Mario Bava
Encyclopedia
Mario Bava was an Italian
director
, screenwriter
, and cinematographer
remembered as one of the greatest names from the "golden age
" of Italian
horror films.
, Liguria
, Italy
. The son of Eugenio Bava
, a sculptor who became a pioneer of special effects photography and subsequently one of the great cameramen of Italian silent pictures, Mario Bava's first ambition was to become a painter. Unable to turn out paintings at a profitable rate, he went into his father's business, working as an assistant to other Italian cinematographers like Massimo Terzano, while also offering assistance to his father who headed the special effects department at Benito Mussolini
's film factory, the Istituto LUCE.
Bava became a cinematographer in his own right in 1939, shooting two short films with Roberto Rossellini
. He made his feature debut in the early 1940s. Bava's camerawork was an instrumental factor in developing the screen personas of such stars of the period as Gina Lollobrigida
, Steve Reeves
and Aldo Fabrizi
.
Bava co-directed his first genre film in 1958: Le morte viene dallo spazio (The Day the Sky Exploded
), the first Italian science fiction film
. Because he had no earlier credited experience as a director, it was credited solely to Paolo Heusch
. In 1959, Bava co-directed Caltiki, The Immortal Monster with Riccardo Freda. In 1960, he directed Black Sunday, which made a star out of Barbara Steele
. His use of light and dark in black and white films is widely acclaimed along with his use of color in films such as I tre volti della paura (Black Sabbath
) (1963) and La Frusta e il corpo (The Whip and the Body
) (1963).
His work has proved very influential: Bava directed what is called the first Italian giallo
film, La ragazza che sapeva troppo
(The Girl Who Knew Too Much) (1963), and his 1965 sci-fi horror Terrore nello spazio (Planet of the Vampires
) was a probable influence on Alien
(1979). Although comic books had served as the basis for countless serials and children's films in Hollywood, Bava's Diabolik
(1968) brought an adult perspective to the genre. 1971's Reazione a catena/ Bay of Blood (also known as Twitch of the Death Nerve
) is considered to be one of the earliest slasher film
s, and was imitated in the first two American-made Friday the 13th
movies. Many elements of his 1966 film Operazione paura (Kill, Baby... Kill!), regarded by Martin Scorsese
as Bava's masterpiece, also appear in the Asian strain of terror film known as J-Horror
.
Mario Bava was very disappointed with the distribution of some of his later films (which caused him to retire in 1978 at age 63). Lisa and the Devil
(1972) was never picked up by a distrbutor, and had to be later re-edited (with new 1975 footage) into an Exorcist-clone retitled House of Exorcism in order to get released. Bava's Semaforro Rosso (1974) was never released theatrically during his lifetime; the film only appeared on DVD in the late 1990s, re-edited a bit with some new footage, as Rabid Dogs, and then released again in 2007 under the title Kidnapped. Bava retired in 1978 (although the next year he did some special effects work and completed the movie Inferno
, because the original director, Dario Argento
was ill and had to leave the set), and died in 1980 at age 65.
Mario Bava's son, Lamberto Bava
, worked for 14 years as Bava's assistant director. On several of his movies, Bava was credited as John M. Old. Later, Lamberto Bava was sometimes credited as John M. Old, Jr.
Several books have been published about Mario Bava: Mario Bava by Pascal Martinet (Edilig, 1984) and Mario Bava edited by Jean-Louis Leutrat (Éditions du Céfal, 1994) in French; Mario Bava by Alberto Pezzotta (Il Castoro Cinema, 1995) in Italian; The Haunted Worlds of Mario Bava by Troy Howarth (Fab Press, 2002), and most recently, the massive critical biography Mario Bava All the Colors of the Dark by Tim Lucas
(Video Watchdog, 2007; ISBN 0-9633756-1-X).
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
, screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
, and cinematographer
Cinematographer
A cinematographer is one photographing with a motion picture camera . The title is generally equivalent to director of photography , used to designate a chief over the camera and lighting crews working on a film, responsible for achieving artistic and technical decisions related to the image...
remembered as one of the greatest names from the "golden age
Golden Age
The term Golden Age comes from Greek mythology and legend and refers to the first in a sequence of four or five Ages of Man, in which the Golden Age is first, followed in sequence, by the Silver, Bronze, and Iron Ages, and then the present, a period of decline...
" of Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
horror films.
Biography
Mario Bava was born in San RemoSanremo
Sanremo or San Remo is a city with about 57,000 inhabitants on the Mediterranean coast of western Liguria in north-western Italy. Founded in Roman times, the city is best known as a tourist destination on the Italian Riviera. It hosts numerous cultural events, such as the Sanremo Music Festival...
, Liguria
Liguria
Liguria is a coastal region of north-western Italy, the third smallest of the Italian regions. Its capital is Genoa. It is a popular region with tourists for its beautiful beaches, picturesque little towns, and good food.-Geography:...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. The son of Eugenio Bava
Eugenio Bava
Eugenio Bava was an Italian film cinematographer and is the patriarch of the Bava family. His son was acclaimed film director Mario Bava.-References:* at Images Journal...
, a sculptor who became a pioneer of special effects photography and subsequently one of the great cameramen of Italian silent pictures, Mario Bava's first ambition was to become a painter. Unable to turn out paintings at a profitable rate, he went into his father's business, working as an assistant to other Italian cinematographers like Massimo Terzano, while also offering assistance to his father who headed the special effects department at Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
's film factory, the Istituto LUCE.
Bava became a cinematographer in his own right in 1939, shooting two short films with Roberto Rossellini
Roberto Rossellini
Roberto Rossellini was an Italian film director and screenwriter. Rossellini was one of the directors of the Italian neorealist cinema, contributing films such as Roma città aperta to the movement.-Early life:Born in Rome, Roberto Rossellini lived on the Via Ludovisi, where Benito Mussolini had...
. He made his feature debut in the early 1940s. Bava's camerawork was an instrumental factor in developing the screen personas of such stars of the period as Gina Lollobrigida
Gina Lollobrigida
Gina Lollobrigida is an Italian actress, photojournalist and sculptress. She was one of the most popular European actresses of the 1950s and early 1960s. She was also an iconic sex symbol of the 1950s. Today, she remains an active supporter of Italian and Italian American causes, particularly the...
, Steve Reeves
Steve Reeves
Stephen L. Reeves was an American bodybuilder and actor. At the peak of his career, he was the highest-paid actor in Europe.-Childhood:...
and Aldo Fabrizi
Aldo Fabrizi
Aldo Fabrizi was an Italian actor and cinema and theatre director.-Actor Filmography:* Avanti, c'è posto... by Mario Bonnard...
.
Bava co-directed his first genre film in 1958: Le morte viene dallo spazio (The Day the Sky Exploded
The Day the Sky Exploded
The Day the Sky Exploded is a 1958 Italian science fiction film directed by Paolo Heusch. It is known as the first italian sci-fi dramatic film.It starred Paul Hubschmid and Fiorella Mari, and was also released in France and West Germany...
), the first Italian science fiction film
Science fiction film
Science fiction film is a film genre that uses science fiction: speculative, science-based depictions of phenomena that are not necessarily accepted by mainstream science, such as extraterrestrial life forms, alien worlds, extrasensory perception, and time travel, often along with futuristic...
. Because he had no earlier credited experience as a director, it was credited solely to Paolo Heusch
Paolo Heusch
Paolo Heusch was an Italian film director and screenwriter. He directed ten films between 1958 and 1970...
. In 1959, Bava co-directed Caltiki, The Immortal Monster with Riccardo Freda. In 1960, he directed Black Sunday, which made a star out of Barbara Steele
Barbara Steele
Barbara Steele is an English film actress. She is best known for starring in Italian gothic horror films of the 1960s. Her breakthrough role came in Italian director Mario Bava's Black Sunday , now hailed as a classic.Steele starred in a string of horror films, including The Horrible Dr...
