(1961)
Overall: GOOD
With his only entry in the Hercules franchise, (once which numerous countries over numerous years indulged in), Mario Bava does commendable work once again on an air-tight budget whilst juggling a joyously silly, over-stuffed plot. Hercules In the Haunted World, (Ercole al centro della terra), has one time Mr. Universe Reg Park in the title role, which was his second time appearing as such with Hercules Conquers Atlantis also coming out the same year. To help bolster the proceedings, Christopher Lee is appropriately on board as the villainous King Lico. Unfortunately Lee's voice is dubbed in the English language version of the film, but he still commands respect in a role that could have been far more forgettable in the hands of a lesser thespian. The plot here combines as many desperate, hammy elements as can be such as generously tweaked Greek mythology, melodramatic love arcs, a stone monster, and even vampires. Bava not only keeps up the pace rather frantically while racing from one story element to the next, but his usual, striking use of color gets a full workout as he gets to decorate the lens with scenes transpiring in otherworldly planes such as Hades and an underground crypt. In the latter, a slew of undead rise from their tombs to attack Hercules while flying at him with visible strings attached. It is quite a fun experience where you can laugh at how most people in it just stare at dangerous things approaching them without running away and how Hercules' answer to practically every problem is "just throw giant rocks at it until it goes away".
(1964)
Overall: GOOD
On the rather long list of significant Mario Bava films that would have a profound impact on horror cinema overall, his prominent giallo offering Blood and Black Lace, (6 donne per l'assassino, Blutige Seide), could be chief among them. A masked killer stalking and killing pretty girls who lack the common sense to not be all alone nor turn any lights on wherever they happen to be getting murdered was not anything particularly new when Bava made the film, but the style with which he does so was unique. Having the murders themselves be particularly brutal, the movie revolving around a fashion house which offers up above average sex appeal, and of course the inventive way in which he stages the kills with primitive colors, darkness, tracking shots, and silence would all become benchmarks of Italian slashers. Though even outside of that country, you cannot name enough other movies that leisurely borrowed from the rules Bava sets up here. While this would ultimately be for the worst as the 80s in particular begat the most boring and uninspired slasher sub-genre that still unfortunately lingers today, just like Psycho or Halloween, Blood and Black Lace can still be viewed as quite an exceptional precursor to *sigh* later garbage.
(1966)
Overall: GOOD
The most celebrated Gothic horror work of Mario Bava's career along with Black Sunday, Kill, Baby, Kill, (Operazione paura), proved as influential as any other Italian film in pretty much any genre. The contemporary "creepy kid + toy ball = scary" motif can be directly traced back to here and thankfully Bava still cannot make his movies look anything but extraordinary, even if he tried. Shooting both on location in Calcutta and at Titanus Appia Studios, the overly-cobwebbed, eerily lit sets are endlessly effective, wholly benefiting the movie's illogical, dreamlike narrative. The production ran out of money while filming which not only forced the cast and Bava to work unpaid for much of it, but also warranted that they improvise the allegedly unfinished script and resort to using stock music. These budgetary elements present the only fair problems one can sight as the plot is a bit too underdeveloped and the nearly relentless, unremarkable musical score gets in the way more often than not. It is still highly impressive that Bava was able to make such a still lauded work with all of the obstacles faced. It is no less flawed than many other good to excellent Italian horror outings, especially many that would come in its wake and freely borrow from its groundwork.
No comments:
Post a Comment