KILL BABY KILL (Blu-ray Review) - Kino Classics

Italy/1966
Directed By: Mario Bava
Written By: Romano Migliorini, Roberto Natale, Mario Bava
Starring: Giacomo Rossi Stuart, Erika Blanc, Fabienne Dali
Color/83 Minutes/Not Rated
Region A
Release Date: October 10, 2017

The Film
Mario Bava is the Godfather of Italian horror and perhaps genre cinema in general. He made a huge splash with gothic horror films during the 1960s including the chilling slow burn ghost story KILL, BABY... KILL! This 1966 film stars Giacomo Rossi Stuart as a doctor summoned to a small Italian village to perform an autopsy on a recently deceased woman but finds that superstition and fear run deep among the population of this village and that the spirit of an undead girl and madness are the reason.

KILL BABY KILL is another fine example of Bava's mastery behind the camera. From his ability to create mood and atmosphere using the centuries old villas and colored gel lighting to the cinematography which he did partially himself along with frequent collaborator Antonio Rinaldi and was how he cut his teeth in the film industry before getting a chance to direct his own films, he oozes style and ability. Bava's attention to detail even went as far as finding exactly the right person to play the role of Melissa, the vengeful spirit and when he couldn't find a girl that fit his vision he cast a young male with these striking and protruding eyes. His storytelling here is simple, and Giacomo Rossi Stuart proves to be a capable and likable protagonist who investigates the strange dealings of the village and their fear of a ghostly apparition. His relationship with Erika Blanc provides a deeper and more personal motivation for the character to find out the true nature of this village's fear and the duo have strong chemistry.

It's all about the visuals though and Bava provides plenty of them. From Melissa's stony eyed gaze as she peered through windows at her next victim to the graveyard swing shot from her point of view as the camera plays with the audience. And there's something to be said about how effortlessly creepy the bouncing ball scenes are particularly as the child's toy bounces through an open door and across a corpse awaiting autopsy. The film brings chills in very simplistic ways but that is just a testament to Bava's ability as the film is never boring despite its methodical pace. This small world we're brought into a long with Stuart's Dr. Eswai is both mad and engrossing from the crowd that frequents the bar and the inn to the reverse gravediggers who want to buy bodies in a hurry as opposed to the typical characters we see digging them up and the haunting Baroness Graps, there's always something or someone worth paying attention to.

The 60s were the decade that Mario Bava became a name. He made three of his best films in the first half of the decade and while KILL BABY KILL isn't the film that Black Sabbath (1963), Black Sunday (1960) or even The Whip And The Body (1963) are, it is a fine example of a gothic chiller and a genuinely well made and effective horror film. Bava spent time in just about every genre you can think of but his gothic horror films may be his finest work. Or maybe they're second to this gialli... I'll let you decide for yourselves but be sure not to overlook KILL BABY KILL.

The Audio & Video
Kino Lorber delivers KILL BABY KILL on Blu-ray with a new 2K scan taken from 35mm film elements. The 16x9 anamorphic widescreen transfer retains the film's grain structure and there's no signs of digital noise reduction or edge enhancement. There's speckling throughout but it never becomes intrusive or excessive. Colors are strong with deep black levels and detail is definitely improved over previous DVD releases of the film. This release features Italian and English Dolby Digital mono audio mixes. There's no hiss or distortion but some light organic, natural background noise is present. Both audio tracks sound very good and I have no real complaints about them.

The Extras
-Audio Commentary With Tim Lucas author of the be-all end-all Mario Bava tome All The Colors Of The Dark
-"Kill Bava Kill" - A 2007 documentary on the production of the film with Mario Bava's son Lamberto Bava who served as Assistant Director on the film. This was previously unreleased and clocks in at 25 minutes and is a tour of shooting locations and filled with good memories from the production.
-German title sequence with alternate footage
-Interview with actress Erika Blanc
-International theatrical trailer
-TV Spots

The Bottom Line
Mario Bava is one of the greatest cult filmmakers of all time and his horror output can stand up to any other director's filmography and KILL BABY KILL is a strong part of his catalog and should be a strong part of your collection - Highly recommended.

