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Extra Credit

Bowling with Corpses

by Mike Mignola

TYLER

ORRIN

Ryan Kruger

Phil Gelatt

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Essential Question

Why does Mario Bava rule so hard?

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Italian Film and Neorealism

Italy and Film

Giallo and the Elite

Start

Italy in the 1940s as a response to classic realism, fascism, and the difficulties of postwar life.

‘Violence is Italian art” �- Lucio Fulci

Blood and Black Lace in a fashion house; Suspiria in a dance studio; giallo often critical of the upper classes

Elements of Neorealism

Emphasizes humanity, often set among the poor and working classes
Documentary style, frequently employing non actors
Naturalistic style that showcases historicity

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The Films of Mario Bava

Black Sunday (1960)

Selected�Filmography

The Girl Who Knew Too Much (1963)

Black Sabbath (1963)

Planet of the Vampires (1965)

Bay of Blood (1971)

Brought supernatural gothic to Italy

First giallo

Classic anthology hosted by Karloff

Prefigures Alien

Arguably the first slasher

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And Many More…

Even before he began directing, Bava worked on several classics including I vampiri (1957) and Caltiki - The Immortal Monster (1959)

While he didn’t create all bangers, his CV is filled with amazing flicks including Hercules in the Haunted World (1961), The Whip and the Body (1963), Kill, Baby… Kill! (1966), Baron Blood (1972), Lisa and the Devil (1973), and Shock (1977).

He also worked with Dario Argento doing effects on Inferno (1980)

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Bava: A Hagiography

“Bava, the Italian maestro of the ‘60s and ‘70s, is, arguably, the bridge between the Gothic, German Expressionist-influenced horror films of the ‘20s, ‘30s, and ‘40s, and the splatterpunk era of the 1980s and 1990s.”

Filmmakers who cite Bava as an influence include Dario Argento, Joe Dante, Pedro Almodovar, Guillermo del Toro, Quentin Tarantino, and Martin Scorsese, to name a few.

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Building a Mystery

Mario Bava’s The Girl Who Knew Too Much (1963) is regarded as the first giallo. By Blood and Black Lace in ‘64, all the pieces were in place…�

Faceless, black-gloved killer.
Saturated colors.
Overwhelming score.
Voyeuristic camera.
Focus on violent and grisly deaths, usually of women.
Largely ineffectual police investigation.
All that’s missing is some prominently-featured J&B Scotch.

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I swear this movie has colors I’ve never seen before in my life. Maybe it was just a pigment of my imagination. �- CinemaVoid on Letterboxd

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A Legacy of Faceless Figures


THE�BLANK	OUR VILLAIN	THE QUESTION	THE �BLANK
A disfigured gangster named Frank Redrum.	Actually two different killers, as we saw.	Mysterious hero; originally an expression of Steve Ditko’s Objectivist leanings.	Turns out to be Madonna this time.
Dick Tracy, 1937	Blood and Black Lace, 1964	DC Comics, 1967	Dick Tracy, �1990 movie

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Brought to you by this Bluesky post, which first brought it to my attention.

While researching, I also came across a 1950 Mexican film called El Sombre sin Rostro (lit. The Man Without a Face).

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Giveaway #2

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Four Corners

ORRIN

TYLER

Strip Nude for Your Killer (1975)

Snapshot (1979)

Blue Velvet (1986)

The Neon Demon (2016)

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Next Month

PRESENTS:

The Class of 1925

MACISTE IN �HELL

Feb 26 / 7pm / FREE