"Blood and Black Lace" focuses on a fashion house who becomes targeted by a sinister killer; each murder appears to be connected to a diary that belonged to the killer's first victim.
In true Bava fashion (no pun intended), "Blood and Black Lace" is a visually luscious film that has been branded as the "first giallo," and it probably was. The setup of the film is fantastic and precedes the slasher prototype by at least a decade; an expansive fashion house full of laced mannequins, exquisite architecture, shadowy corners, and gorgeous supermodels—what better setting for a horror film?
Bava, the auteur he was, takes full advantage of the silk-laden mannequins, velvet curtains, and glamorous interiors, which are bathed in shadows and illuminated in bright colors; at some points, the film has an even "Suspiria"-esque visual flair, but predates Argento's film by a good thirteen years. Narratively, the film has a fairly straightforward, if not flimsy script, which, though fairly routine by today's standards, would have been much more full of surprises in 1964. The performances in the film are decent, and Cameron Mitchell makes an appearance as a potentially shady salon owner, and complements the film nicely. While it is not a particularly gory film, Bava does a phenomenal job with the models' death scenes, crafting what may be among the most beautiful murders in film history.
Overall, "Blood and Black Lace" is a rightfully sung genre classic; in my opinion, it is one of Mario Bava's greatest achievements, chock full of luscious supermodels, a sprawling mansion, and a masked killer with a vendetta. The film operates as both a slasher and a murder mystery in equal measure, and engages on both platforms. The visual flair is the centerpiece holding it all together of course, in true Bava tradition.
In true Bava fashion (no pun intended), "Blood and Black Lace" is a visually luscious film that has been branded as the "first giallo," and it probably was. The setup of the film is fantastic and precedes the slasher prototype by at least a decade; an expansive fashion house full of laced mannequins, exquisite architecture, shadowy corners, and gorgeous supermodels—what better setting for a horror film?
Bava, the auteur he was, takes full advantage of the silk-laden mannequins, velvet curtains, and glamorous interiors, which are bathed in shadows and illuminated in bright colors; at some points, the film has an even "Suspiria"-esque visual flair, but predates Argento's film by a good thirteen years. Narratively, the film has a fairly straightforward, if not flimsy script, which, though fairly routine by today's standards, would have been much more full of surprises in 1964. The performances in the film are decent, and Cameron Mitchell makes an appearance as a potentially shady salon owner, and complements the film nicely. While it is not a particularly gory film, Bava does a phenomenal job with the models' death scenes, crafting what may be among the most beautiful murders in film history.
Overall, "Blood and Black Lace" is a rightfully sung genre classic; in my opinion, it is one of Mario Bava's greatest achievements, chock full of luscious supermodels, a sprawling mansion, and a masked killer with a vendetta. The film operates as both a slasher and a murder mystery in equal measure, and engages on both platforms. The visual flair is the centerpiece holding it all together of course, in true Bava tradition.