Lamberto Bava was born in Rome, Italy, and was the first of a third generation of Italian filmmakers. His grandfather, Eugenio Bava (1886-1966), was a cameraman and optics effects artist during the early days of Italian silent cinema. His father, Mario Bava (1914-1980), was a legendary cinematographer, special effects designer and director. Lamberto entered the cinema as his father's personal assistant, starting with "Planet of the Vampires" (1965). Bit by bit he gained experience from his father, who made him the assistant director for most of the rest of his films. He even co-wrote the screenplay for "Shock" (1977), Mario's last theatrical film where, in poor health during the shoot, Mario often feigned illness so Lamberto could direct a few scenes, uncredited, to gain further experience. Both Lamberto and Mario directed the made-for-TV drama "I giochi del diavolo: La Venere d'Ille" (1979). Both worked on the Dario Argento horror flick "Inferno" (1980), for which Mario designed some of the color set pieces, including the underwater ballroom, and created all the visual special effects, while Lamberto worked as Argento's assistant director. Late in 1979 Lamberto made his solo directorial debut with "Macabre" (1980), a tense drama-horror flick loosely based on a 1977 incident in New Orleans about a woman who keeps her lover's severed head in her freezer. According to Lamberto, the project started by chance when producer Pupi Avati approached him to direct as well as write the screenplay, which took just six weeks to write and direct. "Macabre" was released in Italy in February 1980 to mixed reviews, but won him recognition by his father Mario. Just two months later Mario Bava died, and an era in Italian film making came to a close. "Macabre" was not a box-office hit and, as a result, Lamberto went back to assistant directing. He worked with Dario Argento again in 1982 with "Tenebrae" (1982). In 1983 Lamberto was offered the opportunity to direct another film, titled "A Blade in the Dark" (1983), which was a violent mystery thriller shot in only three weeks on a tight budget and filmed almost entirely in a producer friend's house. Next he directed the action-flick "Blastfighter" (1984), which was filmed in the state of Georgia, and immediately afterwards directed the "Jaws" (1975)-like thriller "Devil Fish" (1984), which was shot in Florida. On both films Lamberto was purely a director for hire and had nothing to do with the script or production end. He used the pseudonym of 'John Old Jr.' for this latter film, which was a tribute to his father Mario, who often used the pseudonym 'John M. Old'. He enjoyed his best commercial success to date with "Demons" (1985), produced by Dario Argento, co-written by Dardano Sacchetti and filmed in West Berlin. This film's international success allowed him to co-write, produce and direct a sequel, "Demons 2" (1986). Lamberto returned to giallo thrillers with "Delirium" (1987). In the late 1980s the Italian cinema turned moribund. Lamberto, like most of his colleagues, turned to making films for Italian television. He also directed a remake of his father's "Black Sunday" (1960), which was titled "La maschera del demonio" (1990). Nowadays Lamberto Bava continues to divide his time between TV work and a few movies, acknowledging his inspiration from his late father, Mario.
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Biography from TMDB.
- April 3, 1944 (82)
- Roma, Lazio, Italia
- Director, writer, actor and producer, also editor
- 23 on MovieCove · 67 credits in all
Known for
What are Lamberto Bava's films like?
Across their 15 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Survival and Morality.
Genres
Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 1 · Wry 2 · Earnest 11
A split, not a type: Light 5 · Serious 4 · Dark 5
A split, not a type: Grounded 5 · Stylized 4 · Heightened 5
A split, not a type: Gentle 5 · Charged 2 · Intense 7
Steady 5 · Shifting 5 · Whiplash 4
Straight-faced 9 · Some laughs 4 · Funny 1
A split, not a type: Slow burn 6 · Even-paced 4 · Relentless 4
Casual 2 · Engaged 11 · Full focus 1
A split, not a type: Easy watch 6 · Affecting 4 · Heavy 4
Resolved 9 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 3
Moods and endings
- Happy3
- Bittersweet3
- Tragic1
- Ambiguous8
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Lamberto Bava's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 17 of their 23 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (14).
