BAVA, LAMBERTO

(1944-)

Director, screenwriter, producer. Son of cinematographer and directorMario Bava, Lamberto Bava followed in his father's footsteps to become a prolific director and producer in thehorror filmgenre. After assisting his father on a host of films and working as assistant director on Mario Lanfranchi'sIl bacio(The Kiss, 1974) andRuggero Deodato'sUltimo mondo cannibale(Last Cannibal World, 1977) andCannibal Holocaust(1980), he directed his first feature,Macabro(1980), cowritten withPupi Avati. He subsequently made over 20 horror thrillers andgialli, coming to be best known among aficionados of the genre forLa casa con la scala nel buio(A Blade in the Dark, 1983),Le foto di Gioia(Gioia's Photograph, 1987),Demoni(Demons, 1985), and its equally frightening sequel,Demoni 2:L'incubo ritorna(Demons 2:The Nightmare Is Back, 1986). In the 1990s he became better known to mainstream audiences for his rather more traditional fairy-taleFantaghirdseries, made for television (1991-1996).