Customer Reviews

Macabre

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1 star:		(3)

 

 

Directed by the son of legendary director Mario Bava, come's Lamberto Bava's MACABRE. A very interesting piece with great story and a brutal shock ending. If you would like to understand the history of and evolution of Italian horror, this is a must buy. Someone else mentioned the film drags on, they are obviously not aquainted with Italian horror. If you found interest in Mario Bava's works such as Twitch of the Death Nerve, Planet of the Vampires, or Fulci films like House by the Cemetery or the Gates of Hell, you will absolutely love this peice!!!!!

I originally bought a used VHS copy of this from a small-town video store, and was VERY excited to see it. Expecting an all-out gore fest from Lamberto Bava (Demons, A Blade In The Dark), I popped it into the VCR (remember those?) and was quite shocked to see almost no blood. I was not disappointed, however; poor acting aside (typical of any dubbed-over foreign movie), I enjoyed the story. The characters are all played well, especially the sadistic 12 year old daughter and her desperately sexual (and insane!) mother. The lighting, camera work, and music make for a wonderfully dark atmosphere. I'd definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys a deliberately slow-paced mood piece that doesn't reek of Hollywood teen heart-throbs or overuse of stage blood. Definitely not for pop-tarts!

Lamberto Bava's directorial debut "MACABRE" is very twisted & creepy & in my opinion one of his best & i don't know why its so underrated it makes no sense at all,its just to good to be this underrated! anyway i love this flick! Mario Bava is one of my very favorite directors & his son Lamberto with this movie prooved in this case the apple didn't fall to far from the tree. although better known for "DEMONS" & "DEMONS 2" Lamberto Bava's "MACABRE" is a very different & intelligent work of art & horror,the movie is a very REAL(until the very end) & "MACABRE" situation! Bava prooves he's a very good director & storyteller by sandwiching plenty of drama in between style & shock. if you are a true horror fan & you love your italian horror movies like i do then you will love this rare gem! all other's beware if you don't like real horror movies with taste that actually make you think then this is not for you!??!

Lamberto Bava is best remembered for the comic strip gore of his DEMONS films, but this chilling low-budgeter is his real masterpiece. Definitely adult in tone, it places the emphasis on atmosphere and character development. There are no flashy pyro-technics, and the story unfolds as a disturbing study in sexual obsession, necrophilia and jealousy. Commendably, Bava doesn't let the film slide into bad taste eroticism, even when the central character's secret is revealed. The performances - particularly from British actress Bernice Stegers - are good, cutting through the Southern drawls of the English language dub. Picture quality is impressive, enhancing the film's excellent use of muted colours and lighting. However, Bava's recollections in the featured interview are a bit confused: child actress Veronica Zinny is the sister of DEMONS star Karl Zinny, not Urbano Barberini. If you like your horror films morbid, sickly and creepily compelling,this under-appreciated classic is an essential addition to your collection.

In the early 60,s There was a movie Named Macabre but,Is this 1980 DVD Release of a more recent movie with the same title? I was very young when I first saw Macabre in the News Paper Movie section. What is the Theatrical release here on these Reviews? Amason discription left out the origional movie release for this movie. Do any Reviewers or DVD owners of this DVD know when it was released in Theaters? I really liked the version I did see a long time ago but with a very different story line?

A friend's mom worked at a psychiatric hospital and wore a T-shirt that said, "Insanity is Inherited! You Get It From Your Kids!" After watching Lamberto Bava`s "Macabre," I believe that T-shirt was right.

Jane is insane. Her crazy daughter, Lucy, made her that way. While Jane is away from home (in bed with her lover, Fred) Lucy becomes very angry. She drowns her toddler brother, Michael, in the bathtub. While rushing home, Fred and Jane are in an accident. Fred is killed and Jane is hospitalized in a psychiatric hospital, blaming herself for Fred and Michael's deaths.

Jane is eventually released and moves back into the love nest she shared with Fred. Lucy begins secretly tormenting her mother. Meanwhile, the blind landlord begins investigating the strange occurrences in Jane's bedroom. Though Fred is dead, Robert hears her passionately cry out Fred's name during nocturnal bouts of ecstasy.

"Macabre" means "ghoulish" and this movie certainly is. It's one of the most perverse and bizarre I've ever seen. Not too surprising since Lamberto Bava is the son of the late Mario Bava who was known as the Italian Master of the Macabre. Unfortunately, "Macabre" is not on the same level as the films of Mario Bava's career. Also, it is too slow moving for modern viewers though it is sometimes suspenseful, especially towards the end. The ending was a real shocker, but very unrealistic and silly.

Speaking of shock, the film "Shock" was Mario Bava's last feature film; it was co-directed by his son, Lamberto. Both "Shock" and "Macabre" bare many striking similarities. Both involve women recently released from the mental institute. Gradually, they begin losing touch with reality and slide back into their original state of insanity.

New Orleans scenery and a jazzy score are nice. Stanko Molnar's performance as the blind Robert is excellent, the best part of the movie. I fear for his safety when he discovers Jane's horrid secret. Unfortunately, none of this is enough to warrant purchasing the film unless you are a diehard Lamberto Bava fan or, if you're like me, you can buy it a dirt cheap price on Amazon.com. If you are really curious about Lamberto Bava's directorial debut, I suggest renting it on a dark, lonely night.

One of the most unique and bizarre horror movies out there, "Macabre" carves a strange niche all its own that nothing else can really be compared to. It's a movie that you have to be careful not to say too much about, or even to read too much about, because a lot of the twists and revelations come later on in the movie but have been openly mentioned in review headings on various sites and even promotional material over the years.

