tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316228451187611813.post7708147389576373699..comments2024-01-28T19:45:11.660-08:00Comments on At the Mansion of Madness: Macabre / Macabro (1980)Giovanni Susinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03253382939348997303noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316228451187611813.post-51968855600123122602019-04-17T05:02:55.973-07:002019-04-17T05:02:55.973-07:00What a grand guignol finale! Robert finds out Jane...What a grand guignol finale! Robert finds out Jane's secret is she's been making love to her lover's severed head which she keeps locked in the freezer but when he tries to warn Lucy and she finds it,she isn't upset at all and tells Robert he's crazy,cooks some of the lover's ear for dinner and follows Jane into the bathroom and taunts her that she's insane and will be locked up.Lucy confesses that she drowned her brother on purpose but no one will believe Jane now.Jane strangles Lucy in a rage and drowns her in the bathtub,which starts overflowing as she rushes out and knocks the struggling Robert downstairs.She then puts the lover's head in bed with herand starts humping the mattress.Robert finds his way in.She attacks him and he kills her by pushing her face into what appears to be a portable microwave oven.Her face is burned up and she dies.Robert finds his way to the bed and to the head..which suddenly bites him!!! We are told he was found dead with tbe others,but no cause of death could be determined.Jetthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11724490893691260147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316228451187611813.post-47634004390291176472015-10-17T22:52:03.315-07:002015-10-17T22:52:03.315-07:00That’s interesting, because I first watched Macabr...That’s interesting, because I first watched Macabro right around the time I was finishing up Final Fantasy 12, which I still think had one of the best battle systems of the entire series, even if it did rely on it a little too much.<br /><br />Veronica Zinny goading her mother at the end is probably the most entertaining part, and yes that look she gave at the dinner table was priceless. I’m glad you felt the gloom from the harmonica theme as well; it kind of gave it a certain spirit of its own, as every good soundtrack should. It’s been awhile since I’ve seen Blade in the Dark, but Stanko is in that too as a kind of red herring gardener, if I remember correctly; it’s not nearly as memorable though.<br /><br />In the review, I said that Macabro is my favorite from Lamberto Bava, which is still true, but I’m really starting to think that there are probably some real gems from Lamberto that I haven’t seen yet, and so I can’t help feeling that my proclamation that Macabro is my favorite might be a bit premature.<br /><br />Nice take on the closing scene. Perhaps her nightly rituals with Fred were some sort of magic ceremony that managed to bring life to the head. It’s a very interesting theory, and I like the way you’ve provided a possible explanation without scoffing it off. Pieces has a somewhat similar closeout that I don’t think can be explained.<br />Giovanni Susinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03253382939348997303noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316228451187611813.post-92213518093439481522015-10-17T05:54:04.762-07:002015-10-17T05:54:04.762-07:00Finally saw this! I had been watching Final Fantas...Finally saw this! I had been watching Final Fantasy 12 cutscenes and I was surprised to find out that Bernice Stegers voiced the Occuria which reminded me to finally put this on the top of my to-watch list.<br /><br />It was slow and maybe a tad predictable but I really dug it, especially the last half hour where it gets unhinged. The haunting harmonica theme works incredibly well with the scenes where Stegers wanders through New Orleans alone. So sad and melancholy! Veronica Zinny is pretty great as the evil brat. Loved how satisfied she looked with her vegetable soup. And of course, it's great to see Stanko Molnar in another blind role that manages to be quite different from his role in Demons 5.<br /><br />In regards to that ending (which I also liked), maybe I'm stretching it but I'm guessing Mrs. Baker might've dabbled in "voodoo"? We get a bit of foreshadowing with the shrine and the New Orleans setting. Or maybe Bava just put it there because. lolTerencehttp://chickswithcandles.tumblr.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316228451187611813.post-51637076497656275922014-11-10T20:13:21.716-08:002014-11-10T20:13:21.716-08:00Having a long time interest in international genre...Having a long time interest in international genre film, I’ve really grown to love dubbing, especially when you start to recognize those familiar voices; it’s definitely its own appeal. I’m rather indifferent when comparing dubbing to subtitling. I’ll admit there are times when dubbing can really ruin it at times, in which case watching the movie with subs is a better choice. I guess I’m a fan of both ways. Thanks for your comment! Glad to be able to share the love for Macabro! I, too, like the New Orleans accented dubbing in Macabro.Giovanni Susinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03253382939348997303noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316228451187611813.post-31491982572969066992014-11-09T07:16:16.028-08:002014-11-09T07:16:16.028-08:00I'm with ya there - this is Bava's finest ...I'm with ya there - this is Bava's finest film. The heaps of psychological abuse dished out by both Jane and Lucy make the addition of violence completely unnecessary. I admit, when I first watched the VHS release of Macabre (when I was just slightly younger) I was initially distracted by the overdubs, but with repeat viewings it grew a bit more on me. Viewers new to Italo horror will likely have the same experience, so to any reading this review I say overlook this small imperfection. Macabre is well worth it.Giallo Guy 82https://www.blogger.com/profile/10560552499373945081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316228451187611813.post-16717708249647561022013-06-26T22:34:37.945-07:002013-06-26T22:34:37.945-07:00Thanks for the thoughtful comment! Well, it certai...Thanks for the thoughtful comment! Well, it certainly won’t do for me to keep the false rumor going, so I am going to fix it and credit you for the correction. Thanks for letting me know. You’re right; I did get that bit of misinformation from an interview with Bava that came as an extra with my Blue Underground DVD.