KILL BABY KILL is available HERE

EVIL EYE aka THE GIRL WHO KNEW TOO MUCH (Blu-ray Review) - Kino

Italy/1963
Directed By: Mario Bava
Written By: Mario Bava, Enzo Corbucci, Ennio De Concini, Eliana De Sabata, Mino Guerrini, Franco Prosperi
Starring: Leticia Roman, John Saxon, Valentina Cortese
Black and White/92 Minutes (or 85 minutes)/Not Rated
Region A
Release Date: May 19, 2015

The Film
The giallo craze swept Italy in the 1970s with seemingly every genre filmmaker putting together their own murder mystery thrillers, sometimes heavily influenced by the horror genre and often very stylish and explicitly violent and sexual. Directors such as Dario Argento and Sergio Martino became household names by making some of the finest examples of these films but the genre started almost a decade before the roof was blown off and the cycle exploded.

Mario Bava made the prototype giallo in 1963 with THE GIRL WHO KNEW TOO MUCH in which a young American girl touring Rome witnesses a murder on the famous Spanish Steps in Rome. The traumatic experience leaves her unconcious and when she awakens nobody believes her story. She begins to investigate the crime on her own and uncovers a series of related crimes that may be leading to her being the next target on the killer's list.

The groundwork was laid for the genre and its foundation is rock solid. Bava created a well crafted thriller that is tense and suspenseful from start to finish. The photography is beautiful and the cast is quite good. THE GIRL WHO KNEW TOO MUCH wouldn't turn out to be the best, or most entertaining and it certainly isn't the most gruesome or sexual but it was the first. It quite aptly summed up what a giallo is and would become when they became all the rage several years later.

The Audio & Video
Home run, Kino! This is a damn near perfect A/V presentation for a film deserving of it. The HD transfer of the 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer is stunning. The black and white photography is deep and stark with strong emphasis on shadows. Black levels are handled brilliantly with no blocking up or compression issues. Detail levels are exceptional from the healthy skin tones, to textures and fabrics and even grains of dirt that you can almost feel. The Italian audio track is crisp and clear with no damage noticeable. The audio has enough body to it so that it doesn't sound thin against the score. The mix of dialogue and score is very well done. The optional English subtitles are perfectly timed and translated so they read very naturally in English.

The Extras
-Audio commentary with Tim Lucas
-Trailers for both versions of the film

The Bottom Line
While I suggest the viewers watch Mario Bava's original version of the film, it is a welcomed addition to have the American cut of the film in HD as well. The more Mario Bava films and their alternate versions we can get on Blu-ray the better and this release is a great chance to own both versions of one of the maestro's landmark films.

EVIL EYE is available HERE

The Whip And The Body (Blu-ray Review) - Kino

Italy/1963
Directed By: Mario Bava
Written By: Ernesto Gastaldi, Ugo Guerra, Luciano Martino
Starring: Christopher Lee, Daliah Lavi
Color/87 Minutes/Not Rated
Region A

The Film
Daliah Lavi stars as Navenka, the beautiful woman tortured by Kurt Menliff (Christopher Lee), who returns home to his castle at the dismay of everyone else there. After he's found dead the torment continues as Menliff's spirit is vengeful and full of anger. 

The surface level plot of  THE WHIP AND THE BODY isn't anything you haven't heard before. It is the subconcious, the atmosphere, the sadomasochism that the film is steeped in that make it special. The gorgeous photography and excellent staging that make it one of Bava's best films. Christopher Lee is excellent as the Count and Daliah Lavi is so gorgeous and tormented that you feel awful for her, despite how much it drives her actions. THE WHIP AND THE BODY is possibly Mario Bava's cruelest film but it is also one of his most beautiful. This is truly one of the best horror films of the 1960s, a decade filled with incredible horror films.

The Audio & Video
Kino Classics deliver THE WHIP AND THE BODY on Blu-ray for the film's first ever treatment in HD. The 1.78:1 widescreen transfer keeps the film's original aspect ratio in tact and it looks gorgeous. Skin tones are natural and healthy while the colorful lighting and gorgeous gothic castle setting look incredible. Textures are detailed, black levels are deep and inky. The audio side of the disc fares just as well. With 3 separate audio tracks available, English, Italian with English subs and French with English subs. I prefer the English track as there was no live sound recorded and all of the actors were speaking English, either naturally or phonetically, on set The only downside is that another actor was used for Christopher Lee's voice.

Please Note: Images do NOT represent Blu-ray quality

The Extras
Extra features include an older commentary track from Tim Lucas that was ported over from the old VCI DVD release. Also included is the theatrical trailer and several other Bava trailers. 

The Bottom Line
One of horror's greatest director's best films gets a fantastic looking and sounding Blu-ray. Do I really have to say that this one is essential? I shouldn't but I will. This Blu-ray from Kino is essential.

