In fairness, I've only seen a handful of the films in the wider catalogue of Mario Bava.
Now, that doesn't mean that I'm here to pronounce judgment one way or another on the quality of his output. The truth is I think Bava's probably about as impressive a storyteller as any I've come across; while his subject matter may not titillate me in ways it does some, even I can see that he's accomplished far more with far less than Hollywood puts at the fingertips of a greater many writers, directors, and producers. That fact alone is what keeps me interested in seeking out and exploring the releases of other markets as much as I do, but -- again -- I don't consider myself an expert on the auteur's library to any extent.
Released on this day in Italy all the way back in 1971, A Bay Of Blood shows written (in part) and directed by Bava; and I've learned that this usually means that Bava's hand in the story's creation was possibly limited to either setting writers onto this path via suggestion as opposed to being actively involved in the nittygritty of its inception. He likely contributed to putting the wheels in motion, sat back to see what others attached to the story and script could do with it, and then polished it up either before getting behind the camera or tweaking it along the way. IMDB.com indicates that the cast included such names as Claudine Auger, Luigi Pistilli, Claudio Camaso, Anna Maria Rosati, and Chris Avram among others.
Now, that doesn't mean that I'm here to pronounce judgment one way or another on the quality of his output. The truth is I think Bava's probably about as impressive a storyteller as any I've come across; while his subject matter may not titillate me in ways it does some, even I can see that he's accomplished far more with far less than Hollywood puts at the fingertips of a greater many writers, directors, and producers. That fact alone is what keeps me interested in seeking out and exploring the releases of other markets as much as I do, but -- again -- I don't consider myself an expert on the auteur's library to any extent.
Released on this day in Italy all the way back in 1971, A Bay Of Blood shows written (in part) and directed by Bava; and I've learned that this usually means that Bava's hand in the story's creation was possibly limited to either setting writers onto this path via suggestion as opposed to being actively involved in the nittygritty of its inception. He likely contributed to putting the wheels in motion, sat back to see what others attached to the story and script could do with it, and then polished it up either before getting behind the camera or tweaking it along the way. IMDB.com indicates that the cast included such names as Claudine Auger, Luigi Pistilli, Claudio Camaso, Anna Maria Rosati, and Chris Avram among others.
Here's the plot summary for the film as listed on IMDB.com:
"An elderly heiress is killed by her husband who wants control of her fortunes. What ensues is an all-out murder spree as relatives and friends attempt to reduce the inheritance playing field, complicated by some teenagers who decide to camp out in a dilapidated building on the estate."
As stories go, it definitely looks to me as if Bay pretty much falls into the category of being a conventional Slasher-style Horror feature -- indeed, many of the tags associated to its listing on IMDB.com ascribe it as such along with being a psychological Thriller. I've also read that Bay might very well have served as an inspiration to similar slasher efforts that were both rushed into U.S. production as well as influenced directors in subsequent motion pictures with similar themes. Again, IMDB.com (a great source of both accurate and sometimes mildly inaccurate information) states that there are striking similarities between 'kills' in both Friday The 13th (1980) and Friday The 13th: Part 2 (1981). As I've not seen it, I cannot speak to the truth in that, but I've also no reason to deny its authenticity, either.
In any event, I do see that there are several different releases of Bay available for purchase via Amazon.com; and I do see that it's presently available to Prime Video subscribers ... so I might be checking this one out in the foreseeable future.
Happy Birthday, A Bay Of Blood! Hats off the slashing done right!
-- EZ
"An elderly heiress is killed by her husband who wants control of her fortunes. What ensues is an all-out murder spree as relatives and friends attempt to reduce the inheritance playing field, complicated by some teenagers who decide to camp out in a dilapidated building on the estate."
As stories go, it definitely looks to me as if Bay pretty much falls into the category of being a conventional Slasher-style Horror feature -- indeed, many of the tags associated to its listing on IMDB.com ascribe it as such along with being a psychological Thriller. I've also read that Bay might very well have served as an inspiration to similar slasher efforts that were both rushed into U.S. production as well as influenced directors in subsequent motion pictures with similar themes. Again, IMDB.com (a great source of both accurate and sometimes mildly inaccurate information) states that there are striking similarities between 'kills' in both Friday The 13th (1980) and Friday The 13th: Part 2 (1981). As I've not seen it, I cannot speak to the truth in that, but I've also no reason to deny its authenticity, either.
In any event, I do see that there are several different releases of Bay available for purchase via Amazon.com; and I do see that it's presently available to Prime Video subscribers ... so I might be checking this one out in the foreseeable future.
Happy Birthday, A Bay Of Blood! Hats off the slashing done right!
-- EZ
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