Mario Bava

  • Mario Bava – Gli orrori del castello di Norimberga AKA Baron Blood (1972)

    1971-1980HorrorItalyMario BavaThriller

    American student Peter Kliest travels to Austria to find out about his great-grandfather, the infamous Baron Otto Von Kliest, who tortured and murdered over a hundred people before being cursed by a witch and himself being tortured to death. He finds an incantation which, if read after midnight, can supposedly bring the Baron back to life, and with Eve, a woman who works at the Baron’s castle, he goes to the castle and recites it. Realising what they have done, they try to recant the incantation using an alternative spell but a wind blows it into the fireplace. The Baron, who is hideously disfigured, is now loose to torture and kill again. The following day at an auction, a mysterious wheelchair-billionaire called Alfred Becker buys the whole castle and sets about restoring it…Read More »

  • Lamberto Bava & Mario Bava & Marcello Aliprandi & Giovanna Gagliardo & Piero Nelli & Giulio Questi & Tomaso Sherman – I giochi del diavolo AKA The Devil’s Game (1981)

    1971-1980Giovanna GagliardoGiulio QuestiHorrorItalyLamberto BavaMarcello AliprandiMario BavaPiero NelliTomaso ShermanTV

    In 1981, RAI-TV presented six hour-long films based on stories by 19th century horror/fantasy authors from such directors as Giulio Questi (DJANGO, KILL!), Marcello Aliprandi (A WHISPER IN THE DARK) and Giovanna Gagliardo (STREET OF MIRRORS), starring actors that included Veronica Lario (TENEBRE), Saverio Vallone (ANTHROPOPHAGUS) and Stefano Madia (THE DEVIL’S HONEY). But it was the mini-series’ second episode that remains its most celebrated: The final work of legendary director Mario Bava – and the debut of his son Lamberto Bava as co-director – LA VENERE D’ILLE/THE VENUS OF ILLE stars Daria Nicolodi (DEEP RED) and Marc Porel (DON’T TORTURE A DUCKLING) in an elegantly chilling tale of supernatural love. Five episodes have been sourced from broadcast masters, with Bava’s swansong restored from a 16MM print discovered in the RAI vault by film preservationists Simone Starace and the late Michele De Angelis.Read More »

  • Mario Bava & Henry Levin – Le meraviglie di Aladino (1961)

    Mario Bava1961-1970AdventureFantasyHenry Levin

    Young man found in Baghdad in a lamp with a Genie Pony which help the Prince to defeat evil and the good Sposaro Grand Vizier of the Sultan’s daughter. Modest variations in the history of the Arabian Held in special effects at night with Mario Bava, Italian edition that the royal signature, and characterizations of gigionesche Vittorio. De Sica and Aldo Fabrizi.Read More »

  • Mario Bava – La ragazza che sapeva troppo AKA The Girl Who Knew Too Much (1963)

    1961-1970GialloItalyMario BavaThriller

    Synopsis:
    The American fan of mystery novels, Nora Davis, travels from New York to Rome to spend vacation with her mother’s friend Ethel Windell Batocci. On board the airplane, she accepts a pack of cigarettes from the passenger on the next seat and in the airport she finds that the man is a drug dealer. When she arrives at Ethel’s place, she meets Dr. Marcello Bassi and finds that the old lady is on her deathbed. During the night, Ethel has a heart attack and dies; Nora runs to the hospital to call Marcello. However, she is attacked and robbed on a staircase by a thief and faints. She awakens to witness a woman being stabbed, a man is after her. At the hospital, however, nobody believes her. At Ethel’s funeral, a stranger (Laura Craven-Torrani) introduces herself as a friend of Ethel’s and invites Nora to stay in her apartment while she travels to Switzerland to meet her husband. Nora accepts the invitation and decides to investigate the murder. She believes that the serial-killer of the so called Alphabet Murders is chasing her and she will be the next victim.Read More »

  • Mario Bava – Sei donne per l’assassino AKA Blood and Black Lace (1964)

    1961-1970GialloItalyMario Bava

    A young model is murdered by a masked, black-gloved figure in the grounds of a high-class fashion house. When the victim’s diary, which apparently contains secrets of people connected to the fashion house, appears, the killer goes on a killing spree trying to hide his tracks and keep the diary from falling into wrong hands.Read More »

  • Lamberto Bava & Mario Bava – “I giochi del diavolo” La Venere d’Ille AKA The Venus of Ille (1979)

    1971-1980HorrorItalyLamberto BavaMario BavaTV

    Wealthy landowner Mr. De Peyhorrade uncovers a bronze statue of Venus on his property. Afterwards, De Peyhorrade asks an antique expert, named Matthew, from another village to examine the statue and confirm its wealth. Upon arrival, Matthew is striken with love by Clara, Mr. De Peyhorrade’s daughter-in-law, who bears an uncanny resemblance to the statue.Read More »

  • Mario Bava – 5 bambole per la luna d’agosto AKA Five Dolls for an August Moon AKA Island of Terror (1970)

    1961-1970GialloItalyMario BavaThriller

    Synopsis:
    The story brings together a motley crew of characters on an island retreat owned by wealthy industrialist George Stark. Foremost among the guests is Gerry Farrell, a brilliant young inventor who is badly in need of a vacation. While the first night passes uneventfully, Farrell is enraged to discover that Stark, together with several of the other guests, has planned this “getaway” as an opportunity of coercing him into selling his latest invention: a new brand of industrial resin. Stark and his associates are hell-bent on buying the distribution rights, even if it literally means stabbing a few people in the back.Read More »

  • Mario Bava – Reazione a catena AKA A Bay of Blood [+commentary] (1971)

    1971-1980GialloHorrorItalyMario Bava

    Synopsis:
    A wealthy heiress and landowner dies under mysterious circumstances (her husband did it, but don’t worry, he was done in too), and anyone with a minute claim to her property shows up to collect. The would-be heirs and heiresses start offing each other in increasingly creative and graphic ways, along with some dimwitted teenagers that stop by the bay looking for a party. Basically, it’s Ten Little Indians on the bay.Read More »

  • Mario Bava – Gli Invasori AKA Erik the Conqueror (1961)

    1961-1970AdventureItalyMario Bava

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    PLOT
    In the 9th Century, two Viking children, separated since their early childhood with one raised by the British and the other by Vikings, meet after nearly 20 years as rivals as war breaks out between Britian and the Vikings for control of England.Read More »

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