by
Kristin Battestella
What's
not to love for the classic horror viewer when it comes to the
stylish scares, tempting thrills, and colorful chills from that
giallo master Mario Bava?
A
Bay of Blood – Signor
Bava directs this 1971 plot of heiresses, real estate, and murder –
you know, the usual – with his expected mix of upscale
cinematography and unsettling panache. Storms and classical melodies
create a sadness to start as nasty deaths disrupt a would be old time
gentility. There's no dialogue for the first ten minutes, but the
silently designed kills are tantalizing nonetheless. Add swanky
affairs, alluring secretaries, and skinny dipping run afoul to the
zany fortune tellers and partying teens, and all today's
quintessential horror ingredients pack these eighty-four minutes.
Pretty outdoor designs give way to blue nighttime hues and noir lit
interiors add mood while red accents ominously treat the eye. Eerily
framed bodies, hallways, and faux suicide notes add layers as those
seventies zooms mirror the characters' swoons and fears. Although
this is more bloody than Bava's earlier works – which some may like
and others may not – the bodies here are normal compared to
contemporary bimbos. The gory chase, squeamish squidworks, and nasty
hatchet slices are artistically juxtaposed with sunshine, birds
chirping, and that Bava delicacy. Of course, the weak script is
certainly not perfect, the English audio is too low, the subtitles
don't quite sync, and who is who or double crossing whom can be very
confusing. Thankfully, the inheritance battles, illegitimate
mysteries, and one by one eliminations mix well with the sex and
violence. The bodies pile up in unique ways, and Friday
the 13th
certainly copied a kill or
two! Some scenes may feel slasher for slasher's sake, but the
stylish, somewhat melancholy tone remains strong. Everyone is
fighting over this lovely land whilst also ruining it with ghoulish
mayhem, and this deadly mystery is still an exciting grandpappy for
the slasher genre.
Blood
and Black Lace –
Sweet, jazzy rhythms, classy titles, and a suspicious tone open this
1964 ninety minutes – one of Bava's earlier saucies full of secret
diaries, scandal, drugs, hysterical dames, and murder. Though a
little slow to get going thanks to confusing lookalike women, uneven
or hampered dubbing, and misogynistic “I don't believe in
permanent, exclusive relationships” two-timing men; the violence
here is carefully styled and well filmed whilst also being rough,
haphazard, congested, and disturbingly intimate as such horror risque
should be. It is chilling and uncomfortable to watch as these women
are attacked, abused, and tortured – this is real world scary
violence not the fantastic or fake monsters. Ripped garments and
blood marring the pretty faces add enough skin and gore suggestions
alongside a vivid palette of flashing lights, shadow schemes in
multiple colors, and symbolic reds matching the illicit. Rome
exteriors, layered décor, and fancy frocks accent the mid century
behind the scenes fashion drama, and delightful editing, interesting
camera framing, and multi action intercutting raise the tension. The
viewer side eyes these naughty women going off alone at night with
obsessed, lusty men, yet it's fun to suspect as the screams and crazy
turns add surprises. Who is this fedora wearing masked killer so
desperate to keep the off the time racy hidden? Sure, the lethal
planning and police investigation are a little sloppy; the subtitles
don't match and thus send some of the details amiss. However, the
deadly vignettes progress into a intriguing mystery rooted in a
realistic setting and simmering schemes – making this little
thriller a wild, must see precursor to slice and dice horror as we
know it.
