If you were appalled by the gore and slaughter in Blood and Black Lace, this latest film contains twice the murders, each one accomplished with an obnoxious detail... Red herrings are ever-present, and serve as the only interest keeping the plot in motion, but nothing really redeems the dumb storyline. An industrialist invites his colleagues and their wives to relax on his private island so they can exploit the monetary value of one of the guests' revolutionary resin formula, but a killer within the group disrupts the proceedings. When crippled Countess Federica is murdered at her isolated mansion, a gruesome battle ensues to secure the rights to her valuable property around the bay. "[15] In Fangoria, Tim Lucas wrote thirteen years after the film's theatrical release that "Twitch unreels like a macabre, ironic joke, a movie built like an inescapable trap for its own anti-hero...Seen today, the violence in this movie remains as potent and explicit as anything glimpsed in contemporary "splatter" features..."[16], Several critics have noted that the film is probably the most influential of Bava's career, as it had a huge and profound impact on the slasher film genre. Bava co-wrote the screenplay with Giuseppe Zaccariello, Filippo Ottoni, and Sergio Canevari, with story credit given to Dardano Sacchetti and Franco Barberi. Title: Everyone is both a victim and a killer, and there’s no singular character to rally behind. Betti recalled, "All of this had to occur in a forest. This will depend on where you are from on what you call this specific color as well. When crippled Countess Federica is murdered at her isolated mansion, a gruesome battle ensues to secure the rights to her valuable property around the bay. Bava had to resort to various camera tricks to convince the audience that an entire forest existed when in fact, only a few scattered trees were at the location. When they return home, the starving and terrified children kill them. Written by One of the most influential horror films of all time, Mario Bava's A BAY OF BLOOD (1971, aka Twitch of the Death Nerve) is the spurting artery from which all future slasher films would flow. A Bay of Blood is a masterwork of the genre, a milestone in Slasher films and Giallo alike. "[13], On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, A Bay of Blood holds an 85% approval rating based on 13 critic reviews, with an average rating of 7.07/10. Despite my love for the genre today, at age six, the concept of watching unsuspecting teens be hacked to death for entertainment was beyond me, and the horrors that took … [6], The location shooting was mostly completed at Zaccariello's Sabaudia beach house and its outlying property. It has been called “The Granddaddy of all Slashers” and “The Ultimate Giallo,” but I simply call it … A Bay of Blood (92) IMDb 6.6 1h 24min 1971 NR One of the most influential horror films of all time, Mario Bava's A BAY OF BLOOD is the spurting artery from which all future slasher films would flow. The story details a string of mysterious murders that occur around the titular bay. An elderly heiress is killed by her husband who wants control of her fortunes. Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? This campaign prompted a lawsuit from the Motion Picture Association of America on the grounds that it intruded on their exclusive right to rate motion pictures, and the film was withdrawn and re-released under the now common title Twitch of the Death Nerve with a R rating appearing in advertisements. "[12] It was listed at #94 in IndieWire's The 100 Greatest Horror Movies of All-Time, with its entry stating that the film, "remains a vital watch for horror fans, and a reminder of how Bava continued to push horror into new and interesting realms, the reverberations of which are still felt today. A Bay of Blood (1972) "They came to play, they stayed to die." The ending was pure magic, so deliciously evil. [6] The festival jurors awarded the film the Best Make-Up and Special Effects Award. A vengeful witch and her fiendish servant return from the grave and begin a bloody campaign to possess the body of the witch's beautiful look-alike descendant, with only the girl's brother and a handsome doctor standing in her way. The film stars Claudine Auger, Luigi Pistilli and Laura Betti. And he found a florist who was selling these little stupid branches with little bits of foliage on them, and he began to make them dance in front of the camera! A Bay of Blood delivers outstanding kills and, the soundtrack hits the spot every