Rating: 
Summary: This baby is killer.
Review: *Kill Baby Kill* is that rarest of Sixties' horror films: a SCARY horror film. But hey, it was directed by Mario Bava, so are you surprised? However, Bava fans may be in for a let-down here, because it's not as gory -- not as "giallo", if you will -- as most of his later work. It's fitting that the DVD features the trailer for Argento's *The Bird with the Crystal Plumage* -- a film that stands in Argento's oeuvre about precisely as *Kill Baby Kill* stands in Bava's; i.e., an early work, not as gory, but with extremely admirable sequences and unsettling atmosphere. The movie concerns itself with yet another Young Handsome Rationalist (the eternal "Jonathan Harker" character), a big-city coroner, to be exact, who is sent to a small town that seems to be living under a curse. His mission? Investigate the corpse of an otherwise healthy young woman who has committed apparent suicide by falling onto a spiked iron fence from a height. Along the way he encounters an ethereal, spooked-out heroine . . . a local witch with a heart of gold . . . the local witch's love interest, the bald-as-Savalas mayor of the town . . . a decrepit countess living in a mansion that's roughly the size of the Pentagon . . . and her daughter's malicious, terrifying ghost. The girl who plays the ghost has a knack of looking absolutely evil, and that's a good thing because the movie stands or falls with her. What makes the movie art is Bava's wildly inventive direction, which seems to be inspired in equal measure by Alfred Hitchcock and massive quantities of psychedelic mushrooms. There's a magnificent winding staircase that gets the old spinning-camera treatment; there are the old Universal-style "haunted" sets with gorgeous matte-paintings in the background; there are feverish dream sequences; there are magnificent Italian ruins; and there's a sublime moment when our Rationalist, in an attempt to rescue his girlfriend in the countess' funhouse of horrors, keeps running over and over through the same room, only to catch up to . . . himself! What does it mean? I don't know. I just know I loved it.
Rating: 
Summary: ...
Review: ... Video and audio quality are on par with VHS -- even the bonus trailer of "The Night Visitor" looks like a third-generation bootleg copy. Had I bought this at a gas station, I would have expected this kind of quality, but a serious DVD release tagetted at Bava fans should have more effort put into it. A total waste of the DVD format. Can't wait for someone else to release it so I can sell it. If you love Bava's work, you won't be disappointed by the movie, but I recommend you buy it used ...
Rating:
Summary: Great film, very mediocre disc.
Review: All the talk of VCI using the best elements available is absolute [bunk], seeing as this film was shown on television here in Australia recently in widescreen (1:85.1) and not 1:66.1 as exhibited on this disc (same goes for Blood and Black Lace). Hopefully Image will pick up this title soon and give it the treatment it deserves.
Rating: 
Summary: PENNIES FROM HELL
Review: Another little gem from italian director Mario Bava has just entered the DVD market : the 1966 OPERAZIONE PAURA aka KILL, BABY...KILL ! After the releases of RABID DOGS (great), BAY OF BLOOD and BARON BLOOD, the Bava fan was already smiling, now he is literally hysterical. And more releases are announced for the next weeks to come. Miam ! Miam !KILL, BABY...KILL ! plays in the same category than THE MASK OF SATAN or BARON BLOOD : the Gothic, yes, but in the Bava manner. So we witness a few gothic murders shot in a blue-green-yellow fog in the middle of a lost austrian village. Nothing very special after all BUT then comes the detail that kills : someone has put a penny in the heart of the murdered people (Bava, you're the greatest !). There is also a scene which deserves to stay in Movie History (yes, Sir !) : the hero, played by Giacomo Rossi-Stuart, is trying to find Erika Blanc (the heroin, the blonde with the white transparent pyjama and almost nothing (gargl..) under it) through the numerous rooms of the Villa Graps, he runs and runs and finally catches his own double. Simple but magistral idea. Three trailers as bonus features : Bava's SIX WIVES FOR THE ASSASSIN, Dario Argento's THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE and Laslo Benedek's THE NIGHT VISITOR. A DVD for Erika Blanc.
