The Haunted World of Mario Bava

The Haunted World of Mario Bava
Author: Troy Howarth
Publisher:
Total Pages: 210
Release: 2014-05-28
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 9781936168453

The Haunted World of Mario Bava has now been updated, revised and expanded by author Troy Howarth to give a better overview of Bava's remarkable legacy as a director and "cinema magician."


Mario Bava

Mario Bava
Author: Tim Lucas
Publisher:
Total Pages: 1125
Release: 2007-01-01
Genre:
ISBN: 9780963375612


Italian Gothic Horror Films, 1957-1969

Italian Gothic Horror Films, 1957-1969
Author: Roberto Curti
Publisher: McFarland
Total Pages: 221
Release: 2015-03-27
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 1476619891

The "Gothic" style was a key trend in Italian cinema of the 1950s and 1960s because of its peculiar, often strikingly original approach to the horror genre. These films portrayed Gothic staples in a stylish and idiosyncratic way, and took a daring approach to the supernatural and to eroticism, with the presence of menacing yet seductive female witches, vampires and ghosts. Thanks to such filmmakers as Mario Bava (Black Sunday), Riccardo Freda (The Horrible Dr. Hichcock), and Antonio Margheriti (Castle of Blood), as well the iconic presence of actress Barbara Steele, Italian Gothic horror went overseas and reached cult status. The book examines the Italian Gothic horror of the period, with an abundance of previously unpublished production information drawn from official papers and original scripts. Entries include a complete cast and crew list, home video releases, plot summary and the author's analysis. Excerpts from interviews with filmmakers, scriptwriters and actors are included. The foreword is by film director and scriptwriter Ernesto Gastaldi.


Mario Bava

Mario Bava
Author: Leon Hunt
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Total Pages: 370
Release: 2022-02-24
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 1501356534

How do we approach a figure like Mario Bava, a once obscure figure promoted to cult status? This book takes a new look at Italy's 'maestro of horror' but also uses his films to address a broader set of concerns. What issues do his films raise for film authorship, given that several of them were released in different versions and his contributions to others were not always credited? How might he be understood in relation to genre, one of which he is sometimes credited with having pioneered? This volume addresses these questions through a thorough analysis of Bava's shifting reputation as a stylist and genre pioneer and also discusses the formal and narrative properties of a filmography marked by an emphasis on spectacle and atmosphere over narrative coherence and the ways in which his lauded cinematic style intersects with different production contexts. Featuring new analysis of cult classics like Kill, Baby ... Kill (1966) and Five Dolls for an August Moon (1970), Mario Bava: The Artisan as Italian Horror Auteur sheds light on a body of films that were designed to be ephemeral but continue to fascinate us today.


The Ten of Mario Bava

The Ten of Mario Bava
Author: Laura Cremonini
Publisher: Self-Publish
Total Pages: 440
Release: 2020-06-19
Genre:
ISBN:

This book is the assembly of various texts that are freely available on the web, especially from Wikipedia. The next obvious question is: why buy this book? The answer: because it means you avoid having to carry out long and tedious internet searches. (Eleven different topics grouped in one book) The topics are all linked to each other organically, and as a function of the subject and, in most cases, contain additional unpublished topics, not found on the web. Moreover, the inclusion of images completes the work so as to make it unique and unrepeatable. (Over 100 poster and film scenes) In addition, each film is linked to Youtube and in most cases the films are viewed in full Movie. Contents of the book: La maschera del demonio (1960), La ragazza che sapeva troppo (1963), I tre volti della paura (1963), La frusta e il corpo (1963), Operazione Paura (1963), Sei donne per l’assassino (1964), Il Rosso Segno della Follia (1970), 5 bambole per la luna di agosto (1970), Ecologia del delitto (1971), Lisa e il Diavolo (1972). Of each film: Poster, Plot, Cast, Production, Development, Filming, Release, Home media, Critical reception, Influence and analysis, Scenes from the film, Footnotes, References, Further reading.