fuckin' time. "[12] Phil Hardy's The Aurum Film Encyclopedia: Horror, while noting that Bava was able to "achieve some striking images", opined "Zooms, no doubt programmed by the imperative to work quickly, spoil some scenes that cried out for Bava's particularly fluid use of camera movement which were so much in evidence in Operazione Paura (1966). [12] Writing in 2000, Tim Lucas wrote that Bava's film is "the acknowledged smoking gun behind the 'body count' movie phenomenon of the 1980s, which continues to dominate the horror genre two decades later with such films as Scream, I Know What You Did Last Summer and their respective sequels. At times, Mario Bava’s classic A Bay of Blood is too uninhibited for its own good, a somewhat predictable plot and uneasy editing cramping its delectable style, but what style it is! And you can watch an alternate Italian version. To finalize their plan, Ventura needs Filippo's signature on a set of legal documents. Premiering the film under its original English title, Carnage, Hallmark copied their successful advertising campaign for Mark of the Devil by proclaiming that Bava's film was "The Second Film Rated 'V' for Violence!" "A Bay of Blood" may be a fairly basic giallo in terms of plot but it is also creepy and clever and thankfully tongue-in-cheek, (with a laugh-out-loud pay-off), and Bava knew that by including a few 'cult' names in his cast, (Isa Miranda, Laura Betti), he could draw in the cineastes. A masked, shadowy killer brutally murders the models of a scandalous fashion house in Rome. 67. Read Full Synopsis Cast + Crew Previous Cast Members More Cast Members. It helped kick start the slasher genre… [Bava’s] influence still resonates today (although somewhat dully) in movies such as I Know What You Did Last Summer, Scream and Urban Legend. When Countess Federica is murdered at her isolated mansion, a gruesome battle ensues to secure the rights to her valuable property around the bay. Check out our gallery of the 2021 Oscar nominees in the leading and supporting acting categories, as the characters they so brilliantly played and in real life. One of the most influential horror films of all time, Mario Bava's A BAY OF BLOOD (1971, aka Twitch of the Death Nerve) is the spurting artery from which all future slasher films would flow. Boris Karloff hosts a trio of horror stories concerning a stalked call girl, a vampire-like monster who preys on his family, and a nurse who is haunted by her ring's rightful owner. "Ecology of Crime", later released as Reazione a catena [lit. A Bay of Blood/Twitch of the Death Nerve (1971) Review by Lindsey Darvell 01/26/2016 Synopsis: A rich, elderly woman is murdered by her husband. Interesting characters with a surprisingly good plot and, it's gorgeously bloody and violent. A search for a will proves unsuccessful, and Ventura, who believes that Renata may be the rightful beneficiary, urges Simon to kill his stepsister. To ensure there are no additional witnesses, Renata decapitates Anna with an axe. When a rich Countess dies, strange murders befall people trying to … [citation needed], A Bay of Blood was acquired up for US distribution in 1972 by Steve Minasian's Hallmark Releasing, which specialized in exploitation films. Their scheme is dealt a potentially ruinous blow when Filippo's estranged daughter Renata appears, determined to ensure that her father's estate comes into her possession. One of the most influential horror films of all time, Mario Bava's A BAY OF BLOOD (1971, aka Twitch of the Death Nerve) is the spurting artery from which all future slasher films would flow. "Bay of Blood" is the (complicated) story of a countess being murdered by her husband, and then the husband is murdered by an unseen attacker. A Bay of Blood is a great Italian Slasher, and Arrow have done a brilliant job with the Blu-ray transfer, and well worth the upgrade, it gets a huge 5/5 from me, even the dark scenes are pretty flawless. The genesis of A Bay of Blood was when producer Dino De Laurentiis heard that Dardano Sacchetti, screenwriter of the popular The Cat o' Nine Tails, had fallen out with the film's director Dario Argento. Contains sexual scenes, violence and gore. 85 min 6.7 1971 Italy Overview. A Carpathian village is haunted by the ghost of a murderous little girl, prompting a coroner and a medical student to uncover her secrets while a witch attempts to protect the villagers. [6] Rambaldi's effects work also earned the film a "Special Mention" Award at the prestigious Sitges Film Festival in 1971. [6], The cast included Laura