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Friday, December 28, 2018

LA FRUSTA E IL CORPO / THE WHIP AND THE BODY (1963)

Modestly effective Gothic shocker from the prime of cult Italian director Mario Bava shows off his best qualities (atmosphere, mood, color), but remains wanting as ever in all other departments. Christopher Lee (straight of nose/crooked of character) plays ‘bad seed’ brother to a family that hoped to have permanently seen the back of him. Hence, his neurotic fiancée (Daliah Lavi) forced by Lee’s disapproving father into marrying the younger brother even though this second son loves another. All a technicality to Lee who moves in anyway, whipping & wooing his ex before turning up murdered. And there’s worse to come since the buried body may have come back to life, seeking revenge on . . . well, just about everyone: Dad, brother, ex. Just about everyone who had a reason to kill him. Alas, it all sounds better than it plays, bumping along in predictable fashion with Bava unable to resist a colorful composition just when he needs to cut to the chase and falling back over and over on having a mystery hand come from behind to ‘scare tap’ someone on the shoulder. But a good sampling of his wares.

DOUBLE-BILL: The film is more in line with one of those PathéColor Roger Corman/Edgar Allan Poe/American International pics than with the TechiniColor Hammer Horror films. But any of them from this period would match up nicely.

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