Planet of the Vampires (1965)

As wonderful as the cover artwork is, it's not wholly accurate of the film it promotes, but Mario Bava's sci-fi horror still has something to offer fans of the genre. A full appreciation requires knowledge of the production, but it can be summed-up as being a Bava flick that achieves a lot with very little.
It's a tale of unknown terror and creeping unease set upon an alien planet that has an atmosphere of oxygen and dry ice, lit like a colourful pulp novel cover. The plot is slow but strangely tense, and sets are sparsely decorated but oddly claustrophobic. It works mostly because of the director's eye for artful composition and his ability to make cheapo look semi-costly. It's been suggested that PotV may have been a direct influence on Alien (1979), and despite Scott's claims to the contrary the evidence seems to be there.

3 strange signals out of 5

Blood and Black Lace (1964)

A forerunner in the giallo genre, Mario Bava's sordid tale of murder in a fashion boutique is not only influential for its dark corners saturated in sensuous color, but the graphic yet titillating death scenes. While the film might come off as somewhat cliche today, it is actually a blueprint for hordes of future horror and suspense films which owe it a great deal. The story centers around secrets and one willing to kill and kill again to keep them quiet. BaBL is notorious for its incomplete cuts, so its a joy to view it in its most complete form. The film begins with a virtual rogues gallery of the involved characters, which sets up this mystery quite beautifully. As a quintessential giallo it contains more than a few red herrings to keep the audience guessing, a clever twist in the climax and plenty of creative cruelty. Just as striking as the lighting, the literal faceless killer is a perfectly cast culprit. With a memorable score from Carlo Rustichelli, this is one of Bava's most masterful works.

4½ diaries out of 5