Betti, who had got along well with Bava on Hatchet for the Honeymoon. But where was it? 31 talking about this. The final title of Ecologia del delitto was suggested by Zaccariello because the word "ecologia" was in vogue at the time. Renata, who had no idea she had a stepbrother, makes plans with her husband to murder Simon. It is true that the script loses its footing in the final quarter, unable to maintain the intensity throughout, but that fact notwithstanding, this is one of the finest films of its genre. Check out our editors' picks for the movies and shows we're excited about this month, like Mortal Kombat, "Them," and Stowaway. [1], Bava, owing a massive amount in back taxes, felt he needed to complete a film soon, and turned to Giuseppe Zaccariello (who had silently backed Bava's earlier films Hatchet for the Honeymoon and Five Dolls for an August Moon) to take over as producer. Horse Owner Answers Found On Forums across the … She is portrayed by Anna Rosati. [1], The film began production in early 1971, still under the shooting title Cosi imparano a fare i cattivi,[6] which was soon changed to Reazione a catena ("chain reaction"). A bloodbath of Horror Writing. A Bay of Blood Synopsis. Controversial, disturbing and incredibly influential, A BAY OF BLOOD is a total must-see. Upon their arrival, Ventura attacks Renata, but Renata gains the upper hand and stabs Ventura with a butterfly knife in his femoral artery. No sooner has he exacted his revenge than Simon himself is murdered by Albert. [1] The illusion of Bobby being stabbed in the face with a billhook was achieved with a prop blade which was swiftly pulled out of frame to hide the fact that it was sculpted to conform exactly to actor Roberto Bonanni's profile. View production, box office, & company info. IMDb R. Tomatoes. "[6] According to Gary Johnson, "Twitch of the Death Nerve is one of the most imitated movies of the past 30 years. An elderly heiress is killed by her husband who wants control of her fortunes. Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. We had to act the scenes strictly in front of those branches—if we moved even an inch either way, the 'woods' would disappear! See Full Cast + Crew for A Bay of Blood Features Load More Features Movie … [14] The wounded Ventura reappears, but Albert kills him after a brief struggle. After discovering Filippo's mangled and rotting corpse on Simon's boat, Renata and Albert head to Ventura's house. Was this review helpful to you? One of the most influential horror films of all time, Mario Bava's A Bay of Blood (1971, also known as Twitch of the Death Nerve) is the spurting artery from which all future slasher films would flow. "Ecology of Crime", later released as Reazione a catena [lit. Perhaps Italian horror maestro Mario Bava’s masterpiece, or at least easily making his top three, this is as influential in the horror world as it is confusing to get its name right. Their curiosity piqued by news of the murder, four local teenagers break into the seemingly deserted mansion and are murdered. Soon, a killer begins stalking people in the bay area, but are the murders just random or is there a purpose for all the … The ghost of a sadistic nobleman attempts to rekindle his romance with his terrorized, masochistic former lover, who is unwillingly affianced to his brother. "[11] Gary Johnson, on his Images website, said that "Twitch of the Death Nerve is made for people who derive pleasure from seeing other people killed...The resulting movie is guaranteed to make audiences squirm, but the violence is near pornographic. Here the main pleasure, as in all subsequent body count movies, is in seeing in which new and inventive manner the next murder will be committed, but as usual, it is Bava's visual style which sets this film above Friday 13th and all it's imitators, as well as a knowing sense of humour and a pounding jazzy soundtrack. A Bay of Blood! Filmes de horror de todas as gerações e de todas as nacionalidades tais como slachers, clássicos, horror italiano, horror setentista, oitentista, lançamentos. (Devil having been the first). [1] The movie's budget was extremely low, and it had to be shot very quickly and cheaply. Directed by the fantastic Mario Bava! [8] In the US alone, its later titles include A Bay of Blood, Last House on the Left Part II, Last House Part II and New House on the Left. Horror. Real estate agent Frank Ventura and his lover Laura are plotting to take possession of the bay. A cleaver-wielding bridal designer murders various young brides-to-be in an attempt