The film opens with the silhouette of a rider on the beach at sunset. Available on AMC +, Shudder This picture stirred quite a controversy when first released. LA FRUSTA E IL CORPO. The credited screenwriters are Ernesto Gastaldi (as Julian Berry), Ugo Guerra (as Robert Hugo) and Luciano Martino (as Martin Hardy). However, Kurt had an affair with Tania, the daughter of Menliffs' servant Giorgia (Harriet Medin), and Tania committed suicide because of Kurt's prospective marriage. Frustrated, she does not return to the castle and is eventually found unconscious by the butler Losat (Luciano Pigozzi). A sexually potent tale contrasting with API’s Edgar Allen Poe adaptations, The Whip and the Body ain’t The Pit and the Pendulum. Count Menliff rejected Kurt and he left the castle. On the next afternoon, the sadistic Kurt meets Nevenka riding a horse alone on the beach and whips the masochistic woman and makes love with her. [3] The 77 minute version was nearly identical to the British edit of the film released under the title Night is the Phantom. Directed by Mario Bava svg-skull svg-skull svg-skull svg-skull svg-skull 1963 NR English 86min. After establishing himself as Italy’s master of the macabre which such triumphs as BLACK SUNDAY and BLACK SABBATH, director Mario Bava continued his illustrious, and (then) critically underappreciated career with THE WHIP AND THE BODY ("La frusta e il corpo"). RUNNING TIME: 86 min. [6] The disc included an audio commentary with Tim Lucas, isolated soundtrack, photo gallery, cast and crew biographies and filmographies. During an evening on the beach and following a session of flogging and sex, masochistic Nevenka understands that she is still in love with Kurt. "[8] The review compared the film to other genre films of the era, calling it "another of Italy's prankish simulations of British horror movie" as well as stating that "Mario Bava copies [Riccardo] Freda almost slavishly" but "still pulls off some arresting pictorial compositions". The ghost of a sadistic nobleman attempts to rekindle his romance with his terrorized, masochistic former lover, who is unwillingly affianced to his brother. [5], A Region 1 DVD of The Whip and the Body was released by VCI on 31 October 2000 with an 88-minute running time. Written by The Whip and the Body is screening as part of the 21-film Mario Bava series taking place at New York City’s Quad Cinema July 14th–25th, and check here to read more of Patrick's Mario Bava retrospectives. Starts 11/23/2020 Expires 11/23/2022. Description. Disc #1 -- The Whip and the Body Play Film Chapters Trailers The Whip And The Body Black Sunday A Bay Of Blood Baron Blood Lisa And The Devil Set Up Audio Options Italian English French Commentary By Tim Lucas, Author Of Mario Bava: All The Colors Of The Dark English Subtitles English Subtitles: On English Subtitles: Off The Whip and the Body is the most mature expression of the themes Bava explored in earlier films like The Mask of the Satan and “The Wurdalak” segment of Black Sabbath.All three of these stories revolve around familial guilt and revenge, perverse sexuality, characters physically marked by evil, and the deceptive nature of appearances. [1] The film was seized on 12 October 1963, with charges of obscenity. The Whip and the Body A sadistic count (LORD OF THE RINGS' Christopher Lee) becomes a vengeful ghost who torments the living in Italian horror godfather Mario Bava's gothic nightmare. Mario Bava's visual talents are on full display as he blows the dust off the centuries-old gothic and drenches it in color, light and BDSM! [4] The film grossed a total of 72 million Italian lire. Was this review helpful to you? THE WHIP AND THE BODY (1963) (Blu-ray) Director: Mario Bava (as John M. Old) Kino Lorber . [1] Bava took care of the cinematography for the film while his regular camera man Ubaldo Terzano is credited as the cinematographer. He later returns to reclaim his title and his former fiancée Nevenka (Daliah Lavi) who is now his brother's wife. The Whip and the Body ★★½ Night Is the Phantom; What 1963Mario Bava's 19th-century ghost/ love/revenge story makes a belated arrival on home video. Don't forget that the year of release was 1963 and Mario Bava unscrupulously introduces characters with taboo-fetishes like S & M. ITALY. [4] The Whip and the Body was released in Italy on 29 August 1963 through Titanus. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. THE WHIP AND THE BODY . "[9], In 1970, screenwriter Ernesto Gastaldi stated that the film disappointed him. (film)" redirects here. The film is about Kurt Menliff (Christopher Lee) who is ostracized by his father for his relationship with a servant girl and her eventual suicide. 