The Haunted House on Film

The Haunted House on Film
Author: Paul Meehan
Publisher: McFarland
Total Pages: 223
Release: 2019-12-06
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 1476638209

A popular phenomenon since antiquity, the image of the haunted house is one that has translated elegantly into the modern medium of film. The haunted house transcends genre, appearing in mysteries, gothic romances, comedies and horror films. This book is the first comprehensive historical and critical study of themes surrounding haunted houses in film. Covering more than 100 films, it spans from the Mystery House thrillers of the silent era to the high-tech, big budget productions of the 21st Century. Included are the works of such acclaimed directors as D.W. Griffith, Robert Wise, Mario Bava, Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kubrick, Tim Burton and Guillermo Del Toro. The book also covers the real-life "haunted house" phenomenon and movies based on paranormal case files, including those featured in films like the Conjuring series.


Splintered Visions Lucio Fulci and His Films

Splintered Visions Lucio Fulci and His Films
Author: Howarth Troy
Publisher:
Total Pages: 368
Release: 2016-09-07
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 9781936168538

For many horror film fans, the name Lucio Fulci conjures images of gore and depravity. Derided by critics as a hack and an imitator and lionized by others as the "Godfather of Gore," Fulci remains a polarizing and controversial figure. However, many fans are unaware of the scope and breadth of his filmography. From his early days writing material for popular comics like Totò and Franco and Ciccio to directing films in such genres as the musical and the Spaghetti Western, Lucio Fulci was a filmmaker of great diversity. When he attained international notoriety with the release of his gory epic ZOMBIE, Fulci already had years of experience in the film industry; that film's success established him as one of Italy's premier masters of the macabre and he would continue to shock and delight fans until shrinking budgets and failing health began to compromise some of his later work. When he died in 1996, he was on the cusp of a major comeback, but in the years following his death the cult surrounding his legacy has continued to grow. Unfortunately, most studies of Fulci and his work have elected to focus only on a small part of his career. SPLINTERED VISIONS changes all of that by providing an in-depth exploration of Fulci's filmography, beginning with his work as a screenwriter and extending through all of his films as a director. The popular horror films and thrillers are given ample coverage, but the lesser-known works are finally put into their proper context. Author Howarth provides a detailed portrait of a complex man using newly conducted interviews with actors such as Richard Johnson and Franco Nero, which allows the reader a sense of who the director was and how he worked. The end result is the most comprehensive overview of Fulci, the man and Fulci, the filmmaker that has been published in English--making SPLINTERED VISIONS a cause for celebration among serious Fulci fans. The book is also lavishly illustrated with a number of rare stills, posters and advertising materials.


A Year of Fear

A Year of Fear
Author: Bryan Senn
Publisher: McFarland
Total Pages: 561
Release: 2015-03-26
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 1476610908

This eclectic overview of horror cinema offers up a collection of horror films for practically any occasion and literally every day of the year. For example, the author recommends commemorating United Nations Day (October 24) with a screening of The Colossus of New York, whose startling climax takes place at the U.N. Building. Each day-by-day entry includes the movie title, production year, plot summary and critique, along with a brief explanation of how the film fits into the history of that particular day and interesting anecdotes on the film's production.


The Maciste Films of Italian Silent Cinema

The Maciste Films of Italian Silent Cinema
Author: Jacqueline Reich
Publisher: Indiana University Press
Total Pages: 456
Release: 2015-10-19
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 0253017483

Italian film star Bartolomeo Pagano's "Maciste" played a key role in his nation's narratives of identity during World War I and after. Jacqueline Reich traces the racial, class, and national transformations undergone by this Italian strongman from African slave in Cabiria (1914), his first film, to bourgeois gentleman, to Alpine soldier of the Great War, to colonial officer in Italy's African adventures. Reich reveals Maciste as a figure who both reflected classical ideals of masculine beauty and virility (later taken up by Mussolini and used for political purposes) and embodied the model Italian citizen. The 12 films at the center of the book, recently restored and newly accessible to a wider public, together with relevant extra-cinematic materials, provide a rich resource for understanding the spread of discourses on masculinity, and national and racial identities during a turbulent period in Italian history. The volume includes an illustrated appendix documenting the restoration and preservation of these cinematic treasures.