Recent Viewing

Baba Yaga (1973). Directed by Corrado Farina.

I saw this some ten years ago, back when we were living in Chicago and frequenting the amazing Facets video store. (Now we live in Portland and frequent the even more amazing Movie Madness!) So when I happened by a closing Hollywood Video store the other day and saw they were selling their stock for cheap, I rummaged around the racks and found this (other finds: The Passenger, Nostalgia, Le Boucher, The Piano Teacher.) Baba Yaga is based on one of Guido Crepax's 60's-70's "Valentina" comics which feature his fashion photographer cum sexual adventurer (and Louise Brooks look-alike) Valentina; in essence, the stories are something like Barbella meets Blow-Up. In any event, this film is a horror-mystery-thriller featuring Carroll Baker as the titular Russian witch/lesbian who seeks to make Valentina one of her minions (or something--it's never exactly clear). The film is largely silly, but it's fun to look at and listen to--cool jazzy rock, sexy dream sequences, funky clothes, great 70's interior decorating. The DVD's extras are better than the film: a cool short on Crepax and Freud, and a fun interview with the director who has the audacity to dis Danger Diabolik and Barbarella--two much better films. Euro-trash horror of fine vintage. **1/2

Here's Crepax's Valentina (with clothes on, which is unusual):

~CD