- Rabid Dogs (1974) · producer · free
- Tenebrae (1982) · actor · free
- Kill, Baby... Kill! (1966) · assistant director · free
- Demons (1985) · actor, director, writer · free
- Inferno (1980) · assistant director · free
- A Bay of Blood (1971) · assistant director · free
- Lisa and the Devil (1973) · assistant director · free
- The Church (1989) · writer · free
- Shock (1977) · actor, director, writer · free
- Demons 2 (1986) · actor, director, writer · free
- A Blade in the Dark (1983) · director, producer, editor · free
- Macabre (1980) · director, writer · free
- +2 more
- Midnight Pulp, show their 6 titles on Midnight Pulp
- Screambox, show their 6 titles on Screambox
- IndiePix Unlimited, show their 4 titles on IndiePix Unlimited
- Shout! TV, show their 3 titles on Shout! TV
- Cineverse, show their 2 titles on Cineverse
- Full Moon, show their 2 titles on Full Moon
- IndieFlix, show their 2 titles on IndieFlix
- ScreenPix, show their title on ScreenPix
Subscription and free streaming for Lamberto Bava's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
67 credits, 23 with a MovieCove page; 24 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
Dream Time (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)
Dogman's Rabies(2018)
Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films
Blood on Méliès' Moon(2016)
Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all filmsScreaming for a Sequel: The Delirious Legacy of Demons 2 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)
The Captives (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)
Tailor Made Murder (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)
6 passi nel giallo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)
Visions of Murder (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)
Ghost Son (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)
Inspector Coliandro (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)
The Torturer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)
The Exorcism of Lisa (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)
L'Impero (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)
Fantaghiro: Quest for the Quorum (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)
Pirates: Blood Brothers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)
La principessa e il povero (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
The Cave of the Golden Rose 5 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)
Alisea and the Dream Prince (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)
Rabid Dogs(1974)
Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films
Desideria e l'anello del drago (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)
The Cave of the Golden Rose 4 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)
The Dragon Ring (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)
The Cave of the Golden Rose 3 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)
The Cave of the Golden Rose 2 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)
Body Puzzle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)
The Cave of the Golden Rose (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)
The Cave of the Golden Rose (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)
The Mask of Satan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)
Eyewitness (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)
School of Fear (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)
The Man Who Didn't Want to Die (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)
Sabbath (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)
The Church(1989)
Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films
The Prince of Terror (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)
Dinner with a Vampire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)
Until Death (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)
The Ogre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)
Graveyard Disturbance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)
Night Shift (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)
Delirium(1987)
Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films
Demons 2(1986)
Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films
You'll Die at Midnight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)
Demons(1985)
Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films
Devil Fish(1984)
Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films
Blastfighter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)
A Blade in the Dark(1983)
Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films
Tenebrae(1982)
Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films
The Venus of Ille (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)
The Devil's Game(1981)
Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all shows (provisional, few ratings)
Macabre(1980)
Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films
Cannibal Holocaust(1980)
Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films
Inferno(1980)
Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films
Last Feelings (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)
Shock(1977)
Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films
Waves of Lust(1975)
Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films
The House of Exorcism (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)
Lisa and the Devil(1973)
Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films
The Kiss (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)
A Bay of Blood(1971)
Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films
Roy Colt and Winchester Jack (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)
Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films
Danger: Diabolik(1968)
Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films
Kill, Baby... Kill!(1966)
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
Planet of the Vampires(1965)
Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films
Twins (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Untitled Geretta Geretta Horror (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Career shape
A full career of 66 titles, 64 of them dated from 1965 to 2023.
Film career
- 1982Screen debut· Tenebre
Billing
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.
How do Lamberto Bava's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 53rd percentile, the median of all 22; across their 14 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 47th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up3
- 50th to 74th9
- 25th to 49th9
- Below 25th2
Shape of the crowd
10 of their 23 titles are Mixed.
- Crowd Pleaser8
- Broadly Agreed5
- Mixed10
Reviewers score the atmosphere 62/100 and the pacing 38/100 in their films, across 12 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Is Lamberto Bava's work okay for kids?
Across up to 9 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.
Who does Lamberto Bava work with?
People who share at least 2 of Lamberto Bava's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Dardano Sacchetti shares the most, 6.
Directors
- Mario BavaShared titles: The Devil's Game (1981), Shock (1977), Rabid Dogs (1974)See all 3 shared titles with Mario Bava
Writers
- Dardano SacchettiShared titles: The Church (1989), Demons 2 (1986), Demons (1985), Devil Fish (1984), A Blade in the Dark (1983), Shock (1977)See all 6 shared titles with Dardano Sacchetti
- Dario ArgentoShared titles: Blood on Méliès' Moon (2016), The Church (1989), Demons 2 (1986), Demons (1985)See all 4 shared titles with Dario Argento
- Franco FerriniShared titles: The Church (1989), Demons 2 (1986), Demons (1985)See all 3 shared titles with Franco Ferrini
- Luciano MartinoShared titles: Delirium (1987), Devil Fish (1984), A Blade in the Dark (1983)See all 3 shared titles with Luciano Martino
Actors
- Daria NicolodiShared titles: Delirium (1987), The Devil's Game (1981), Shock (1977)See all 3 shared titles with Daria Nicolodi
- Michele SoaviShared titles: Inferno Rosso: Joe D'Amato on the Road of Excess (2021), The Church (1989), A Blade in the Dark (1983)See all 3 shared titles with Michele Soavi
- Asia ArgentoShared titles: The Church (1989), Demons 2 (1986)See all 2 shared titles with Asia Argento
- George EastmanShared titles: Delirium (1987), Rabid Dogs (1974)See all 2 shared titles with George Eastman
Composers, cinematographers and editors
- Gianlorenzo BattagliaShared titles: The Princess and the Pauper (1997), Delirium (1987), Demons 2 (1986), Demons (1985), A Blade in the Dark (1983), Waves of Lust (1975)See all 6 shared titles with Gianlorenzo Battaglia
- Franco FraticelliShared titles: The Church (1989), Demons 2 (1986), Demons (1985)See all 3 shared titles with Franco Fraticelli
- Mauro BonanniShared titles: The Princess and the Pauper (1997), Delirium (1987)See all 2 shared titles with Mauro Bonanni
- Simon BoswellShared titles: Delirium (1987), Demons 2 (1986)See all 2 shared titles with Simon Boswell
Producers
- Mino LoyShared titles: Devil Fish (1984), A Blade in the Dark (1983)See all 2 shared titles with Mino Loy
Mixed roles
- Ruggero DeodatoShared titles: Inferno Rosso: Joe D'Amato on the Road of Excess (2021), Waves of Lust (1975)See all 2 shared titles with Ruggero Deodato
- Sergio MartinoShared titles: All the Colors of Giallo (2019), Devil Fish (1984)See all 2 shared titles with Sergio Martino
