I bought the DVD of Twitch of the Death Nerve some 20 years ago. Being labeled as the grandfather of slasher films, the inspiration for the body count film, and always listed as one of the best and goriest films of its time, it was a no brainer for young me, who was just beginning to dabble in Italian horror films. It was not in black and white, which is always a plus for me. I can appreciate black and white when it is done stylishly or at least has a good transfer where it isn’t overly bright and washed out. I remember appreciating it, but not much more. I never went back to it, but that doesn’t mean much considering the volume in which I purchase movies.
When Kino Lorber had a sale on Blu-rays, I picked up several of the Mario Bava Collection, hoping to get a little culture in my horror film collection. I noticed A Bay of Blood was on sale and picked it up. Now keep in mind, I am fully aware that Italian films have multiple titles. I also am aware that Twitch of the Death Nerve had several alternate titles. But what I was not aware of was that I upgraded my DVD unintentionally. That excites me though, for it gives me an excuse to revisit a classic film that I have not seen in a good long time.
Synopsis:
The murder of a wealthy countess triggers a chain reaction of brutal killings in the surrounding bay area, as several unscrupulous characters try to seize her large estate. IMDb: 6.5
Rotten Tomatoes: 86%
Tagline: The second movie rated “V” for violence.
AKA: Ecologia del delitto, Ecology of Crime, Reazione a catena, Chain Reaction, The Bay of Silver, Carnage, Before the Fact, Twitch of the Death Nerve, Last House on the Left Part II, Last House Part II, New House on the Left, Blood Bath
Right off the bat, I am unsure how I feel about the theme. Playing over the credits is a tribal drumbeat, loudly playing under some kind of organ solo. It’s not catchy. It’s not enhancing the mood. The flute solo leads me to believe this is some kind of 70s coming-of-age tale where an innocent young girl hooks up with a trucker from the big city and he takes her on a whirlwind tour of the southern states.
Boy, do I love the opening shots of the house’s interior. The colors of the couches, the fire, carpets, the drapery, it’s all very gothic and dreamy. Bava has that obvious gothic influence that figure into his movies, but with this being the quintessential slasher, it makes for a very artful setting for the death and gore that is to follow.
The first death, the old woman in the wheelchair, is bloodless yet brutal. To hang like that, mere inches off of the ground, your feet touching the ground but unable to do anything about it, is frightening. To see her hanging there in that same beautiful shot that opened the film is quite the juxtaposition of horror and art. And she keeps hanging there! In the foreground, then the background, then over his shoulder, just everywhere!
70s redhead boobs and bush alert! Brunhilde ditches those undies and goes skinny dipping! A terribly dated hippie dancing scene forthcoming! I’m never too sure how to feel about these fully naked actresses from the 70s. Yes, they’re attractive, but considering she died 11 years ago at the ripe old age of 72, that kind of kills any hope for a #RetroBoner. She stopped acting the year I was born, for Christ’s sake!
And yes, Ft13th lifted the spear-through-two-people-making-whoopie-in-a-bed kill RIGHT from this movie.
Yes, it’s a body count movie. People die in gory ways. The deaths aren’t really set up in suspenseful ways. I don’t think it’s particularly scary. But think about what its design was when it was made. It was made to showcase a collection of murders in a disgusting and gory manner. Screenwriter Dardano Sacchetti and Mario Bava basically constructed a light framework for the bookends of the film, then came up with 13 creative kills, and then stitched the two halves together.
Taking it for what it was, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It feels like a been there done that, considering everything in this movie I have now seen twenty times before. But I have to keep remembering, this is a 52-year-old movie! This started everything! Without this, who knows if there would be a Halloween? Friday the 13th? Nightmare on Elm Street? Watch it. It’s a must for all slasher enthusiasts!
