This is part two in our ongoing series GOTH RENAISSANCE: A Critical Introduction to Italian Gothic Horror. Watch part one here, although this installment can be watched on its own.
In the first part, we covered the emergence of a distinctly Italian form of horror, noting the ways that Italians were already changing the genre. But those movies were prologue. It was a modest cinematographer named Mario Bava that truly changed the game, starting with his iconic directorial debut Black Sunday (1960).
Following that movie’s wild international success, Bava continued to lay the foundation for Italian horror with some of his finest work: Black Sabbath (1963) and The Whip and the Body (1963). Of all the movies we cover in this series, these three movies are the most essential.
Today, more than any other, the name Mario Bava has become synonymous with Italian gothic horror.
Timestamps:
0:00 - Intro covering Mario Bava’s pre-directorial career; ideation and significance of Black Sunday;
2:40 - Black Sunday (dir. Mario Bava, 1960)
9:19 - Black Sabbath (dir. Mario Bava, 1963)
18:16 - The Whip and the Body (dir. Mario Bava, 1963)
22:39 - Summing up the significance of Bava’s early directorial career
As mentioned previously, I’m deeply indebted to the work of Tim Lucas in creating this segment. Nobody has done more to surface and immortalize Bava’s merits and the fascinating details of his remarkable career.
Note: Subtitles are auto-generated and may have inaccuracies.
Mario Bava's Groundbreaking Gothics