Four Times that Night

Bava, take two
Mario Bava was one of the most underrated filmmakers of the 20th century. So it's appropriate that the first volume of the "Mario Bava Collection" (or "Bava Box") was one of the best releases of the last year, and reintroduced us to classics of Bava's that had fallen out of view. The second volume just continues that tradition, with big chunks of classic, stylish horror.

"Baron Blood" begins the collection -- Baron Otto Van Kleist was a savage, depraved guy who liked to torture people for fun (think Vlad Tepes), until a witch's curse put him out of commission. Centuries later, his descendent Peter (Antonio Cantafora) returns to his family's gothic castle, and decides that he and visiting student Eva (Elke Sommer) will recite the incantation that will return "Baron Blood" to the world. Of course, he actually DOES return, and soon Peter, Eva and Peter's uncle are forced to battle his psychotic, deformed ancestor.

"Lisa and the Devil" is more or less what it sounds...

More from the Maestro
Having just picked this up, I thought I'd chime in with this second box set from Anchor Bay. While the comparison will seem strange, Like Orson Welles, and this is speaking from public perception, Mario Bava's debut film, 'Black Sunday', was so impressive that many of his subsequent releases were dismissed as sub par or viewed as schlock. Of course, many of these critics overlooked the consistent artistry that could be found throughout Bava's filmography.

While Volume 1 focused on a number of his most iconic and famous films from the early to mid sixties, Volume 2 focus' on his late 60s til mid 70s output, to good effect I might add. His film, 'Four Times That Night' (1968), is a sex comedy with a Rashomon flavored theme. A mild mannered man, and a seemingly virtuous woman have a date, which leads to the kind of mishap that triggers three wildly different perspectives, from the man, woman and a spectator. It's very much a film of the late sixties, fun, good film, but not...

Bay of Blood Lived Up to Its Reputation
I recently bought Bava Box Set, Vol. 2 and "Bay of Blood" was the first movie I watched because I had heard that it launched the slasher genre. It definely lived up to its reputation and made this collection worth buying. I was apprehensive about watching it after reading numerous complaints about the audio quality on the Image release, but I heard every word plainly! The plot was more complex than I had imagined. I had to watch it carefully to understand who was killing who and why. It contained numerous shocks and twists. It was definitely a cross between an Italian giallo and a slasher movie.
I watched many scenes that were indeed duplicated throughout the slasher frenzy of the late seventies and early eighties, especially in the Friday 13th movies. Bay of Blood is a prime example of Mario Bava's influence on other directors.
The bizarre ending was similar to the one in Mario Bava's "Rabid Dogs," another controversial, provocative thriller with a high body...

Click to Editorial Reviews