Tag Archives: Mario Bava

BAVA-THON!

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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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DtH Episode 122 – Dario Argento’s Three Mothers Trilogy

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Suspiria (1977), Inferno (1980), and Mother of Tears (2007)

There are very few horror fans out there that do not know about Dario Argento’s work, and maybe mainly for the giallo-style films he’s known for. He never wandered into supernatural horror too often in his filmography, but when he did, like all of his films, he made it his own. After helping define what a giallo is with Deep Red (1975), he switched gears and gave us Suspiria, showing us violence through a blinding use of color and surrounded by an intense soundtrack that is pounding through the speakers. It looked like no film we’d really seen before. Then he continued this storyline of the dreaded Three Mothers with his film Inferno three years later, which gave us even more info on these wicked witches. We’d have to wait another 27 years before we got the final entry, Mother of Tears. Say what you will about any or all of these features, but they are all Dario Argento.

In this episode, we’re going to take a look at each of the three films, and Three Mothers, as well as the differences between the three films. We all have our favorite of the trilogy, but hopefully you’ll be able to see something in all three that maybe you missed out in previous viewings. So, join us in our little study group, as we learn more about Mater Suspiriorum, Mater Tenebrarum, and Mater Lachrymarum. But a word of caution… they don’t like people knowing about them, so be warned.

Films mentioned in this episode:

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DtH: Episode 120 – Michele Soavi

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StageFright (1987), The Church (1989), and Dellamorte Dellamore (1994)

Most horror fans know of the Italian horror genre, if not being huge fans of it in general. From Bava, Fulci, Argento, D’Amato, and the rest, they have helped the Italian horror genre be one of the biggest output of classic films for over three decades. And then in the mid ’90s, it bottomed out. But thankfully for us fans, at the end at that “era of terror”, we got four horror films from a young director named Michele Soavi. From starting his career as an actor, helping him getting on set and moving his way up to assistant director to finally calling “action” himself. He’s worked under the tutelage of directors like Joe D’Amato, Lucio Fulci, Lamberto Bava, and Dario Argento, all working to form his own identity as a director.

In this episode, we’re covering 3 out of the 4 of his titles, which should give you reason to seek them out if you’ve never seen them before or maybe bust them out once again for a revisit. Because sometimes we can forget just how damn good they are.

Films mentioned in this episode:

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International Horror Film Festival in Columbus

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Next month, at the Wexner Center for the Arts, at the Ohio State University, will be holding an International Horror Film Festival showcasing films from around the world, from Italy to Japan to France and more. It’s one of those times when I wished to be retired and wealthy, only to be able to travel around attending these different festivals! They have a great lineup here with some truly amazing examples of the horror genre, but also incredible pieces of cinema as well. The festival runs from July 10th through Aug. 14th. Most of them are single screenings, but there are a couple of nights where there is a double feature. Below is the list of films playing:

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Royalty at HorrorHound Weekend

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While the horror conventions are filled with guests from the latest horror films out there, such as the Terrifier films, who have been making the rounds for almost the last decade, we also see names from the Child’s Play movies, Re-Animator (which is making its 40-year anniversary), guests from the Hellraiser films, and many more. We even get some big names like Robert Englund still making the rounds. But when it comes to the decades even before all of them, going back 60 years, there aren’t too many of them left that made the impact that Barbara Steele did.

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January Giallo at the Music Box

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That’s right folks, since the end of the year is coming, that means that January Giallo at the Music Box Theatre in Chicago is right around the corner! They have announced the 4 titles that will be screening this year, and they are not to be missed.

While the first film isn’t technically the one to start the sub-genre of the giallo, it definitely helped define it. Mario Bava’s Blood and Black Lace is an incredible piece of cinema, if only for the use of colors and camerawork here. Talk about a master class! It is one that no matter how many times you might have seen it; each time still makes you sit and be amazed at how incredible it looks. If you can’t tell, I’m a big fan of this one and can’t wait to see it on the big screen again!

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Mark Damon – Rest in Peace

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Okay Mr. Reaper, give it a rest, will you? While Mr. Corman just left us a few days ago, now we find out that Mark Damon, who starred in Corman’s first Poe picture, House of Usher (1960), as well as in one of the segments in Mario Bava’s Black Sabbath, passed away on Sunday the 12th, at the ripe age of 91 years old, and who was still working in the industry! Granted, Damon moved into production side years ago, with over 70 titles under his credits, but I’m sure the constant working helped get him going.

As an actor, especially in the ’70s, you’d see his name in a few horror titles, such as Byleth: The Demon of Incest (1972), Crypt of the Living Dead (1973), or my personal favorite, The Devil’s Wedding Night (1973). But like a lot of these actors, directors, and others that worked on the films that we loved when we were younger, are now reaching that age. But as I always say, it is because of their work in films is what will continue to keep their work alive. And this is no different for Mark Damon. Our thoughts go out to his friends and family during this difficult time.

Euro Horror from We Belong Dead

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The fine folks from We Belong Dead magazine have their latest massive book coming out, this time covering Euro Horror! In the ad on the page for the book, it has NASCHY! FRANCO! ARGENTO! BAVA! ROLLIN! Now if that isn’t a good way to make me order the damn thing, I don’t know what would! I have several of these massive books that We Belong Dead have been putting out over the last few years and they are all a work of art. Brimming with exceptional essays on the movies we all love, it is just so much fun to wander through them and read someone else’s thoughts on a variety of films. This one looks to be no different.

Edited by Eric McNaughton & Darrell Buxton, with foreword by Lone Fleming, with “350 pages in glorious full color, large format”, and illustrated with hundreds of stills, lobby cards, and poster art. For the softcover edition, the price is £35 ($44.45), and for the hardcover edition, the price is £45 ($57.15), which is limited. And of course, the postage to ship from the UK isn’t cheap either, with £15 ($19.05) and £20 ($25.40) for the hardcover. So, you’re looking at about $70 for a hardcover edition with shipping. Yes, a bit pricy. But, as I mentioned above, going by their previous books, I do think it is a great investment. And since a lot of them go out-of-print, the value will go up.

And if you need a little more pushing, my Discover the Horror co-host, Aaron AuBuchon has 4 different essays within the covers, from The Devil’s Nightmare, to Fulci’s The Beyond, to Argento’s Inferno. In fact, if memory serves, I even have an essay in there!

If you are interested, they are taking pre-orders now. Just click HERE to get to the page to place your order. I think you’ll thank me.

Movie Plans for 2024?

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While I know we might be a little preoccupied with the upcoming holiday in a couple of days, or any end of year celebrations, but since it is also close to the start of a new year, has anybody thought of taking on a little movie challenge? One of the things that I hear some fans doing, which I have done myself, is to make a little checklist of a particular film series, or maybe a bunch from one director, or even a particular sub-genre, and make your way through them during the next year. There’s no time limit (unless you want to set it for yourself) other than trying to get them through within those 12 months.

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Discover the Horror Episode 38: Italian Horror with Troy Howarth

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There are plenty of ways to help you on your way to discovering more about the films you love, as well as ones you might not know too much about. There’s always books on different filmmakers, or sort of the audio form of that, the audio commentaries that are usually found on most of our favorite films. The more insight you have, the more you will know, and maybe even enjoy it more. One of those that is helping fans learn just that is Troy Howarth. He’s written over a dozen books on a variety of subjects, usually in the Italian film genre, covering directors like Argento, Bava, Fulci, and more recently, Umberto Lenzi. He’s also published a 3-volume set on the giallo film. Plus, he has done a ton of different commentaries, giving fans even more info!

Films mentioned in this episode:

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