Blu-Ray Review: Kill, Baby Kill

When it comes to the pantheon of Italian horror film directors, there’s perhaps only Dario Argento and Lucio Fulci who are above Mario Bava. Bava, whose renowned as a director, screenwriter, cinematographer and special effects artists, is very much an all-rounder. Prolific during the ‘60s and ‘70s, he worked in cinema for over four decades. He’s dabbled with a number of genres but horror is where he’s been most successful. Kill, Baby Kill is one of his finest.

At the turn of the 19th century, Dr. Paul Eswai (Giacomo Rossi Stuart) is despatched to a Carpathian village in order to carry out an autopsy on a woman who died in mysterious circumstances. Whilst there meets Monica (Erika Blanc), who has returned to visit her parents’ graves. He discovers a village mired in superstition and tradition. The villagers are terrified by the ghost of a young girl. Once she sets her sights on you, only death awaits.

Kill, Baby Kill is a creepy ghost story which brims with atmosphere and mystery. The combination of small child and gothic tale was in many ways ahead of its time, and the villagers are all eerie in their own rights. There’s also a plot to match the dark undercurrents, with myriad twists and turns to keep you guessing until the eventual reveal. Kill, Baby Kill is a superior gothic ghost story which is perfect viewing as the dark night draw in.

Special Edition Contents:

• Restored 2K high definition digital transfer
• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentations
• Original mono Italian and English soundtracks (lossless on the Blu-ray Disc)
• English subtitles for the Italian soundtrack
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for the English soundtrack
• New audio commentary by Tim Lucas, author of Mario Bava – All the Colors of the Dark
• The Devil’s Daughter: Mario Bava and the Gothic Child, a new video essay by critic Kat Ellinger
• Kill, Bava, Kill!, an interview with assistant director Lamberto Bava
• Yellow, Semih Tareen’s short film homage to the cinema of Mario Bava
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Graham Humphreys

FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Collector’s booklet featuring new writing by critic Travis Crawford