Lamberto Bava

[EvilAsh]

I just saw Blade in the Dark and Macabre. This movies are awsome. Macabre is called MAcabro on amazon. They have them for $27 or $20 used. I recommend you guys see these. They're awsome. I heard Blade in the dark was banned in Italy.

[Dehydrator]

I thought A BLADE IN THE DARK wasn't all that, but DEMONS is definitely worth a look. Never heard of Macabre, though.

[andy13]

I absolutely love BLADE IN THE DARK (which is about to be released in the UK UNCUT).
It is a damn good giallo.... cool murders (bathroom one is the best), unexpected plot twists, and good chase scenes (especially the one near the end, between the killer and the blonde chick).

[skantchweasel]

Although not a Giallo, Demons is a f*ckin superb movie, Lambertos debut if im not mistaken. Totall worth checkin out the unrated version, kinda reminds u whats so good about horror movies...

[countchocula]

Demons definitely rocks, but it's hard to get past some of those gaping plot holes. The guy in the mask, the helicopter, and the useless subplots just baffled me. Nevertheless, it's a fun bloodbath that never fails to entertain.

[AlienClown]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by countchocula:
it's hard to get past some of those gaping plot holes. The guy in the mask, the helicopter, and the useless subplots just baffled me.</font>
Unfortunately all that coupled with some continuity errors, inconsistencies, and unsatisfying/rip-off twist ending, and I suppose my very high expectations waiting for awhile to see this movie resulted in me not liking it. A pretty big dissapointment.

[Jason13thh]

There's the good L. Bava with A Blade In The Dark and Macabre but there is the very very bad Bava with Delirium.
The plot : Models working for an erotic magazine are killed one by one.
The killer sends the pictures of his murders to the owner, who was a former model.
Very very bad, only worth looking for the tits and arses.
2/10

[Bear]

Haven't yall heard of the masterpiece by Lamberto Bava entitled Devil Fish?

[redfish365]

The movie SHOCK, with Daria Niccolodi is another gem from Lamberto Bava...highly recommended!

[blujeep]

Originally posted by AlienClown
Unfortunately... A pretty big dissapointment.

Give it another chance - watch it again.
I liked it the first time I saw it, but I got to love it after multiple viewings. You forget all about the plot holes & stuff & just enjoy the action & the gore. :D

[Jason13thh]

and do not forget the ultra cool Demnos 2, really like this - one it was a bit Die Hardesque.

[dellamorte dellamore]

Die Hard - 1988


Demons 2 - 1986


Because of this i would say Die Hard is a bit Demons 2ish , not the other way around .


Also , Demons wasn't Lam Bava's directing debut , Rabid Dogs was .



Now i'm glad to see that other shmoes recognize and appreciate the genius that is Demons 1/2 . I can't recommend these two films enough , they are two of the best horror films to come out of Italy ever , and they have influenced countless other directors , P Anderson , the director of Res Evil , in particular . These two films just never get old , they are landmark achievements in the horror genre and filmmaking in general .



SPOILERS ( Sorry i didn't warn the shmoes when i posted this response originally , i foolishly assume everyone has seen these two films ) .












Now about the plot holes and inconsistencies that some people complain about with regards to Demons 1 .



I admit , i can't explain the guy in the mask ( Michele Soavi ) , but he did serve a purpose , eventually .



If it wasn't for him handing out the tickets , no one would have gone to the theater . Now the helicopter is easy to explain . Those punks that were driving around , up to no good , parked their car in the alley adjacent to the theater . A couple of cops showed up , and they took off . The back door to the theater opened and they went in . After they entered , a demon ( the blind man one ) , exited the back door , and then hid behind a car . When the police discovered him , he attacked them . They became Demons too and they proceeded to spread the contagion throughout the city ( at this point there are 3 demons outside the theater ) . When all hell breaks loose , a helicopter is dispatched to quell what they initially think is rioting or just crazed , violent criminals , and also to find the missing officers , since they obviously have not communicated with headquarters in quite some time . When the pilots of the Heli realize the theater doors are sealed with concrete , they decide to investigate , so they land the chopper on top of the theater . When they do , the masked man attacks and kills them . The weight of the copter cannot be supported by the roof , so naturally it caves in , at a very convenient time for our protagonists to secure their escape . They do , but the women is scratched on the leg or neck , just before they make their exit ( you don't know this until the end credits , when she turns into one herself ) . When they reach the roof , the masked man attacks them , but they overpower him and kill him . When they look across at an apartment building , they see a Demon looking at them menacingly from his window , the whole city is just about infected at this point , because of the the one Demon that infected the two police officers .



Now , i'm not sure about the whole concrete thing , and who put it there , but my theory is that the police determined that's where the infection originated , so they decided to quarantine the entire building with approval from the military . I never heard of sealing an entire building with concrete in order to quarantine it's occupants , but when it comes to Marshall Law , and depending on the severity of a particular crisis , there is always the possibility , especially in an italian horror film .


