Baba Yaga (1973)

Director:

Corrado Farina

Writers:

Guido Crepax (comics)
Corrado Farina (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

20 September 1973 (Italy)

Genre:

Mystery

Plot:

A photographer finds herself falling under the spell of a witch.

Plot Keywords:

Witch | Photographer | Doll | Lesbianism | Stockings

Cast

Carroll Baker	...	Baba Yaga
George Eastman	...	Arno Treves
Isabelle De Funès	...	Valentina Rosselli
Ely Galleani	...	Annette
Daniela Balzaretti
Mario M. Giorgetti
Sergio Masieri
Angela Covello	...	Toni
Cesarina Amendola
Mario Paolo Giordani
Carla Mancini
Giorgio Pellizone
Lorenzo Piani
Natalie E. Spleptzow
Rodolfo Zola
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Franco Battiato	...	(uncredited)
Michele Mirabella	...	Man in white in commercial (uncredited)

Directed by
Corrado Farina

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Guido Crepax		comics
Corrado Farina		writer
François de Lannurien		additional dialogue

Produced by
Simone Allouche	....	producer
Pino De Martino	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Piero Umiliani

Cinematography by
Aiace Parolin

Film Editing by
Giulio Berruti

Production Design by
Giulia Mafai

Costume Design by
Giulia Mafai

Makeup Department
Sergio Gennari	....	hair stylist
Orietta Melaranci	....	makeup artist (as Oretta Melaranci)

Production Management
Pino De Martino	....	production manager
Bruno Evangelisti	....	unit manager
Franco Tupini	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Giulio Berruti	....	assistant director

Art Department
Renato Moretti	....	assistant production designer

Sound Department
Mario Piovan	....	sound engineer

Camera and Electrical Department
Angelo Lannutti	....	camera operator (as Arcangelo Lannutti)
Eraldo Martella	....	key grip
Bruno Pasqualini	....	chief electrician
Claudio Tondi	....	assistant camera

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Nadia Fabriani	....	dress maker

Editorial Department
Nicola Alluscia	....	assistant editor
Paolo Giaccio	....	assistant editor

Other crew
Lucia Luconi	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• 14 Luglio Cinematografica
• Allouche

Distributors

• Blue Underground (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Brentwood Home Video (????) (USA) (DVD)
• DMEG (2004) (Sweden) (VHS)
• Diamond Entertainment Group (DEG) (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Paragon Video Productions (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Reel Media International (2004) (USA) (VHS)
• Reel Media International (2005) (USA) (TV)
• Reel Media International (2007) (USA) (all media)
• Shameless Screen Entertainment (2009) (UK) (DVD)
• St. Clair Vision (2004) (Canada) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Baby Yaga, Devil Witch (USA)
Black Magic
Kiss Me Kill Me (USA) (video title)
The Devil Witch

Runtime:

91 min | UK:81 min

Country:

Italy | France

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Germany:12 (2007) | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Milan, Lombardia, Italy

Company:

14 Luglio Cinematografica

Trivia:

Anne Heywood was originally cast as Baba Yaga but withdrew before filming and was successfully fined by the studio.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Quest for Glory I: So You Want to Be a Hero (1989) (VG)

Not the best, but perhaps the most interesting "fumetti" adaptation

Until relatively recently comic books in the US were mostly aimed at kids (and thanks to a self-censorship body called the Comics Code Authority--which made sure little Johnny didn't get hold of a copy of "The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers" or "Cherry Poptart" and be scarred for life--adult comics were often unavailable even for adults). But things were different in Europe, especially in France and Italy in the 60's and 70's where "fumetti" were very popular with adults, exploring adult themes and experimenting with narrative structure in ways that the American "graphic novels" are only just getting around to today. Fumetti were also pretty hip in Europe at the time (again in contrast to America where the coolest guy who publicly admits to reading comics even today is "Clerks" director Kevin Smith).

There have been a handful of movies based on fumetti. The most famous is "Barbarella" because it featured Jane Fonda, but this has also made it an easy target for people like idiot critic/right-wing ben-wah ball Michael Medved. "Diabolik" has become highly respected today because of director Mario Bava and the two incredibly attractive leads, but it was reputedly not a well-regarded fumetti. I've heard "Satanik" is pretty bad period. Some years later there was also "Cemetery Man" based on a novel by the author of the famous fumetti "Dylan Dog". It was this movie though that has just confused the hell out of everybody since it's based on a comic strip "Valentina" few outside of Italy have read and few in Italy probably understood. Valentina is a photographer who through the agency of a magic camera falls under the spell of a strange lesbian witch, Baba Yaga. That's the basic plot, but it goes off on so many bizarre and surreal tangents that the movie itself is almost impossible to describe. At one point, for instance, Baba Yaga gives Valentina a doll which suddenly turns into a real-life dominatrix who strips her naked, ties her up, and whips her while the witch looks on approvingly. In another scene, Valentina's suddenly part of a firing squad shooting a naked woman on a Jean Rollinesque deserted beach.

Carol Baker is the witch and although she is woefully miscast (too young and voluptuous)she acquits herself well (and even did a full-frontal nude scene which was censored out). The actress that plays Valentina, Isabella de Funes couldn't act her way out of an 8mm porno loop with a German shepherd co-star, but she really doesn't have to in this very visual, non-linear movie. Ditto with Ely Galeani, who apparently auditioned for Valentina role but was (hard as it is too imagine) even worse than de Funes,so she took the living doll role. It's also interesting to see George "The Grim Reaper" Eastman in a romantic role as Valentina's lover (maybe they got him confused with George Hilton?) Rounding out the cast is Angela Covello ("So Sweet/So Dead", "Torso") one my favorite obscure Italian actresses. This movie definitely isn't for everybody, but if you're on this site reading this review (and you've heard of any of these people) I expect you'll probably like it.