A Blade in the Dark/Macabre
by Lamberto Bava
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Andrea Occhipinti, Anny Papa, Fabiola Toledo, Michele Soavi, Valeria CavalliDirector: Lamberto Bava
Writer: Lamberto Bava
Producer: Antonio Avati
Writer: Antonio Avati
Writer: Dardano Sacchetti
Writer: Elisa Briganti
Writer: Pupi Avati
Writer: Roberto Gandus
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); Italian (Original Language)
Format: Color, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.77:1
Running Time: 194 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2003-09-09
Audience Rating: Unrated
Studio: Starz / Anchor Bay
Movie Reviews of A Blade in the Dark/Macabre
Movie Review: AWESOME DOUBLE BILL - 2 GREAT SEXY LAMBERTO BAVA THRILLERS
Summary: 5 Stars
Horror fans have never had it better. As pointed out by another reviewer here, obscure and undiscovered gems are popping up on cool collections like this one, thanks to sharp companies like Anchor Bay.
MACABRO is a twisted little erotic thriller based on an allegedly true story. Bava's first feature as director, it shows off his pedigree as a third generation filmmaker, a worthy heir to the legacy of his wonderfully talented and efficient father, Mario.
Set in New Orleans, the film is handsomely produced and beautifully directed. Bernice Stegers is scintillating as a mourning lover with a hideously perverse secret, spending a good deal of screen time in luscious lingerie. Stanko Molnar is endearing as her gentle, blind landlord, a role almost the opposite of the one he plays in our next film.
A BLADE IN THE DARK is something else altogether. As Lamberto Bava has stated in interviews, he's not really big on slasher movies. That said, this movie should be studied by anyone attempting the genre, because Bava nails it, almost to a T.
Whereas American slashers rely on the "imaginative" variety of ways a victim can be killed, this movie is less imaginative in that area, but much more intense for two reasons. The victims are well-developed and unique characters, done up with the greatest care in regards to their make-up and costuming.
A simple shot of Fabiola Toledo bending over a bathroom sink with her pantie-clad bottom exposed is charged with more eroticism than every t'n'a scene from the Friday 13th series strung together. This might seem a crude point, but sex is part of the survival drive, and its psychological effect is an important ingredient in all of the thriller genres. And while costumers of American slashers all seem to shop at Target or Walmarts to fit their lowly budgets, Italian costumers working on even skimpier budgets manage to procure items which look expensive as well as sensational.
In fact every set, costume, camera move and lighting set-up in a Bava film is first class. Like most Italian movies, the style and intelligence displayed from top to bottom blow away comparable Hollywood films, where the bloated budgets go to overvalued stars and an overwrought, hit-or-miss development process.
The only negative to either of these movies is an abrupt and somewhat predictable ending. But the ride along the way is extremely satisfying, with plenty of eye candy, perfectly executed efx, great music and several spill-your-popcorn scares.
The extras on this DVD are also very well-produced, including one which gives much-deserved credit to SCREENWRITER DARDANO SACCHETTI. Sacchetti had a hand in some of the best Italian horror films of the past three decades, including Fulci's ZOMBIE, DEMONS 1 & 2, CANNIBAL APOCALYPSE, HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY, and dozens more.
Fans of Argento, Fulci and the Bavas need to check out Sacchetti's screen credits to see how important he was to the films they love. Kudos to Anchor Bay for including this tribute to the routinely overlooked screenwriter.
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