BARON BLOOD (1974; d. Mario Bava, w. MB, Vincent Fotre + Wm A Baird)

Begins as subsequent Bava Lisa + the Devil ended, w/ plane delivering passenger to unreal world, latter film closing circle (both sharing subtext as well as star Elke Sommer) + cementing own circular, futile impression; here, it’s heir Peter von Kliest, investigating violence in Austrian family history: sadistic Vlad Tepes-type Baron Otto vK, who was murdered Mussolini-style (Italy’s German-related fascistory; cf L+D’s complementary German in Italy).

Meets up w/ castle renovator Eva (restorative feminine spirit) + w/ her recites incantation in burned-out room in which Baron died (sublimated sexuality in ruined womb yielding dead old deviate insteada innocent child), bell ringing 2 o’clock (time he snuffed it) – at midnight – taking film out of conventional time + into vertical (dream-consciousness), past, archetypal action to be replayed Otto’s murderous presence in Peter’s genetics (his people’s Nazi history), called forth in order to be eradicated (alternate incantation, returning him to grave); ritual repeated next night (film reiterating even itself: similar ritual in order to purge self), unholy teaming of man + wmn, as WWII G+I, creating deadly offspring when couple lose counter-incantation "protection" (prophylactic) + O emerges to prey on townspeople (upperclass exploitation of lower, to counter castle-reno-as-tourist-spot [middle-class expl’n of upper], O taking back control of schloss in order to, in turn, torture + kill middle class: eliminating center so xtremes may unite [true sexual union]), ultimate revivification c/o Elizabeth Holly, witch he burned (patriarchy’s destruction o/t Goddess cults) so he/it might suffer deth again (+ again).

Peter+Eva, tho feeling bad about unleashing monster (cf ’71 Italian Lady Frankenstein), don’t do much to stop him, going about business during day (collusion of people w/ fascist objectives), while Otto transforms into wheelchair-bound Joe Cotten (star of LF: archetypal material reconfigured into contemporary, familiar terms, in dream), who buys schloss for sightseers; American, infiltration of crass commercialism (the Yankee form of fascism) into Euro culture (castle’s Coke machine prominent in several shots) – concentration camps as tourist draw, citizens too busy facilitating (incantations) to stop horror; victims credulous + compassionate doctor (healing-agent Soul), reno supervisor (Mind) + caretaker Fritz (gross, earthbound Body; partial retribution for "torturing"/scaring Eva earlier on), all ameliorating- or maintaining-figures: self-destructive will, O finally killed by own victims thru’out history the avenging conscience; spared are new 3some E (fem Soul), professor-uncle (Mind) + P (young, game Body "housing" drama, elimination of other 3 à la renovations, cleansing tainted Self), stalked but unharmed are E + suspicious P-cousin Gretchen (seen observing in several scenes: next generation of fem witnesses to masc oppression [cf book her prof-father carries at one point, DAS KULTUR VON GREICHEN – The Culture o/t Greeks: archetypal origins o/t fiction]), later saved by center-of-narrative-labyrinth (core Self) EH-reincarnate modern-witch spirit of wmnhood (commandingly played by ), looking out for Her own.