Anchor Bay: Mario Bava Box Sets

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Alain3000 · #1 Post by **Alain3000** » Sat Jan 27, 2007 3:24 pm

on preorder from amazon. Bava boxset Vol 1, Kidnapped, Phantasm 1, 3.

Lino · #2 Post by **Lino** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 11:06 am

Alain3000 wrote:on preorder from amazon. Bava boxset Vol 1

And 5 discs, no less. I wonder which films will be in it.

thethirdman · #3 Post by **thethirdman** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 2:16 pm

The only other mention of the set I have seen is a listing on DVDAficionado:

Mario Bava Collection, The - Volume 1

-Black Sunday ( Maschera del demonio, La ) ( Mask of Satan, The ) (1960)

-Black Sabbath ( Tre volti della paura, I ) (1963)

-Girl Who Knew Too Much, The ( Ragazza che sapeva troppo, La ) (1963)

-Knives of the Avenger ( Coltelli del vendicatore, I ) (1965)

-Four Times That Night ( Quante volte... quella notte ) (1972)

Release date: Apr-03-2007

Ashirg · #4 Post by **Ashirg** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 2:19 pm

Titles in the box set are subject to change since they were not announced yet.

Lino · #5 Post by **Lino** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 3:26 pm

thethirdman wrote:The only other mention of the set I have seen is a listing on DVDAficionado:

Mario Bava Collection, The - Volume 1

-Black Sunday ( Maschera del demonio, La ) ( Mask of Satan, The ) (1960)

-Black Sabbath ( Tre volti della paura, I ) (1963)

-Girl Who Knew Too Much, The ( Ragazza che sapeva troppo, La ) (1963)

-Knives of the Avenger ( Coltelli del vendicatore, I ) (1965)

-Four Times That Night ( Quante volte... quella notte ) (1972)

Release date: Apr-03-2007

Tim Lucas over at the Mobius Forum seems to be implying that this proposed dvdaficionado line-up is not correct. Apparently, he did some audio-commentaries for these releases, so he should know.

To further the confusion, Amazon is also listing Kidnapped, aka Rabid Dogs for the same day.

#6 Post by **Matt** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 12:06 pm

Does anyone know if there is any incentive to upgrade to these Anchor Bay editions if one already owns the Image discs?

Actually, you know what? If they're in a box in slim cases, that might just be reason enough. The price is certainly right.

mogwai · #7 Post by **mogwai** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 4:18 am

Over on the Mobius forum, Tim Lucas has confirmed the titles in the box will include:

Black Sunday
Black Sabbath
The Girl Who Knew Too Much
Knives of the the Avenger
Kill Baby Kill

He also states that he has recorded new commentaries for The Girl Who Knew Too Much, Black Sabbath, and Rabid Dogs.

Apparently, Dark Sky Films' approached Lucas to record a commentary for their release of Kill Baby Kill before Anchor Bay had committed to releasing their own version. So, now we're getting two different releases.

No word on how the transfers may differ, but Lucas has some screen captures from the Dark Sky release over on his blog.

djali999 · #8 Post by **djali999** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 6:30 am

Oh well, looks like I'll probably end up with five copies of Kill, Baby... Kill! now.

Lino · #9 Post by **Lino** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 11:42 am

Matt wrote:Does anyone know if there is any incentive to upgrade to these Anchor Bay editions if one already owns the Image discs?

Actually, you know what? If they're in a box in slim cases, that might just be reason enough. The price is certainly right.

I believe the transfers will be from restored copies and I think I've read that featurettes will be included alongside the Lucas audio-commentaries. No-brainer, if you ask me, this upcoming Bava set.

mogwai wrote:Apparently, Dark Sky Films' approached Lucas to record a commentary for their release of Kill Baby Kill before Anchor Bay had committed to releasing their own version. So, now we're getting two different releases.

Does that mean that the upcoming Anchor Bay Kill Baby Kill will not have the Lucas audio-commentary?

colinr0380 · #10 Post by **colinr0380** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 1:07 pm

Lino wrote:Does that mean that the upcoming Anchor Bay Kill Baby Kill will not have the Lucas audio-commentary?

