Kill, Baby. . .Kill!

1966 Italian horror film

Rating: 16/20

Plot: Inspector Kruger is in a cursed village investigating some mysterious deaths--women impaled, that sort of thing. He calls a doctor to perform an autopsy on the latest fishy death. Kruger dies, somebody else dies, another person dies, somebody else is threatened, and another person dies. A creepy little girl wanders around and touches people's windows. She just wants somebody to play catch with, and gets mad enough to kill, baby, kill when she can't find anybody. A bell rings by itself! Scary music plays very loudly. Fog comes on little cat feet. Kill, baby, kill!

This atmospheric, stylish no-budget horror film is genuinely spine-tingling stuff. Call it horror noir, reminiscent in mood of The Wicker Man. The new one, of course, with Nicholas Cage. Sure, the plot is a little goofy (although the slowly unfolding mystery is interesting), and the acting and soundtrack are pretty over the top, but it's all easily forgiven with scenes authentically creepy and stylishly artistic. Really, every single shot seems perfect--fog moves in at the exact right moments, characters situate themselves perfectly against backdrops that look like sets from 1920's German horror films, angles become disorienting and then more disorienting. Creative cheap special effects and cinematography make an uncomfortable mood. This is the first movie I've seen from director Mario Bava. It's hypnotic and beautiful stuff, and I can't wait to see more. Honestly, I'd never heard of him before, but I can see a direct influence on the work of Tim Burton or maybe even David Lynch. My only real gripe--annoying little girl laughter that I think took away some of that mood and just made things a bit too silly.

Note: This movie is also known as Curse of the Dead, Curse of the Living Dead, Don't Walk in the Park, and Operation Fear. All of those titles are just as bad (the last three make just as much sense) as Kill, Baby, Kill or, as it is also known, Kill, Baby. . .Kill!

Here I am: