BLOOD AND BLACK LACE is often cited as being the first giallo ever made for the silver screen. And there's no debating that point. There are several truly outstanding moments in BABL and those scenes and the overall look of it have influenced movies up to this day. But as good, if not great, BABL is, there are several things about it that keep it from being an all-out masterpiece. The acting ranges from serviceable to downright awful. Except for Cameron Mitchell and Eva Bartok, the acting from the rest of the cast is barely acceptable. Things aren't helped much with the astoundingly bad dialogue. I heard a lot of badly dubbed movies (THE LAST DAYS OF PLANET EARTH being one of the worst of all time) but the dialogue in BABL is truly cringe inducing. The worst scene, amongst the many, is the one when the inspector talks to the gas station attendant. Oy! It's probably best to watch BABL in its original Italian version with subtitles.
The logic, or lack of logic, of the characters' behavior also made me scratch my head. Women are dying all over the place and yet the fashion show must go on. Huh? And the music is good for the 1960s I guess, but today, it's more distractingly unscary than anything else. Goblin it ain't. It just didn't put me in the right mood or mindset.
But even with all these things going against it, the film is still great simply because of its over-the-top approach to violence and style. Even today, some scenes are surprisingly violent (the killer smashing the woman's head against the tree trunk is blunt and effective). And the fact that women are dying left and right with seemingly no reason (until the end reveals everything) gives the movie a modern edge. The best scene in BABL is the forward tracking shot towards the dead woman, who's lying behind the screens, and the body is suddenly being dragged offscreen. Chilling and brilliant!!!
Even with its couple of distracting weak points, BLOOD AND BLACK LACE is worth seeing for any fan of horror/thriller/slasher films. It's the granddaddy of them all. BABL and BAY OF BLOOD would make a great double feature (both films have a lot on common!).
The logic, or lack of logic, of the characters' behavior also made me scratch my head. Women are dying all over the place and yet the fashion show must go on. Huh? And the music is good for the 1960s I guess, but today, it's more distractingly unscary than anything else. Goblin it ain't. It just didn't put me in the right mood or mindset.
But even with all these things going against it, the film is still great simply because of its over-the-top approach to violence and style. Even today, some scenes are surprisingly violent (the killer smashing the woman's head against the tree trunk is blunt and effective). And the fact that women are dying left and right with seemingly no reason (until the end reveals everything) gives the movie a modern edge. The best scene in BABL is the forward tracking shot towards the dead woman, who's lying behind the screens, and the body is suddenly being dragged offscreen. Chilling and brilliant!!!
Even with its couple of distracting weak points, BLOOD AND BLACK LACE is worth seeing for any fan of horror/thriller/slasher films. It's the granddaddy of them all. BABL and BAY OF BLOOD would make a great double feature (both films have a lot on common!).