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| Stomp Visual (Australia). All Regions, NTSC. 1.78:1 (16:9 enhanced). English DD 2.0. 84 minutes |
| The Movie |
| Cover Art |
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| Credits |
Director: Mario Bava
Starring: Claudine Auger, Luigi Pistilli, Claudio Volonté, Laura Betti
Screenplay: Franco Barberi and Dardano Sachetti
Country: Italy
AKA: Bay of Blood; Reazione a catena; Bloodbath |
Not content with inventing the Giallo thriller
with Blood and Black Lace, Mario
Bava way back in 1972 made a film that was to become
the blueprint for every slasher film known to man. Twitch of the Death Nerve, also
known as Bay of Blood, will seem strangely familiar
to those readers who are huge fans of Friday
the 13th, especially part two but then
that sequels director Steve Miner has always declared
that Bava's blood thirsty thriller was a major
influence but watching Twitch of the Death
Nerve again it looks more like wholesale
stealing. Any of these murders sound familiar; a
young man opens a door only to get a machete in
the face, a fornicating couple are speared together.
The murders are copied almost frame for frame.
The big difference between Bava and the directors
who followed in his footsteps is obviously talent. Twitch of the Death Nerve looks
fabulous. Knives glisten in the sunlight, everything
is beautifully lit and despite the fact that he
invented the "have sex, will die"
style of filmmaking, the storyline to this film
is a pitch-black whodunit that comments on greed,
family and exactly how far people will go for
a few lire. The films twisted finale is hilarious
and will leave most viewers with a startled look
of surprise. In fact the playful tone of the film
has more in common with Danger Diabolik than his other horror films such as Shock! and Blood and Black Lace.
The performances are suitably twisted, Bond girl
Claudia Auger of Thunderball fame exudes a sultry sexiness and the rest for
cast seem happy to disrobe or die or both. The
squid obsessed fisherman is a fantastically bizarre
character, infact there are very few normal folk
on display. Everyone we are introduced to has
a hidden agenda led by greed and corruption. Bava's
film is more a comment on what man will do man
for money than a mere horror film. |
| Video |
| The print on show could definitely use a bit more
cleaning up. Dirt and speckles frequently appear
but the luminous photography still sparkles. The
image is still fairly sharp and clear but the red's
are often a bit unstable. |
| Audio |
| The soundtrack is ok, nothing terrible, but nothing
spectacular. |
| Extra Features |
| We get two radio spots, the theatrical trailer
and a nice photo and poster gallery. In a suitably
macabre touch there is also a murder menu that lets
the viewer speed to his or her favourite murderous
moment. |
| The Verdict |
A classic of the genre and proof that Bava was
a visionary master; few other directors ever gave
the horror genre such respect. It's no wonder
that Bava became such an influential figure in many
modern horror directors lives. Gloriously dark in
its use of humour and viciously violent when it
wants to be, Twitch of the Death Nerve is a must for anyone who wants to see where Jason,
Michael and Cropsy came from.
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