A Bay Of Blood (1971)
 

I've tried watching this twice with little success - in fact I've fallen asleep part way through both times. And as an insomniac that's not somthing I'm wont to do! To be fair I'd probably had the pest part of a bottle of merlot prior to watching it both times but none the less....

So my question is: - is it just me? Is it really any good? Should I have another go?

Ta muchly... :makelikeatree:

I'd say give it another go, but hey ho, some films just don't click with some people. It's my favourite Bava film and also my favourite Giallo.

Can't say I thought too much of the film either, though I have only seen the cut version. I found the characters quite annoying.

Bay Of Blood is nuts. I kind of liked it but wouldn't necessarily expect other people to.

One of my faves,great inventive deaths.....far better off with an uncut version though....

You really need to buy the US Bava Box 2 to appriciate the film, some of the other titles in the box I don't care for but Bay Of Blood is an absolute classic. The music should keep you awake if the murders don't! :D

Spot on mate......:)

I can actually understand. First time I saw Bay Of Blood, back in the day, it had a rather soporific effect on me too. Don't know why - it just didn't grab me.

Went back to it years later, and loved it to death. Like watching a completely different film.

It's an interesting gialli, and a damn fine one. It was the first Bava film I saw too.. (and I love all Bava now - so probably appreciate it more as a sum of all his works).

I first saw it years back under the title Twitch Of The Death Nerve and I found it pretty entertaining. It looks a little dated now but it's still fairly enjoyable.

I'm sure I'll give it another go at some point. To be fair I think the wine and the timing might have had something to do with it.

The copy I have is from Boulevard Entertainment clocking in at 84 mins. Not sure how cut that makes it. I picked it up for 99p from Music Zone a couple of years ago.

British discs are cut mate....:(

Yes the old Redemption video was cut back in 1995 (the machete in the face, the bonking couple being speared, and a guy getting speared in the tummy), and the current DVD simply uses the same cut print.

It would fly through uncut now.

The cuts to Bay of Blood that I have here, Vince, state they were 2s from a girl killed with a hatchet, 21s from a boy stabbed in the face, 9s from a couple speared while having sex, 11s from a man impaled on a spear and pushed up a wall.

Yep that's the same as I have here. I condensed and rephrased them a bit for the above post (and forgot the 2 sec cut to the girl being hatcheted for some reason).

It was certainly pretty influential to later slasher films and many of the killings were reprised (ie nicked) for them. Friday The 13th (the hatchet stabbing in the face). Friday The 13th Pt 2 (the double killing of the lovers though many films have reprised this since). The Burning (the impalement against a wall, or tree in the case of the latter). It's dated a bit now compared to others since but it's still quite enjoyable in its uncut form.

I have the uncut Image dvd but I'm not keen on this Bava effort.I much prefer his more creepier & atmospheric trio of Kill Baby Kill,Black Sabbath & Black Sunday.The slasher films of the 80s certainly owe a debt to the film though.

I have the Image version of the film. Sound is a bit dodgy but picture is great. Great movie. Utterly entertaining and told at a break neck rate!!! Nice octopus action too ;)

I'm definitely a Bava fan and I love this film. The American slasher movie owes a great debt to this movie, as it neatly starts the trend for 'body count' movies. I like it a great deal, but can understand why people might not like it - it does a look a bit dated, granted, but that's all part of its appeal. For me, anyway.

Cracking film which is beautifully shot,I have the Italian dvd along with the abus boxset version....:)

Great fun and well crafted,also own both versions (Italian and English) of the film.
The first murder is pure genius. :thumb:

I think it's a superb film, though possibly a little inpenetrable at first - the "who's doing what to whom" aspect of the plot take a bit of sinking in! - I certainly needed a second viewing of Blood Bath (as my first copy was titled) before things began to fall into place.

The opening murder sequence is as good as anything Bava ever filmed in his career IMO.

I still haven't watched the version in Bava Box 2. Maybe I will do so today!

I got the Boulevard Enterainment release. of Bay of Blood (forgive spelling)
plus i've seen other releases and I quite like it.

I agree about the sequels and current old films that are OOP.

Problem is also that the old classics get picked up by the likes of 'Beyond Terror' who release them with minium effort and by not doing anything to make the old original's appealing to a new audience of genre fans , are turning them away from the older films as new fans maybe buy one title then leave the rest due to the poor quality vhs like fransfers .

Thank God that Shameless and ARROW are giving some of these old classics a fighting chance with younger fans by taking the efford to offer the best version available, thus making veiwing them as enjoyable as the newer remakes PQ and extras ways.

Well said vips! :thumb: :nod:

I'm in the same boat as you with ABOB and prefer my Bava fix baroque rather than bloody.
There's no doubt the film has been influential where the backwoods slasher movie is concerned. But for some reason i just don't find ABOB as visually stylish, atmospheric or entertaining as other Mario masterworks. Blood And Black Lace is a far more enjoyable giallo imo.

For the record, i own the Raro, ABUS and AWE releases of Bava's backwoods blood spiller.:)

I also own the RARO,ABUS and German XT versions.

It's an all time classic.
Beautifully shot with an amazing soundtrack,to credit it with being the inspiration for the slasher boom,whilst to a certain extent is true,is unfair.
It's a masterpiece in it's own right and should be judged on it's own merits.:nod:

An Uncut restored UK version is long overdue,and the sort of title which would be right up Arrow's street to give it the release it deserves.:nod:

As is the artwork right up Arrow's street.Especially the last two shown below.

The German XT DVD is identical to the Hokushin precert.
Another cover/title synonymous with the 'video nasty' era.:cool:

Definitely agree. The BBFC rejected it for cinema years ago but it wouldn't have had any problems in 2002 if the uncut print had been submitted. Would pass easily now.

Fantastic film Vince.

I also have a couple of versions of this fantastic film, and agree that a UK uncut release would be most welcome.

I could so see Arrow releasing this further down the line (another UK uncut first :thumb:) and would love to see an original Rick cover-art for this release. :nod: :biggrin:

Is that the version I own, Boulevard Ent.? (forgive spelling)
Is there much missing from it Vince.?

The Boulevard release (a port of the Film 2000 DVD) features the same print as the old Redemption video which was cut by 43 secs. 4 of the murder scenes are cut including the double impalement and the machete murder.

The only way to see this is uncut, as it's a very brutal Giallo, the killings are definitely the main course here. I rate it very highly and think it's an absolute gem. Then again, I'm a Giallo fanatic, so I would like it. :)

I've pretty much enjoyed every Bava I've seen. And, controversial as it may seem, I reckon 5 Dolls for an August Moon is his best film. Not many people agree with me on that one, though....

I like Five Dolls for an August Moon, its Bava's most enjoyable film IMO, with a fantastic score by Piero Umiliani. Oh and it also has Edwige Fenech in the cast:dance:

Not really keen on Bay of Blood though. It's ok, but I wouldn't rate it among his best work.

Agreed. The cut version is messy and robs the film of its viciousness.

Definetly.I first watched it on a cut version and thought,what's all the fuss about?
Absolutely needs to be viewed uncut.:nod: