(1971)Mario Bava's Bay of Blood, originally released as Twitch of the Death Nerve is one of the first, if not the very origin of the modern slasher flick. What separates Bava's work from Friday the 13th or Halloween is the intelligence of the story. Not mere revenge or psychopathic murder rage but real motive. No oversexed teenagers or supernatural beings who can't be killed here, everyone and anyone is fair game. There is no mistaking where the title comes from as the body count rises and a seemingly endless flow of bloated corpses are dragged from the bay.
Bava wastes no time delving into murder either. In the very first scene we witness a wheelchair bound elderly woman being rolled directly into a noose. Once it encircles her neck she is ejected from her chair and left to helplessly hang until she is dead. He takes the mystery and suspense of a good whodunnit and adds the flash of gore and lots of it too!
It's no secret that I do love me some Italian horror so I won't go for the hard sell since I'm quite biased here. I will just say that Bava is up there with Fulci, Argento, Soavi and Margheriti as one of my favorites. If you've never seen this film I highly recommend it, truly a must see classic for any hard core horror fanatic. The ending is mind blowing and I guarantee you will not see it coming.
5 comments:
"I will just say that Bava is up there with Fulci, Argento, Soavi and Margheriti as one of my favorites."
Soavi? Margheriti? I'm embarrassed to say I have no idea who these gentlemen are.
I love the style of Italian movies from the 60's and early 70's, even when it's ugly. I get the feeling everyone was having a good time. Sure, that couple got speared during sex, but check that bedspread!
Oh, and way to steal that death, original Friday the 13th! (Or was that Part Two? Somebody help me out.)
Michele Soavi - Cemetary Man
Antonio Margheriti - Dial M for Murder, Midnight Lace
Shame on you Octo.
I almost put "Look Familiar" under that picture, then I thought everyone here would see it anyway. I think it was the first Friday
I do believe it was part 2. I thought Black Sunday was the original slasher (also directed by Bava). There's something about Bava movies I find off putting and boring. Perhaps it's the poor quality of the versions I'm watching.
They are kinda boring JSP but I like them. This one has a little more spice than most of them though.
That's an age old argument, Black Sunday or Bay of Blood? I say Bay is the first because you can clearly see where it shows up in the modern films.
JSP you're right, it was part 2 that had the bed spear death.
I love Cemetary Man! Didn't know who the director was.
And no, shame on YOU, Cat, for... hmmm. Okay, shame on me.
Post a Comment