18 rating meaning that it was forbidden to minors. "[9] The review commented on the technical elements of the film, stating "superb" cinematography but that the script had "many preposterous lines, and is far to cluttered with cliches such as screams in the night, hurried chases and mystery lights in the crypt. svg-play Play. A masked, shadowy killer brutally murders the models of a scandalous fashion house in Rome. (1963). A sumptuous visual masterpiece dripping with sadomasochistic eroticism, The Whip and the Body is the most beautiful of all Bava’s films. The Year of Magical Drinking: Mads Mikkelsen and Thomas Vinterberg on ‘Another Round’. [1] Gastaldi is credited as an assistant director in the film's credits, but has stated he was never even on the set of the film. His performance proves that he had an awesome presence within him. On the same night, Kurt is killed under curious circumstances, with the same dagger Tania had committed suicide with. Prodigal son Kurt Menliff (Christopher Lee) returns to the family castle, ostensibly to congratulate his brother Christian (Tony Kendall) on his recent wedding to Nevenka (Daliah Lavi). Kurt feels the hatred and the fear of his father Count Menliff and the servant Giorgia, who blames him for seducing and killing her daughter, and indifference from his cousin Katia. "The Whip and the Body" is a unique film in many ways, but particularly because of the controversial substance it dared to bring forward. Since this was the early-'60s, there was, of course, no nudity, but filmmakers found a way around that aspect to display their "perversions". Title: Steeped in sadomasochism and lushly photographed in the vivid hues for which the director is known, Mario Bava's THE WHIP AND THE BODY is a Gothic thriller that far surpasses the API Edgar Allan Poe films that it was intended to emulate. This is a great film that is overlooked by many Mario Bava supporters as it is also his best. AKA LA FRUSTA IL CORPO, NIGHT IS THE PHANTOM, WHAT, THE WHIP AND THE FLESH. On the next afternoon, the sadistic Kurt meets Nevenka riding a horse alone on the beach and whips the masochistic woman and makes love with her. (Alicia Coombs) [6] A Blu-ray of the film was released by Kino on December 17, 2013. Kurt feels the hatred and the fear of his father Count Menliff and the servant Giorgia, who blames him for seducing and killing her daughter, and indifference from his cousin Katia. 14 rating. 1963, Kino Lorber, 87 min, Italy/France, Dir: Mario Bava Demonic aristocrat Christopher Lee returns from the dead to whip his brother’s wife, Daliah Lavi, into a sexual ecstasy in this chilling essay on the ties that bind. [7] The Blu-ray contained a Tim Lucas audio commentary and theatrical trailers. Sumptuous and erotic, THE WHIP AND THE BODY infuses horror with beauty, sex and tragedy as only the gothic horror maestro Bava can. Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. [4] The board of censors demanded no cuts to the film, but gave it a V.M. REVIEWED BY: Dr Lenera, Official HCF Critic Christopher Lee plays his most evil and sadistic character up to date(I have not seen his film, The Bloody Judge(1969)). [7], In contemporary reviews, The Monthly Film Bulletin reviewed the 77-minutes English-dubbed version titled Night is the Phantom in 1965. The Whip and the Body is a gothic horror fantasy that finds Bava at the peak of his visual prowess. The Whip and the Body (Italian: La frusta e il corpo) is a 1963 gothic horror film directed by Mario Bava under the alias "John M. Old". Horror 88 Mins 1963. [4] This was appealed by the production companies for the film who cut parts of the film on their own and later earned a V.M. After the announcement of the servant Losat, the nobleman Kurt Menliff returns to the castle of his family at the seaside to congratulate his brother Christian Menliff for his marriage with his former lover Nevenka. "[4] The film was then later re-released in January 1964. Horror 1962 1 hr 28 min. The Whip and the Body (Italian: La frusta e il corpo) is a 1963 gothic horror film directed by Mario Bava under the alias "John M. Old". Italian censors removed the film from cinemas due to its sadomasochistic themes. The Whip and The Body. Use the HTML below. Our editors have rounded up their most anticipated horror movies of the year. The Whip and the Body (1965) "The most deliriously romantic horror picture ever made!" [1] Gastaldi has stated that he had written the script himself with Guerra possibly contributing to some of the story early on, whilst Martino made no contribution to the script. This version was dubbed in English with none of the actors dubbing their own voices. After the announcement of the servant Losat, the nobleman