The final film from Italian horror director Mario Bava was this chilling tale.
Upon returning to the home where her former husband died, a woman begins to believe that her young son is possessed and is attempting to kill her.
Plot-wise Schock is slim on sense, but those of us that love the films of Bava (or most any Italian horror period) know that the entertainment is all in the style and Bava's direction flourishes with style in this film as well. Schock carries a strong atmosphere of darkness and an increasing feeling of dread that drives it to nightmarish proportions at times. The film's scenic locations, creepy music score, and its female star add all the more to the elegance that is this twisted spooker.
The cast is good over all, but it is Daria Nicolodi that really shines as a wife/mother who begins to question her sanity.
Granted, Schock may not be the greatest of Bava's films, but it certainly was a great last work. Worth seeking out.
*** out of ****
Upon returning to the home where her former husband died, a woman begins to believe that her young son is possessed and is attempting to kill her.
Plot-wise Schock is slim on sense, but those of us that love the films of Bava (or most any Italian horror period) know that the entertainment is all in the style and Bava's direction flourishes with style in this film as well. Schock carries a strong atmosphere of darkness and an increasing feeling of dread that drives it to nightmarish proportions at times. The film's scenic locations, creepy music score, and its female star add all the more to the elegance that is this twisted spooker.
The cast is good over all, but it is Daria Nicolodi that really shines as a wife/mother who begins to question her sanity.
Granted, Schock may not be the greatest of Bava's films, but it certainly was a great last work. Worth seeking out.
*** out of ****