Topic: Mario Bava marathon

[Jimmy]

MOVIE / DVD INFO:

Title: Four Times That Night (1972)

Genre: Comedy
Director: Mario Bava
Rating: Unrated
Length: 1h23
Video: Widescreen
Audio: Italian
Subtitles: English

Stars:
Daniela Giordano
Brett Halsey
Dick Randall
Valeria Sabel
Michael Hinz

Plot:
For his sole foray into the sex comedy genre, Mario Bava delivers a swinging orgy of mod design, leering humor and daring late '60s erotica. American leading man Bret Halsey and former Miss Italy Daniela Giordano star in this Rashomon-inspired tale of a playboy and a virgin's first date that may or may not have included rape, nymphomania, lesbianism, and groovy inflatable furniture.

My Thoughts:

Among all the Bava's movies that I've seen untill now this one is my favourite and this is one of my all-time preferred movies. This is even more surprising to see how well this film had turned since Mario Bava wasn't really confortable with the subject. What we have here is four different versions of the same encounter between a young woman and a young man. Not surprisingly each of those versions are really different depending of the witness (the one from the building doorman is the funniest and probably the less likely). In each version you can notice some little change like the Tina mother's appearance by exemple. A very good script where most of the good lines belong to Daniela Giordano who is more than an astounding beauty (she looks so sexy and innocent at the same time). A great time capsule from a period I would have wanted so much to be a part of it.

Rating :

[Jimmy]

Title: Quante volte... quella notte

Glad to see that it's the one you have enjoy the most too

[Achim]

Not surprisingly each of those versions are really different depending of the witness (the one from the building doorman is the funniest and probably the less likely).

Hmmm, maybe that's one complain I forgot to mention. I would have thought the doorman's story should have been more accurate, as he is "third party". Of course, he wants to impress he friend the milk man, but why he would flat out lie is beyond me. Bothered me a bit.

Glad to see that it's the one you have enjoy the most too

Not the most (that should be one of the horror ones or even the viking film), but definitely one of the better ones.

[Jimmy]

Like you've said he wants to impress his friend and his story will sure stick in the friend mind. Without forgetting that he had missed a lot of what have happened, so maybe he just create the end of it.

It was your first big grin so I was almost sure of my guess

[Achim]

It was your first big grin so I was almost sure of my guess

Well, you're right of course, it is the highest rating I have given 

Rating is always done in the heat of the moment, so it may vary a bit. If I were to streamline it I guess I might elevate one of the other films and adjust this to a regular smile. But, it's fine...

[Achim]

MOVIE / DVD INFO:

Title: Gli Orrori del castello di Norimberga
Year: 1972
Director: Mario Bava
Rating: NR
Length: 98 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital Mono, Commentary: Dolby Digital Stereo
Subtitles:

Stars:
Joseph Cotten
Elke Sommer
Massimo Girotti
Rada Rassimov
Antonio Cantafora

Plot:
An American student's family curse, an ancient Austrian castle of torture and a demonic incantation that resurrects the infamous 16th Century sadist known as 'Baron Blood'. Director Mario Bava returns to his gothic roots -- albeit with a modern day Technicolor twist -- in this indelibly atmospheric thriller that pays tribute to the sumptuous horror classics of the '30s and '40s while delivering the black humor and grisly shocks of the drive-in '70s. Joseph Cotton, Elke Sommer and Massimo Girotti star in one of the most visually haunting films of Bava's later career, now presented in its uncut European Version featuring footage not seen in the original American release.

Extras:
Scene Access
Audio Commentary
Trailers
Radio Spots

My Thoughts:

After the previous film (Four Times That Night, produced the same year) Mario Bava goes back to the genre he fells much more at home in. While the look follows a lot what the Hammer films looked like, Bava very much makes it his own. The camera work is inventive, the atmosphere tense, the make up effects are top notch (for its time, obviously) and the story telling, while most of the time rather conventional, has some inspired moments.

Joseph Cotton is the token film star, mostly phoning in his performance in. It seems in those days it was common for aging film stars to appear in small horror films, supposedly to pair their bills (see also Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, heck even Christopher Lee did it for a while in the early 90s). Elke Sommer, who you may have seen in the Dr. Clouseau flick A Shot in the Dark, does her usual overacting. No complaints about the other members.

[Achim]

I am beginning to get the feeling I underrated some of the earlier films in this marathon, as hinted at in the post above the review. While I usually prefer the rating system with less choices I often wish I could rate in-between two available scores Well, these things happen...

[Jimmy]

MOVIE / DVD INFO:

Title: Baron Blood (1972)

Genre: Horror
Director: Mario Bava
Rating: Unrated
Length: 1h38
Video: Widescreen
Audio: English
Subtitles: None

Stars:
Joseph Cotten
Elke Sommer
Antonio Cantafora
Massimo Girotti
Rada Rassimov

Plot:
An American student's family curse, an ancient Austrian castle of torture and a demonic incantation that resurrects the infamous 16th Century sadist known as 'Baron Blood'. Director Mario Bava returns to his gothic roots -- albeit with a modern day Technicolor twist -- in this indelibly atmospheric thriller that pays tribute to the sumptuous horror classics of the '30s and '40s while delivering the black humor and grisly shocks of the drive-in '70s. Joseph Cotton, Elke Sommer and Massimo Girotti star in one of the most visually haunting films of Bava's later career, now presented in its uncut European Version featuring footage not seen in the original American release.

