I Vampiri
Italian horror godfather Mario Bava almost single-handedly ushered in a  whole new genre with this moody mix of murder mystery and kinky horror. The  prolific cinematographer made his (uncredited) directorial debut when Riccardo  Freda stormed off the set with the picture only half finished, leaving Bava to  rewrite the script and complete the picture in two days. It became the first  Italian horror film since the silent era and a classic of the genre.The vampire of the title is not a literal bloodsucker of Dracula's lineage but a  mad-scientist twist on the legend of Countess Bathory. In this modern take, the  bodies of beautiful young women drained of blood leave the police baffled, while  an ambitious journalist traces a chain of clues back to the familial castle of  the aging Duchess Du Grand and her beautiful niece (the elegant and sultry  Gianna Maria Canale). Set in Paris but shot in Rome, it's a handsome little  black-and-white picture that belies its 12-day schedule with gorgeous locations,  shadowy lighting, a stylish elegance, and a couple of startlingly effective  transformations executed with brilliant simplicity. In later films, such asBlood and Black LaceandLisa and the Devil, Bava's style would  develop into an elaborately choreographed dance of death in black shadows and  glowing color, but here he's smooth and suggestive, a model of restraint that  looks to his "official" debut, the strikingBlack Sunday.The DVD features a clean, sharp B&W; widescreen transfer, with a photo and poster  gallery (including stills from the scenes added to the "Americanized" version of  the film entitledThe Devil's Commandment) and a collection of Mario Bava  trailers among the supplements. Extensive liner notes and a director biography  are provided by Bava historian Tim Lucas.--Sean Axmaker