Review by Nick Kauffman

KILL, BABY...KILL! aka OPERAZIONE PAURA (1966) MGM Rated: USA: GP

How much do I love Mario Bava? The Italian auteur practically invented the "giallo" genre with BLOOD AND BLACK LACE (SEI DONNE PER L'ASSASSINO) in 1964 - a full six years before Dario Argento popularized it with BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE (L'UCCELLO DALLE PIUM E DI CRISTALLO) - yet he's also just as well known for his influential Gothic horrors, most notably 1960's BLACK SUNDAY (LA MASCHERA DEL DEMONIO), the film that introduced thousands of American moviegoers to the incomparable Barbara Steele. Bava, who died in 1980, was truly a maestro of the horror film, a master of atmosphere, able to create a Gothic look and mood on par with Roger Corman's Edgar Allan Poe films and early Hammer: cobwebbed castles, misty cemeteries, the works. And unlike his fellow countryman Lucio Fulci, whose work I also adore, Bava rarely relied on gore or titillation to set the tone.

VCI Home Video (Update: Now Anchor Bay Entertainment -Feo) has now released Bava's 1966 film KILL, BABY...KILL! on DVD. Despite the lurid, Russ Meyer-eque title, KILL, BABY...KILL! is actually a quiet ghost story, set in turn-of-the-last-century Germany (the box copy says Transylvania, but there's no doubt it's actually Germany, what with the presence of a burgomeister and everyone being referred to as Herr So-and-so).

Dr. Paul Eswai (Giacomo Rossi-Stuart, THE NIGHT EVELYN CAME OUT OF THE GRAVE) is summoned to a small German town by Inspector Kruger (Piero Lulli). It seems there's been a rash of mysterious, seemingly accidental deaths, and the inspector wants Paul, a coroner, to perform an autopsy on the latest victim. Local nurse and love-interest Monica Schuftan (Erika Blanc, THE NIGHT EVELYN CAME OUT OF THE GRAVE, THE DEVIL'S NIGHTMARE) is assigned to give him a hand. When Paul discovers a silver coin buried in the corpse's heart, he realizes things are far from kosher.

Unsurprisingly, the townspeople are small-minded, superstitious folk. They believe all the victims were killed by the ghost of Melissa Graps, a six-year-old girl who bled to death in the town square while the villagers did nothing to help her, and now they fear she's back for revenge. Also unsurprisingly, the villagers are correct. In fact, the curse is so strong that it seems if anyone even mentions the name Graps, they're marked for death. When Paul's investigation takes him to the Villa Graps on the outskirts of town, it's a race against time to save Monica from the vengeful spirit. Luckily, he's got help in the form of Ruth, the town sorceress (Fabienne Dali).

The film is presented in standard 1.33:1 aspect ratio (i.e., full frame). Since I don't know what aspect ratio it was originally shot in, it's hard to say how much of the picture we're missing, if any at all. It's also not a digital transfer. The picture is scratchy in places, and there are noticeable audio pops in a number of scenes. It's a real pity, since this quality Gothic horror - hailed by none other than Leonard "I Love Mainstream Hollywood" Maltin as one of Bava's best - deserves a much better presentation.

Still, KILL, BABY...KILL! is a must-see for any fans of Mario Bava and the Gothic ghost story genre.

FOUR SHRIEK GIRLS

This review copyright 2002 E.C.McMullen Jr.

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