A Bay of Blood (1971)

The murder of a wealthy heiress by her husband triggers a series of brutal killings in the surrounding bay area.

Director:

Mario Bava

Writers:

Mario Bava (screenplay), Giuseppe Zaccariello (screenplay) (as Joseph McLee)

Stars:

Claudine Auger, Luigi Pistilli, Claudio Camaso

4 wins.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Claudine Auger	...	Renata Donati
Luigi Pistilli	...	Alberto / Albert
Claudio Camaso	...	Simone / Simon (as Claudio Volonté)
Anna Maria Rosati	...	Laura (as Anna M. Rosati)
Chris Avram	...	Franco Ventura / Frank Ventura
Leopoldo Trieste	...	Paolo Fosatti / Paul Fosatti
Laura Betti	...	Anna Fosatti
Brigitte Skay	...	Brunhilde
Isa Miranda	...	Countess Federica Donati
Paola Montenero	...	Thérèse / Denise (as Paola Rubens)
Guido Boccaccini	...	Luca / Duke
Roberto Bonanni	...	Roberto / Bobby
Giovanni Nuvoletti	...	Count Filippo Donati

Storyline

An elderly heiress is killed by her husband who wants control of her fortunes. What ensues is an all-out murder spree as relatives and friends attempt to reduce the inheritance playing field, complicated by some teenagers who decide to camp out in a dilapidated building on the estate.

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Plot Keywords:

inheritance | murder | teenager | serial murder | wife killer | 

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Taglines:

13 Characters, 13 Murders

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Genres:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

3 May 1972 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Last House on the Left, Part II

Filming Locations:

Fogliano, Latina, Lazio, Italy

Company Credits

Production Co:

Nuova Linea Cinematografica

Technical Specs

Runtime:

84 min 76 min (cut)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Often considered Mario Bava's most influential film and the film that started the "slasher" craze, which is still popular. Many fans of the genre consider this the grandfather of the modern slasher film.

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Goofs

The Count is stabbed repeatedly in his back and then he falls on his back and dies. When the killer is dragging him away, there should be a blood trail leading from The Countess to the door.

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Quotes

Simon: Man should live and let live, and without any interfering.
Paolo: Even that poor squid was free once, Simon, eh? I study Coleoptera because I love them.
Simon: Sure, but the squirming little creatures still end up under your microscope. Yeah, he's dead all right but at least I eat my squid. But I don't kill as a hobby like you do.
Paolo: Good lord, Simon. You make me feel like a murderer.
Simon: I'm not saying that, Mr. Fossati, but if you kill for killing's sake, you become a monster.
Paolo: But, man isn't an insect, my dear ...
[...]

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Alternate Versions

The video released by Image Entertainment as part of their "Mario Bava Collection" is the director's cut, containing all the gore and violence.

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Connections

Referenced in Unmasked Part 25 (1989)

User Reviews

Audacious Mario Bava film

No other film in history starts out with a fly committing suicide, and it just lets you know that anything and everything can die in what's to come. An audacious return to horror for director Bava which still features some of the most gratuitous exploitation and violence of any film. A genuine nasty streak runs throughout this film and so does some humor. The weakness is that when it tries to explain who's killing how and why it all gets really confused, though in a way this commands multiple viewings as you'll be part way into the film and have no idea of what is going on and fascinated to find out again. Also a potential problem is that virtually all the characters are so repellent it's hard to stay interested in what's going on, and you wouldn't if what happened wasn't so unexpected or violent. Only the oddest characters generate any sympathy. A film that is hard to dismiss and hard to embrace, it's far more interesting than all the films that ripped it off and there are plenty. It's a film with the director thumbing his nose, or flipping off, the audience and what they may expect and that's to be admired and resented at times too. A must see for any horror fan. Decide for yourself, but there are certainly things here you won't expect or forget no matter how many times you see it. One thing to note, the IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT DVD is the uncut version of the film but it is only okay looking and sounding, it would be nice if someone would bring out a better DVD of it.