Today's review we go back in the day a bit with the 1956 film "I Vampiri". From the title you would assume that this is going to be a vampire movie however what we get is a 1930's/40's style mystery film made in the late 50's, stirred up with some scientific experiments, dead/missing women and some very nice cinematography by none other than Mario Bava (who also helped complete the film in a director's capacity) to make an enjoyable view for those interested in this kind of film.
The movie starts off with a dead girl found in a river. As we come to find out she is the 4th in a string of recent killings of young women. The killer has been branded "The Vampire" by the police and the press as there appears to be puncture wounds on the dead girls bodies (needle marks). Enter the young newspaper reporter looking for a clues to get the story of the century who is always one step ahead of the police but always appearing to cry wolf when he asks for their assistance.
The movie goes through several red herrings as it has you to believe that it's one person or another that is doing it however if you've seen enough horror/thrillers and mystery movies you will know that they are obviously the pawns for something greater. You will more than likely figure out what is going on after the first half of the movie however the way the film is set up and the story is delivered you will not care.
One part horror/ one part mystery/thriller I Vampiri is a solid 50's film. Some things of note, the effects that are used to show the Countess/Giselle are well done. You actually get the since of her "aging" right in front of your eyes. Also the sets are very nice to look at from it's big aboding castle to cemetery sequences (shades of Bava's future film "Black Sunday") all things are of a high standard here.
Despite all the positive's the movie in its own right may be a little too by the numbers. Though I enjoyed it and would recommend at least a rental of this film, it really does not break any new ground, which some will find a bit disappointing. I on the other hand liked this film and think that fans of Bava and old mystery/thrillers will have a good time with this one. My score for I Vampiri:
6/10: above average.
Yes you may have seen this kind of thing before but with above average production values among other things, this is a highly recommended rental and for fans of this sub genre a purchase. Just another reason why Bava is so revered by the Horror/Thriller community.
Until next time, when dating a girl know matter how young she looks, ask her age she may be essence stealing grandmother super freak...GM Out!!
The movie starts off with a dead girl found in a river. As we come to find out she is the 4th in a string of recent killings of young women. The killer has been branded "The Vampire" by the police and the press as there appears to be puncture wounds on the dead girls bodies (needle marks). Enter the young newspaper reporter looking for a clues to get the story of the century who is always one step ahead of the police but always appearing to cry wolf when he asks for their assistance.
The movie goes through several red herrings as it has you to believe that it's one person or another that is doing it however if you've seen enough horror/thrillers and mystery movies you will know that they are obviously the pawns for something greater. You will more than likely figure out what is going on after the first half of the movie however the way the film is set up and the story is delivered you will not care.
One part horror/ one part mystery/thriller I Vampiri is a solid 50's film. Some things of note, the effects that are used to show the Countess/Giselle are well done. You actually get the since of her "aging" right in front of your eyes. Also the sets are very nice to look at from it's big aboding castle to cemetery sequences (shades of Bava's future film "Black Sunday") all things are of a high standard here.
Despite all the positive's the movie in its own right may be a little too by the numbers. Though I enjoyed it and would recommend at least a rental of this film, it really does not break any new ground, which some will find a bit disappointing. I on the other hand liked this film and think that fans of Bava and old mystery/thrillers will have a good time with this one. My score for I Vampiri:
6/10: above average.
Yes you may have seen this kind of thing before but with above average production values among other things, this is a highly recommended rental and for fans of this sub genre a purchase. Just another reason why Bava is so revered by the Horror/Thriller community.
Until next time, when dating a girl know matter how young she looks, ask her age she may be essence stealing grandmother super freak...GM Out!!