Blood and Black Lace ( Mario Bava, 1964)

Bava is the highstrung Italian version of Howard Hawks. Although his name is most closely associated with giallo or supernatural horror, his films cross all genre boundaries. B&BL is a sterling example of giallo at its glossiest ... and goriest.
A fashion house's gliitzy routine is disrupted by a creeping masked killer who seems hellbent on obtaining a mysterious diary written by a top mannequin. His choice of weapon? a nasty medeival looking hook type prosthesis that rearranges his victim's face and anatomy.
Under cover of near darkness ( these fashionistas all live in posh houses or flats that are, oddly, very poorly lit) the masked reader drops in on several models before the detention of the five most likely suspects. Out of pure spite, he murders again just to befuddle the police.
Like many Italian horror thrillers, B&BL is at heart an oldfashioned whodunit. While pretentious directors in the States or Canada bore us citing Kafka and Lovecraft as influences, the secret inspirer of giallistos is more likely Agatha Christie. As for the look of this film, think disoriented Country Life. Before Kubrick discovered horror with The Shining, Bava, Dario Argento and company had made decor a character in their bloodred wet dreams.
Further viewing: Black Sabbath, Planet of the Vampires

" Beast!! Fiend! Rapist!" Henry Fool

is Hal Hartley's comic novel-on- film about a woebegone Queens family ( grungy poet garbagist Simon , slutty Fay and mom Mary) who let their basement apt. to the Devil.
As if the Grims don't have enough troubles already. Fay is having "aging issues." Simon is a voyeur who gets assaulted by Warren, a local crackhead and his pipesucking hussy of a gf. Mary is depressed, overmedicated and needy.
On the day of the crackheads attack, Henry strolls, almost human, into town. He sends Simon out for beer and proceeds to shelve a pile of marbled old school composition books that contain his ten volume Confession. Henry Fool is unusual among homebred semi-indies in being about a writer or two. Hartley's stilted dialogue is beautifully voiced by stage veteran Thomas Lee Ryan, who claims to have not known about coverage and other film practices that Hartley eschews. Well -meaning brassy Fay is indie princess Parker Posey, on mark throughout. She assaults Simon ! and it's an amazing few minutes. Lanky James Urbaniak (played R.Crumb in American Splendor) is Simon.
I'm tempted to go on spilling the beans about this Daniel Webster tale but it's better to watch. If the wyaward plot and people intrigues you, there's a lively, intriguing sequel, Fay Grim.

New Directions

Dirty Story has become a movies blog. DS is for fans of genre, indie, classic rep films, for discussion and casual references. Notes on actors, genres, directors, etc. from readers are encouraged. If DS gets feedback, welll, DS flourishes. Later today_ The Halloween Saga or Backwards from H20 to Halloween, an early autumn holiday post.