Director: Lamberto Bava
Writer: Antonio Avati, Pupi Avati
Year: 1980

It’s a pretty rare occurrence when a horror movie shocks me. Macabre managed to do so. Not by being scary, but by being absolutely ridiculous. It starts off at a breakneck pace with a woman’s son dying and her adulterous partner getting decapitated in a car crash. Things slow down a bit after that, before ramping up for a finale that just makes you go “WHAT?!?” as it unfolds.

Despite the hilarious nature of the film, there are a lot of lulls in between the fun. It almost feels like Lamberto Bava wanted to create a serious mystery. However, from moments like the closing shot, it’s clear that this entire film was made with a sense of humor at the forefront.

I would have liked to see more character development for anyone (except the daughter who is perfect as is). It would have also been enjoyable if the entire movie goofed around rather than masqueraded as serious fare for a while. As is, it often bored me outside of the engaging intro and finale.

Macabre is still worth watching simply for the campy moments. However, when it comes to Bava films, I’m admittedly much more into his Demons series than this one. Those movies maintain an entertaining (if vapid) storyline, awesome practical effects, and still feature a fun, silly flair.