Schock - 1977
A new look at the face of evil.
Director
Mario Bava
Writer
Francesco Barbieri screenplay
Francesco Barbieri story
Lamberto Bava screenplay
Lamberto Bava story
Paolo Brigenti screenplay
Paolo Brigenti story
Dardano Sacchetti screenplay
Dardano Sacchetti story
Producer(s)
Ugo Valenti associate producer
Turi Vasile producer
Cast
Daria Nicolodi - Dora Baldini
John Steiner - Bruno Baldini
David Colin Jr. - Marco
Ivan Rassimov - Dr. Aldo Spidini
Paul Costello - Obnoxious man at party
Nicola Salerno - Carlo
Review by Sven Soetemans
The master's last film. …*wipes away tear*,
Mario Bava ended his brilliant career as a filmmaker with Shock, while it meant the launch for his son's activities in horror cinema (more or less, since Rabid Dogs knew many production difficulties). Even though Shock can't possibly stand a comparison with some of Mario Bava's previous masterpieces (like Black Sunday, Bay of Blood, Kill Baby…Kill and others), it still is an ingenious and frightening horror tale not worth ignoring. The film completely breathes Bava's style and trademarks…The story is standard and rather simple, but the whole atmosphere and tension created by Bava brings it up to an higher level. (****Small Spoilers here****) A young mother (Daria Nicolodi – known from Argento's giallo-shocker `Profondo Rosso) moves back into the house where her husband committed suicide 7 years earlier. She tries to rebuild her life with her son (David Colin Jr. from the previous `Beyond the Door') and her second husband Bruno. Not long after, strange events start to occur in the house and they keep reminding Dora of her late husband. Even her son starts to behave pretty peculiar. He evolves from being an irritant boy to an actual scary little monster! It more and more starts to look like the house is still possessed by the restless spirit of the dead husband… The tension in Shock is built up very slowly and almost bloodless…Through dazzling camera-viewpoints and creepy gothic music, Bava knows how to create a claustrophobic atmosphere before exploding into a disturbing and adrenalin-filled finale! The concluding 10 minutes of this film (and therefore the 10 last minutes of Bava's entire career as a director) are class-A horror, living up to the director's earlier highlights.
Shock is overall a very entertaining and professionally made ‘Haunted House' chiller, containing multiple other horror elements. The acting is above average, regarding Italian shlock-standards. A worthy final installment to a brilliant career.
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