Kurt Menliff returns to the castle of his family at the seaside to congratulate his brother Christian Menliff for his marriage with his former lover Nevenka. of Variety noted that "for sophisitcated audiences, the gothic-novel atmosphere and trappings of secret passages, muddy footprints from the crypt and ghost lover, probably will draw more laughs than gasps. [1], The film's sadomasochistic theme caused trouble with censors in Italy. A vengeful witch and her fiendish servant return from the grave and begin a bloody campaign to possess the body of the witch's beautiful look-alike descendant, with only the girl's brother and a handsome doctor standing in her way. Only in 2000 did THE WHIP AND THE BODY (LA FRUSTA E IL CORPO) become commercially available in its original uncut version, in a now out-of-print DVD from VCI Home Video. Following a bungled robbery, three violent criminals take a young woman, a middle-aged man, and a child hostage and force them to drive them outside Rome to help them make a clean escape. [4] Gastaldi described that he felt about the story “in terms of a psychological nightmare, in the style of Clouzot's films, but Bava saw in it a baroque and decadent drama, and emphasized such tones beyond belief.”[4][10], From retrospective reviews, Slant Magazine gave the film four and a half stars out of five, stating that the film found "Bava at the peak of his visual prowess"[11] Online film database AllMovie found that Bava's "exceptional visual style helps to lift an otherwise gloomy picture". [1], The film was shot for under ₤159 million Italian lire for six week shooting schedule with one more week for special effects. The Whip and the Body is a solid tale of haunting, though Bava is more concerned with the creep factor in the bodice-ripping love triangle than he is jump scares, gore, or your basic bump-in-the-night material. [6] The DVD was sourced from a 35mm print of the film. Late night, Nevenka is missing and everybody is seeking her while Kurt is stabbed in the neck with the same dagger that Giorgia's daughter was murdered. The Whip and the Body. Here are the movies we're most excited for in 2021. Italy refused to have it shown within its borders, while just about every place else required that the shearing scissors go to work. Watch this title and more with Spectrum TV Shop Spectrum's Plans. Meanwhile, Nevenka married Cristiano (Tony Kendall), Kurt's younger brother. Menliff is later found murdered, but the locals believe his ghost has returned to haunt the castle for revenge. Boris Karloff hosts a trio of horror stories concerning a stalked call girl, a vampire-like monster who preys on his family, and a nurse who is haunted by her ring's rightful owner. One day, Kurt arrives at the castle, superficially to celebrate Cristiano and Nevenka but in fact he is to reclaim his title and fortune, which supposedly also includes Nevenka. [3] The film was shot in both Anzio and Castel Sant'Angelo in Rome. Now, Kurt is dead but a series of events hints that his ghost has started to haunt the castle for revenge. Which is your favorite Christopher Lee villain character? The Whip and the Body(1963) Mario BavaIn the 19th century, a sadistic nobleman terrorizes the members of his family. One theme that regularly occurs in many of Bava's films is the notion of the double that is present in movies like The Mask of Satan(1960), Kill Baby Kill(1967), and The Hatchet for the Honeymoon(1969). The lead role would seem perfect for Barbara Steele, but it went instead to the exotic Dahlia Lavi. The most overtly sexual and challenging of Mario Bava's gothic masterpieces, The Whip and the Body was released the same year as his far more famous Black Sabbath and was largely overshadowed, largely due to rampant censorship difficulties. A true masterpiece of Italian horror, The Whip and the Body is superbly crafted rendition of a D.H. Lawrence tale of revenge and familial responsibility. [1] Gastaldi was shown an Italian print of The Pit and the Pendulum (1961) by the producers who requested a similar film to be made. As she lies on the beach, clothes-torn and wailing with masochistic pleasure, the terrified horse tries to avoid the incoming tide. Despite his name being commonly associated with Italian gore and the giallo, Mario Bava really did his finest work in the early part of his career, and 'The Whip and the Body' is evidence of that. THE WHIP AND THE BODY (1963) - One thing that always surprised me about Italian Gothic horror films of the '60s is how adult they are in terms of sex, sadomasochism and other sexual perversions. [1], The Whip and the Body received a release in France under the title Le Corps et le fouet on 26 January 1966. THE WHIP AND THE