to unlock a repressed childhood trauma. The murder of a wealthy countess, which was erroneously deemed suicide, triggers a chain reaction of brutal killings in the surrounding bay area, as several unscrupulous characters try … After the Countess refused to sell her home and property to them, the couple hatched a scheme with Filippo to murder his wife. Further details may exist on the, Although known by several different Italian-language titles, the film's original theatrical release title in Italy was, Learn how and when to remove these template messages, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Shock Horror! Upon investigation, the police find what they believe to be a suicide note written by the Countess, but Filippo's murder goes undiscovered. Horror Thriller. At night in her bayside mansion, wheelchair-bound Countess Federica Donati is attacked and strangled to death by her husband Filippo Donati. Joe Dante, on the other hand, was enthusiastic about the film, writing in The Film Bulletin (later reprinted in Video Watchdog) that it "features enough violence and gore to satisfy the most rabid mayhem fans and benefits from the inimitably stylish direction of horror specialist Mario Bava (Black Sunday). Moments later, Filippo himself is stabbed to death by an assailant, and his corpse is then dragged to the bay. Zaccariello insisted that the shooting script be written by Filippo Ottoni, who was reluctant to take the job since he did not like exploitation films. A reporter and a promiscuous young woman try to solve a series of child killings in a remote southern Italian town rife with superstition and a distrust of outsiders. At the 1971 Avoriaz Film Festival, where the movie had its world premiere, Christopher Lee attended a screening of the film, having expressed an interest in seeing the latest effort from the director of The Whip and the Body, which Lee had starred in eight years before. Paolo Fassati, who witnesses the assault, attempts to telephone the police but is confronted by Albert, who strangles him to death. Total Film Proudly Hails The 50 Greatest Horror Movies Of All Time", "Reazione a catena (A Bay of Blood) (Twitch of the Death Nerve) (1972) - Rotten Tomatoes", "Behind the Scenes: Part 2 accident and the Hospital", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=A_Bay_of_Blood&oldid=1014472571, Articles lacking page references from May 2020, Articles with multiple maintenance issues, Articles with unsourced statements from March 2019, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Paola Montenero (as Paola Rubens) as Sylvie (Denise), Giovanni Nuvoletti as Count Filippo Donati, This page was last edited on 27 March 2021, at 08:43. [1] Numerous other writers, including Zaccariello himself, had their hands involved in devising the final screenplay. To create the deaths of Anna, Brunhilda, and Denise, wax effigies of the actresses' throats and backs were constructed and rigged to expulse brightly colored blood when cut. February 2nd Genre Releases Include Host (Blu-ray/DVD), Horror Noire: A History Of Black Horror (Blu-ray/DVD), The Great Alligator (Blu-ray), Shudder in November Features Blood Vessel, Porno (just a title) And The Films of Mario Bava, Shudder’s November Releases Include Salem’S Lot, Blood Vessel, The Mario Bava Collection. [1] Sacchetti and Bava got along well, and together came up with a story in which two parents commit murder to secure a better future for their children. An elderly heiress is killed by her husband who wants control of her fortunes. It does exactly what it sets out to do. A tourist spends the night in a derelict Spanish villa seemingly held in the supernatural grip of an eccentric butler, who resembles a depiction of the Devil she had seen on an ancient fresco. A Bay of Blood - DVD (1971) for $20.00 from OLDIES.com Horror They came to play, they stayed to die. [1] De Laurentiis, disenchanted when The Cat o' Nine Tails failed to recreate its domestic popularity when released abroad, also abandoned the project. A Bay of Blood follows the slasher handbook to the letter (and a few scenes were recreated, shot for shot, in Friday the 13th: Part II). A blood bay horse is a rarer color that looks like a darker blood-red shade some relate this color to a chestnut but there are differences. A Bay of Blood "[6], Page ranges in books should be specific, although circumstances may warrant citing a whole chapter or a larger range. [3][4] In 2005, the magazine Total Film named A Bay of Blood one of the 50 greatest horror films of all time.