A Chain Reaction...Of Uncontrollable Mayhem!

Video Nasty #23

Blood Bath

1971

THE SECOND MOVIE RATED "V" FOR VIOLENCE.



13 CHARACTERS, 13 MURDERS.

THEY CAME TO PLAY, THEY STAYED TO DIE.

Original Italian title: either Reazione A Catena (Chain Reaction) or Ecologia Del Delitto (Ecology Of A Crime)

Other alternate titles: See below.

NTSC Running Time: 84:03

Cinematography and Directed by Mario Bava

Written by Mario Bava, Fillipo Ottoni and Giuseppe Zaccariello; from a story by Franco Barberi and Dardano Sacchetti

Produced by Giuseppe Zaccariello

Starring: Claudine Auger, Luigi Pistilli, and Laura Betti

Body Count: 13

Availability: Region 1 DVD from Image as Twitch Of The Death Nerve; from Anchor Bay as part of The Mario Bava Collection Volume 2 as Bay Of Blood

BBFC Status

Why it's a Nasty: Cuz it's really fucking violent.

What was cut: When originally submitted for classification on April 6, 1972 as A Bay Of Blood (the title under which it appears on all BBFC sanctioned releases), this film was rejected.  After being released as Blood Bath by Hokushin Video and making the Nasties list, A Bay Of Blood was awarded an 18 certificate on March 18, 1994. Four of the murder scenes were trimmed to varying degrees, totaling PAL 43 seconds.

Current UK status: On August 31, 2010, A Bay Of Blood once again received an 18 with an additional 4 seconds of footage, lowering the cuts to PAL 39 seconds.

UK Availability: It looks like you can import American releases, but the most recent 18 cert version is a Region 2 DVD from Arrow Video.

Blood Bath was successfully prosecuted under the Obscene Publications Act, making it one of the DPP39.

A Note About Titles: Sources differ on the actual title of this film.  It went under several monikers while still being produced, the best known of these being Ecologia Del Delitto, Reazione A Catena, and Antefatto.  While its' title when it became a Video Nasty was Blood Bath, and the title A Bay Of Blood is both appropriate and accepted as an "official" title, I'm amazed the whole retitling debacle wasn't solved once and for all when some genius came up with Twitch Of The Death Nerve.  I'm going with that one.  I like it.

Take off that silly hat and stand tall.  Mario Bava just walked in.  What'd he do?  He was critical to the development of the American slasher film in 1971, with a film that has so many titles no one knows what the real one is anymore...or if it ever really had one.

Countess Donati (Isa Miranda) rolls through her mansion in the dead of night...until she is waylaid and hung by a mustachioed man who is faking her suicide.  A quick ending for a giallo, until the killer is himself stabbed to death by someone unseen.  Thus begins the bloodthirsty wormturning mini-saga of (soap) operatic proportions.

With this opening salvo, Bava has such fun with the giallo conventions, making us think that it won't be a giallo at all by revealing the killer's face in the first scene, then using our confusion against us to strike when most effective for the audience.

So why did this film, otherwise a footnote compared to other of Bava's films, have such an impact on the American slasher film?  Conceived by Bava and actress Laura Betti as an excuse to work together again after the previous year's Il Rosso Segno Della Follia (The Red Sign Of Madness, released as Blood Brides in the UK and Hatchet For The Honeymoon in the US), the story is nothing more than a framing device for gore murder sequences, with a shock ending that seems almost unreal.  This film is the direct antecedent of Friday The 13th and A Nightmare On Elm Street.  It's mean, violent, and unrepentant.  It's a damn good portrayal of some of the baser aspects of human nature.

The setting (woodsy...or so you think, Bava was so good that he made the sparsely wooded location seem a wild forest through miniatures and masterful camera operation) and the gimmick (almost every character to step on screen being murdered with liberal gore) became a cliche of horror films, especially American horror films, with the 1980 release of Sean Cunningham's Friday The 13th.  The next year, Friday The 13th Part 2 lifted two scenes wholesale from Twitch Of The Death Nerve: a hatchet to the face and a couple making love impaled on the same spear, done almost shot-for-shot as Bava had brought to the screen ten years before.  The arrival of some dumb teenagers who only care about drugs and sex in the second reel of Twitch also provided inspiration, inspiration that B-filmmakers are still running with today.  Had it been done before?  Sure, of course, but this is Mario Bava we're talking about, and even on a mediocre day (which this most certainly was), Bava knew how to bring it on home.  There's no point to this film save one: gory murders.  That's the only reason we're here.  One of the taglines above says it and means it: 13 Characters, 13 Murders...the surprise being who's behind that last one.  The 14th?  You gotta see it to find out.