<br /><br />Thanks for the compliments. I haven’t seen School of Fear yet, but I did hear about it from a review on the Italian Horror Goldmine. I’ve been meaning to track that one down; it seems to be a hard find.<br /><br />Macabre is very story driven, so I am convinced that Pupi Avati most likely had a lot to do with Macabre working so well. Also, being that the initial idea of the film started with Avati and that newspaper article he supposedly came across, we probably owe Macabre’s existence to Avati . <br />Giovanni Susinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03253382939348997303noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316228451187611813.post-76079311090930835672013-06-26T19:34:28.850-07:002013-06-26T19:34:28.850-07:00Excellent review, Giovanni! A perfect summation of...Excellent review, Giovanni! A perfect summation of this fine little film and I completely agree with your opinions about it, although I admit the PIECES-style ending wasn't quite to my liking. I consider MACABRE and DEMONS to be Lamberto's best films and I love them both - though for very different reasons, obviously. MACABRE is a much more mature work and I think part of its success should be attributed to writer Pupi Avati. The deliberate pacing and the atmosphere that slowly grows more and more uneasy is very similar to how Avati's own horror films are structured.<br /><br />Although I love DEMONS I too am a bit disappointed in the direction that Lamberto's career took but he has made some interesting things. I don't know if you've seen his TV movie SCHOOL OF FEAR but it's a slowly paced psychological thriller and among his work this is the one that reminds me the most of MACABRE. It's not nearly as good but well worth a look.<br /><br />Btw, Veronica Zinny is not the sister of Urbano Barberini but of his DEMONS co-star Karl Zinny. I think it was Lamberto himself who said in some interview that she is Urbano's sister but he was simply confusing the two of them and ever since this rumor has persisted.Johan Mellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07168671421253629870noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316228451187611813.post-32115047239630806802013-05-16T23:27:40.896-07:002013-05-16T23:27:40.896-07:00I've seen Ghost Son. I enjoyed the African set...I've seen Ghost Son. I enjoyed the African setting and some of the afterlife stuff was pretty creepy, but the big show down between mom and the evil baby was ruined a little for me because I kept thinking about Stewie and Lois Griffin, lol.<br /><br />Zeder and The House with The Laughing Windows are the only films at present from Pupi Avati that I am familiar with. I want to cover at least one of those over here, but which one? Both are great films. I did enjoy the way Laughing Windows was influenced by Deep Red and yet still managed to be pretty distinguishable in its own right. <br /><br />You might've seen Blade and Macabre before me, because I bought them as soon as Blue Underground released them (around 2007), and I bought them separately and at the same time. I remember the cashier saying "this is the kind of stuff I usually buy." It made me feel like a cool customer for some reason.<br />Giovanni Susinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03253382939348997303noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316228451187611813.post-69201856490363293892013-05-16T21:38:30.807-07:002013-05-16T21:38:30.807-07:00Have you seen Lamberto's Ghost Son (2007, I th...Have you seen Lamberto's Ghost Son (2007, I think)?<br /><br />Not really the primary topic of your post, but I love Pupi Avati's The House Of The Laughing Windows (1976). It's haunting in the literal sense of the word. <br /><br />I've got Anchor Bay's old double feature release with both Macabre and A Blade In The Dark - I'll need to watch them again. I've also got Shock paired with (I think) Possession. You're always dragging some interesting old titles out into the light again. Very cool.Brandon Earlyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04428583919973903171noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316228451187611813.post-81665082965318357292013-05-15T23:31:34.139-07:002013-05-15T23:31:34.139-07:00Hey, Terence! I’m glad this film caught your atten...Hey, Terence! I’m glad this film caught your attention. You should definitely see it!<br /><br />Molnar plays a very interesting and convincing blind character, and I’ve got to admit, without him the movie wouldn’t be as great. There’s been a generally negative response regarding his dubbing, as if the person playing his voice had zero enthusiasm, but I disagree. There’s a really good part where he’s demanding to Lucy to know what exactly the item he found in Jane’s bed is. “If that’s not the lobe of a human ear, then… TELL ME WHAT IT IS!!!!” heh heh…<br /><br />I haven’t seen “The Ogre” yet, but it’s on my wish list. “Shock” is so awesome, and it’s the next Mario Bava I want to cover, here.<br /> <br />I’ve enjoyed a lot of Lamberto’s work, and there is still more I need to see, but “Macabre” is something unique, and I’m a little disappointed that things didn’t really progress in this direction. It’s not that I wanted to see the same story over and over again, but I wish Macabre was more of a seed to the type of films Lamberto would make. I think the three year lull might have been responsible, but it seems to me that he moved as far away from filming something like “Macabre” as possible. <br />Giovanni Susinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03253382939348997303noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316228451187611813.post-57564570161324502492013-05-15T04:25:42.291-07:002013-05-15T04:25:42.291-07:00I definitely should check this out! Molnar's c...I definitely should check this out! Molnar's character interests me greatly and the production value looks of a pretty high standard. <br /><br />While Lamberto Bava's works may not be as 'masterful' as his father's, they're still very entertaining and pretty decent on a technical standpoint. 'Demons' and 'La maschera del demonio' were amazing. I'm also curious to watch 'The Ogre' (though I've heard bad things about it) and 'Shock' (since Lamberto also worked on it).<br /><br />That bit about Mario Bava being proud of his son's achievement warms my heart! :)Terencenoreply@blogger.com