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A Bay of Blood

Claudine Auger

Luigi Pistilli

Claudio Camaso

Anna Maria Rosati

Chris Avram

Leopoldo Trieste

Laura Betti

Brigitte Skay

Isa Miranda

Paola Montenero

Nicoletta Elmi

Renato Cestiè

Guido Boccaccini

Roberto Bonanni

Giovanni Nuvoletti

Mario Bava

Giuseppe Zaccariello

Carlo Reali

Stelvio Cipriani

Sergio Canevari

Enrico Sabbatini

Carlo Rambaldi

Lamberto Bava

Fernando Franchi

Gianlorenzo Battaglia

Emilio Varriano

Vincenzo Restuccia

Carlo Diotallevi

Mandrake Som

Patrizia Zulini

Franco Freda

Carlo Tarchi

Roberto Cicutto

Adalgisa Favella

Franco Vitale

Filippo Ottoni

Gianfranco Barberi

Dardano Sacchetti

Franco Vanorio

Gene Luotto

Alfredo Bini

**_Seminal Italian slasher_**

At a bay on the remote coast of central Italy, corpses mount up as several people contest over the valuable property rights. Some of those involved are four party-minded youths in a yellow dune buggy.    

Mario Bava's "A Bay of Blood" (1971) is called “Ecology of Crime” in Italian (translated) and is known by a few other names, like “Twitch of the Death Nerve” (“A Bay of Blood” is easily the best title).

With one foot firmly in giallo territory, it is hailed as the progenitor and blueprint for the kitschy slasher craze that would soon emerge with "Halloween" (1978) and "Friday the 13th" (1980). But let’s not forget about the influential films that led up to this one, like "Psycho" (1960), "Dementia 13" (1963) and Bava’s own “Blood and Black Lace” (1964), not to mention "Silent Night, Bloody Night,” which was shot at the same time as “A Bay of Blood.” These paved the way for early 70’s slashers like “Home for the Holidays” (1972), "Torso (1973), "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" (1974) and "Black Christmas" (1974).

While this is superior to “Dementia 13,” the somewhat convoluted story is not as compelling as “Psycho,” “Silent Night, Bloody Night” and “Friday the 13th.” Speaking of the latter, devotees of “A Bay of Blood” suggest that it heavily influenced the first two “Friday” films, but this would mostly apply to the four youths visiting the desolate bay and a couple of death scenes, which amount to a fraction of the runtime. There’s nothing in “Bay” about camp counselors staying at a summer camp and the dynamics thereof. 

Brigitte Skay is a highlight on the female front as Louise, but there are a few other notables, like Paola Montenero (Sylvie), Anna Maria Rosati (Laura) and the joyless Claudine Auger (Renata). On the other side of the gender spectrum, Claudio Volonté is reminiscent of Oliver Reed as solemn fisherman outcast Simon.

The movie runs 1 hour, 24 minutes, and was shot about an hour’s drive south of Rome in Sabaudia, Italy, at the producer’s beach house, along with some bits shot at Fogliano, which is 12 miles north.

GRADE: B-

Edgar Wright on CARNAGE

A Bay Of Blood (1971) - Trailer

Twitch of the Death Nerve: Opening Scene

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A Bay of Blood

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Cast

Claudine Auger

Luigi Pistilli

Claudio Camaso

Anna Maria Rosati

Chris Avram

Leopoldo Trieste

Laura Betti

Brigitte Skay

Isa Miranda

Paola Montenero

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