Mario Bava

Is Ringo del Nebraska directed primarily by Bava but credited for legal reasons to director Antonio Román, whom he replaced ?

Database states:

(1966 / Director: Antonio Román (possibly also: Mario Bava)

http://www.spaghetti-western.net/index.php/Ringo_del_Nebraska

[quote=“ENNIOO, post:61, topic:569”]Is Ringo del Nebraska directed primarily by Bava but credited for legal reasons to director Antonio Román, whom he replaced ?[/quote]Reviewers of the imdb seems to be pretty sure about it.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060901/usercomments

[quote=“Bill san Antonio, post:62, topic:569”]Reviewers of the imdb seems to be pretty sure about it.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060901/usercomments[/quote]

These are the comments that made me start thinking about the film, and like you say they seem pretty sure…

according to a book i have on mario bava. " the haunted world of mario bava" by troy howarth. this was directed by bava under the name " savage gringo"

According to Bruckner SW Book Mario Bava was the unofficial director of this movie.

Watched Baron Blood a couple of days ago. Ok execution, but a crappy story. Didn’t manage to grab me as it’s also too low on tension.

Right now in the middle of The Girl Who Knew Too Much, which is a whole lot better. Early giallo/Hitchcock type stuff. Nice.

I’m a big Mario Bava fan, too. He’s done some great stuff. My favorite is probably BAY OF BLOOD.

The Girl who Knew too Much is a great movie. Black Sunday is my favorite and imo his best movie. Danger Diabolik and Caltiki are movies of his I like a lot and should be better known :slight_smile:

I want to comment on Bava’s film Bay of Blood. Bay of Blood was one of the most exciting, original, and violent films, to ever appear out of the italian slasher/ giallo scene, and is among Mario Bava’s most violent work. Nonetheless, it is a true slasher masterpiece, I don’t think their is one scene that is not memorable. From the opening scene to ending, we get one brutal murder after another. This pre slasher thriller delivers on every level. It seems like every fifteen minutes, a character is killed off, and everyone is desperate for to inherit the property. Weather its the murders of the countess and her husband, the murders of the teens in bed, the slashing of one young man in the face with a billhook, the death of the young women running from the bay, or the shocking ending, which to avoid spoilers I won’t say,you get the sense that no one is safe or trustworthy. The finding of a corpse in the bay by the one teenage girl is my favorite scene, but their isn’t a dull moment in the entrie film that seemed out of place. A true masterpiece.

I have to say I would urge people to watch Blood and Black Lace (superb) over a Bay of Blood (sub standard) any day of the week.

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Danger: Diabolik - 9
Lisa and the Devil (Italian language) - 9
Kill, Baby… Kill! - 9
Black Sunday (Italian language) - 9
Girl Who Knew Too Much - 9
Rabid Dogs - 9
Shock - 8
Baron Blood (Italian language) - 8
Blood and Black Lace - 8
Black Sabbath - 8
Hatchet for the Honeymoon - 7
Bay of Blood - 7
Ringo from Nebraska - 7
Four Times That Night - 6
Planet of the Vampires - 6
Road to Fort Alamo - 6
5 Dolls for an August Moon - 6
Whip and the Body - 5
Roy Colt and Winchester Jack - 4
Hercules in the Haunted World - 4
Knives of the Avenger - 4
House of Exorcism - 1

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A note on Bava’s Black Sabbath ( 3 faces of fear). What we have are three tales of horror, mystery, and violence that will leave you on the edge of your seat. Not a moment goes by where you find yourself not glued to the screen, waiting for the next surprise! and Bava’s three stories are full of them! Out of three short stories,My favorite is by far " The drop of water" Damn close to horror perfection. This still holds up today. Next was “the telephone” which had a few twists. Not too violent, but had to influence tons of late 70’s and early 80’'s slasher films. The wurdalak was my least favorite, but Mark Damon is great in the lead role. The idea is a bit dated, and the ending isn’t too over the top. I can see how Bava’s work so influential, and ha to inspire directors like Tarantino, Scorsese, Argento ( and probably 75% of most horror/ suspense directors for that matter).

A note on Bava’s Baron Blood. Even though its one of Bava’s least respected, overlooked, and unappreciated films, I find this better then 90% of the horror made within the last ten years. ( With the exception of the New French Extremity films) As the story starts we see our main protagonist taking a holiday. We find out that he has a ruthless, mass murdering ancestor. When his ancestor is brought back to life, it is our protagonist’s job to stop him. A repulsive tale that anyone who finds interest in the occult or the macabre should view. Spaghetti western fans will recognize composer Stelvio Cipriani , and American actor Joseph Cotton in a small but important role.

Just to throw in a GCDb link

https://www.grindhousedatabase.com/index.php/Mario_Bava

On that note, the GCDb is currently actively looking for contributors, reviewers, etc. So if you’re a lot into exploitation films, maybe that’s for you

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Thank you Sebastian, and yes I will have to take a look at it. Outside of the spaghetti western genre, and westerns made by John Ford and Sam Peckinpah, these genres would be my favorite.

  1. Giallo ( of course) but almost any Italian supernatural horror, thriller, mystery film that’s over the top in violence or suspense.
  2. Ozploitation ( For those of you who don’t know, its any Australian B Grade Explotation flick, and yes theirs around fifty or so. Iv’e seen around a dozen and no one can shot a car chase scene like they do.
  3. New French Extremity ( Just getting into many of these, but not recommended for anyone who dosen’t like transgressive art)

I do of course like the films of George A Romero, Herschell Gordon Lewis, John Carpenter
Wes Craven, and Peter Jackson.

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I’ve seen blood and black lace twice now and it is quite entertaining, but I got a lot more out of it with the second viewing. Some of my favorite scenes included ( the strangle of the women at night just outside of the fashion house, the burning of the one women’s face, and of course, the scene where the women is drowned to death in the bathtub) each of which were shot well, and this early giallo is full of surprises, as everyone fears this masked, faceless killer, dressed in black, with black gloves, desiring a red diary that contains important but “secret” information. Maybe 3.5 out of 4 stars, as its plot can be a bit of a nightmare to figure out, ( the first time around), but by the end of the second viewing, you’ll most likely get a lot more out of it.

Whenever I think of Blood and Black Lace I think of the vivid colours, it’s a beautifully stylish giallo!

Finally saw Kill Baby Kill and I had to rank this as my favorite Bava film yet. The opening scene is the most memorable if any Bava film I’ve seen yet, ( one of his most gruesome openings, and I love how the film seems to start in the middle of a scene. At An hour and twenty three minutes running time, Bava tells us a story where a doctor is called in ( from out of town) to perform an autopsy, and encounters a series of gruesome/ unexplained murders. With the help a local nurse, he decides to get to the bottom of everything once and for all. More then half the film is shot at night, ( the scenes shot in the graveyard as well as the Graps family tomb area, both had a real authenticity to them). Bava makes good use of suspense, a few examples include: the scene where the doctor is chased by two men, the scenes where Melissa can be seen outside a window, as well as the scene where the doctor encounters Melissa for the first time. I thought Melissa’s mother was played by a women who played her character almost to well! ( the women really looked like a witch!!!, and that evil grin, dark outfit, and greyish, dim hair. Something about her eyes seemed sinister. Fine work by Bava.

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I found Black Sabbath a horror gem, the first time I saw it, and decided to buy it on blu way when I and across a complete English language version ( no end she subtitles.) The Kino American release( on blu ray ) has fine picture and audio quality, and I’d put it up theirs as one of the best versions available. Bava will captivate you, with an
excellent use of close ups, combined with haunting/ gothic soundtrack make this film our classic Italian noir/ horror. The costumes are wonderful as is the scenery. Each individual “tale” captures some of Bavas finest work, weather it be vampires, a supernatural curse, or revenge from a lover, Bava’s Black Sabbath is one of the finest Italian horror/ noir films ever produced.