[5]. Wes Greene C ompared to the other giallo films that comprise most of Mario Bava’s canon, A Bay of Blood (also known as Twitch of the Death Nerve) represents a more stripped-down and economic filmmaking from the Italian master. A Bay of Blood (Italian: Ecologia del delitto,[a] lit. The thirteen murders were conceived as isolated sequences, with no initial idea of how they would fit into the story; Sacchetti credits Bava with the idea of two people being killed with a spear while making love and himself with the idea of a woman being killed in her wheelchair. "[6], To ensure the utmost realism in depicting the thirteen different murders, Carlo Rambaldi was hired to provide the special make-up effects. 'A Bay of Blood' wouldn't necessarily be called a classic in the Mario Bava cannon, but it's recognized as an influential motion picture in the cinema of horror, paving the way for story devices that would soon become staples of the genre. "Chain Reaction"]) (also known as Carnage, Twitch of the Death Nerve and Blood Bath) is a 1971 Italian giallo film directed by Mario Bava. The Countess's illegitimate son Simon, who lives on the grounds in a separate shack, is the killer. A Bay of Blood They came to play, they stayed to die. "[17], Several commentators have noted that two sequences in the 1981 film Friday the 13th Part 2 are strikingly similar to two of Bava's murder sequences: one character is slammed in the face with a hawkbill machete, though Bava's film had a billhook instead, and two teenage lovers are interrupted when a spear impales both of them. Jeffrey Frentzen, reviewing the film for Cinefantastique, called Twitch of the Death Nerve "the director's most complete failure to date. [18][19] Along with The Burning, Just Before Dawn (1981) and several other similarly-plotted slashers, Friday specifically "followed Bava's inspired cue, having young people stalked by violent death amid beautiful wooded settings. Though rarely acknowledged by the mainstream press, A Bay of Blood is now regarded by most of the horror community as the progenitor of the slasher wave from the '80s (with Steve Miner's Friday the 13th Part II suffering the most direct accusations of, ahem, "direct inspiration"). They have no idea, however, that Filippo himself has been killed. [1] Thanks to Hallmark's distribution partnership with Bava's former employer American International Pictures, the film played for years under this title in drive-ins and grindhouses throughout the country as part of a double or triple bill with other Hallmark/AIP films, most notably Wes Craven's equally-influential The Last House on the Left and Fernando Di Leo's Slaughter Hotel,[1] but it has since been re-released theatrically and on home video under a variety of titles. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. 28 of 45 people found this review helpful. Thinking that their parents are playing dead, the son and daughter rush off outside to play along the bay. Widely considered Bava's most violent film,[2] its emphasis on graphically bloody murder set pieces was hugely influential on the slasher film subgenre that would follow a decade later. After killing Filippo, he is now conspiring with Ventura, who offers Simon a large cash pay-off in exchange for signing the relevant legal documents. Accompanied by her husband Albert, and leaving their young son and daughter in a caravan nearby, Renata visits the house of Paolo Fassati, an entomologist who lives on the grounds of the Donati estate. TMDb Score. Bava co-wrote the screenplay with Giuseppe Zaccariello, Filippo Ottoni, and Sergio Canevari, with story credit given to Dardano Sacchetti and Franco Barberi. Certificate: GP Known for such classics as Black Sunday, Planet of the Vampires, and Blood and Black Lace (which is also a … In this early version of the story, the parents are driven to commit one murder after another in a chain reaction, becoming so caught up in their plan that they abandon their children for several days. 