Blood and Black Lace (1960)

Widely recognized as one of the earliest and influential of Italy's "giallo" films (pronounced "yellow" and so called for their similarity to a series of yellow-covered Italian crime novels), Blood and Black Lace is a perennial favorite among the fans of Italian director Mario Bava. Setting a fierce series of murders within a prestigious fashion house, Bava upped the ante on the genre with this often frightening thriller. Marked by its intense and brutal killings, numerous women die at the hands of a madman whose blank white mask is eerily void of expression or emotion. Many later slasher films owe their roots to this chilling Bava masterpiece. The director's most striking talent is his visual eye and use of color, which give the film a highly unique style and look. The brilliant use of primary hues serve as visual foreshadowing throughout the picture and make repeated viewings a fascinating necessity. The camera slowly lurks through the shadowy, mannequin-filled halls, capturing the stark beauty of the models -- and the striking brutality of their murders. The killings are highly disturbing in their savagery -- strangling, gouging, drowning, and a torturous scalding among them -- especially considering who the killer turns out to be. Bava's directorial excellence also extends to his cast, with stars Cameron Mitchell and Eva Bartok turning in especially solid performances. ~ Patrick Legare, All Movie Guide