Mario Bava

[MattXFLexicon]

You know, this is kind of a given with a site like this. But who else here is a fan of Italian Director Mario Bava?

What are your favorite Bava films?

Why is it a favorite?

My three top favorites would have to be the obvious ones. 'Black Sunday, Black Sabbath', and 'Blood and Black Lace'.

'Whip and the Body' and 'Danger Diabolik' would have to be in the top ten faves. Any thoughts?

[Seppuku]

I love Black Sunday (The Mask of Satan) and Black Sabbath too. It's a pity that the U.S censors desecrated the originals by mercilessly cutting them. As far as I know, it's these cut versions which still circulate and are popular in the U.S. today. The uncut versions, however, are most definitely high points of the horror genre. It's old horror films like this that tell you why black and white movies were so terrifying in their essence; the shadows held demons that we could almost see. Colour cinematography has almost stolen the grainy lustre that films like Black Sunday had in spades. Barbara Steele's beauty could only be lessened with colour.

Don't be surprised if this thread drops from the Top 10 before too long, but I'm sure some Bava fan will bring it back up again.

[colonel_lugz]

Diabolik? was that the guy who dressed like a reverse Racoon?

[WinslowLeach]

I love Mario Bava!! My favorites by him: The Girl Who Knew Too Much, Kill Baby Kill, Black Sunday, Black Sabbath, Planet of The Vampires, Blood and Black Lace, The Whip and the Body, Lisa and The Devil, Dr Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs, Danger Diabolik

Black Sabbath was the first Bava film I ever saw and it really made a big impression on me. I had never really seen a film that looked like that. Bava had such an extraordinary visual style. The color palettes he used were so beautiful and his sets were otherworldly and haunting. Just incredible pure cinema.

[havocSchultz]

mario's cool - but lamberto's name just rolls off the tongue easier...

[DinoDeLaurentiis]

Did a somebody say Italian movie directors?!?

Hehehe... I LOVE a the Mario, eh? He's a my boy, my paisan, no? Lemme tell a you about a the Mario...

Back inna '66, the putz, he was a the totally stressed out from alla the work he been a doing, eh? Anna he hadda the death inna the family as a well, eh? Very hard onna him, to be a sure, no? Anna so Mario, he was a thinking about a getting out of a the business.

What could a the Dino do to help, eh? I tell a you what I did... I bought a the rights a to a the Giussani Sisters' Diabolik anna ask a the Mario to be at a the helm of a the biggest budgeted assignment he had ever seen at a the time, eh?

Holy crappa you should have a seen a the look onna his a face a when I offer him a the $3,000,000 budget, eh? Hehehe... the putz. Back inna the day, $3 million was a still something to make a you stand up anna take a notice, eh? For a the goddamn funny book a movie!!

So Mario, you know what he do? The glorius bastard, he bring inna the picture for under $400,000!!! I give a him 3 million anna he works onna the goddamn shoestring?!?? I LOVE A THIS A MAN, eh? Heheheh...

He dinna accept a my offer for a the sequel though... he dinna like a working under a the "studio system" for a the big a budget, but goddamn iffa he dinna turn inna one of a the finest funny book adaptations inna the business no? Anna did I mention he came in under a the budget??

Did I mention I LOVE A THIS A MAN?!?

Oh, anna iffa you watch a the Planet of a the Vampires, you gonna to see where a the Dan O'Bannon anna Ridley Scott, those putzes, they rip off a the Mario for a the whole alien planet/space jockey thing inna the "Alien" movie, eh?

[havocSchultz]

Did a somebody say Italian movie directors?!?

Hehehe... I LOVE a the Mario, eh? He's a my boy, my paisan, no? Lemme tell a you about a the Mario...

Back inna '66, the putz, he was a the totally stressed out from alla the work he been a doing, eh? Anna he hadda the death inna the family as a well, eh? Very hard onna him, to be a sure, no? Anna so Mario, he was a thinking about a getting out of a the business.

What could a the Dino do to help, eh? I tell a you what I did... I bought a the rights a to a the Giussani Sisters' Diabolik anna ask a the Mario to be at a the helm of a the biggest budgeted assignment he had ever seen at a the time, eh?

Holy crappa you should have a seen a the look onna his a face a when I offer him a the $3,000,000 budget, eh? Hehehe... the putz. Back inna the day, $3 million was a still something to make a you stand up anna take a notice, eh? For a the goddamn funny book a movie!!

So Mario, you know what he do? The glorius bastard, he bring inna the picture for under $400,000!!! I give a him 3 million anna he works onna the goddamn shoestring?!?? I LOVE A THIS A MAN, eh? Heheheh...

He dinna accept a my offer for a the sequel though... he dinna like a working under a the "studio system" for a the big a budget, but goddamn iffa he dinna turn inna one of a the finest funny book adaptations inna the business no? Anna did I mention he came in under a the budget??

Did I mention I LOVE A THIS A MAN?!?

Oh, anna iffa you watch a the Planet of a the Vampires, you gonna to see where a the Dan O'Bannon anna Ridley Scott, those putzes, they rip off a the Mario for a the whole alien planet/space jockey thing inna the "Alien" movie, eh?

brilliant...dino...brilliant....

but i still think lamberto rolls of the tongue better...

[havocSchultz]

myself - i was always a fan of Bay of Blood - and Shock was cool too - just cause it was the last one by him...

[John-Locke]

Interesting time for this to be posted, I'm going to the tate Modern on Sunday and as I was searching the site I just noticed they are doing a Italian Kings of the B’s: Secret History of Italian Cinema 1949–81 season which is half way through.
http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/eventseducation/film/italiankingsofthebssecrethistoryofitaliancinema194981.htm


This Saturday Le spie vengono dal semifreddo (Dr Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine) is showing for free

http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/eventseducation/film/lespievengonodalsemifreddodrgoldfootandthebikinimachine4809.htm

Planet of the Vampires is showing for free next Wednesday.

http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/eventseducation/film/terrorenellospazioplanetofthevampires4810.htm

I've not seen any Bava but I am tempted myself.

[DerLanghaarige]

They started two or three years ago to release his films on DVD in Germany and now I begin to discover his work.
Has anyone seen the documentary "Mario Bava: Meastro Of The Macabre" in which they interview Joe Dante, Tim Burton and John Carpenter? It's really interesting!

[Dark Knight]

Big fan of Bava! I've never seen Black Sabbath though. Does anyone know where a copy of it can be found for cheap?

Anyway, I also love his son's work too. Demons kicks ass!

[DerLanghaarige]

Anyway, I also love his son's work too. Demons kicks ass!

But didn't Lamberto also made TV-Crap like "Princess Fantaghiro"?

[Dark Knight]

Yeah, but that was like 90's the stuff he did in the 80's was, to quote myself, kick ass. Sure he didn't do much worth watching but what's there...yeah.

[MattXFLexicon]

It's been awhile since I posted on this thread.

I just picked up Bava's Shock, his final film, although not really one of his best. It seemed too similar to The Whip and the Body for me, at least thematically. Yet that hallway scene with the kid transforming into the dead husband is a classic.

I thought I saw that a new re-issue for Kill, Baby Kill was coming out on DVD. Can anyone confirm that for me?