KILL, BABY ... KILL! (1966) directed by Mario Bava

It’s the early 1900s, and Dr. Eswai has been summoned to a remote European village to perform an autopsy on the body of young Irena Hollander. Pursued by an unseen force, she hurled herself from a church bell tower onto spike below, and the superstitious townspeople are in no hurry to help the good doctor.

With the assistance of Inspector Kruger, Eswai retrieve’s Irena’s body and conducts an examination with the lovely Monica (Erika Blanc) as his assistant. Monica is no stranger to the town or its customs, having spent the first couple years of her life there.

After finding a silver coin embedded in Irena’s heart, Eswai learns that the town is gripped by superstition. Melissa, the young daughter of the town’s Baroness, died at the age of seven, pursuing a ball while drunk villagers ignored her cries for help. As legend has it, the vengeful ghost curses anyone who comes in contact with her. When Nadienne, the daughter of the local innkeepers, encounters the creepy kid, the village witch wraps her in a leech vine, which Eswai considers archaic nonsense and removes. Nadienne dies due to the deadly curse, further turning the townsfolk against the well-meaning doctor. 

Can Eswai solve the town’s deadly mystery? Is it truly the work of a vengeful spirit, or is there a more rational explanation to the deadly shenanigans? 

KILL, BABY ... KILL! is the eleventh film from Italian horror maestro Mario Bava and considered by many as his best work. I don’t feel that strongly about the flick, but it’s not due to its quality. Bava maintains a brisk pace for a Gothic period piece—usually my Kryptonite—and keeps the viewer guessing (though one twist is obvious early on). The ghostly Melissa (played by a young man) ratchets up the film’s fear factor, while Bava’s trademark lighting and visuals like swirling staircase, hidden crypts, and misty village streets add to the film’s mystery and visual impact. 

Though the film was a box office hit in Bava’s native country during its original release (outgrossing the director’s BLACK SUNDAY and BLACK SABBATH), its cultural impact is its true legacy. Both Martin Scorcese and David Lynch acknowledge the film’s influence on their work, while Federico Fellini lifted the idea of the ghostly child and their bouncing ball for the ‘Toby Dammit’ segment of the 1968 anthology flick SPIRITS OF THE DEAD. 

Personally, I prefer Bava’s contributions to the giallo genre (especially HATCHET FOR THE HONEYMOON and BAY OF BLOOD), but I dug KILL, BABY ... KILL!, especially for its look, feel, and pacing, especially in a genre that I frequently find snooze-inducing. (Also known as OPERATION FEAR, CURSE OF THE DEAD, and my favorite, THE DEAD EYES OF DR. DRACULA.) – Dan Taylor