. His use of light and dark in black and white films is widely acclaimed along with his use of color in films such as I tre volti della paura (Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath (film)
The motion picture Black Sabbath, whose Italian title, I Tre volti della paura, translates as The Three Faces of Fear, is a 1963 Italian horror film directed by Mario Bava. Boris Karloff, in addition to appearing in the linking passages, has a role in "The Wurdalak" segment...
) (1963) and La Frusta e il corpo (The Whip and the Body
The Whip and the Body
The Whip and The Body is a 1963 Italian gothic horror film directed by Mario Bava.-Plot:The story concerns a cruel, domineering man who returns to his castle home and resumes his sado-masochistic relationship with his sister-in-law whom he vigorously flogs...
) (1963).
His work has proved very influential: Bava directed what is called the first Italian giallo
Giallo
Giallo is an Italian 20th century genre of literature and film, which in Italian indicates crime fiction and mystery. In the English language it refers to a genre similar to the French fantastique genre and includes elements of horror fiction and eroticism...
film, La ragazza che sapeva troppo
La ragazza che sapeva troppo
The Girl Who Knew Too Much is a 1963 Italian giallo film. Directed by Italian filmmaker Mario Bava, the film stars John Saxon as Dr. Marcello Bassi and Letícia Román as Nora Davis. The plot revolves around a young woman named Nora, who travels to Rome and witnesses a murder. The police and Dr....
(The Girl Who Knew Too Much) (1963), and his 1965 sci-fi horror Terrore nello spazio (Planet of the Vampires
Planet of the Vampires
Planet of the Vampires is a 1965 Italian science fiction horror film directed by Mario Bava. The film stars Barry Sullivan and Norma Bengell. The screenplay, by Bava, Alberto Bevilacqua, Callisto Cosulich, Antonio Roman, and Rafael J. Salvia, was based on an Italian language science fiction...
) was a probable influence on Alien
Alien (film)
Alien is a 1979 science fiction horror film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm and Yaphet Kotto. The film's title refers to its primary antagonist: a highly aggressive extraterrestrial creature which...
(1979). Although comic books had served as the basis for countless serials and children's films in Hollywood, Bava's Diabolik
Danger: Diabolik
Danger: Diabolik is a 1968 feature film from Italian filmmaker Mario Bava based on the Italian comic character Diabolik.- About the film :...
(1968) brought an adult perspective to the genre. 1971's Reazione a catena/ Bay of Blood (also known as Twitch of the Death Nerve
Twitch of the Death Nerve
Twitch of the Death Nerve is a 1971 Italian horror film directed by Mario Bava. Bava cowrote the screenplay with Giuseppe Zaccariello, Filippo Ottoni and Sergio Canevari, with story credit given to Dardano Sacchetti and Franco Barberi. The film stars Claudine Auger, Luigi Pistilli, and Laura...
) is considered to be one of the earliest slasher film
Slasher film
A slasher film is a type of horror film typically involving a psychopathic killer stalking and killing a sequence of victims in a graphically violent manner, often with a cutting tool such as a knife or axe...
s, and was imitated in the first two American-made Friday the 13th
Friday the 13th
Friday the 13th occurs when the thirteenth day of a month falls on a Friday, which superstition holds to be a day of bad luck. In the Gregorian calendar, this day occurs at least once, but at most three times a year...
movies. Many elements of his 1966 film Operazione paura (Kill, Baby... Kill!), regarded by Martin Scorsese
Martin Scorsese
Martin Charles Scorsese is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and film historian. In 1990 he founded The Film Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to film preservation, and in 2007 he founded the World Cinema Foundation...
as Bava's masterpiece, also appear in the Asian strain of terror film known as J-Horror
J-Horror
Japanese horror, or J-Horror, is Japanese horror fiction in popular culture, noted for its unique thematic and conventional treatment of the horror genre in light of western treatments...
.
Mario Bava was very disappointed with the distribution of some of his later films (which caused him to retire in 1978 at age 63). Lisa and the Devil
Lisa and the Devil
Lisa and the Devil is a 1972 Italian horror film directed by Mario Bava. The film has developed a cult following among fans of European horror, it is particularly praised by fans of Mario Bava. Like most of Bava's films Lisa and the Devil possesses inventively stylish direction and evokes an...
(1972) was never picked up by a distrbutor, and had to be later re-edited (with new 1975 footage) into an Exorcist-clone retitled House of Exorcism in order to get released. Bava's Semaforro Rosso (1974) was never released theatrically during his lifetime; the film only appeared on DVD in the late 1990s, re-edited a bit with some new footage, as Rabid Dogs, and then released again in 2007 under the title Kidnapped. Bava retired in 1978 (although the next year he did some special effects work and completed the movie Inferno
Inferno (1980 film)
Inferno is a 1980 Italian supernatural horror film written and directed by Dario Argento. The film stars Irene Miracle, Leigh McCloskey, Eleonora Giorgi, Daria Nicolodi, and Alida Valli. The cinematography was by Romano Albani, and Keith Emerson composed the film's thunderous musical score...
, because the original director, Dario Argento
Dario Argento
Dario Argento is an Italian film director, producer and screenwriter. He is best known for his work in the horror film genre, particularly in the subgenre known as giallo, and for his influence on modern horror and slasher movies....
was ill and had to leave the set), and died in 1980 at age 65.
Mario Bava's son, Lamberto Bava
Lamberto Bava
Lamberto Bava is an Italian film director, specializing in horror and fantasy films.Bava was born in Rome, Italy, the son of cinematographer/director Mario Bava, and grandson of cameraman Eugenio Bava...
, worked for 14 years as Bava's assistant director. On several of his movies, Bava was credited as John M. Old. Later, Lamberto Bava was sometimes credited as John M. Old, Jr.
Several books have been published about Mario Bava: Mario Bava by Pascal Martinet (Edilig, 1984) and Mario Bava edited by Jean-Louis Leutrat (Éditions du Céfal, 1994) in French; Mario Bava by Alberto Pezzotta (Il Castoro Cinema, 1995) in Italian; The Haunted Worlds of Mario Bava by Troy Howarth (Fab Press, 2002), and most recently, the massive critical biography Mario Bava All the Colors of the Dark by Tim Lucas
Tim Lucas
Tim Lucas is a film critic, biographer, novelist, screenwriter, blogger, and publisher/editor of the video review magazine Video Watchdog.-Biography and early career:...
(Video Watchdog, 2007; ISBN 0-9633756-1-X).
Filmography
| Year | Film | Worked as | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director Film director A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:... |
Writer Screenwriter Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:... |
Cinematographer Cinematographer A cinematographer is one photographing with a motion picture camera . The title is generally equivalent to director of photography , used to designate a chief over the camera and lighting crews working on a film, responsible for achieving artistic and technical decisions related to the image... |
|||
| 1943 | L'Avventura di Annabella | ||||
| 1943 | Sant'Elena, piccola isola | ||||
| 1946 | L'Elisir d'amore L'elisir d'amore L'elisir d'amore is an opera by the Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti. It is a melodramma giocoso in two acts... |
||||
| 1947 | Uomini e cieli | ||||
| 1948 | Natale al campo 119 | ||||