A mentally unstable woman named Jane (memorably played by Bernice Steiger), still unsteady after the recent deaths of her young son and her secret lover in separate incidents, moves into a boarding house where she and her lover once had their meetings. With the boarding house's landlady recently passed away as well, the house is now run by her blind and shy early-twenties son, who's been in love with Jane for years. With her, she brings an unusual secret (one that, unfortunately, has been given away beforehand in ads for the movie previously). Rarely has a movie been so disturbing and appalling (in a good way) and yet so strangely tender and erotic at others. The relationship between Jane and Robert (the blind landlord) yields some really memorable moments. Flattered by his attraction but not really returning it, seeming to see him as more of a young kid (which he may have been when she first started coming to the place) one is made to wonder whether the situation is going to develop down lines that are melancholy, or romantic, or horrific. There's one scene in particular involving ordinarily mundane housework that just sizzles under the surface. Another thing left there to wonder about is that for a long time the character of Jane's husband is left largely blank, adding a bit of mystery to the backstory. All in all, it so far may not sound like a movie that would fit under the horror banner, but a lot of what actually cements it there is just stuff that's only hinted at in the early going, and that may be left better unsaid for the viewer to discover on their own.

There's no question that "Macabre" is, at times, rough around the edges in terms of production, but it doesn't get in the way very much. Said to be based on a true story, although I prefer to hope that it's just another case of a horror movie having passing similarities to a real incident, and then being played up that way; a lot of the stuff that makes movies like this so great isn't great at all in a real life setting. I suppose that's stating the obvious, so I'll leave that tangent alone now...

"Macabre" is also available on a 'two-in-one' disc with "Blade In The Dark", a movie I found to be disappointing and not even close to the level of Macabre, although many fans apparantly enjoyed it a lot more than I did. Macabre's one that most horror fans should definately see though, although it's extremely twisted nature may not be to the liking of all. There's noting it can be definitively related to, but it's perhaps most likely to be enjoyed by those who appreciate such disturing fare as Basket Case (20th Anniversary Special Edition), Castle Freak, and the originalThe Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2-Disc Ultimate Edition).

"Demons", Volumes 1 and 2, are really good horror films. Watch those instead. This film has about 2 minutes of real horror elements in it. I fell asleep twice trying to get through this movie but I suspected as much.

Italian horror films are either a hit or a miss - try Dario Argento's "Tenebrae" instead.

Set in New Orleans, and apparently based to some degree on actual events, Lamberto Bava's Macabre, is a tale of a woman's obsession with her dead lover. Avoid watching the trailer, as much of the film's shock value will be lost if you see it beforehand. Even if you do not see the preview, it may not be that hard to guess what the big `secret' is.

Bernice Stegers's performance as Jane Baker, a married woman obsessed with her adulterous lover, is the most interesting thing about the film. While having an afternoon tryst, Baker learns that her son has just drowned. Hurrying home, she is involved in a car crash, in which her lover is killed. Apparently traumatized, she spends nearly a year in mental institution. Upon her release, she takes residence in a rooming house, occupying her dead lover's former room. The owner of the house is a blind man named Duval (Stanko Molnar), who repairs musical instruments, and hopes to get closer to his mysterious tenant. Baker's disturbed daughter Lucy (Veronica Zinny) and indifferent husband (Fernando Pannullo), round out the primary characters.

It is apparent that both mother and daughter are quite twisted, though in different ways. One would expect that a blind man would be intimately familiar with his own home, and be adept moving around inside it. Instead Duval fumbles around, shakily feeling his way, seemingly afraid of hurting himself. While Duval seeks answers, it may not be too difficult to guess what Mommy has locked up in her refrigerator. An incorrigible Lucy runs loose, stirring the pot and keeping things bubbling. The over the top climax, after a lovely dinner, winds matters up in a wacky way. Macabre is not a must see, but if you enjoy slow moving, campy suspense, it may be of interest. A short interview with Lamberto Bava is also included.

Mario Bava's son Lamberto Bava takes the reins of directing to mostly successful effect. In this tension-building horror, a woman leaves her children behind to meet with her lover, only to end the day with her son and lover dead. A year of institutionalism later, she returns to the set of her affair in the house of the blind man Robert, and creepy things begin happening... to Robert, it seems like a visitor is coming and having a sexual affair with the woman in the night, but nobody's entering the house. Is she possessed? Is it a ghost? Or is she herself pulling her old forays right out of the grave to continue them as if nothing ever happened?

Macabre is interesting because it actually lives up to expectations in unexpected ways. Basically, Bava the Younger shows off strength in the way he paces his reveals. He gives the viewer just enough time to guess what is behind the door, in the freezer, or up the stairs, and then actually shows it as if it's already revealed. By the time you actually see what's going on, you no longer want it to be the case; it's terrible to be so right all the time. In the meantime, the relationships developed among Robert, the woman, and the woman's daughter provide more than enough dramatic tension to earn the sensationalistic thrills.

So overall the movie is a decent, dark little idiosyncratic horror movie. There are some massive plot holes ("We visit his grave every year" -- interesting habit to have when he hasn't even been dead an entire year yet), some less-well-paced scenes ("This room needs a woman's touch"), and a dishearteningly dumb twist for its final shot ("Robert Duval's death remains a mystery"). But a horror movie seen from the perspective of a blind man, a crazy woman, and her proto-psychopathic daughter is well worth at least a first viewing for horror buffs.

--PolarisDiB