He invented a whole way of making films.More like fever dreams.
PS
Are we back to" Cinemah"’
funny this appeared. i just watched my first bava movie tonight. “bloody sunday”. nothing too interesting for me. the cinematography was excellent…but thats one of the most boring, nondescript things anyone can say about any movie.
my favorite moments were the opening sequence, when they nailed the devil mask to the witch’s head. and then when the guy was struggling with that oversized bat in the cave, then unexpectedly pulls out a gun and shoots it.
Yes we are and you know it, Francisco—the game’s afoot once again, and I look forward to hearing from you, cineaste.
Excellent!
Didnt Corman riff on Bava all through the 60s?
Never explored his ouvre. Where should I start? (and where should I stop?)
Danger Diabolik is my favorite comic book (or fumetti) movie. Forget Losey’s Modesty Blaise, this is the one. Blood and Black Lace is great fun, drugs intrigue and murder in the world of high fashion, and a visual treat. The final clip added following the last segment of Black Sabbath is amazing and delightful – Bava gives away some of his tricks. Black Sunday – Barbara Steele, what more is there to say. Almost all of his movies are imaginative and visual filmmaking, he gives the viewer a lot of pleasure.
You probably have a point, but Mario is far superior to Roger Corman, but Roger certainly has some extraordinary color schemes due to Nicholas Roeg’s cinematography.
Banali, thanks for the incisive commentary—give your take on his late movies.
I’ve only seen Black Sabbath and Kill, Baby . . . Kill and enjoyed them both quite a bit. The little girl in KBK was creeeeepy. I’ll have to seek out Danger Diabolik. What other recommendations do you have?
Far superior Bava was but Corman took the ball and ran far away with it. Just look at THE Terror!
It doesnt make any sense other than a mood. Cant make my mind if its a masterpiece or the biggest flop ever.
Bava, a director who is truly defined by the word auteuer, whether using the old Andrew Sarris definition or the one tossed around a little to liberally on this site today. His films all have a visual signature clearly visible. He knew how to dress a scene and keep the suspense rising by only showing us subtle hints of the danger lurking off screen. He got more bang for his buck while always working on small budgets and yet he was always able to attract “name” talent to his films. For a accurate account of his career (many productions of that era of Italian cinema are buried under false production credits) may I recommend Tim Lucas’s All The Colors Of The Dark with an amazing introduction by Martin Scorsese. The book is an amazing labor of love by a talented individual, whose love of the subject matter is self evident. Black Sunday with Barbara Steele (from 81/2) is a great example of early Italian gothic horror and I believe a great influence on Dario Argento and those who follow later.
MBD, start with Black Sunday then proceed with gusto to all his one-of-a-kind hallucinatory color movies—Argento’s giallo movies are pygmies compared to the truly audacious Mario Bava—BETTER THAN A MESCALINE TRIP IN NEW YORK OF THE SEVENTIES—CANNOT BE BEAT AND NOTHING IN LIFE QUITE COMPARES!
Soybean and all who have an interest in Bava, here’s a partial list of his hit parade: The Body and the Whip, Hercules in the Haunted World, Planet of the Vampires, Kill Baby…Kill, The Girl Who Knew Too Much, Hatchet for the Honeymoon, Twitch of the Death Nerve, Baron Blood, 4 Times That Night, Lisa and the Devil, Black Sabbath, Diabolik, and Kidnapped/Rabid Dogs—these were all recommended to me by Martin Scorese initially—by the way, get ready for ecstacy/fear as you experience the moods/cinematic drugs/color schemes of these movies—they are all hallucinatory mood pieces that take you on some of the great rides of your young lives—as a teacher/ professor of film studies, I showed up to 4 of these in some of my film studies in the recent past—both men and women seemed to enjoy and still talk about some of them.
Black Sunday is on my Top Ten list of personal horror favorites.
Regarding Lisa and the Devil, an excellent film, but stay away from the american re-edit known as House of Exorcism. It’s a complete mess that the US distributor re-cut to try and cash in on the wave of exorcism films that had captured the imagination ( or lack thereof) of US audiences.
