Happy belated birthday to Mario Bava, who was born on July 31 (much like me). This is a loaded episode: guest host Bill Ackerman, from Supporting Characters podcast and a number of commentaries and other blu-ray special features, shares my love of Bava and his final feature film, Shock (1977). We talk about: Shock and its relationship to Ovidio Assonitis’s Beyond the Door (1974), to which it is an unofficial sequel; Bava’s collaborations with his son, director Lamberto, in the late ’70s; the wonderful Dario Nicolodi and her performances in Shock and the television film Venus of Ille (1979), which Mario and Lamberto Bava co-directed; why Bava is the best; the evolution of gothic literary themes in Italian ’70s cinema; and a lot more!

Here’s an obligatory reminder that my upcoming book Revolution in 35mm is up for preorder through PM Press and available now as an ebook, so please spread the word. Thanks as always to Cinepunx and since this is a brand new show and it needs all the help it can get, please rate, review, follow, and share!