THE WHIP AND THE BODY is available HERE

A Bay Of Blood (Blu-ray Review) - Kino

Italy/1971
Directed By: Mario Bava
Written By: Mario Bava, Filippo Ottoni, Giuseppe Zaccariello
Starring: Claudine Auger, Luigi Pistilli, Claudio Volonte
Color/84 Minutes/Not Rated
Region A

The Film
There are three films that generally get the credit for starting the slasher film craze of the 1980s. These films are Psycho (1960), Black Christmas (1974) and Halloween (1978). While Psycho may very well be the first slasher, it is typically Black Christmas that is referred to as the first modern slasher film and Halloween that gets the credit for blowing the door wide open for the violent, body count films. In 1971 Mario Bava's A BAY OF BLOOD was released and it is every bit as much a slasher film of the 1980s that Black Christmas is. It is a bit of an injustice to not include A BAY OF BLOOD in the discussion of the archetype of the slasher film. Hell, a murder sequence from Bava's film was lifted almost shot for shot in the original Friday The 13th.

This isn't the best Bava film, but it does have some great moments, and is full blown nasty horror. I'd rand this among the 2nd tier Mario Bava films and that is nothing to sneeze at as the man has made multiple masterpieces. Slasher film fans will of course find a lot to enjoy with the blood and gore factor being ramped up considerably from earlier films from the acclaimed Italian director. And the twist ending is sure to leave you stunned.

The Audio & Video
From an A/V standpoint A BAY OF BLOOD is a top tier release from Kino. The picture features strong detail and nice color timing along with natural skin tones and deep black levels. The audio side of things is a clean and stable English track with very minimal background noise. Another great job by Kino on their Mario Bava Collection.

The Extras 
-Audio commentary with Tim Lucas, author of "Mario Bava: All The Colors Of The Dark"
-Alternate Italian cut of the film with Italian audio track
-Theatrical Trailer
-Additional Mario Bava trailers
The Bottom Line
If you're a Mario Bava fan or a slasher fan you'll want to add this disc to your collection as it is a significant upgrade to previous disc releases.

A BAY OF BLOOD is available HERE

Five Dolls For An August Moon (Blu-ray Review) - Kino

Italy/1970
Directed By: Mario Bava
Written By: Mario di Nardo
Starring: William Berger, Ira von Furstenberg, Edwige Fenech
Color/81 Minutes/Not Rated
Region A

The Film
A group of friends vacation to a modernist futuristic island retreat. One of them is a scientist who has developed a revolutionary chemical process and is fending off offers of $1million each for the formula. As the greed boils and builds members of the group start dying and the surviving members have to play the game of survival to find out who is behind the killings.

Mario Bava wasn't fond of FIVE DOLLS FOR AN AUGUST MOON, he was hired to shoot the picture and apparently didn't have time to do any rewrites on the script. If that is truly the case then I'd love to see what he could have done given some time because this is a pretty damn good picture as it is. Bava's signature artistic touches and use of lighting and set decoration is truly breathtaking. The design of the house is gorgeous and the film's cinematography is inspired. This film was edited by Mario Bava himself and he shows that he's more than adequate at that job as well. It seems the only job in the filmmaking process that Bava failed to tackle in his career was that of composer or musician. 

This film isn't overly violent, there are about half a dozen murders but most of the violence appears off screen. The true draw of the film is to see a somewhat manic version of Bava making a really solid giallo. Oh, and the chance to oggle Edwige Fenech. That is never a bad thing. 

The Audio & Video
Kino gives FIVE DOLLS the royal treatment as far as picture quality goes. From the strong level of detail and texture to the gorgeous colors and skin tones this is an absolutely stunning transfer. Aside from a couple moments where lines intersect the picture this is damn near perfect and natural looking. The audio also fares well with a present but low level of background noise but it isn't distracting. It would be nice if there were an Italian track but the 2.0 English track is just fine. I wish all classic horror films got this type of A/V treatment.

PLEASE NOTE: The screen grabs in this review do not represent the quality of the Blu-ray disc and are for reference of the film itself only. 

The Extras
Tim Lucas continues to do great work for these Kino releases and who better for a commentary track than the author of the definitive Mario Bava book: Mario Bava: All The Colors Of The Dark. The track is engaging, informative and full of love from Lucas. Otherwise the disc features a handful of Mario Bava trailers for other Kino releases.  

 

The Bottom Line
Mario Bava is one of the finest filmmaker's the world has ever known and the quality of this disc stands right up there with the man's legacy. This is exactly how Bava should be seen on home video.

FIVE DOLLS FOR AN AUGUST MOON is available HERE