Rating:
Summary: Mario Bava turns his talents to a Gothic ghost story
Review: Director Mario Bava ("Black Sunday," "Black Sabbath") creates an atmosphere gothic horror film in "Kill, Baby, Kill" ("Operazione Paura"). At first glance this is an old fashioned ghost story with all of the required horror movie elements, from the ignorant and superstitious villages, an old crone uttering curses, swirling mists, rooms strewn with cobwebs, and even a black cat. Of course there is also the one person who understands what is really going on and is ignored until it is way too late. When Dr. Paul Eswai (Giacomo Rossi-Stuart) shows up to perform an autopsy on a young woman who died a violent death, he finds a fear stricken town in the best gothic tradition. When he finds the victim has a coin embedded in her heart, the town's shameful secret is told: twenty years earlier a young child, Melissa Graps, was run over and left to die during a festival. The townspeople are convinced Melissa's ghost is driving the guilty to suicide by appearing to them, and the good doctor's plea for rationality is ignored as the townsfolk are whipped into a frenzy of fear by the local sorceress, Ruth (Fabienne Dali). When Dr. Eswai and the lovely Monica (Erika Blanc) go to the local castle, Villa Graps, they find the Baroness also dead, another apparent suicide. There is only one thing left to do; explore the castle and find its deadly secret. Title notes: "Kill, Baby, Kill!" was the film's 1968 release title, although it was first seen in the United States two years earlier as "Operation Fear." Other reissue titles were "Don't Walk in the Park" and "Curse of the Living Dead" (not to be confused with "Curse of the Dead," the release title in the United Kingdom). Whatever the title, this film is one of Bava's better efforts at creating an atmospheric horror film. Monica has a nightmare that is a very effective montage sequences. The film is also rather unique, especially for an Italian production, in that all of the really interesting characters are females, especially Ruth, who lends the movie some of its more effective twists. The more you can forget that this sort of story has been done to death in the United States in the years since 1966, the more you can enjoy this film. Certainly a lot more going on creatively both in front and behind the camera than you would find in the best Hammer films of the same time period.
Rating:
Summary: Mario Bava turns his talents to a Gothic ghost story
Review: Director Mario Bava ("Black Sunday," "Black Sabbath") creates an atmosphere gothic horror film in "Kill, Baby, Kill" ("Operazione Paura"). At first glance this is an old fashioned ghost story with all of the required horror movie elements, from the ignorant and superstitious villages, an old crone uttering curses, swirling mists, rooms strewn with cobwebs, and even a black cat. Of course there is also the one person who understands what is really going on and is ignored until it is way too late. When Dr. Paul Eswai (Giacomo Rossi-Stuart) shows up to perform an autopsy on a young woman who died a violent death, he finds a fear stricken town in the best gothic tradition. When he finds the victim has a coin embedded in her heart, the town's shameful secret is told: twenty years earlier a young child, Melissa Graps, was run over and left to die during a festival. The townspeople are convinced Melissa's ghost is driving the guilty to suicide by appearing to them, and the good doctor's plea for rationality is ignored as the townsfolk are whipped into a frenzy of fear by the local sorceress, Ruth (Fabienne Dali). When Dr. Eswai and the lovely Monica (Erika Blanc) go to the local castle, Villa Graps, they find the Baroness also dead, another apparent suicide. There is only one thing left to do; explore the castle and find its deadly secret. Title notes: "Kill, Baby, Kill!" was the film's 1968 release title, although it was first seen in the United States two years earlier as "Operation Fear." Other reissue titles were "Don't Walk in the Park" and "Curse of the Living Dead" (not to be confused with "Curse of the Dead," the release title in the United Kingdom). Whatever the title, this film is one of Bava's better efforts at creating an atmospheric horror film. Monica has a nightmare that is a very effective montage sequences. The film is also rather unique, especially for an Italian production, in that all of the really interesting characters are females, especially Ruth, who lends the movie some of its more effective twists. The more you can forget that this sort of story has been done to death in the United States in the years since 1966, the more you can enjoy this film. Certainly a lot more going on creatively both in front and behind the camera than you would find in the best Hammer films of the same time period.