BODY (1963) - One thing that always surprised me about Italian Gothic horror films of the '60s is how adult they are in terms of sex, sadomasochism and other sexual perversions. Maestro Bava immediately followed up with The Whip and the Body (La frusta e il corpo), a startlingly original scare show with an unexpectedly adult theme: sadomasochism. For the 1972 Roman Polanski film, see, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Whip_and_the_Body&oldid=1007569666, Films with screenplays by Ernesto Gastaldi, Articles containing Italian-language text, Articles to be expanded from November 2014, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Gustavo De Nardo (as Dean Ardow) as Count Menliff, This page was last edited on 18 February 2021, at 20:49. TMDb Score. The Whip and the Body. [8] "Hogg." Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. [8] The review referred to the film as "slow, repetitive, verging on parody" and that either "censor or distributor cuts have rendered much of the plot incomprehensible, thought one doubts if it ever made sense entirely. The obnoxious Kurt has returned to the mansion where his former lover Nevenka resides with her family and husband, who happens to be Kurt’s brother. The murder of a wealthy countess, which was erroneously deemed suicide, triggers a chain reaction of brutal killings in the surrounding bay area, as several unscrupulous characters try to take over her large estate. About the Author - Patrick Bromley. A cleaver-wielding bridal designer murders various young brides-to-be in an attempt to unlock a repressed childhood trauma. The Whip and the Body Movie Rating NR, 1 hr 28 min Movie More Info. View production, box office, & company info. Kurt (Christopher Lee), the older son of Count Menliff (Gustavo De Nardo), was in marriage preparations with Nevenka (Daliah Lavi). Nevena (Lavi) is about to be married when her ex-lover Kurt (Lee), soon to be her brother-in-law, shows up. GENRE: Horror RELEASE DATE: Thursday, August 29, 1963 CAST & CREW. Watch. The review noted that the film contained a "strong, witty script and one of the finest casts the Italian director ever worked with" resulting in "a solid horror film that works on multiple levels. An isolated castle on the Eastern European coast. 12 of 14 people found this review helpful. But genuine suspense is maintained throughout. Get a sneak peek of the new version of this page. [3] Mario Bava was brought in to direct the film through Ugo Guerra's suggestion as he could both direct the film and photograph the film. Certificate: GP On the next days, the members of the family suspects of each other while Nevenka is haunted by the ghost of Kurt. Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Add the first question. and Night Is the Phantom in the United States and United Kingdom, respectively. was released in the United States in 1965. Horror. [4] The film was declared that it contained "several sequences that refer to degenerations and anomalies of sexual life. A Carpathian village is haunted by the ghost of a murderous little girl, prompting a coroner and a medical student to uncover her secrets while a witch attempts to protect the villagers. It was released theatrically as What! [1] A 77-minute version titled What! An industrialist invites his colleagues and their wives to relax on his private island so they can exploit the monetary value of one of the guests' revolutionary resin formula, but a killer within the group disrupts the proceedings. Though the giallo genre is often known for its reliance on graphic violence, Bava’s … On the next days, the members of the family suspects of each other while Nevenka is haunted by the ghost of Kurt. The Whip and the Body is a gothic horror fantasy that finds Bava at the peak of his visual prowess. The Whip and the Body, DVD, Remastered, Dubbed, Subtitled, Horror-Ghosts & Supernatural, Foreign-Italian, 738329123024 To what end can these erotic hauntings lead? AVAILABLE ON BLU-RAY AND DVD. The Mario Bava collection keeps rolling out movies courtesy of Kino Classics. Late night, Nevenka is missing and everybody is seeking her while Kurt is stabbed in the neck with the same dagger that Giorgia's daughter was murdered. "[12], "What! This movie is one that hopefully in the near future will get the video treatment that it deserves. This FAQ is empty. The international cut features some significant changes, and runs for 77 minutes. La Frusta E Il Corpo/The Whip & The Body(1963) is an excellent gothic masterpiece that was ahead of its time in 1963 due to the strong imagery of erotic violence. Italian lire you must be a registered user to use the IMDb plugin. 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