Track this one down.  Turn down the lights, roll a couple fatties or crack a nice chilled red, and watch the treachery and claret flow.  And if you've got rich relatives with a fat tract of land, let someone else have it.  You might not get rich, but you'll hold on to your life.  Just another piece of useful advice that I know I'll be following.  Because my name's Justin.  JustinCase.

Jungle Adventures...Cannibal Style!

Video Nasty #22

Prisoner Of The Cannibal God

1978

WHEN THE PRICE OF LUST IS DEATH...!

THEIR CULT WAS DEATH...THEIR LUST WAS FOR BLOOD!

Original Italian title: La Montagna Del Dio Cannibale

Other alternate titles: Mountain Of The Cannibal God, Slave Of The Cannibal God

NTSC Running time: 102:47 (restored version)

Directed by Sergio Martino

Written by Cesare Frugoni and Sergio Martino

Produced by Luciano Martino

Starring: Ursula Andress, Stacy Keach, Claudio Cassinelli, and Antonio Marsina

Body Count: 16

Animals Deliberately Killed: 2 (a lizard and a monkey)

Availability: Uncut Region 0 DVD from Blue Underground.

BBFC Status

Why it's a Nasty: Genuine animal cruelty, sexual deviance, and CANNIBALISM.

What was cut: The original X-certificate theatrical release (certified September 14, 1978) ran 96:15 and contained none of the animal violence.  It is unclear whether the original Video Nasty was this X version or a more complete, imported cut.  The film was awarded an 18 certificate for home media on March 26, 2001 after 2:06 of animal cruelty was cut.

Current UK status: A slightly longer cut (PAL 92:47 compared to the 2001 PAL 92:26) was certified 18 on July 7, 2009.

Availability: Region 0 DVD from Blue Underground, which I have on good authority from some British friends is not the 18 cert version, but fully uncut.

While we have already screened Apocalypse Domani, which (being Italian and featuring cannibalism) is considered a part of the Cannibal Boom trend, that film was not much akin to the others of that short-lived but still much-remembered movement.  La Montagna Del Dio Cannibale is much more in keeping with other Cannibal Boom films.

Susan Stevenson (Ursula Andress) lands in New Guinea searching for her husband, Henry.  She is met by her brother Arthur (Antonio Marsina), who takes her to the local authorities...who are done looking and want nothing to do with her.  Susan will not give up, and enlists the help of Henry's colleague and friend, Professor Edward Foster (Stacy Keach), an intrepid jungle explorer who knows his way around the local wilderness.  Edward knows that Henry has headed for a sacred and cursed mountain on a small island nearby, and Susan convinces him to take them there.  But both Susan and Edward have hidden motives for the journey, and both will stop at nothing to reach the mountain...a mountain that still shelters a primitive tribe of cannibals!

In 1972, Umberto Lenzi made Il Paese Del Sesso Selvaggio (aka Deep River Savages, which also made the Nasties list), which predates the other Italian cannibal films by five years, but set the tone for what came to be called the Cannibal Boom.  1977 saw Ruggero Deodato join in with Ultimo Mondo Cannibale (aka The Last Cannibal World, but probably best known as Jungle Holocaust), and Emanuelle E Gli Ultimi Cannibali (aka Emanuelle And The Last Cannibals, and the more misleading alternate title Trap Them And Kill Them) was my favorite cuddly pornographer Aristide Massaccesi's signature fusing of cannibal exploitation with the recurring soft porn Black Emanuelle character played by Laura Gemser (note the misspelling that distinguishes the Gemser character from the popular French nymphomaniac).  Hot on the heels of Lenzi, Deodato, and D'Amato came Sergio Martino. 

Italy is home to some of the most original and visionary directors of world cinema: Dario Argento, Federico Fellini, Michaelangelo Antonioni, Mario Bava, Sergio Leone, Lucio Fulci (some might argue with me on that last one...to which I reply with a screening of Paura Nella Citta Dei Morti Viventi and several slaps to the face).  Unfortunately, for every one of these talents, there is a Bruno Mattei, a Claudio Fragasso, a Sergio Martino: guys whose only talent is for copying other successful films because there is a paycheck attached...which comes with career longevity, apparently, since Martino has been working steadily since 1969.  He made some well regarded gialli (Il Tuo Vizia E Una Stanza Chiusa E Solo Io Ne Ho La Chiave, released in English speaking countries as Your Vice Is A Locked Room And Only I Have The Key starring exploitation darling Edwige Fenech, and I Corpi Presentano Tracce Di Violenza Carnale [which translates to The Bodies Bear Traces Of Sexual Violence], which was sold in English markets under the wildly misleading title of Torso.  A better title would have been Rip-off Of Frenzy With A Lot Of Naked Chicks And No Gore.  But whatever.), and whatever else studios would pay him to make.  He's competent...but not a visionary.