| 1948 | Pagliacci Pagliacci Pagliacci , sometimes incorrectly rendered with a definite article as I Pagliacci, is an opera consisting of a prologue and two acts written and composed by Ruggero Leoncavallo. It recounts the tragedy of a jealous husband in a commedia dell'arte troupe... |
||||
| 1949 | Antonio di Padova | ||||
| 1949 | Follie per l'opera | ||||
| 1950 | Miss Italia Miss Italia Miss Italia is the name of a beauty pageant awarding prizes every year to young, female contestants from Italy. Since the first edition of the contest in 1939 many of the contestants have gone on to notable careers in television and film.-History:... |
||||
| 1950 | È arrivato il cavaliere! È arrivato il cavaliere! È arrivato il cavaliere! is a 1950 Italian comedy film directed by Mario Monicelli. It was shown as part of a retrospective on Italian comedy at the 67th Venice International Film Festival.-Cast:*Tino Scotti ... Il Cavaliere... |
||||
| 1950 | Canzone di primavera Canzone di primavera Canzone di primavera is a 1950 Italian drama film directed by Mario Costa.-Cast:*Leonardo Cortese*Tamara Lees*Claudio Villa*Laura Gore*Aroldo Tieri*Ludmilla Dudarova*Checco Durante*Dante Maggio*Paola Borboni*Arturo Bragaglia*Piero Lulli... |
||||
| 1950 | Vita da cani | ||||
| 1950 | Quel bandito sono io Quel bandito sono io Quel bandito sono io is a 1950 Italian comedy film directed by Mario Soldati.-Cast:*Jean Kent ... Dorothy Pellegrini*Robert Beatty ... Antonio the Bank Clerk / Leo the Bank Robber*Margaret Rutherford ... Mrs. Dotherington*Rona Anderson ... Stellina... |
||||
| 1951 | La Famiglia Passaguai | ||||
| 1951 | Amor non ho... però... però | ||||
| 1951 | Guardie e ladri Guardie e ladri Cops and Robbers is a 1951 Italian cult comedy film directed by Steno and Mario Monicelli. It stars a famous comedian Totó, and it was cinematographied by future film director Mario Bava. Its style is close to Italian neorealism. It had troubles with censorship because its view of clumsy police... |
||||
| 1951 | La Famiglia Passaguai fa fortuna La Famiglia Passaguai fa fortuna La Famiglia Passaguai fa fortuna is a 1951 Italian film directed by Aldo Fabrizi.... |
||||
| 1952 | Papà diventa mamma Papà diventa mamma Papà diventa mamma is a 1952 Italian film.... |
||||
| 1952 | Gli Eroi della domenica | ||||
| 1953 | Balocchi e Profumi | ||||
| 1953 | Il Bacio dell'Aurora | ||||
| 1953 | Perdonami! | ||||
| 1953 | Il Viale della speranza Il viale della speranza Il viale della speranza is a 1953 Italian drama film directed by Dino Risi.-Cast:* Silvio Bagolini* Arrigo Basevi* Nerio Bernardi - Franci* Liliana Bonfatti - Giuditta* Giulio Calì* Maria-Pia Casilio - Concettine* Pietro De Vico - Tonio... |
||||
| 1953 | Villa Borghese Villa Borghese (film) It Happened in the Park is a 1953 film directed by Vittorio de Sica and Gianni Franciolini. The film consists of six vignettes set in the Villa Borghese gardens in Rome.-Cast:* Maurizio Arena - Gemma* Eloisa Cianni - Elviara... |
||||
| 1954 | Terza liceo | ||||
| 1954 | Hanno rubato un tram | ||||
| 1954 | Graziella | ||||
| 1954 | Cose da pazzi Cose da pazzi Crazy Affairs is a 1954 Italian drama film directed by Georg Wilhelm Pabst.-Cast:* Aldo Fabrizi - Gnauli* Carla Del Poggio - Dalia Rossi* Enrico Viarisio - Professor Ruiz* Enzo Fiermonte - Paolo* Rita Giannuzzi - Silvia... |
||||
| 1955 | Buonanotte... avvocato! | ||||
| 1955 | Le avventure di Giacomo Casanova Le avventure di Giacomo Casanova Le avventure di Giacomo Casanova is a 1955 Italian comedy film directed by Steno. It stars Gabriele Ferzetti, Corinne Calvet and Irène Galter.-Cast:*Gabriele Ferzetti ... Giacomo Casanova*Corinne Calvet ... Louse de Châtillon... |
||||
