Monday, May 17, 2010

OPERAZIONE PAURA - Carlo Rustichelli - "Dead Eyes" (1966)

"Operation Fear" would have been the literal translation of this title, but in an effort to be more shocking, they came up with "Kill, Baby, Kill"!!! It was also released as a living dead title, this time as "Curse Of The Living Dead!" Killer title card!!

Almost smack in the middle of Mario Bava's directorial career, we find him with his hands all over the camera, along with co-cinematographer Antonio Rinaldi, creating one atmospheric scene after another!

The music is provided by Masestro Carlo Rustichelli, who composed his first film score in 1939, worked with Mario Bava on some of his classic titles like "Blood and Black Lace" and also wrote the music for a number of titles in the "Toto" series and more, like "The Day The Sky Exploded," "7 Men and One Brain," and "Black Lemons!"

Giacomo Rossi-Stuart as Doctor Paul Eswai, a man on a mission!!! Yet another take on that age old question, why are all these people dying?

Did you ever get that feeling that people are looking at you, and you're not really welcome?

I'm really going out on a broken limb here, but I am willing to say that without a doubt, this is the best shot ever of a lantern in a movie!!

Barely there, but just enough to be pretty dang odd!

There seems to be some real confusion about who the dead little blonde girl is, the IMDB lists the role for Valeria Valeri as Melissa Graps, and have Valeria's year of birth as 1925, that would make her 41 in this role, and they list another character, Micaela Esdra as Nadienne, and say that she was born in 1952, making her 14 when this film was made. There are also claims that it wasn't a little girl at all, but a little boy, according to some sources!

I've stated this fact before, but the truth is, you just can't go wrong with a good stairwell shot, especially a spiral staircase!

W H O A! Whose hellacious old ass is this? Giovanna Galetti as Giana Gomorrah Giocatrice Grant Graps!! The mother without a cause!!

Creepy Hallway!

Creepy oil painting of Melissa Graps!!

Creepy Tombstone, ah, so she's only supposed to be 7 years old!!

Creepy out of focus shot! Melissa even haunts the camera!

I just really dig these two shots, the top one looks like a classic painting to me, the lighting and hot and cold colours are freakin' prefect!!

"Kill, Baby, Kill!" Let's face it, there's nothing much creepier than a demonic, but cute, little blonde girl! It's worked before, and it'll work again, especially when a guy like Mario Bava was pulling the strings!!

5 comments:

Josh said...

cool flicks on here, im really diggin it! keep it comin!

Unknown said...

Wonderful Bava movie, thanks !

Christopher said...

probably Bavas tRiPieSt fil'um!
I like the sequence where the dude keeps running out the door and back into the same room..

Prof. Grewbeard said...

i was just going to mention that! speaking of creepy little blonde girls, the ultimate one appears in the Fellini-directed segment of Spirits Of The Dead, "Toby Dammit"...

Scare Sarah said...

How awesome?

Monster Music

Monster Music
AAARRGGHHH!!!! Ya'll Come On Back Now, Y'Hear??