MACABRE - DVD review

What shocked me the most with Lamberto Bava's "Macabre" is the fact it is based on actual events that took place in New Orleans. At least this is claimed to be. "Macabre" is not the typical Italian horror film or giallo. It plays more on the characters perception of sex, or as Bava suggests in the short interview, "sex cannot be seen." There is not much contained in "Macabre" to induce fright and with the exception of a few short scenes, gore and blood is nowhere to be found.

"Macabre" is Lamberto Bava's directorial debut. Bava's father, Mario is arguably the greatest Italian Horror director to live. An eerie fact is after the elder Bava saw his son's film he told Lamberto ‘Now I can die in peace." Mario died a couple of months later and this was the only film of his son's he would ever see. At least he saw the best his son had to offer. "Macabre" is superior to Lamberto's follow-up "A Blade In The Dark," and unlike the "Demon" films, it does possess a plot.

This nonstandard tale revolves around a woman named Jane (Bernice Stegers), who is going through a bout of infidelity. Jane has two children and her daughter Lucy (Veronica Zinny) one day discovers the truth of her mother. To retaliate against her mother, she drowns her brother and calls her mother with the details. Jane has her boyfriend drive her home. Fate deals its dark hand one more time for Jane. On the way home, Fred (Roberto Posse) is decapitated. For Jane, this was a bit much for one day and she suffers a mental breakdown.

A few years later, Jane is released from the asylum. She takes residence at the building where her and Fred shared an apartment as a love nest. The caretaker has died and her blind son Robert (Stanko Molnar) now takes care of the upkeep. He has left Jane's room the way she left it. Robert has romantic feelings towards Jane and she reinforces them through casual flirtation. No matter how hard Robert tries to win her heart, she resists. Every night, Robert can hear Jane making love to a stranger. This upsets him, as he wishes to be her lover.

As the days pass, Jane is routinely visited by her daughter. She knows that her daughter is out to cause trouble, and eventually this causes suspicion with Robert, as Robert and Lucy try to determine what secrets hide behind Jane's locked door and particularly a locked icebox. One day, everything comes to a head and the shocking identity of Jane's lover and the contents of the freezer are revealed. This leads to a confrontation between Robert, Jane, Lucy and the lover. Of course, by the time this is revealed to Robert and Lucy, the audience has long since had the knowledge they seek.

Thus the problem with "Macabre," the only real shock value is revealed too early in the film. There is no surprise value contained between the opening and closing credits. There is a tacked on fate for Robert, which seems silly and though it attempts to throw a wrench in the audience's beliefs, fails miserably. The story is certainly odd, and it is hard to believe the relationship between Jane and her hidden lover actually happened. Stranger things have happened. If the content of the film weren't so odd, there would not be much reason to sit through the ninety minute running time of "Macabre."

Video:
"Macabre" is lacking in plot. Some films can make up for this with style or beautiful country vistas. Lamberto Bava has injected style into his picture, but his sets are generally confined to Robert and Jane's home. Bava shows many of the rooms with great detail and to keep the viewer's eye from tiring of the mundane sets, he approaches each shot from a different angle and manages to open up the tight rooms by utilizing every inch of available space with the camera. There are a few shots of the usually scenic New Orleans.

The transfer of "Macabre" is typical of work done by Anchor Bay. The film is properly framed in anamorphic 1.85:1 widescreen. Early on in the film, the source materials appear a bit worn, but as the film progresses the print either gets cleaner or they are so minor that they disappear on their own. Colors are well saturated and black levels are true. A bit of grain inhabits the film, but the film looks good for being twenty years old.

Audio:
Old Kung-Fu movies that took up many of my youthful Saturday afternoons are memorable only because of the horrible dubbing involved. "Macabre" ranks right up there with the best of them for horrendous dubbing. The Italian actors are dubbed with over-the-top Southern accents that never have a chance of syncing with the lips. Of all the dubbed Italian films I have watched, this is the worst dubbing I can recall seeing.

The soundtrack that delivers the torturous, yet clear dialogue is of the Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono variety. The theatrical score has a very Seventies tone to it, and makes the film seem even lower in budget. The Dolby Digital mix has no problem delivering it to the viewer's ears. About the only sound effects are mattress springs, footsteps and closing doors. I imagine a modern interpretation of this film would have banging headboards too. None-the-less, the soundtrack does not falter delivering the rare ambient sounds and sound effects.

Extras:
"Macabre" is mostly devoid of plot. That isn't quite the case when it comes to extra features, but this disc will never be confused with a special edition. A theatrical trailer is included. Recently, there has been much discussion of trailers that reveal too much information about the film. This may be the prototype of those trailers. If you want to enjoy the film and not be spoiled more than this review, do not watch the trailer. An eight-minute interview with Lamberto Bava is subtitled for your enjoyment. A lot of information is packed into this time frame and though it is short, it is worth taking a look at. Also included in a biography on Lamberto Bava.

Summary:
As I typed this review, I thought about what demographics would be a target to recommend "Macabre" to. The question for this film is not "Would you want to watch the move?" The question that should be asked is "Do you like any filmmaker with the last name of Bava?" If you answer yes to the second question, then the first question can be answered as such. However, if you answered no, then the only reason to watch this film would be for the original story and odd content. Oh, and if you are looking for blood and guts, steer completely clear of this one.