Thursday, July 23, 2020

Best Mario Bava Movies- 99 Days to Halloween


Five Dolls for an August Moon (1970)
A standard Giallo Who Done It movie that Bava took the helm of when the director left. The excellent cast and beach house allowed Bava to make the necessary changes to salvage what would have been a disastrous production.  



Baron Blood (1972)
A medieval castle in the modern-day offers a great setting for this supernatural thriller with an evil spirit being summoned by a young man and woman who mistakenly revive it after reading incantations from ancient documents. 



Shock (1977)
The last film, directed by Mario Bava, Shock, is a supernatural thriller with a widowed woman returning to her deceased husband's family home and being tormented by an evil presence. 



Hatchet for a Honeymoon (1970)
The murderous deeds of a troubled man are the subject of this movie that has Stephen Forsyth portraying a madman targeting young brides. The film is one of Bava's more obscure movies that does precede psychological horror films such as American Psycho.



The Whip and the Body (1963)
A gothic thriller that echoes the style of the British horror movies of that era, Bava uses an excellent cast and great visual style to create a suspenseful film that did face problems with censors in Italy, the UK, and the US. 


 
Danger: Diabolik (1968)
A comic book style crime caper that plays out like a James Bond movie with the dashing costumed criminal Diabolik being pursued by corrupt authorities and criminal rivals. The movie best captures the style of the 1960s spy films with its brilliant visuals, exotic locations, and John Phillip Law's portrayal of Diabolik. 



Planet of the Vampires (1965)
Mario Bava directed this film with the crew of a spaceship attempting to rescue its sister ship only to find the remains of an alien vessel. This early Sci-Fi thriller inspired Alien and makes effective use of creepy sets and cool costumes. 



Kill, Baby Kill! (1966)
A small village lives in fear from the ghost of a young girl. "Kill, Baby Kill!"  would influence horror films that would use the image of a young girl as a sign of evil. This trope would especially be seen in Japanese horror movies of the early 2000s.   



Black Sabbath (1963)
Boris Karloff presents three tales of atmospheric filled terror that take place in different periods. This anthology directed by Mario Bava was a commercial failure yet would inspire the name of the English Heavy Metal band and Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction. 



The Girl Who Knew Too Much (1963)
A woman travels to Rome & is stalked by a killer after witnessing a murder. This movie is considered one of the first Giallo movies, mixing a crime thriller with elements of sex appeal and horror. These movies were often set in exotic locations in Italy. 



A Bay of Blood (1971)
Directed by Mario Bava, this Giallo film would also serve as the template that all slasher movies would follow. A required watch for true fans of slasher movies and Giallo thrillers.



Blood and Black Lace (1964)
A masked killer stalks models who are in a fashion salon in Rome, Italy. This early Giallo would become a template for future Giallo movies and later slasher films of the late 70s and early 80s. 


Black Sunday (1960)
This film was the first and best of Italian maestro Mario Bava and starred Barbara Steele. With his excellent cinematography, hauntingly shot in black and white, Black Sunday was both a cult and critical hit.

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