Review of Kill, Baby... Kill! (1966) by Miriam S — 29 May 2008

My first knowing exposure to Bava's work was a disappointment. Given the praise he receives from horror aficionados, I expected something along the lines of Val Lewton. That is, an artist who constantly subverts his genre and weaves poetry into banal studio productions.

Bava isn't bad, but based on "Kill Baby, Kill", he's content to make modestly creepy, if wholly unremarkable gothic horror stories. KBK doesn't date especially well because any original concept has been beaten into the ground by hordes of imitators.

I'm no fan of the creepy kid genre and while this very well may have served as the template, there was little to hold my attention- let alone make me a devotee.