The Godfather of Italian Gothic

Mario bava’s career in horror…part one.

- Kat Ellinger

Mario Bava was a nemesis in Italian horror cinema. While the director made many different films, in many different genres, he will always be remembered for his uncanny ability to summon a sense of chilling ambience and for the part he played in establishing, not only Italian Gothic film, but the Giallo and Slasher genre too. The filmmaker has inspired many, including Dario Argento, Guillermo Del Toro and even James Wan. While his other unofficial (or debated influences) can be found lurking in films such as the original Friday the 13th and Ridley Scott’s “Alien”.

Born in 1914, Mario Bava was the son of Italian cinematographer Eugenio Bava; following in his father’s footsteps as an innovator in special effects and camera trickery. In turn Mario would go on to inspire his own son Lamberto to make films; providing three generations of Bavas in Italian cinema. But Mario Bava’s own route to the director’s chair followed an unconventional path. The director worked mainly in the camera and special effects associated field until he finally made his own film, Black Sunday (1960), at the age of 46.

So join us at SCREAM Magazine, as we celebrate the legacy, by looking at some of Mario Bava’s most important entries into the horror genre, in the first of this two part retrospective.