Review of Kill, Baby... Kill! (1966) by Philip D — 02 Nov 2003

The weather outside is frightful, but the popcorn?s so delightful. And since I?ve got some time to fill? I?ll watch KILL BABY, KILL baby kill.

This movie came to me very highly recommended and it also was my first look at the work of Italian horror legend Mario Bava, so I had pretty high hopes. As it turned out, they were too high?way too high. Kill Baby, Kill is a mystery of sorts about a Doctor and lady returning to the town of her birth. When they get to the town, they find out it?s haunted by the ghost of a little girl that was trampled to death during a town function. The girl, Melissa, now roams the town at night driving the other young ladies in town to kill themselves. Now Melissa has set her eyes on the doctor?s new squeeze. Can they find Melissa in time to stop her? And how do you reason with a ghost?

This movie felt like a mixed bag to me. The story itself was good, and the very stylized use of lighting and directing was fun but the script and pacing left a lot to be desired. There are sections of the movie, especially in the beginning, that had me on the verge of coma. Some very slowly delivered and badly acted dialog. The movie does pick up whenever Melissa makes an appearance but any type of scariness she has about her became tame 30+ years ago. A girl?s laugh and random bouncing ball can be scary if they are inserted in a weird location or situation but it just doesn?t seem creepy here. The option to not show gore, while disappointing, doesn?t take away from the film. Most of the deaths are done very well and convincingly. I do have to mention that the best scene in the film is a trick camera shot that has the doctor chasing himself through a room that keeps repeating itself. If only the whole movie was as clever as that one scene. Mario Bava, whose work has been copied and studied by many other famous directors (Argento, Burton, etc.), has made a beautiful but empty film with KILL BABY, KILL. I would recommend it to those who enjoy watching style over story or have a fondness for older cinema but I don?t think the average movie goer of today would find enough to keep them watching. I certainly hope my next Bava experience feels more like a horror movie and less like a painting in a museum.