Top 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsMost Popular Video GamesMost Popular Music VideosMost Popular Podcasts
    Release CalendarBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersSundance Film FestivalIndependent Spirit AwardsBlack History MonthSXSWSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
Sign In
New Customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Biography
  • Awards
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

Lamberto Bava

  • Director
  • Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
  • Producer
IMDbProStarmeter
See rank
Lamberto Bava
Lamberto Bava was born in Rome, Italy, and was the first of a third generation of Italian filmmakers. His grandfather, Eugenio Bava (1886-1966), was a cameraman and optics effects artist during the early days of Italian silent cinema. His father, Mario Bava (1914-1980), was a legendary cinematographer, special effects designer and director. Lamberto entered the cinema as his father's personal assistant, starting with Planet of the Vampires (1965). Bit by bit he gained experience from his father, who made him the assistant director for most of the rest of his films. He even co-wrote the screenplay for Shock (1977) ("Shock"), Mario's last theatrical film where. In poor health during the shoot, Mario often feigned illness so Lamberto could direct a few scenes, uncredited, to gain further experience.

Both Lamberto and Mario directed the made-for-TV drama La Venere d'Ille (1979). Both worked on the Dario Argento horror flick Inferno (1980), for which Mario designed some of the color set pieces, including the underwater ballroom, and created all the visual special effects, while Lamberto worked as Argento's assistant director. Late in 1979 Lamberto made his solo directorial debut with Macabre (1980), a tense drama-horror flick loosely based on a 1977 incident in New Orleans about a woman who keeps her lover's severed head in her freezer. According to Lamberto, the project started by chance when producer Pupi Avati approached him to direct as well as write the screenplay, which took just six weeks to write and direct. "Macabro" was released in Italy in February 1980 to mixed reviews, but won him recognition by his father Mario. Just two months later Mario Bava died, and an era in Italian film making came to a close.

'Macabro" was not the box-office hit and, as a result, Lamberto went back to assistant directing. He worked with Dario Argento again in 1982 with Tenebrae (1982). In 1983 Lamberto was offered to direct another film, titled A Blade in the Dark (1983), which was a violent mystery thriller shot in only three weeks on a tight budget and filmed almost entirely in a producer friend's house. Next he directed the action-flick Blastfighter (1984), which was filmed in the state of Georgia, and immediately afterwards directed the Jaws (1975)-like thriller Devil Fish (1984), which was shot in Florida. On both films Lamberto was purely a director for hire and had nothing to do with the script or production end. He used the pseudonym of "John Old Jr." for this film, which was a tribute to his father Mario, who often used the pseudonym "John M. Old".

He enjoyed his best commercial success to date with Demons (1985) ("Demons"), produced by Dario Argento, co-written by Dardano Sacchetti and filmed in West Berlin, Germany. This films international success allowed him to co-write, produce and direct a sequel, Demons 2 (1986). Lamberto returned to "giallo" thrillers with Delirium (1987).

In the late 1980s the Italian cinema turned moribund. Lamberto, like most of his colleagues, turned to making films for Italian television. He also directed a remake of his father's Black Sunday (1960), which was titled The Mask of Satan (1989).

Nowadays Lamberto Bava continues to divide his time between TV work and a few movies, acknowledging his inspiration from his late father, Mario.
BornApril 3, 1944
  • More at IMDbPro
    • Contact info
    • Agent info
    • Resume
BornApril 3, 1944
IMDbProStarmeter
See rank
  • View contact info at IMDbPro
  • Awards

Photos

Lamberto Bava and Alfredo Leone

Known for

Demons (1985)
Demons
6.6
  • Director
  • 1985
Body Puzzle (1992)
Body Puzzle
5.2
  • Director
  • 1992
Demons 2 (1986)
Demons 2
5.9
  • Director
  • 1986
Devil Fish (1984)
Devil Fish
2.7
  • Director(as John Old Jr.)
  • 1984

