A Bay of Blood (Italian: Ecologia del delitto, lit. "Ecology of Crime", later retitled Reazione a catena [lit. "Chain Reaction"]) (also known as Carnage, Twitch of the Death Nerve and Blood Bath) is a 1971 Italian giallo slasher film directed by Mario Bava. Bava co-wrote the screenplay with Giuseppe Zaccariello, Filippo Ottoni, and Sergio Canevari, with story credit given to Dardano Sacchetti and Franco Barberi. The film stars Claudine Auger, Luigi Pistilli, Brigitte Skay, Nicoletta Elmi and Laura Betti. Carlo Rambaldi created the gruesome special make-up effects. The story details a string of mysterious murders that occur around the titular bay.
Plot[]
At night in her bayside mansion, wheelchair-using Countess Federica Donati is attacked and strangled to death by her husband, Filippo Donati. Moments later, Filippo himself is stabbed to death by an assailant, and his corpse is then dragged to the bay. Upon investigation, the police find what they believe to be a suicide note written by the Countess, but Filippo's murder goes undiscovered.
Real estate agent Frank Ventura and his lover Laura plot to take possession of the bay. After the Countess refused to sell her home and property to them, the couple hatched a scheme with Filippo to murder his wife. To finalize their plan, Ventura needs Filippo's signature on a set of legal documents. They have no idea, however, that Filippo himself has been killed.
Their curiosity piqued by news of the murder, four local teenagers break into the seemingly deserted mansion and are murdered. The Countess's illegitimate son Simon, who lives on the grounds in a separate shack, is the killer. After killing Filippo, he is now conspiring with Ventura, who offers Simon a huge cash pay-off to sign the relevant legal documents. Their scheme is dealt a potentially ruinous blow when Filippo's estranged daughter Renata appears, determined to ensure that her father's estate comes into her possession. A search for a will proves unsuccessful, and Ventura, who believes that Renata may be the rightful beneficiary, urges Simon to kill his stepsister.
Accompanied by her husband Albert and leaving their young son and daughter in a caravan nearby, Renata visits the house of Paolo Fossati, an entomologist living on the grounds of the Donati estate. Fossati's wife, Anna, tells them that Filippo was responsible for the Countess's death and says that Simon will probably end up with the property. Renata, unaware that she had a stepbrother, makes plans with her husband to murder Simon.
After discovering Filippo's mangled and rotting corpse on Simon's boat, Renata and Albert head to Ventura's house. Upon their arrival, Ventura attacks Renata, but Renata gains the upper hand and stabs Ventura with a large pair of scissors in his femoral artery. Paolo Fossati, who witnesses the assault, attempts to telephone the police but is confronted by Albert, who strangles him to death. Renata kills Anna with an ax to ensure there are no additional witnesses.
Ventura's partner Laura arrives, planning to meet up with him. When Simon discovers that it was the pair who had plotted with Filippo to kill his mother, he strangles Laura to death. No sooner has he exacted his revenge than Simon himself is murdered by Albert. The wounded Ventura reappears, but Albert kills him after a brief struggle.
Knowing there are now no other living heirs, Albert and Renata prepare to return home to await the announcement of their inheritance when they are shot dead from the caravan by their son, who has mistaken their shotgun for a toy. The son and daughter think that their parents are playing dead and rush off outside to play along the bay.
Cast[]
- Claudine Auger as Renata Donati
- Luigi Pistilli as Alberto (Albert in the English version)
- Claudio Volonté as Simone (Simon)
- Laura Betti as Anna Fossati
- Leopoldo Trieste as Paolo Fossati (Paul Fossati)
- Isa Miranda as Countessa Federica Donati
- Chris Avram as Franco Ventura (Frank Ventura)
- Anna Maria Rosati as Laura
- Brigitte Skay as Louise (Brunhilde)
- Paola Montenero (as Paola Rubens) as Sylvie (Denise)
- Guido Boccaccini as Luca (Duke)
- Roberto Bonanni as Roberto (Bobby)
- Giovanni Nuvoletti as Count Filippo Donati
- Renato Cestiè as Son
- Nicoletta Elmi as Daughter