The cult director Mario Bava toiled and dabbled in different genres before settling on the horror arena. He always elevated every movie he made with his sardonic sense of humor and warped sense of time and place. From the outrageous getup Diabolik wears to the wink-of-an-eye final shot, this movie exudes cool and hipness in stark contrast to a "hippy" generation concerned more with foolish radical politics. Realism is the enemy in a Bava film. He delights in turning everyday life upside down, creating a child-like kaleidescope of colors and textures. He uses his camera training to shoot at funky angles and in deep focus fields. Diabolik has a fetish for head-to-toe bodysuits. Strange? Not at all. Diabolik, after all, is a criminal. But we root for him over the decent civil servant, Inspector Ginco, who is hot on his trail to the very end. Ennio Morricone's score is glorious and wacky. I've heard the original studio tapes are lost forever. Sounds like a job for Diabolik.
Review of Danger: Diabolik