| 1955 | Ulysses Ulysses (1955 film) Ulysses is a 1955 adventure film based on Homer's poem Odyssey. The movie was made by director Mario Camerini, who co-wrote the screenplay with writer Franco Brusati, aided by Mario Bava .... |
||||
| 1956 | I Vampiri I Vampiri I Vampiri is a 1956 Italian horror film loosely based on the story of Elizabeth Báthory. Directed by Riccardo Freda and Mario Bava, the film stars Gianna Maria Canale as Giselle du Grand, Carlo D'Angelo as Inspector Chantal and Dario Michaelis as Pierre Lantin.I Vampiri was the first sound era... |
||||
| 1956 | Roland the Mighty Roland the Mighty Orlando e i Paladini di Francia is a 1956 film about the Battle of Roncevaux Pass in AD 778, where Roland, a knight in the service of Charlemagne was killed while defending the rear-guard of the Frankish army as it retreated across the Pyrenees.This film was directed by Pietro Francisci and... |
||||
| 1956 | Città di notte | ||||
| 1956 | Beautiful But Dangerous | > | |||
| 1956 | Mio figlio Nerone | ||||
| 1957 | Hercules Hercules Hercules is the Roman name for Greek demigod Heracles, son of Zeus , and the mortal Alcmene... |
||||
| 1958 | The Day the Sky Exploded The Day the Sky Exploded The Day the Sky Exploded is a 1958 Italian science fiction film directed by Paolo Heusch. It is known as the first italian sci-fi dramatic film.It starred Paul Hubschmid and Fiorella Mari, and was also released in France and West Germany... |
||||
| 1959 | Hercules Unchained | > | |||
| 1959 | Caltiki - The Immortal Monster | ||||
| 1959 | The Giant of Marathon The Giant of Marathon The Giant of Marathon is a 1959 Italian sword and sandal film. It was directed by Jacques Tourneur and Mario Bava... |
||||
| 1959 | The White Warrior | ||||
| 1960 | Black Sunday | ||||
| 1960 | Esther and the King Esther and the King Esther and the King is a 1960 U.S.A. / Italian film direction, written, and produced by Raoul Walsh. It is a religious epic. It was produced at 20th Century Fox/ Raoul Walsh Productions, and was released by 20th Century Fox. Joan Collins stars as Esther in this melodramatic, routine Biblical story... |
||||
| 1961 | Hercules in the Haunted World Hercules in the Haunted World Hercules in The Haunted World is a 1961 Italian sword and sandal film directed by director Mario Bava and starring British-born bodybuilder Reg Park as Hercules and legendary British actor Christopher Lee as his nemesis, Lico. It is the sequel to Hercules and the Captive Women... |
||||
| 1961 | Erik the Conqueror Erik the Conqueror Erik the Conqueror is an epic 1961 Italian action–adventure film directed by Mario Bava and starring George Ardisson and Cameron Mitchell as long-lost Viking brothers in the 9th century, one of whom is raised in England, the other in Scandinavia. They finally meet after almost 20 years, as rivals... |
||||
| 1961 | The Wonders of Aladdin The Wonders of Aladdin The Wonders of Aladdin is a 1961 Italian film directed by Mario Bava and Henry Levin. The film stars Donald O'Connor as the title character... |
||||
| 1961 | The Last of the Vikings | ||||
| 1963 | The Girl Who Knew Too Much | ||||
| 1963 | Black Sabbath Black Sabbath (film) The motion picture Black Sabbath, whose Italian title, I Tre volti della paura, translates as The Three Faces of Fear, is a 1963 Italian horror film directed by Mario Bava. Boris Karloff, in addition to appearing in the linking passages, has a role in "The Wurdalak" segment... |
||||
| 1963 | Blood and Black Lace Blood and Black Lace Blood and Black Lace is a 1964 Italian thriller film directed by Mario Bava. Bava cowrote the screenplay with Giuseppe Barilla and Marcello Fondato. The film stars Cameron Mitchell and Eva Bartok... |
||||