Rating:
Summary: Ignore The Title!
Review: From the title, I was expecting a mad killer on a "bad trip", man. Fortunately, this was just the add-on title for american drive-in audiences. This is no maniacal hipster flick at all. Instead, it's a dark, gloomy ghost story. A small village is under a curse. It seems that twenty years earlier, the residents watched as a little girl named Melissa was trampled to death. No one did anything to help and now there's hell to pay. Melissa is back, exacting revenge by willing her victims to commit suicide. Impaling is her method of choice. A doctor comes to town to perform an autopsy and is soon caught up in the macabre goings on, when he finds a coin in the cadaver's heart. Enter Erica Blanc as Monica, a mysterious woman who has just returned after a twenty year absence. Together, our heroes attempt to figure out just what is happening. What is the connection between Monica and Melissa? Who is the old woman who lives in the decaying villa, and what does she know? Who is the strange witch who makes house-calls, and what is she up to? KBK is a gothic horror gem. Watch it and check out Melissa's eyes! She's a pretty creepy kid...
Rating:
Summary: Ignore The Title!
Review: From the title, I was expecting a mad killer on a "bad trip", man. Fortunately, this was just the add-on title for american drive-in audiences. This is no maniacal hipster flick at all. Instead, it's a dark, gloomy ghost story. A small village is under a curse. It seems that twenty years earlier, the residents watched as a little girl named Melissa was trampled to death. No one did anything to help and now there's hell to pay. Melissa is back, exacting revenge by willing her victims to commit suicide. Impaling is her method of choice. A doctor comes to town to perform an autopsy and is soon caught up in the macabre goings on, when he finds a coin in the cadaver's heart. Enter Erica Blanc as Monica, a mysterious woman who has just returned after a twenty year absence. Together, our heroes attempt to figure out just what is happening. What is the connection between Monica and Melissa? Who is the old woman who lives in the decaying villa, and what does she know? Who is the strange witch who makes house-calls, and what is she up to? KBK is a gothic horror gem. Watch it and check out Melissa's eyes! She's a pretty creepy kid...
Rating:
Summary: Great film, very mediocre disc.
Review: Kill Baby Kill is a surprisingly good, beautifully presented, deliciously atmospheric horror film from noted Italian director Mario Bava. This is actually a fairly creepy ghost story, but there is a pretty significant death count nonetheless. The very first scene shows us a distraught young lady throwing herself, quite reluctantly, onto a spiked rail fence. Finding himself stymied in his investigation of the victim's death by a superstitious town population, Inspector Kruger calls in a coroner to perform an autopsy on the victim. Dr. Eswe finds himself having to walk a short distance into the small village because his driver refuses to enter it. He arrives to find a pretty desolate place with deserted streets, highly suspicious townspeople, and a mysterious but undeniable sense of gloom and doom. A young lady named Monica (Erica Blanc) soon arrives to witness the coroner's autopsy, one in which a coin is found nailed into the heart of the victim. Monica is one of the few people to have ever left the village, being taken away at just two years of age, but her connection with the townsfolk is predictably much deeper than even she knows. The townspeople won't talk about the suicide because "the child" will kill them if they do; based on later evidence, this is sound thinking on their part. The evil force seemingly responsible for what becomes a string of deaths is the ghost of a little seven-year old girl who died twenty years earlier while the townspeople failed to notice or just refused to respond to her cries for help. Little Melissa does much to make this movie compelling, as the child actress is genuinely frightening with her large eyes, forceful glances, and innocent yet malevolent laughter. The doctor doesn't believe in the superstitious story of the ghost, but as he becomes more and more involved in the investigation, his ideas are forced to evolve somewhat.