Actually, on his blog, Lucas says it was recorded in 2000 for an Image DVD that never was released. It does seem strange that we could be getting two companies releasing the same film so close together (the last time I remember it happening was with Fulci's Zombi 2)

EDIT: Mention on the Mobius forum that there will be two different releases of Kill, Baby, Kill:

Tim Lucas wrote: Yes, there will be two different KBK releases. I was invited to contribute a commentary to the Dark Sky release before Anchor Bay could give me any kind of confirmation about whether they would be releasing their own disc of the title, so I accepted the offer -- with the understanding of my friends at ABE. It would have been nice, I agree, to have everything with one label, but this time it wasn't possible -- and besides, I admire the work both labels have done.

My involvement with the Dark Sky disc shouldn't be taken as a sign that I prefered one transfer over another; I have no idea how the two transfers will compare even at this time. I can tell you, however, that the Dark Sky disc looks as good as any I've seen (see my blog today for grabs) and their featurette of Lamberto Bava revisiting the KBK locations is fabulous -- one of the best Bava extras yet. I know nothing about extras on the ABE disc, if any

So it looks like we'll need to get the box and then another copy of one of the films for all the extras!

And a separate Kidnapped/Rabid Dogs disc...and a second volume (which is the one I have to get to see where Friday the 13th got all its ideas from!)

EDIT: I should have said 'two different releases of Kill, Baby, Kill, rather than two different versions.

Lino · #11 Post by **Lino** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 5:27 pm

I wonder if the upcoming DVD of Kidnapped/Rabid Dogs will be included in Volume 2...

Lino · #12 Post by **Lino** » Sun Feb 04, 2007 7:45 am

Tim Lucas has posted the complete specs over at this blog:

Here's what to expect from VOLUME 1:

BLACK SABBATH / THE THREE FACES OF FEAR
1.77:1/16:9 (both)
English and Italian versions with English subtitles
Featurette: Mark Damon interview
Tim Lucas audio commentary
International & US trailers
TV Spots
Poster and Stills gallery
Mario Bava & Boris Karloff bios
Bava trailers

BLACK SUNDAY
(This is actually the "Mask of Satan" version)
1.66:1/16:9
English mono with subtitles
Tim Lucas audio commentary
International and US trailers
TV spots
Radio spots
Mario Bava & Barbara Steele bios
Bava trailers

THE GIRL WHO KNEW TOO MUCH / EVIL EYE
English and Italian versions with English subtitles
1.33:1 (English), 1.66:1/16:9 (Italian)
Featurette: "Remembering the Girl with John Saxon"
Tim Lucas audio commentary
International and US trailers
Poster and Still gallery
Bava trailers

KILL, BABY... KILL!
1.85:1 / 16:9
English and Italian audio with English subtitles
International trailer
TV Spots 1 - 3
Mario Bava bio
Bava trailers

KNIVES OF THE AVENGER
2.35:1 / 16:9
English and Italian audio with English subtitles
International trailer
Mario Bava bio
Bava trailers

The best and most surprising news, of course, is that ABE is adding the English language versions of BLACK SABBATH and EVIL EYE to the same discs with their Italian language counterparts THE THREE FACES OF FEAR and THE GIRL WHO KNEW TOO MUCH. (I actually conclude my GIRL WHO KNEW TOO MUCH commentary hoping that the English version will somehow become available someday -- so much for how "in the loop" I am!) Also good to know is that BLACK SABBATH will share the same anamorphic ratio as its Italian counterpart, making this the first time that the version featuring Boris Karloff's audio performance will be released on DVD, or in widescreen. These titles were last released on DVD by Image Entertainment back in 2000, so these new remasters should also reflect the improvements made in digital restoration over the past seven years.

The BLACK SUNDAY commentary is the same one I recorded for the out-of-print Image Entertainment release, so I assume the source material will be the same. The contents listing for the BLACK SUNDAY disc make no reference to the sidebar I wrote for the Image release about a scene exclusive to the Italian language version between Prince Vajda and Princess Katia, so perhaps it hasn't been carried over. I was expecting RABID DOGS to be part of this set, because I also recorded an audio commentary for it, so it must be coming out separately or in the second Bava box.

I'm told that I should be able to offer you a preview of the box set's cover art sometime in the coming week.

I guess I'm keeping my italian 2xDVD set for Black Sunday because it features both the english and the italian tracks (here's a review of that DVD) but apart from that, fantastic set.

Harvey Domino · #13 Post by **Harvey Domino** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 5:48 am

Wait -- so Anchor Bay and Dark Sky are both releasing Kill, Baby... Kill!?

