MovieChat Forums > Operazione paura Discussion > I love this film

I love this film

posted 15 years ago by larchetype
15 replies | jump to latest

Whoever renamed some of these brilliant foreign films needs to die like a character in a Dario Argento film.

This is one of the films I checked out after buying the Encyclopedia of Horror by Phil Hardy. The first film I saw was the Japanese Onibaba. I guess that Operazion Paura is less sexist than Bava's other films of this genre. I know that this film should be suggested to student film makers for an example of masterful directing and use of lighting and set pieces. The scene where the protagonist chases a figure through surrealistic repeating rooms only to discover that it is a dark form of himself is one of the most chilling moments in horror films the first time you see it. Also, the little girl ghost precedes many examples to be shown in many a horror film to come. Of course, Europe and the millenia of bones beneath the ground has a special insight into this sort of tale, but I really miss this old style of film making...where the grainy images and depictions were totally adequate to tell compelling tales.......not to say that modern directors cannot create great films with CGI and state of the art digital cameras........but there is so much soul in the pace and setting you see in some of the classic horror films. Also, Bava's Planet of the Vampires, which with the exception of Forbidden Planet, is one of the only classic sci fi films I can stomach. The fact that it inspired Alien is beyond question, and anyone who doubts that should watch it.

[–] The_Dying_Flutchman 15 years ago

Not only did it inspire Alien, but also Rizzo Mandozzie's "Gas Mind". Incredibly haunting and hard to find.

What is the sound an imploding pimp makes?

[–] dalmain 15 years ago

I love the look of Bava's movies. This one had great atmosphere and just fantastic shots. The little girl was excellent. I found it a little dull through the middle, but it was a good movie.

[–] Professicchio 12 years ago

And you want to know another bit of hidden Bava magic? The little girl was actually a little boy, true.

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] dementia13 11 years ago

That would account for why she looks so creepy. Smart trick.

http://www.dementia13.net/film/film.php

[–] smoovasbutter 14 years ago

This is my favorite Bava film. I like it even better than Black Sunday.

In many ways this is the "perfect" horror film for me. It has everything I want in a horror movie, and none of the things that I don't want.

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] scoup 11 years ago

I like this film also - it's not overdone. Great atmosphere and sets. I really liked the clothing - the good Doctor could really wear a suit!!! Impeccable.

[–] dementia13 11 years ago

I didn't catch the Twin Peaks connection, but one of the dream sequences has Monica lying down, dressed and posed like the figure on the floor in the opening scene of Mulholland Dr. It's funny how critics think of Quentin Tarantino as a grindhouse addict while they pore over the Ingmar Bergman references in David Lynch's work, but they don't realize how indebted Lynch is to "trash" (somebody's word, not mine) cinema like Bava, Coffin Joe, and Carnival of Souls.

http://www.dementia13.net/film/film.php

[–] DesperateHouseboy 11 years ago

I love it too :)

[–] ElectricWarlock 11 years ago

I like this film as well. It is a perfect example of what a Gothic, supernatural horror film should be like. If only more horror films were made like this today. Modern filmmakers should use this movie as an example of what to do.

Come, fly the teeth of the wind. Share my wings.

[–] Kammurabi 11 years ago

I loved the floating quick dolly shots.
There were only a few notable things I disliked.
The continued existence of Monica was a liability. I found her character really annoying. She was also a lead weight around the neck of survivability.

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[–] DogRetepCow 11 years ago

I've been watching a bunch of Mario Bava's films for the first time over the last several days. I just watched Kill, Baby, Kill! last night and this one might be my favorite so far. The film has a lot going for it. It's creepy, has a really nice atmosphere throughout, and has an interesting and unique plot. The cinematography is really nice, and from a visual standpoint, the film's really interesting to watch. For me, this movie was way better than Black Sunday.

[–] 11 years ago

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