July 31
Mario Bava's Birthday
 

Unless you are a horror film aficionado,Mario Bavo might not a household name. Mario began his career as a painter and used his experience to launch a new career as a cinematographer since he understood the importance of visual composition in filmmaking. Mario soon developed a reputation as a special effects genius. During the filming of Lust of the Vampire (1956), Mario was asked to step in to complete the film after the original director had a feud with the producers and was fired.  Mario's first solo directing assignment was Black Sunday (1960),  which is one his best known known films and  which had a profound influence on the horror film genre. Some of his other popular films include The Whip and the Body (1963), Blood and Black Lace (1964), Kill Baby, Kill (1966), Twitch of the Death Nerve (1971), and Lisa and the Devil (1974). Mario once remarked, "In a horror film, lighting is 70% of the effectiveness. It's essential in creation the atmosphere.. However, Mario also ventured into other genre such as spaghetti westerns, action films, and softcore porno - all marked by his distinctive visual style  Mario is credited for creating the film genre of giallo, which would be perfected in the later films of Dario Argento. In Italian, giallo means crime fiction and mystery. In English, however, the term also connotes horror fiction and eroticism. The word giallo is Italian for "yellow" and stems from the origin of the genre as a series of cheap paperback novels with trademark yellow covers. Mario last film  was Shock (1966), after which he semi-retired, but continued to work with his son Lamberto, who served as his assistant on most of his films since 1965. He made a TV film with Lamberto called La Venere di Ille (1979) and provided some special effects for Dario Argento's 1980 film Inferno. So to celebrate the birthday of greatest names from the golden age of Italian horror films, we suggest renting a copy of Blood and Black Lace (1964), an elegant, cocaine-laden, psychosexual slasher film which features a fashion house full of  gorgeous models who all meet a gruesome end, and making a batch of Black Sesame Lace Cookies.

1. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a handheld mixer or a wooden spoon), cream the butter until creamy and light, about 2 minutes.
2. Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar and continue to beat on medium speed for about 1 minute, or until combined. Turn the speed down to low and add the flour and mix until well combined.
3. Slowly drizzle in the orange juice and mix for about 30 seconds.
4. Transfer the batter to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or for up to 1 week.
5. When ready to bake cookies, position a rack in the center of the oven, and heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a very flat baking sheet with parchment paper.
6. Pinch off rounded tablespoon-size balls of dough and place on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them at least 3 inches apart to allow for spreading.
7. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, or until the cookies are completely golden brown throughout. Let cool completely (they must be firm to the touch) on the baking sheet on a wire rack. Gently remove the cookies from the parchment.
8. The cookies can be stored, in layers separated with sheets of parchment paper or waxed paper, in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days