| 1963 | The Whip and the Body The Whip and the Body The Whip and The Body is a 1963 Italian gothic horror film directed by Mario Bava.-Plot:The story concerns a cruel, domineering man who returns to his castle home and resumes his sado-masochistic relationship with his sister-in-law whom he vigorously flogs... |
||||
| 1964 | The Road to Fort Alamo | ||||
| 1964 | Planet of the Vampires Planet of the Vampires Planet of the Vampires is a 1965 Italian science fiction horror film directed by Mario Bava. The film stars Barry Sullivan and Norma Bengell. The screenplay, by Bava, Alberto Bevilacqua, Callisto Cosulich, Antonio Roman, and Rafael J. Salvia, was based on an Italian language science fiction... |
||||
| 1964 | Knives of the Avenger | ||||
| 1966 | Kill, Baby, Kill Kill, Baby, Kill Kill, Baby, Kill is an Italian horror film by director Mario Bava. It is known under many titles including Curse of the Dead, Curse of the Living Dead, Don't Walk in the Park, Kill, Baby..... |
||||
| 1966 | Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs is a 1966 Italian spy-spoof film directed by Mario Bava and starring Vincent Price, Fabian, Francesco Mulé, Laura Antonelli and the Italian comedy team of Franco Franchi and Ciccio Ingrassia.... |
||||
| 1966 | Gunman called Nebraska | ||||
| 1968 | Danger: Diabolik Danger: Diabolik Danger: Diabolik is a 1968 feature film from Italian filmmaker Mario Bava based on the Italian comic character Diabolik.- About the film :... |
||||
| 1968 | Naked you die | ||||
| 1970 | Five Dolls for an August Moon Five Dolls for an August Moon Five Dolls for an August Moon is a 1970 Italian thriller film directed by Mario Bava, from a screenplay by Mario di Nardo. The music is written by the Italian film composer Piero Umiliani... |
||||
| 1970 | Hatchet for the Honeymoon Hatchet for the Honeymoon Hatchet for the Honeymoon is a 1970 Italian dark comic thriller directed by Mario Bava. Its original Italian title is "Il Rosso segno della follia".-Plot:... |
||||
| 1970 | Roy Colt and Winchester Jack | ||||
| 1971 | Twitch of the Death Nerve Twitch of the Death Nerve Twitch of the Death Nerve is a 1971 Italian horror film directed by Mario Bava. Bava cowrote the screenplay with Giuseppe Zaccariello, Filippo Ottoni and Sergio Canevari, with story credit given to Dardano Sacchetti and Franco Barberi. The film stars Claudine Auger, Luigi Pistilli, and Laura... |
||||
| 1972 | Baron Blood | ||||
| 1972 | Four Times That Night | ||||
| 1973 | Lisa and the Devil Lisa and the Devil Lisa and the Devil is a 1972 Italian horror film directed by Mario Bava. The film has developed a cult following among fans of European horror, it is particularly praised by fans of Mario Bava. Like most of Bava's films Lisa and the Devil possesses inventively stylish direction and evokes an... |
||||
| 1974 | Rabid Dogs | ||||
| 1977 | Shock Shock (1977 film) Shock is an Italian horror film directed by Italian horror director Mario Bava. This was Bava's last film before he died of a heart attack in 1980... |
||||
| 1979 | The Venus of Ille | ||||
| 1980 | Inferno Inferno (1980 film) Inferno is a 1980 Italian supernatural horror film written and directed by Dario Argento. The film stars Irene Miracle, Leigh McCloskey, Eleonora Giorgi, Daria Nicolodi, and Alida Valli. The cinematography was by Romano Albani, and Keith Emerson composed the film's thunderous musical score... |
Sources
- Mario Bava Maestro of Macabre (2001), directed by Garry S.Grant
- Mario Bava Operazione paura (2004), directed by Gabriele Acerbo & Roberto Pisoni
- Mario Bava All the Colors of the Dark (2007) by Tim Lucas
- Kill, Baby, Kill! Il cinema di Mario Bava (2007) by Gabriele Acerbo & Roberto Pisoni
- Le ombre della paura - Il cinema italiano del terrore 1960/1980 (2002) by Paolo Fazzini & Marco Cruciani