Also , there are certain concretes that can dry extremely fast .


Only problem with my theory about the concrete is that the patrons had already tried to escape way before the blind demon attacked the policemen , and the concrete was there .


I don't know , i have to think about these films a bit more , but no matter , even with the supposed plot holes and the fantastical elements , these two films are just pure , unadulterated fun , and i never get bored with them .


I have to mention again how great the Black Guy is , he really steals the show when he's involved in the action . Great work , and he doesn't mess around , he starts stomping Demons without any questions asked or silly pondering ( in the first there was a brief scene when he questioned what was happening , but that's about it ) , just pure butt kicking goodness . Did i mention he does this in the most hilarious but o so cool manner ? " You ain't worth shit " is one of his best lines . He even better in the sequel , because they really unleash his ass kicking abilities in that one , and he finally gets a Demon suppressing weapon worthy of an action hero , a shotgun .

[blujeep]

Good analysis re: the helicopter, I was thinking along the same lines...tho the first time I saw the movie I just laffed out loud & was like WTF?!?! But I went with it & enjoyed the outcome.
As I thought about it later I came up with pretty much the same rationalization that you did.

But as for the sealed up theater, I don't agree at all - I don't think there's ANY concrete that can dry that fast & I really don't think even 1,000 military personnel could put it up THAT fast to seal in the entire building - did you see the outside shot of the theater in the beginning of the movie? That's a huge building! :)
I think that this was just part of the supernatural occurances that turned the people into demons in the first place - this was the evil force working to ensure that everyone in the theater was trapped so that they would all become demons & that no one could get away until they did.
Just my opinion... :)

[dellamorte dellamore]

Yeah , the concrete theory is a stretch , and by the time the virus spread , to the time Marshall Law is declared , to the time the wall would have been constructed , to the time it actually dries just wouldn't make any sense . So , i would go with the whole supernatural route with regards to that aspect of the film .


Some things in both films probably could be explained in a realistic sense , but really you just have to suspend disbelief and go along for the wild ride that is both films . If you can do that , most likely you'll get tons of enjoyment from them . I have a feeling the makers of Demons 1 and 2 , just opened their heads ( figurativley of course ) , and just let everything come out . Whatever the end result was , that was what made the final cut .


Back to Lam Bava , i haven't had a chance to see any of his other films , but i hear only good things about his work from 1977 to the late 80's , so i'll definitely be checking out his other work . I don't see how his other films could top the wonderful sense of frenetic energy found in the Demons films , but i'm not expecting them too .


I also have too mention the amazing soundtrack that Demons 1 features . I'm not exactly a fan of what you could call 80's Heavy Metal , but just about every song in this film is great and it works brilliantly with the subject matter . The original instrumental themes created for Demons is one of the best in a horror film also .


Now , i really wish Bava and Argento would collaborate on another film , a throwback to the films both of them made in the 80's , now that would be excellent . And bring back Bobby Rhodes ( Tony the Pimp / Hank the personal trainer ) .

[redfish365]

Ok, not to be contrarian but personally I found the two Demons movies to be the weakest of Lamberto Bava's output. I like giallo type thrillers more than zombie flicks though so that plays a part in my thoughts on this.

[Jason13thh]

" Here comes the rain .... yeah I like the rain " love this song from The Cult !!! so bad ass !!!

[teenkiller]

For all you Lamberto Bava fans on the west coast I have a little update for you. Copied and pasted directly from DreadCentral:

This August 3rd lucky West Coasters (I'll be joining you fuckers soon) will get the opportunity to check out the newest film from Lamberto Bava, The Ghost Son, which stars among others Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni of Argento's latest Mother of Tears.

Never heard of it? You've been missing out! Ghost Son tells the story of a poor woman named Stacey (Laura Harring) who loses her husband Mark (John Hannah) in a fatal car accident. A bit later she finds out she's having his baby, and then things get complicated. You see the spirit of Mark is controlling the baby and is using it to try to kill Stacey so that they can spend all eternity together.

Well thats all for now GOoD JOURNEY my fellow schmoes.

[Superplasmatron]

Originally posted by redfish365
The movie SHOCK, with Daria Niccolodi is another gem from Lamberto Bava...highly recommended!


Nope that was his dad Mario Bava who made it, i got it on double sided disk with a film called possession, which is one of my all time fave horrors.

[Superplasmatron]

Originally posted by andy13
I absolutely love BLADE IN THE DARK (which is about to be released in the UK UNCUT).
It is a damn good giallo.... cool murders (bathroom one is the best), unexpected plot twists, and good chase scenes (especially the one near the end, between the killer and the blonde chick).


When?


and how did you get your location to say Manchester?

[Cronos]

Originally posted by Roy L Dennis
When?
its available from Vipco

i've only seen 3 of his films so far, one of which i loved (Blade In The Dark, even if has a very annoying kid) and 2 which i hated, both Demons 1 and 2 were terribly made and irritating