My Thoughts:

First thing to say is that this film is a festival of accent and a subtitle track would have been much appreciated. Like the precedent gothic horror film directed by Mario Bava this one is well done. The cinematography is very good (the night scenes are a perfect exemple of it), but it isn't a surprise since the cinematographer is the maestro himself. The story is interesting, but I've found the two protoganists (Elke Sommer & Antonio Cantafora) incredibly stupid to go on with the ceremony two times. We can say congratulation to our two heros for the dead of many innocent because they are two idiots... I agree that Elke Sommer is really annoying (to be generous) when she act frightened. The rest of the cast is ok and even if Joseph Cotten is first billed don't expect to see him on screen a long time (maybe 15 minutes), but he plays quite an important role. Another surprise for me the doctor little girl is played by an uncredited Nicoletta Elmi who is probably one of the best child actor I've seen (I recommand Deep Red if you really want to see her in a much important role).

Another good film even if the end looks a little bit rushed...

Rating :

[Jimmy]

Next movie for this week :

Lisa and the Devil (1973)
The House of Exorcism (1973)

They look like the same movie, but the two versions are really different.
   

[Achim]

MOVIE / DVD INFO:

Title: Lisa e il diavolo
Year: 1973
Director: Lisa and the Devil, Mario Bava, The House of Exorcism, Alfredo Leone [Mickey Lion]
Rating: NR
Length: 96 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital Mono, Commentary: Dolby Digital Stereo
Subtitles:

Stars:
Lisa and the Devil
Telly Savalas
Elke Sommer
Silva Koscina
Alessio Orano

Plot:
Following the international success of BARON BLOOD, Bava was given carte blanche to make the film he'd envisioned his entire career. Telly Savalas and Elke Sommer star in this surreal tale that unfolds as both waking dream and elliptical nightmare, a lush and disturbing meditation on love, death, identity and the machinations of evil. Now recognized as Il Maestro's final masterpiece, LISA AND THE DEVIL has been fully restored and remastered from the original camera negatives recently discovered in a Rome lab vault.

Extras:
Scene Access
Audio Commentary
Trailers

My Thoughts:

While the cover hails it as Bava's final masterpiece I really can't see why. After the first 20 minutes build up a creepy atmosphere I almost fell asleep over the course of the next 20 minutes. During the third 20minutes the atmosphere almost recovered (the now sleepy audience has trouble recognizing this) and leads into a bunch of violent murders, waking the audience up again. The next 30 minutes are another snorefest and then comes the ending, which is rather interesting but comes way too late to save the movie.

Looking back at the film with the knowledge of the ending, it appears better than it should. Too little stuff was going on during the experience that kept my interest. Heck, that's not even quite correct, the problem for me is more the presentation, the lack of music and other means to build suspense. This could have been much better; as the intend of Bava becomes clear at the end I could only feel sad at his failed attempt to fulfill his vision.

[Najemikon]

Why are there two versions? Is the latter one an improvement?

[Jimmy]

The original version was a complete flop financially. So for make his money back Alfredo Leone had shooted many new scenes to give a different direction to the movie. This second one was a big success in the theatre and is the most financially sucessfull film of Mario Bava. Is the movie an improvement? Absolutely not for me since it's an insult to the original Bava's masterpiece and just another forgettable ripoff of The Exorcist.

You must watch the movie a second time to appreciate it Achim, I wasn't really impress the first time too. 

[Achim]

You must watch the movie a second time to appreciate it Achim, I wasn't really impress the first time too.  

It's what I tried to imply in my review, that the movie has chance to improve on second viewing, knowing where it's all going... Kind of like Fight Club or many other films of this kind.

I might do so at some point, but right now I would worry I just fall asleep again

[Achim]

MOVIE / DVD INFO:

Title: La Casa dell'esorcismo
Year: 1973
Director: Lisa and the Devil, Mario Bava, The House of Exorcism, Alfredo Leone [Mickey Lion]
Rating: NR
Length: 187 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital Mono, Commentary: Dolby Digital Stereo
Subtitles:

Stars:
Lisa and the Devil
Telly Savalas
Elke Sommer
Silva Koscina
Alessio Orano

Plot:
Two years after the commercial disaster of LISA AND THE DEVIL, producer Alfredo Leone made the decision to salvage the film by shooting an all-new possession plot to cash in on the success of THE EXORCIST. The re-cut gratuitous grindhouse-style film -- starring a now bile-spewing Elke Sommer and former Hollywood leading man Robert Alda -- was retitled THE HOUSE OF EXORCISM and would become an international box-office hit.

Extras:
Scene Access
Audio Commentary
Trailers
Radio Spot

My Thoughts:

On the bright side, the overly confusing plot of Lisa and the Devil (my review) is streamlined a bit by removing some of the boring bits (but unfortunately also the ending) and making it something that goes on in the obsessed girl's mind. While at the same time the plot is dumbed down, removing any necessity for the viewer to interpret the things on screen themselves.

Where the good intention to make the rather surreal original into something more accessible for a broader audience terribly fails is the choice of frame work: A badly executed carbon copy of the The Exorcist must go wrong. The only good thing here is, that Elke Sommer's over-acting skills fit right in

I would suggest this film as an example how an entire film can be changed by adding a few bits, redubbing some scenes and some edits, but it had been done before and since, even by Woody Allen!

[Jimmy]

you are fast this week
Now that make me look slow
maybe you will be able to give another viewing to Lisa and the Devil since it rest 4 days to our week