Credits

Edit
IMDbPro

Director

  • Twins
    • Post-production
  • 6 passi nel giallo (2012)
    6 passi nel giallo
  • Pete Postlethwaite, John Hannah, and Laura Harring in Ghost Son (2007)
    Ghost Son
  • María Blanco-Fafián in The Torturer (2005)
    The Torturer
  • Tiromancino: Amore Impossibile
  • L'impero (2001)
    L'impero
  • Remo Girone, Jennifer Nitsch, and Nicholas Rogers in Pirates: Blood Brothers (1999)
    Pirates: Blood Brothers
  • The Princess and the Pauper (1997)
    The Princess and the Pauper
  • Fantaghirò: Cave of the Golden Rose (1991)
    Fantaghirò: Cave of the Golden Rose
  • Alisea and the Dream Prince (1996)
    Alisea and the Dream Prince
  • The Dragon Ring (1994)
    The Dragon Ring
  • Alta tensione
  • Body Puzzle (1992)
    Body Puzzle
  • Protezione a vista
  • Brivido giallo (1987)
    Brivido giallo
  • Sabbath (1989)
    Sabbath

Second Unit or Assistant Director

  • Tenebrae (1982)
    Tenebrae
  • Inferno (1980)
    Inferno
  • Cannibal Holocaust (1980)
    Cannibal Holocaust
  • Last Feelings (1978)
    Last Feelings
  • Shock (1977)
    Shock
  • Jungle Holocaust (1977)
    Jungle Holocaust
  • The House of Exorcism (1975)
    The House of Exorcism
  • Rabid Dogs (1974)
    Rabid Dogs
  • Martine Beswick in The Kiss of Death (1974)
    The Kiss of Death
  • Telly Savalas and Elke Sommer in Lisa and the Devil (1974)
    Lisa and the Devil
  • Pugni, pirati e karatè (1973)
    Pugni, pirati e karatè
  • La gatta in calore (1972)
    La gatta in calore
  • Le notti peccaminose di Pietro l'Aretino (1972)
    Le notti peccaminose di Pietro l'Aretino
  • Baron Blood (1972)
    Baron Blood
  • A Bay of Blood (1971)
    A Bay of Blood

Producer

  • Untitled Lamberto Bava/Geretta Geretta Project
    • Pre-production
  • Remo Girone, Jennifer Nitsch, and Nicholas Rogers in Pirates: Blood Brothers (1999)
    Pirates: Blood Brothers
  • L'elefante bianco
  • The Princess and the Pauper (1997)
    The Princess and the Pauper
  • Fantaghirò: Cave of the Golden Rose (1991)
    Fantaghirò: Cave of the Golden Rose
  • Alisea and the Dream Prince (1996)
    Alisea and the Dream Prince
  • The Dragon Ring (1994)
    The Dragon Ring
  • Alta tensione
  • Sabbath (1989)
    Sabbath
  • You'll Die at Midnight (1986)
    You'll Die at Midnight
  • A Blade in the Dark (1983)
    A Blade in the Dark
  • Rabid Dogs (1974)
    Rabid Dogs
    • (uncredited)

Personal details

Edit
    • April 3, 1944
    • Rome, Lazio, Italy
    • Eugenio Bava(Grandchild)
  • Other works
    Music video: Directed Tiromancino's "Amore impossible", with Claudia Gerini and Daniel McVicar, inspired by his father classic movie, Danger: Diabolik (1968).
  • Publicity listings
    • 1 Interview
    • 1 Article

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    Son of Italian director Mario Bava

Related news

Contribute to this page

Suggest an edit or add missing content
  • Learn more about contributing
Edit page

More to explore

Recently viewed

Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
Get the IMDb App
  • Get the IMDb App
  • Help
  • Site Index
  • IMDbPro
  • Box Office Mojo
  • IMDb Developer
  • Press Room
  • Advertising
  • Jobs
  • Conditions of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Your Ads Privacy Choices
IMDb, an Amazon company

© 1990-2023 by IMDb.com, Inc.