crypt, accompanied by two dogs, is a really beautiful image. With scenes like this, you can tell Bava had been a painter. Other sequences are more surreal,such as the two main villains stepping out of a fireplace, in fact some of the events in the film are quite random,but this would be something viewers of Italian horror would have to get used to! The same can be said for it's star Barbara Steele, who while maybe not the best actress is nonetheless really effective in her dual role, and who would be typecast forever afterwards.

Black Sunday is a little stilted at times and in terms of plot it probably seemed old hat even in 1960. I think some of Bava's later work was more better and more interesting. Nonetheless, this is a still a classic of the genre, poetic and vivid, and is essential viewing for horror fans.

quote:

ORIGINAL: TheGodfather

Watched tonight:
I Tre Volti Della Paura (Black Sabbath aka The Three Faces of Fear)
The second film from the Mario Bava vol. 1 box that I watched is a film in wich 3 short stories are made into one film. They are all completely different stories but with more or less the same themes (ghost stories and the supernatural things of life).
The Telephone was really thrilling but ended somewhat dissapointed.The Wurdalak was more of a conventional vampire/zombie horror that dragged on for just a bit too long.  A Drop Of Water was absolutely the best of the 3. Really intense and actually frightening. Marvellous.
As a whole I really liked it and with the 90 minutes running time it was just long enough. After Black Sunday, this was another good movie from the Mario Bava box.

7,7/10

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jamesbondguy:
Miles is clearly the finest film theorist of his generation

quote:

Deviation:
if it isn't ham, I'll eat a living pig.

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ORIGINAL: Dr Lenera

Damn it you beat me to it mate  and that was the first one of my upcoming Bava reviews I was going to do lol!  Great review though, watching it again myself it's amazing how many films have taken bits from it, especially the Friday The 13th series.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Miles Messervy 007

quote:

ORIGINAL: TheGodfather

Watched tonight:
I Tre Volti Della Paura (Black Sabbath aka The Three Faces of Fear)
The second film from the Mario Bava vol. 1 box that I watched is a film in wich 3 short stories are made into one film. They are all completely different stories but with more or less the same themes (ghost stories and the supernatural things of life).
The Telephone was really thrilling but ended somewhat dissapointed.The Wurdalak was more of a conventional vampire/zombie horror that dragged on for just a bit too long.  A Drop Of Water was absolutely the best of the 3. Really intense and actually frightening. Marvellous.
As a whole I really liked it and with the 90 minutes running time it was just long enough. After Black Sunday, this was another good movie from the Mario Bava box.

7,7/10

I watched that yesterday.
I'd say The Telephone is great in its absence of supernatural elements and the plot, while a bit dumb, is extremely ironic. The Wurdalak is a highlight of paranoia, superbly shot. A Drop of Water works really well because it's so short, but it was my least favourite of the 3, actually. I love the Karloff inserts, so the whole thing got an 8 from me, which translates to very good/great.

quote:

jamesbondguy:
Miles is clearly the finest film theorist of his generation

quote:

Deviation:
if it isn't ham, I'll eat a living pig.

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ORIGINAL: Miles Messervy 007

I've seen 4 Argentos and 2 Bavas now, so Fulci is next for me. I like the genre quite a lot so far 

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ORIGINAL: evil bill

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ORIGINAL: Dr Lenera

Damn it you beat me to it mate  and that was the first one of my upcoming Bava reviews I was going to do lol!  Great review though, watching it again myself it's amazing how many films have taken bits from it, especially the Friday The 13th series.

Go ahead post your review to,it was your idea to get this thread off it's knees,all i did was seach for it and post the first of a few i have in my head,after i rewatch of course Black Sabbath and Kill Baby Kill.

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ORIGINAL: evil bill

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ORIGINAL: Miles Messervy 007

I've seen 4 Argentos and 2 Bavas now, so Fulci is next for me. I like the genre quite a lot so far 

Well for a bit of help in your choices try
LUCIO FULCI The Godfather of Gore.Thread.
http://www.empireonline.com/forum/tm.asp?m=1874398

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jamesbondguy:
Miles is clearly the finest film theorist of his generation

quote:

Deviation:
if it isn't ham, I'll eat a living pig.

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ORIGINAL: demoncleaner



A baddly dubbed Michel Piccoli and Terry Thomas.  

Diabolik, the franchise that never was. 

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ORIGINAL: Dr Lenera

Cool, most people start with Fulci's Zombie films, Lizard is pretty good though.  Would love to read your thoughts when you've seen it on the Fulci thread!

quote:

jamesbondguy:
Miles is clearly the finest film theorist of his generation

quote:

Deviation:
if it isn't ham, I'll eat a living pig.