Yawn. Poorly Filmed Snooze Fest.

Really Surprised!

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

One of those movie experiences that is so good it makes you realize you've been grading everything else on a curve.

The erotic comics of Guido Crepax get adapted for the big screen with this generally watchable, if not inspired, piece of sexy Italian cinema. American sex symbol Carroll Baker ("Baby Doll") stars as the title character, an enigmatic stranger. She just might be a witch. She comes into the life of Valentina Rosselli (Isabelle De Funes), a photographer by trade who dabbles in various subjects but mostly deals in fashion shoots. Valentina is definitely not sure WHAT to make of this stranger, and relays her suspicions to TV director Arno Treves (Italian icon Luigi Montefiori, a.k.a. George Eastman), her would-be boyfriend.Director / writer Corrado Farina (who also makes a couple of cameos) gives this a valiant effort, even if he himself admits that his film isn't all that successful. As befitting a comic adaptation, he makes the visuals of "Baba Yaga" its strongest suit, and gives it a healthy dose of surrealism as well. Voyeurs will be pleased enough with the sex and skin on display, especially when it's provided by Ely Galleani as the provocative Annette. (*Love* that costume.)The problem is, there just isn't all that much story tension here, and the narrative certainly isn't all that compelling. If it weren't for the girl-watching, some people could even find this to be boring. Further harming the film is the fact that Valentina is not a particularly interesting character, and De Funes may be attractive, but her performance isn't all that great. Picking up some of the slack are old pro Eastman, the lovely Ms. Baker (who does seem to be enjoying herself to some degree) and Ms. Galleani.There's also some nice music by Piero Umiliani, and at least one memorable twist, but "Baba Yaga" may still not appeal to *all* fans of arty Eurotrash.Viewers may be thunderstruck by the questionable taste of a commercial shot by Arno and his crew at one point.Six out of 10.

Isabelle De Funès stars as a fashion photographer in Milan who has a bizarre incident one night with a black-clad woman who calls herself Baba Yaga (played by Carroll Baker). Soon after, Baba Yaga becomes a pervasive presence in her life, eventually gifting her a bizarre doll that is the catalyst for all sorts of mayhem.Not dissimilar to its national peers of the era, "Baba Yaga" (alternately released as "The Devil Witch" and "Kiss Me, Kill Me," depending on which cut you see) is a true Italian horror disaster. The film blends elements of supernatural horror with soap opera drama and lesbian subplots which ultimately add little to the narrative. There isn't much of a story here to speak of; the film was based on a series of comics, and director Corrado Farina does use this basis to craft some clever snapshot still photography, sometimes inserting the comic illustrations themselves. The payoff is purely aesthetic though, and again, offers little substance.I suppose "style over substance" is the grouping factor for the film, as it is actually quite well-photographed, boasting impressive shots of the city (particularly at night), as well as the key actors. The score is overplayed and hokey, and seems like it belongs in a porno more than it does a horror film. In terms of performances, Isabelle De Funès makes for a likable (if not distant) lead; Carroll Baker, whom I consider one of the most underrated actresses of her generation, is actually quite weak in this film, though it's difficult to say if it's a result of her performance itself or the echoey overdubbing that was done. All in all, "Baba Yaga" is in the ranks of the the some of Jess Franco or Mario Bava's most middling pictures ("Succubus" or "Lisa and the Devil" come to mind), epitomizing the term "Eurotrash" in just about every sense. Visually speaking, it is a beautiful film, but it is so wonkily-arranged that it's difficult for the audience to find anything to grab onto. As a visual curiosity and time capsule of the era and place, it's worth a viewing, but it's very much a mess that may or may not be enjoyed. 5/10.

Italian cinema never ceases to amaze me and this was not an exception. Baba yaga is very stylish Italian horror movie but at the same time it's not as graphic as many movies of the spaghetti cinema. I can assume that it was intended for mainstream cinemas as it is quite bland in today's terms.It's plausible as a nightmare, offering very little shocks and more mystery. I wasn't looking for a masterpiece and i was entertained. It should be noted that this movie is an old kind of horror movie without excessive gore.There definitely is symbolism in this movie that many viewers might not understand. Why'd presumably wealthy, old and lonely woman want to extort a young photographer to obey her will? I thought the witch symbolized power and money and its will to gain more control. The witch wanted to corrupt and enslave the main character. She fought for her freedom and prevailed. I thought the movie was actually very political, like on other movie by the same director, "They've changed their face". I find it intriguing that a movie has a message of this kind. Many Hollywood movies just lack that aspect completely. This movie is also quite slow and if one has to have a new scene every third second, then it might get boring.I can recommend this movie to everyone (adults mostly) and not just for retro fans. It's not a masterpiece and if you're not looking for one then you won't be disappointed. It's more like a lost gem.

I watched this with an awareness of the pseudo-art of the seventies. I'm sure the people who made this thought carefully about each shot, put together some silly plot, set up some titillation, and went from there. The movie is mess because the editing is a mess. If they thought they were making a serious film, it needed to be put together with some sort of point. The story is a bit ghost story/fantasy. A photographer makes a good protagonist because of her ability to encounter a cross section of characters. Many are superfluous, there so we could see them unclothed. This is just more of the junk that was put out in the seventies in Europe. It was a liberating time but it brought out hack artists. From reading other reader comments, apparently this particular character has a comic book connection. Having seen none of them, I can't judge this based on that form. As a movie, it isn't much. Good old Carol Baker. She never really amounted to a whole lot, did she?