Le Samouraï · #14 Post by **Le Samouraï** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 8:40 am

Yes. But only the Dark Sky will feature the commentary track by Tim Lucas.

dadaistnun · #15 Post by **dadaistnun** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 1:39 pm

Savant reviews the Dark Sky Kill, Baby...Kill!

Lino · #16 Post by **Lino** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 2:06 pm

Hmm, so the Dark Sky only has the english track while the upcoming AB will have both the english and the italian tracks. Decisions, decisions...

I guess Dark Sky's biggest selling point is the Lucas commentary and the featurette. Shame that both companies didn't come to a sort of compromise. I feel torn. Let's see if the AB fares better image-wise.

#17 Post by **Matt** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 3:38 pm

I'm already sold on the AB set. If Dark Sky's disc has a better transfer, I may pick it up as well, but I'll have to wait for a more serious critique of the image than "this DVD still looks darn good." Otherwise, I've got no time in my life anymore for commentaries and featurettes.

Lino · #18 Post by **Lino** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 5:23 pm

I agree and I stand by my initial decision of springing for the AB set, regardless of Dark Sky's edition of KBK being the better one or not. But Lucas has said that KBK is his favorite Bava movie and I guess I'll always be curious to hear him do that particular audio-commentary if I don't buy the Dark Sky DVD. Oh, well -- you can't have it all. And I just gotta stop double-dipping!

#19 Post by **Matt** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 5:35 pm

Lino wrote:And I just gotta stop double-dipping!

No kidding, man. For some of these films, it's my 4th go-round.

colinr0380 · #20 Post by **colinr0380** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 9:06 am

I haven't got any of the previous Bava DVDs, apart from the Paramount Danger: Diabolik disc, so I am really looking forward to these. The only other Bava films I have seen are Mask of Satan and Four Times That Night from television showings.

The latest post by Tim Lucas on his blog says that Rabid Dogs/Kidnapped disc will be released separately at the same time as the first boxset, and will have another commentary from him and a featurette.

...also he says that the Bava Collection will also now include two versions of Mask of Satan:

BLACK SUNDAY / THE MASK OF SATAN
Original Italian export English dub scored by Roberto Nicolosi
American International English dub scored by Les Baxter

Lino · #21 Post by **Lino** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 2:40 pm

That's great news regarding the two versions of Black Sunday being included as I felt that they were not giving that particular title enough attention when the first specs initially appeared. After all, it's his seminal movie! But I still find it strange that they will not include the italian track. Well, one more reason for me to not sell my italian DVD.

But I'm still scratching my head about the same day release of Kidnapped/Rabid Dogs. I wonder if this one will end up left out of a future Volume?

edit: I'm having a break here and decided to list all the still to be re-released by (supposedly) Anchor Bay Bava DVDs:

I Vampiri
The Whip And The Body
Blood And Black Lace
5 Dolls For An August Moon
Hatchet For The Honeymoon
Roy Colt And Winchester Jack
Twitch Of The Death Nerve
Baron Blood
Four Times That Night
Lisa And The Devil/House of Exorcism

These were all previously released by Image Entertainment and VCI respectively so all are pretty much expected to come out in future Anchor Bay Bava Volumes. As for the rest, well -- Shock is being released by Blue Underground and was a previous AB title but I wonder if AB will snap it back in the future. Then we have Hercules in the Haunted World which is an old Fantoma release but still in print as I write this. Again, I wonder if a similar deal like the Kill Baby Kill case could be arranged in order for this particular title to be included in future Volumes. I know I seem to be asking too much but I just don't want to spend money twice or too much, anyway! Lastly, we have Erik The Conqueror, still to be released anywhere on DVD but rumours say that this too will be an AB release.

So, if my math is correct, at least two more Bava Volumes are expected which is great news, of course.

Ledos · #22 Post by **Ledos** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 3:54 pm

Gli invasori (Erik the Conqueror) is available in two DVD versions: On Italian DVD with Italian audio, and German DVD with Italian, German and English audio.

Lino · #23 Post by **Lino** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 4:56 pm

Oh, I didn't know that. Thanks for pointing that out. Any reviews up for those DVDs?

dadaistnun · #24 Post by **dadaistnun** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 5:14 pm

Review by guess who.

Telstar · #25 Post by **Telstar** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 9:41 pm

Count me in for the Bava set. So is there any reason at all to hang on to my original Image DVDs of Black Sunday, Black Sabbath and Girl Who Knew Too Much?