The village setting is magnificently done, with ancient, moldering buildings, a seemingly perpetual darkness, vintage costumes, and an overall sense of grim tidings. At times, the movie seems to take on the appearance of a surreal work of art. Some innovative camera work lends great depth to the presentation, although the director does seem to get slightly carried away once or twice. Erica Blanc's presence helps make up for some minor weaknesses in the performance of Giacomo Rossi-Stuart as Dr. Eswe, although I think my problem with his performance, at least early on, was the fact that his fancy ways and looks just seemed incredibly out of place in a horror movie such as this. It took me a little while to fully get into the story, but by the mid-point of the film I was definitely hooked. It is not wholly original, and one of the major plot points can be easily foreseen very early on, yet I enjoyed this movie tremendously. You won't find a lot of gore here, nor even an excessive amount of suspense, but the atmosphere just overwhelms you as you progress, giving Kill Baby Kill an ambiance and character that most horror films can never hope to achieve. Music, direction, and standout individual performances combine to make this an engaging, creepy psychological masterpiece. The title makes this movie sound like some kind of B-movie, but in reality it is an impressive, polished, consummately professional work of horrific art.
Rating:
Summary: A creepy masterpiece of horrific art
Review: Kill Baby Kill is a surprisingly good, beautifully presented, deliciously atmospheric horror film from noted Italian director Mario Bava. This is actually a fairly creepy ghost story, but there is a pretty significant death count nonetheless. The very first scene shows us a distraught young lady throwing herself, quite reluctantly, onto a spiked rail fence. Finding himself stymied in his investigation of the victim's death by a superstitious town population, Inspector Kruger calls in a coroner to perform an autopsy on the victim. Dr. Eswe finds himself having to walk a short distance into the small village because his driver refuses to enter it. He arrives to find a pretty desolate place with deserted streets, highly suspicious townspeople, and a mysterious but undeniable sense of gloom and doom. A young lady named Monica (Erica Blanc) soon arrives to witness the coroner's autopsy, one in which a coin is found nailed into the heart of the victim. Monica is one of the few people to have ever left the village, being taken away at just two years of age, but her connection with the townsfolk is predictably much deeper than even she knows. The townspeople won't talk about the suicide because 'the child' will kill them if they do; based on later evidence, this is sound thinking on their part. The evil force seemingly responsible for what becomes a string of deaths is the ghost of a little seven-year old girl who died twenty years earlier while the townspeople failed to notice or just refused to respond to her cries for help. Little Melissa does much to make this movie compelling, as the child actress is genuinely frightening with her large eyes, forceful glances, and innocent yet malevolent laughter. The doctor doesn't believe in the superstitious story of the ghost, but as he becomes more and more involved in the investigation, his ideas are forced to evolve somewhat. The village setting is magnificently done, with ancient, moldering buildings, a seemingly perpetual darkness, vintage costumes, and an overall sense of grim tidings. At times, the movie seems to take on the appearance of a surreal work of art. Some innovative camera work lends great depth to the presentation, although the director does seem to get slightly carried away once or twice. Erica Blanc's presence helps make up for some minor weaknesses in the performance of Giacomo Rossi-Stuart as Dr. Eswe, although I think my problem with his performance, at least early on, was the fact that his fancy ways and looks just seemed incredibly out of place in a horror movie such as this. It took me a little while to fully get into the story, but by the mid-point of the film I was definitely hooked. It is not wholly original, and one of the major plot points can be easily foreseen very early on, yet I enjoyed this movie tremendously. You won't find a lot of gore here, nor even an excessive amount of suspense, but the atmosphere just overwhelms you as you progress, giving Kill Baby Kill an ambiance and character that most horror films can never hope to achieve. Music, direction, and standout individual performances combine to make this an engaging, creepy psychological masterpiece. The title makes this movie sound like some kind of B-movie, but in reality it is an impressive, polished, consummately professional work of horrific art.
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