BAVA-THON!

For those of you closer to the Eastern side of Pennsylvania, and love the work of Mario Bava, then you have the opportunity to see 10 of his films on the big screen, all showing from 35mm! As much as I love the Chicago area and the amazing programming the Music Box does, seeing these events on the far side of the country really makes me jealous!

Brought to you by Exhumed Films and The Gap Theatre, located in Wind Gap, PA, they will have two nights of Mario Bava features, 3 on Friday, Aug. 7th, and then 7 (!) on Saturday, Aug. 8th. Having the opportunity of seeing 10 titles from the master is just amazing. From the man who pretty much invented the giallo, then set the standard, but then giving fans so much more in the way of some incredible cinematography, you hit some of the best in Italian cinema right here. And seeing these on the big screen is so different than watching them on your TV. Here are the titles:

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Horror History: Stelvio Cipriani

June 27, 2020 by Jon Kitley in Horror History and tagged A Bay of Blood, Baron Blood, Death Walks In High Heels, Nightmare City, Rabid Dogs, Stelvio Cipriani, Tentacles, The Great Alligator, Tragic Ceremony | Leave a comment

stelviocipriani Stelvio Cipriani
Born Aug. 20th, 1937 – Died Oct. 1st, 2018

For some reason this name might not be that familiar (which is a shame), but if you’re a fan of Italian movies, then you’ve most likely heard his work. Cipriani is a composer that has written music for over 200 films. Working in many different genres, he created his share of horror film scores. He worked with Mario Bava on quite a few films, such as A Bay of Blood (1971), Baron Blood (1972) and would later score Rabid Dogs (1974). He also did the music for Riccardo Freda’s Tragic Ceremony (1972), Luciano Ercoli’s Death Walks on High Heels (1971), as well as films like Tentacles (1977), The Great Alligator (1979), Nightmare City (1980), Piranha 2 (1981), and a few more.

When he scored Tentacles , he re-used the main theme from one of his earlier movies, La Polizia sta a Guardare (1973), which apparently a young filmmaker named Taratino liked the film so much that he used it in this film Death Proof (2007).

With all the great Italian films out there, the music is usually very effective as well as important to the whole feel of the movie experience. That is why these hard working composers, like Cipriani need to be noticed and remembered.

Stelvio Cipriani – Rest in Peace

October 2, 2018 by Jon Kitley in Rest in Peace and tagged A Bay of Blood, Baron Blood, Death Walks on High Heels, Giallo, Great Alligator, Nightmare City, Stelvio Cipriani, Tentacles, Tragic Ceremony | Leave a comment

Stelvio Cipriani - RIP If you are a fan of Italian cinema, whether it be westerns, giallo, or horror, then you’ve most likely heard the work of Stelvio Cipriani, who passed away on Monday, October 1st, at the age of 81. With a career that spanned over 50 years, composing scores for over 200 films, he has help make those movies even better with his music.

He started studying music at the age of 14 and composed his first score when he was 29, which was The Ugly Ones (1966). He would contribute scores for such films as A Bay of Blood (1971), The Iguana with the Tongue of Fire (1971), Death Walks on High Heels (1971), Baron Blood (1972), Tragic Ceremony (1972), Rabid Dogs (1974), Tentacles (1977), The Great Alligator (1979), Nightmare City (1980), and so many more.

Thankfully for us film score fans, a lot of his work has been released on CDs, which allows not only us, but newer fans to discover and continue to enjoy years to come. So that his work with always be with us, which means he will always be remembered. Our thoughts go out to his friends and family.