Mountain Of The Cannibal God is at heart an old-school adventure film.  The best thing about it is Stacy Keach, who is incredible.  The animal cruelty is a lizard gutted and a monkey fed to a python.  (Martino tries to deny any cruelty on his part in a DVD extra, which is soon followed by a frame-by frame analysis that proves this to be bullshit.  What a weiner.  Deodato did much worse in Cannibal Holocaust, and while he may be ashamed of it today, at least he doesn't try to weasel out of the responsibility.)  The monkey sequence is REALLY hard to watch, as you can see the terror in its' eyes as the python slowly squeezes it to death.  Riveting, frightening, a test of nerves and will.  If none of the above sounds good to you, I should probably mention that Andress is stripped nude, tied to a stake, and two female cannibals rub honey all over her.  James Bond does not come to her rescue...but she might survive.  I ain't tellin'.  You'll have to find out for yourself.

That's all for now, my friends, and I'll probably be away for a while.  I'm working long hours and will welcome another daughter in just a few days...but don't worry, I won't forget about you.  I'll leave a light burning and some sleazy VHS cassettes in case you drop by.  And when you're in the jungle, always do what your guide says.  Otherwise you might step in a bear trap...or worse.  I'll do the same.  Because my name's Justin.  JustinCase.

Apartment Available...But The Rent Is MURDER!

Video Nasty #21

The Toolbox Murders

1977

BIT BY BIT...BY BIT HE CARVED A NIGHTMARE!



WHAT HE DOES TO YOUR NERVES IS ALMOST AS FRIGHTENING AS WHAT HE DOES TO HIS VICTIMS!

NTSC Running time: 93:43

Directed by Dennis Donnelly

Written by Robert Easter, Ann N. Kindberg, and Neva Friedenn

Produced by Tony DiDio

Starring: Cameron Mitchell, Wesley Eure, Pamelyn Ferdin, Nicolas Beauvy, Marianne Walter

Body Count: 7

Availability: Uncut Region 0 DVD from Blue Underground

BBFC Status

Why it's a Nasty: Violence against women.

What was cut: Excisions totalling around 6 minutes was cut from the X-certificate version released theatrically, cutting footage from all of the murders and the bathtub scene.  The Toolbox Murders was finally awarded an 18 certificate for video on February 24, 2000 after 1 minute 46 seconds of cuts to the nailgun sequence.
Current UK Status: 18 Certificate version on Region 2 DVD from Cornerstone Media.
The Toolbox Murders was seized, but escaped prosecution.

The time: the late 1970s.  The place: San Fernando Valley, California.
An unseen figure pilots a Mercedes aimlessly, an evangelical preacher blasting from the sound system.  Tooling past an auto dealership, we get flashbacks of a dead girl falling out of a wrecked car.  The figure drives to an apartment complex, removes a toolbox from the trunk, and ruffles the hair of a passing child while making their way into the building.  Once inside, our killer murders a robed woman with a drill, another with a hammer.  The toolbox murders have begun...

Although it claims to be based on true events that happened in 1967, this is more exploitation gimmickry.  No related "true story" has surfaced.  The only theatrical feature from television director Dennis Donnelly, The Toolbox Murders uses up its' gruesomeness in the first half hour, leaving the remainder of the picture for psychological suspense and detective work.

But what an opening salvo it is.  The murderer's first spree is gruesome, though not as graphic as one might think, with cutaways and blood flying up from off camera providing the visceral thrills.  He kills three in rapid succession, then vanishes into the night.  A brief police procedural scene follows, then we are treated to the reaction of the neighbours, mainly those of the Ballard kids, Laurie (Pamelyn Ferdin) and her brother Joey (Nicolas Beauvy).  And then we reach the meat of the film, the reason why The Toolbox Murders is so well regarded among exploitation horror fans, the centerpiece sequence that is still censored in the UK.