Mario Bava was an auteur. Never got the credit he justly deserved. I have seen and own every film he directed. One thing to remember about him was the small amount of money he was given make his films. He did so much with so little. He basically created the “giallo” and his film “Bay of Blood” aka “Twitch of the Death Nerve” (what a title!) was a precursor to the slasher films of the 80’s. “Friday the 13th” was a complete rip off of this film. What he did with lighting was revolutionary. His use of colors, bright reds, green, and blue was done to such great detail that it gave his color films his “stamp” and as Chris Minnock said earlier, he created his own style that made him an auteur. Martin Scorsese is quoted as saying the little girl with the “bouncing” ball in “Kill Baby…Kill” was a huge influence on his film “Last Temptation of Christ” in his portraying evil. I also agree with Mr. Minnock about Tim Lucas’s book “All the Colors of the Dark”. It is THE definitive work on this great filmmaker and is a must for any fan.
Some of my favorite’s that don’t get a lot of mention is the “original” cut of “Lisa and the Devil” (not the hack job “The House of Exorcism”). His late masterpiece “Rabid Dogs”, which was unconventional for a Bava film, has one of the best ending’s of all his films. But alas, it also was recut with added footage, by his son no less, as “Kidnapped”, and ruins the claustrophobic feeling of the original. Another great hidden gem is “Whip and the Body” starring Christopher Lee. Lee is quoted saying that this is one of his favorite films. It’s one of the most romantic horror films ever made.
Of course his classic’s “Black Sunday”, “Black Sabbath” (the last “tale” “A Drip of Water” is one of the best horror story ever brought to film, a must see. His use of sound is amazing), and “Kill Baby…Kill” are all must see.
Thank god for DVD and “Netflix” that his films can finally be seen and appreciated. If the great Martin Scorsese is a fan, come on, than we all should be. Rent these films, they are amazing, and Mario Bava was one of the greatest filmmakers of his time.
It was said the he was the Italian Hitchcock. No, he was artist all on his own.
Ironically, he died just day’s after Hitchcock. Even in death he was unappreciated and overlooked.
Argento, you owe a great debt to this amazing filmmaker.
Sorry, I could go on and on about the great Mario Bava. Please watch his films, and give him a chance. You won’t be disappointed.
John, would you please give us some more specific commentary on the wondrous Bava who was of all things a very devout Roman Catholic? I’ve read Lucas’ masterful biography, but you seem to have retained more of it than I have. Thanks.
Thanks !
give me a online link to his movies ?
Anyone interested in Bava should check out the book All the Colors of the Dark by Video Watchdog’s Tim Lucas (videowatchdog.com) — the definitive book on the man and his movies.
Just don’t watch Shock (1977). Probably the most boring piece of crap I’ve ever seen. Black Sunday and Black Sabbath are probably his best.
This thread requires another bump. I have seen more by other Italian b-movie directors (regardless if that term is misunderstood or not) like Fulci and Lenzi but Bava’s Black Sunday has some of the most iconic cinematography in horror films and films in general! I think it was vaguely based on a Gogol tale and I’m pretty sure it was made in a clearer adaptation several years later, Viy.
You can see more threads I have bumped on my profile page and you can comment on any one you like. All the directors I’ve chosen are true masters for me. Equal to the “famous” ones.
It does not help that much of the work he did he was uncredited for.
btw he made the best Hercules movie with Reg Park Hercules in the Haunted World
“Didnt Corman riff on Bava all through the 60s?”
It definitely seems like MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH wouldn’t be as awesome as it is if it weren’t for Bava.
Granted, I also admire MOTRD way more than any Bava I’ve seen.
Seen Black Sunday. Loved it. Now trying to decide between Bay of Blood and Blood and Black Lace. They both look like loads of fun. This guy knew how to use a camera that’s for sure. Anyone got any recommendations?
Maybe a Bava fan can help me. I recently watched a version of Blood and Black Lace that I rented from Netflix. This version was stunning. The colors were amazing, it had decent subtitles (my only complaint here was that they were a little to quick to read at times) and it had a restored opening title sequence that I don’t think ever appeared on previous DVD versions.
Well, I bought a copy from Amazon of what I thought was this version of the film (it had the same artwork I believe) but it’s not the same. The colors are dull in comparison, it has the old freeze frame opening credits, and it’s dubbed. It’s almost like watching a completely different film. It’s one of the most glaring examples of how important good restoration can be that I have come across. How frustrating!
Do any of you Bava fans know which DVD version it is that I rented from Netflix and if it is available for purchase?
Sometimes Netflix will have more than one version of a film.
streetcar desire
I’ve seen them all I think—I enjoy re-seeing them for the wonderful garish colors alone—please tell me what you think of any or all of his masterpieces