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. A Bay of Blood (Italian: Ecologia del delitto, lit. Here Bava's style is refined and reduced ad absurdam, with intermittent atmospheric interludes making use of the natural features of the landscape, from slow pans across the horizon, focus pulls through the foliage, and rapid zooms in and out of each bloody murder. (1971). At the time De Laurentiis approached Bava about working with Sacchetti, Bava and Betti had been toying with the idea of making a movie called "Odore di carne" ("stench of flesh") about cannibalism on Los Angeles colleges. The film stars Claudine Auger, Luigi Pistilli and Laura Betti. A BAY OF BLOOD’s greatest advocates readily admit that the plot is largely nonsensical and distant, and it is. Following a bungled robbery, three violent criminals take a young woman, a middle-aged man, and a child hostage and force them to drive them outside Rome to help them make a clean escape. Before he can enjoy his spoils, he is killed by an unknown assailant. Get a sneak peek of the new version of this page. Use the HTML below. Comprised almost entirely of euphoric music cues and coked-out crash-zooms, Bava creates a quintessentially Italian work, its base intentions not a far cry from the blood-spatter mesmerism of Argento. Carlo Rambaldi created the gruesome special make-up "Chain Reaction"]) (also known as Carnage, Twitch of the Death Nerve and Blood Bath) is a 1971 Italian Giallo film directed by Mario Bava. You can, Please expand the article to include this information. He contacted Sacchetti and persuaded him to collaborate with director Mario Bava on a giallo film. Assembled with a striking visual assurance that never ceases to amuse, this is typical Bava material, simply one ghastly murder after another---13 in all---surrounded by what must be one of the most preposterous and confusing plots ever put on film. [1] However, spectacular arguments with Bava and the production team led to Barbieri being fired, and Sacchetti quit as an act of solidarity with his partner. Disc #1 -- A Bay of Blood Play Film Chapters Extras A Bay Of Blood (Italian) Trailers A Bay Of Blood (AKA Carnage) Black Sunday Baron Blood Lisa And The Devil The House Of Exorcism Audio Audio Commentary Feature-Length Commentary By Tim Lucas, Author Of Mario Bava: All The Colors Of The Dark Commentary: On Commentary: Off Play Film 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. A mystery novel-loving American tourist witnesses a murder in Rome, and soon finds herself and her suitor caught up in a series of killings. This is one of Bava's few films where everything works. The minimalistic script makes no attempt at either character motivation or logic, but serves merely as an engine for the 13 bloody murders. Bava said, 'Don't worry. I will do the forest.' A Bay of Blood is often called the grandfather of the slasher genre, and while Hitchcock’s Psycho commonly receives that title as well, there’s something to be said for Bava holding onto the award. A Bay of Blood would be worth recommending for its historical value, if nothing else, laying the groundwork that would define horror and suspense throughout the early 1980s. It's a bit messy, but a pleasant mess that holds your attention with its confusion. The daughter of a murdered countess stages her suicide as a means of getting revenge. Mario Bava’s murder masterpiece Reazione a catena (Chain Reaction) has been known by many names; Bay of Blood, Bloodbath, The Last House on the Left Part II, and my personal favorite Twitch of the Death Nerve. Secure in the knowledge that there are now no other living heirs, Albert and Renata prepare to return home to await the announcement of their inheritance, when they are shot dead from the caravan by their son, who has mistaken their shotgun for a toy. [9], A Bay of Blood was greeted with disappointment and disgust by several critics, especially by those who were fans of the director's earlier, more restrained films. When Simon discovers that it was the pair who had plotted with Filippo to kill his mother, he strangles Laura to death. Carlo Rambaldi created the gruesome special make-up effects. [1], Sacchetti wrote the first draft of the script, titled Cosi imparano a fare i cattivi ("That Will Teach Them to Be Bad") after a line spoken by the children after killing their parents, with his writing partner Franco Barbieri. The other antagonist being her husband and co-worker, Frank Ventura. Fossati's wife Anna tells them that Filippo was responsible for the Countess's death, and says that Simon will probably end up with the property. When I was six years old I saw my first Slasher film. Ventura's partner Laura arrives, planning to meet up with him. A Bay Of Blood Director: Mario Bava Cast: Claudine Auger, Luigi Pistilli, Leopoldo Trieste Review by Brian M. Sammons. Bay Area clothing line with no limits Lee was reportedly completely revolted by the movie. [1], In Italy, the film was announced as Antefatto ("Before the Fact"), but when finally released to theatres, the title had changed to Ecologia del delitto ("Ecology of Crime").