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.

Filmography

• 2023Dream Time — Sé stesso
• 2018Dogman's Rabies: Underdog — Thanks
• 2016Blood on Méliès' Moon — Lamberto Bava
• 2014Screaming for a Sequel: The Delirious Legacy of Demons 2
• 6 passi nel giallo — Director
• 2012Tailor Made Murder — Director
• 2012The Captives — Director
• 2012Visions of Murder — Director
• 2007Ghost Son — Director, Story, Screenplay
• Inspector Coliandro — Questore
• 2005The Torturer — Director, Screenplay
• 2004The Exorcism of Lisa
• L'Impero — Director, Creator
• 2000Fantaghiro: Quest for the Quorum — Writer
• Pirates: Blood Brothers — Director
• L'elefante bianco — Producer
• La principessa e il povero — Director
• 1997The Princess and the Pauper — Director, Producer
• Alisea and the Dream Prince — Director
• 1996The Cave of the Golden Rose 5 — Director
• Desideria e l'anello del drago — Director, Creator
• 1995Rabid Dogs — Producer, Assistant Director
• 1994The Cave of the Golden Rose 4 — Director
• 1994The Dragon Ring — Director, Producer
• 1993The Cave of the Golden Rose 3 — Director
• 1992Body Puzzle — Director, Screenplay
• 1992The Cave of the Golden Rose 2 — Director
• 1991The Cave of the Golden Rose — Director
• The Cave of the Golden Rose — Director, Creator
• 1990Eyewitness — Director, Producer
• 1990The Mask of Satan — Director, Story, Producer
• Sabbath — Director, Script
• 1989School of Fear — Director, Producer
• 1989The Man Who Didn't Want to Die — Director, Producer
• 1989The Prince of Terror — Director, Producer
• 1988Dinner with a Vampire — Director, Screenplay
• 1988Graveyard Disturbance — Shop Keeper, Director, Writer
• 1988The Ogre — Man in bar (uncredited), Director, Writer
• 1988Until Death — Director, Screenplay
• 1987Delirium: Photo of Gioia — Director
• Night Shift — Director
• 1986Demons 2 — Sally's Father, Director, Writer
• 1986You'll Die at Midnight — Police Photographer (uncredited), Director, Screenplay, Producer, Editor
• 1985Demons — 1st Man Exiting Subway (uncredited), Director, Screenplay
• 1984Blastfighter — Director
• 1984Monster Shark — Director, Additional Writing
• 1983A Blade in the Dark — Director, Producer, Editor
• 1982Tenebre — Elevator Repairman #1 (uncredited), First Assistant Director
• The Devil's Game — Director, Screenplay
• 1981The Venus of Ille — Director, Writer
• 1980Cannibal Holocaust — Assistant Director
• 1980Inferno — Assistant Director
• 1980Macabre — Director, Writer
• 1978Last Feelings — First Assistant Director
• 1977Shock — Director, Screenplay
• 1975The House of Exorcism — Assistant Director
• 1975Waves of Lust — Screenstory
• 1974Lisa and the Devil — Assistant Director
• 1974The Kiss — First Assistant Director
• 1971A Bay of Blood — Assistant Director
• 1970Hatchet for the Honeymoon — Assistant Director, Second Unit Director
• 1970Roy Colt and Winchester Jack — First Assistant Director
• 1968Danger: Diabolik — Assistant Director
• 1966Kill, Baby... Kill! — Assistant Director
• 1965Planet of the Vampires — Second Assistant Director
• Twins — Director
• Untitled Geretta Geretta Horror — Producer

Appearances as themselves (24)

• 2025The Dark Fantastic — Self
• 2024Dario Argento: Panico — Self
• 2024Nightmare Delirium — self
• 2024Titanus 1904 — Self
• 2021Inferno Rosso: Joe D'Amato on the Road of Excess — Self
• 2019All the Colors of Giallo — Self - Director / son of Mario Bava
• 2019Erinnerungen an Lucio Fulci — Self
• 2018Bava Puzzle — Himself
• 2017Il mistero della cattedrale — self
• 2017In der Folterkammer des Barons — self
• 2013Con la Bava alla bocca — self
• 2013I Tarantiniani — Self
• 2012Of Fire And Darkness — himself
• 2008Paura: Lucio Fulci Remembered - Volume 1 — Self
• 2007End of the Road: Making 'Rabid Dogs' & 'Kidnapped' — self
• 2007Hanging Shadows — Self
• 2004Il castello dell'orrore — self
• 2004Mario Bava: Operazione paura — Self
• 2004Scerbanenco Noir — Self
• 2004The Art of Crime — Himself
• 2004The Three Faces of Terror — Himself
• 2003Italian Kings Of B — Self
• 2000Mario Bava: Maestro of the Macabre — Self
• Masters of Mayhem — Self