5
Dolls for an August Moon
– A swanky, sunny, coastal start with groovy records, spinning
beds, and heady parties full of glitz and glamour quickly leads to
bad business deals, isolated island danger, and mysterious science
experiments in this 1970 thriller. Jokes about virgin sacrifices and
saucy torture make way for kinky seductions, skimpy skin, juicy gold
digging dames, and shady millionaires. No price – such as a life or
two – is too much for this elusive formula, and smartly used
darkness, silhouettes, and flickering lights accent the fine editing
and carefully placed zooms. Though perhaps dated, now period flair
and colorful Bava style don't look budget, and early genre staples
add panache. From a false scary start to a scantily clad running
beauty and a group of people trapped with a high stakes killer, the
eighty minute suspense moves quickly as the players fall. Some of the
back and forth money double talk might get lost in translation amid
the Italian audio and English subtitles and too many Jacks and/or
Jacques do make it tough to tell who is who. However, the dead piling
up in the freezer adds a touch of humor, and it's amusing how the
money and formula are more important to these people than finding the
killer! Interesting lady leaning innuendo, character turnabouts,
missing money, and finger pointing accusations accent the deadly
competition, and red herrings lead to some excellent ante ups for the
final twenty minutes. No, there isn't a lot of outright slice and
dice scary or gore as may be expected, and calling this horror feels
slightly mislabeled. Fortunately, there is a lot of entertaining
tension here to match the interconnecting intrigue, and it's fun to
guess who's behind the 'formulaic' foul play.
Hatchet
for the Honeymoon –
Romantic scoring and stylish red designs over the opening credits of
this eighty eight minute 1970 slasher deflect the killer scares to
come, but arty, distorted deaths and dreamlike swirls are edited in
time with the eponymous slices, shiny blades, symbolic wedding night
blood, and bridal voyeurism. Unique camera shots and frames filmed
through the mirrors or the internal fashion photo shoot lenses add to
the quality, non herky jerky camera movements, and creepy mannequins,
seances, secret rooms, askew sexuality, marital dysfunction, and
beautiful roses create heaps of atmosphere along with lovely locales,
lush interiors, and a spooky speeding train. The killer narration is
also bemusingly honest – this psychopath nonchalantly admits where
the tallied and once pretty bodies are buried and how he hates his
brow beating but unaware spiritualist wife Laura Betti, also of A
Bay of Blood. The struggle
against the urge to kill escalates as painful memories and seductive,
tempting models help piece together this deadly psyche and the
murderous source. Brief mentions of a faltering business and rocky
inheritance, however, seem of little importance, and the police
investigation feels too weak, even easy. Obviously, there are also
perhaps too many motherly roots and Psycho
parallels, but strangely, partway through the time here, the
murdering mayhem turns into something more paranormal. The audience
is intrigued by the killer and the surrounding twistedness, but this
seemingly rushed double plot tries to do too much. Thankfully, there
is a wacky, whimsical mood and internal wink to the deathly love and
saucy subtext without the need for excessive skin or gore. There are
some fun spins here to keep the bridal butchery entertaining, and I'm
surprised this one seems a little unloved.
Kill,
Baby, Kill – From the
period start with bloody spikes, evil child laughter, and coffins to
the superb crumbling locales, bleak landscapes, and foggy cemetery –
Maestro Bava invokes the total gothic formula for a macabre, dreadful
mood in this 1966 mystery. Horrendous deaths, a foreign doctor's
arrival, the mysterious baroness on the continent, suspicious
townsfolk, village curses, and carriages complete with fearful
drivers blossom amid an impeded investigation, reluctant autopsies,
scared girls, and scary ladies. Eerie rituals and specters tapping at
the window escalate the suspense while a dizzying spiral staircase
and carefully placed zooms increase anxiousness – be they fast,
hectic ascents or slow, simmering tracking shots. The print would
show its age and low budget, but there are no faded visuals here
thanks to the intentionally lush dimension, well lit design, smart
shadows, strategic cobwebs, and spooky chic interiors. The hazy dream
sequence isn't over the top yet remains disturbing alongside an
orchestra of scary sounds, cat meows, and tolling bells topping off
the atmosphere. While those familiar with the gothic Hammer
productions or our recent American in another country versus juvenile
phantom trends may find some elements predictable or the expositions
convenient; skin suggestions and hints of blood do enough without the
need for excessive nudity or gore. The English audio and subtitles
are pretty good, too, and the players are quite fine over the fast
moving eighty-three minute duration. Whichever of the assorted
distribution titles you find this one under, there's no reason not to
like the creepy mysteries, spooky revelations, paranormal fun, and
sorcery shocks here.
No comments:
Post a Comment