Continuing the exploration of Italian director Mario Bava’s films, I watched Blood and Black Lace (1964), which really impressed upon me how creepy red mannequins are. A stylish murder mystery set in a fashion house where models are killed one by one. The use of bold colours, wind effects and shadows is pretty great, definitely shows itself as very influential in the giallo genre. Even though the violence isn’t as grisly as it would be in later decades, there are still some brutal murders here, which are thankfully balanced by the third act complications in terms of story interest. Nifty jazzy soundtrack as well. Love the symbolism of the red telephone too!
VHS Tracking 