Director hub · 3 films · 1960 to 1971
Mario Bava: every horror film in order
Painter of light whose color and body counts fathered both giallo and the slasher. Mostly giallo, witchcraft and gothic. Below, every Mario Bava film in the Horror Planet catalog in release order, with what each one is about and where it led.
The films, in release order
- 1
Black Sunday (1960)
Barbara Steele, a spiked mask and gorgeous black-and-white. Bava's debut as credited director.
- 2
Blood and Black Lace (1964)
A masked killer stalks a fashion house in saturated color. The blueprint for giallo and the slasher.
- 3
A Bay of Blood (1971)
A body count around a lake, with kills later echoed by Friday the 13th Part 2.
Where it led
- Blood and Black Lace to The Bird with the Crystal Plumage 1970
Bava's template launched the giallo.
- A Bay of Blood to Friday the 13th 1980
Several Friday the 13th kills echo Bava's film.
- Blood and Black Lace to Tenebrae 1982
The black-gloved killer Bava defined.
Questions
Which Mario Bava horror movies are on Horror Planet?
3 so far, from 1960 to 1971: Black Sunday (1960), Blood and Black Lace (1964) and A Bay of Blood (1971).
Where should I start with Mario Bava?
Start with Blood and Black Lace (1964). A masked killer stalks a fashion house in saturated color. The blueprint for giallo and the slasher.