We've already seen this girl, briefly, during the first murder sequence, dancing in her underwear in her apartment window.  The girl is played by Marianne Walter, a model in her first acting role, who brought a level of talent to the proceedings that the other female victims did not.  Where they were wooden and unbelievable, Walter is aware and animated.  The scene required her to go through different emotional states, is both a sex and a death scene, and she does it entirely in the nude.  The editing, music, and performances collide to become more than the sum of the parts and stand as powerful cinema even today.  From masturbating in the bath (the film is kind to both character and audience in allowing her to finish) to confusion as the killer enters, she displays the real conundrum one would face in that situation: do I defend myself or cover up?  She does both, but to no avail, getting hit several times with bolts from a nailgun and collapsing on a table in front of a large framed glamour shot...of herself.  My words don't do it justice.  It's a great piece of film.

It's also the last really exciting bit in the movie...and there's an hour left.  Laurie Ballard gets kidnapped by the killer, and he's batshit crazy, but the remaining drama, suspense, and detective work, even the long-time-coming climax and resolution are dulled.  Much like David Cronenberg's Scanners did five years later, the most impressive sequence arrives too early, leaving the rest of the film seem unimportant.  It's the cinematic equivalent of premature ejaculation.  This is why porno directors make great horror films...and sometimes people from horror films do great in porno.  Cinematographer Gary Gravers and poster-girl Marianne Walter both found more success in the adult film world, Gravers as cinematographer and director, Walter as an actress (as Kelly Nichols she won a Best Actress award for her work on 1983's In Love) and then as a hairstylist and makeup artist (for anyone reading this who might want to see some of her work without digging through old porno bins, she did styling for Sublime's "Wrong Way" video, and she did a damn good job).  Graver died in 2006, but Walter is still working and still proud of her work on The Toolbox Murders.  And good on her for that.

Most of the cast and crew is not so busy these days, it seems.  Pamelyn Ferdin has largely given up acting and is active in the animal rights movement (I'm still gonna watch uncut cannibal films, Pamelyn.  Sorry).  Dennis Donnelly has fallen off the map...but he did work with a guy I know on a film called Terminal Velocity back in the 1990s, so I might be able to get some more info on him.  One guy who makes an appearance who I've deftly avoided mentioning until now is Wesley Eure, best known as "the cute one" on the TV series Land Of The Lost.  His performance: average.  Not really great, but not bad either.  He's perfect for television.  So was a lot of the crew.  The Toolbox Murders seems like a TV movie with more blood and nudity.  In fact, the only main crewmember who seems to be working regularly these days is writer Ann Kindberg, who is currently producing Private Practice for ABC.  I hope she is as proud of this film as Marianne Walter.  She certainly should be.

Have I told you everything you could ever know or want to know about The Toolbox Murders?  The answer is: fuck no.  I'm no all-knowing repository of trivia, just a dude who's done a tiny amount of research.  Not only do I want to inform the reader, I hope you all get excited about this stuff and do some research of your own (and yes, renting Kelly Nichols movies counts as "research").  And remember, when you lock your door at night, turn the deadbolt.  That stupid chain thing can easily be cut by a loony in a ski mask with a toolbox.  I'm triple locking my house tonight.  Because my name's Justin.  JustinCase.

A Quick Jump Into The Light Before Delving Back Into The Shadows.

I haven't seen a Nasty in over two months.  Yes, it's getting to me.

Due to numerous family and working commitments, my cinematic enjoyment time has shrunk to nearly nothing.  I get a chance to see one film a week on average, and while the allure of vintage gore, girls, and gross exploitation is overwhelming, being near exhaustion makes the amount of research involved for each piece seem like a Herculean task.

Am I a whiny bitch?  Oh yeah.  Do I feel that I am shirking a duty that I voluntarily shouldered?  Uh-huh.  Do I feel totally guilty even though I have no deadline and answer to no one but myself?  Yup.  Did Joe D'Amato have anything to do with the script for Pieces?  I still don't know, but someday I will.

What I know for certain is this: the game will soon change, I've got a backlog of unwatched Nasties and related censorship martyrs to choose from, and there's too much at stake here for me to wuss out now.

At stake?  Nothing that exists outside my own head, and while that may not mean fuck-all to anyone else, it is of tantamount importance to myself.  And I'm excited.  Because there's no fluff here, no Hollywood, mainstream, saccharine bullshit.  Some of these films are shit.  Others will scorch the minds of the unworthy and leave them screaming for a return to sanity.  Either way, I think they're worth seeing at least once.

So I'm still here, I haven't forgotten, and I'll be back with the goods real soon.  And you can count on that.  Because my name's Justin.  JustinCase.