Anchor Bay: Mario Bava Box Sets

[Lino]

Only if you fell too precious about selling inferior DVDs of superior films in order to get some money to buy bettered-in-every-possible-way editions of, well, superior films.

[Matt]

bettered-in-every-possible-way editions

Maybe I'm growing overly cautious in my old age, but shouldn't we wait until they've been released to start making such claims?

[Lino]

Yes, of course but these are pretty much guaranteed, coming from Anchor Bay and being so long in the making. It's a company I learned to trust over the years. They're the Criterion of Horror, aren't they?

But yeah, let's wait for reviews.

[Fletch F. Fletch]

Yes, of course but these are pretty much guaranteed, coming from Anchor Bay and being so long in the making. It's a company I learned to trust over the years. They're the Criterion of Horror, aren't they?

Well, yes and no. The way they flog the Evil Dead series with repeated dippings on DVD is a tad troubling to say the least. And now it appears they're doing that with Halloween series.

I really wish they had continued to make those collectible tins. I loved the ones they did do. That was a pretty cool marketing gimmick.

[mogwai]

Box art, courtesy of Fangoria:

[denti alligator]

So which versions of these films does one watch (or watch first)?

[ByMarkClark.com]

I'd suggest watching the Italian versions first, if not exclusively.

[Lino]

About that cover art: can anyone say UGH-LY!? I'm glad only the spine will be displayed on my shelf.

Besides, they're advertising the italian AND the english dubbed versions of Black Sunday and we all know by now that the former won't be included. I really hope this isn't final art.

[Cobalt60]

Yes, of course but these are pretty much guaranteed, coming from Anchor Bay and being so long in the making. It's a company I learned to trust over the years. They're the Criterion of Horror, aren't they?

But yeah, let's wait for reviews.

I'd say that is going to far, but I see where your coming from. On the one hand, they have given us great versions of a lot of excellent contemporary genre films (their Dawn of the Dead 4-disc was orgasmic) but they're behavior with the Evil Dead series was ridiculous to the point of insulting the intelligence of Evil Dead fans. That said, any Evil Dead fan that bought each re-release of the films is a dumb ass and deserves to get screwed out of their money. Also, the same is starting to hold true for Halloween. I have been following Anchor Bay since before DVD and they have always been notorious for the multiple editions crap and really damages the prestige of a company. If we extend the comparison to Criterion we can probably agree that if Criterion behaved the way Anchor Bay does they would lose a lot of cred. And their "limited" editions are a joke. I mentioned earlier how I thought it was funny to limit the Re-Animator to far more copied then they will actually sell and Matt pointed out their penchant for re-pressing a so called limited disc. So we can be sure that a great number of these will be crowding shelves for some time. The only reason to make a "limited" edition then (if you have no intention of actually limiting it) is to inflate demand, and the quality of the film/disc itself should do that. Take El Topo?Holy Mountain/Fano & Lis for instance (which is a dream come true for me so I feel kind of shitty craping in Anchor Bay. I still love AB, you just make it hard sometimes): the release those films does not need a "limited edition" gimmick, the hype has been building since the day we all bought DVD players. All the advertising/hype building you have to do is say "El Topo - buy it" Its the DVD that makes its own gravy.

[colinr0380]

Some bad news from Tim Lucas:

I've just been notified by Ed Peters, the publicist for Anchor Bay Entertainment's MARIO BAVA COLLECTION VOLUME 1, that "the specs [for the set] have changed."

There's no nice way to break the news, so I'll just come out with it: I am now told that the English versions of BLACK SUNDAY, BLACK SABBATH and EVIL EYE will not be included in the set, after all. I'm not privy to the behind-the-scenes story, so don't ask; I've just been asked to make the announcement. I'm as surprised and disappointed as you must be. All I can say is that I hope my audio commentaries for the three films (and the attendant release of RABID DOGS/KIDNAPPED) will be added incentive enough for Bava fans to support the release of the new ABE transfers.

Lino, how does this affect the set overall? Would you consider it still worth getting for a novice like myself? At the moment I'm thinking I might just get the separate Kill, Baby Kill and Rabid Dogs discs and wait and see about the Bava set.

[Matt]

Well, I have to say that's an incredible disappointment. But I'm locked into buying this now since I just sold my Image discs of Black Sunday, Black Sabbath, and The Girl Who Knew Too Much on eBay. Fortunately, I made enough to buy this new set and then some. I'm very fond of comparing different cuts of films and was really looking forward to having the US cuts/dubs of these three. I just hope the transfers are better than those on the discs I just sold otherwise I'm gonna be ever so pissed.

Would you consider it still worth getting for a novice like myself?

Though your question wasn't directed to me, I would still recommend this to any novice interested in Bava. Black Sunday and Black Sabbath are two of Bava's best films and films that any serious fan of cinema should be familiar with. The Girl Who Knew too Much is a landmark giallo (widely considered the first of the genre) and quite a good little suspense thriller. Knives of the Avenger is perhaps the dud of the set, but it's still interesting to see Bava's work in other genres. Kill, Baby... Kill!, is (and I never say this about any film) a masterpiece, and perhaps you can rent the Dark Sky edition someday to hear the commentary. I'm sorry to say that I am not a fan of Rabid Dogs. All the things I like about Bava films--the otherworldly lighting, the sets around which the camera swoops and spins, the great music--are all absent in this film. To me, it's a curiosity, nothing more.

[Lino]

Some bad news from Tim Lucas

Lino, how does this affect the set overall? Would you consider it still worth getting for a novice like myself? At the moment I'm thinking I might just get the separate Kill, Baby Kill and Rabid Dogs discs and wait and see about the Bava set.

Don't talk to me right now. My day is ruined. Why on earth did they decide to play such a sick joke on us fans is beyond me.

Still buying it, though. But I should be doing a massive online boycotting of this release right now. Look at me, I can't even use exclamation marks anymore.

[ByMarkClark.com]

I was shocked (but elated) when Tim reported the American release versions of these films would be included -- I assumed from the get-go that they would not be. So this news brings me back down to earth. The major loss here is the U.S. version of BLACK SABBATH.

Still, this set remains well worth purchasing if you don't already have the OOP Image versions. I have all those, so I'll be waiting on transfer comparisons before deciding whether or not to upgrade.

Also -- I beg to differ on RABID DOGS, which I consider a minor masterpiece. While it's true that it's a different animal, visually speaking, from Bava's earlier works, it's very much connected to them in terms of theme. In fact, it (rivalled only by BAY OF BLOOD) is probably his most scathing -- or perhaps I should say biting? -- indictment of greed, a concern which runs through most of the Bava ouevre. It's a tense, claustraphobic thriller with a few wickedly humorous touches. Although it's not a particulary representative film in terms of style, and therefore not a great introduction to Bava's work, I would encourage anyone already interested in Bava to at least Netflix it, if you haven't already seen it.

[Lino]

Is Anchor Bay deliberately trying to put off people from buying the Bava set or what? From the Tim Lucas blog:

The Saga Continues
Late today I was sent an official press release on the Anchor Bay MARIO BAVA COLLECTION, VOLUME 1 that basically reiterated where I've told you everything stands. Then, almost immediately, I got another e-mail from the publicist saying, "Please hold off on posting the press release. Apparently, there's a new wrinkle."

What could it be?

Stay tuned.

[Matt]

The new wrinkle is that the box will not contain any DVDs at all.

[Michael]

Kill, Baby... Kill!, is (and I never say this about any film) a masterpiece

I agree but I'm torn between this and Lisa and the Devil. Lino, I understand you aren't too enthusiastic about Lisa. What do you think of Kill, Baby...Kill!? I think it totally rocks. Of all the Bava films I've seen, Kill is the most visually overwhelming. It's really hard to describe it without making it sound cheesy. There are some really scary moments.. especially that girl looking through the glass. It fucked me up big time! Lisa, on the other hand, is more emotionally resonating. You got to love the lollipop-suckin Kojak and Elke Sommer sharing the same film directed by Bava!

[Lino]

Well, first of all: I still haven't seen KBK. There, I've said it. Embarassing, I know but what can you do? I don't have access to libraries full of movies like you guys do over in America. Moving on.

My appreciation of Lisa has considerably grown since I first watched it last year. I explain: the italian DVD I bought came with the House of Exorcism version with it and so I decided last month to give it a try, just for kicks. Needless to say, I will never watch that abomination ever again. It makes Lisa look like the best movie ever made. It's like seeing The Magnificent Ambersons of the horror genre. Thankfully, we have access to the original director's cut unlike the Welles tragedy.

So yeah, I like it a lot more now. It's a movie that takes me on a dream and makes me live that oniric nightmare in a very subconscious way. Very little movies achieve this.

[Lino]

The new wrinkle is that the box will not contain any DVDs at all.

Either that or the Lucas commentaries are out the window.

[Michael]

House of Exorcism. A faint memory of it. Is that the one with Elke puking a la The Exorcist? I saw it when I was little but it was not till a few years ago that I saw Lisa when it came out on DVD.

Be warned. Some Lisa spoilers.

The DVD was horrible but the film opened with Elke running lost in the spooky alleys of a Spanish village.. I was hooked. Then Kojak and Alida Valli stepped in. I was like "that can't get any better!". The film's emotional resonance - the boundless longing for lost love - grew on me and still does. Millions millions times more than Vertigo. When that young guy raped Elke next to the skeleton of his lost love, that was so incredibly staggering. And that last scene inside the cockpit affected me the same way as the last scene of Carnival of Souls.

[ByMarkClark.com]

LISA AND THE DEVIL seemed like a royal mess to me the first time I saw it, but images from it kept popping into my head. Some time later I watched it again. Then again... I'm now convinced it's one of Bava's best.

HOUSE OF EXORCISM, however, is an abomination.

[Michael]

My appreciation of Lisa has considerably grown since I first watched it last year. I explain: the italian DVD I bought came with the House of Exorcism version with it and so I decided last month to give it a try, just for kicks

.
How's the Italian DVD (Raro?) of Lisa? Same as Image DVD?

[Lino]

This review says it better than me.

But as good as that italian DVD looks and sounds, I may trade or sell it in the future if Anchor Bay releases an equally good or even better edition in one of their upcoming Bava sets. Mind, as things are right now, I will only do that when reviews start pouring in and never before!

Meanwhile, Tim Lucas still hasn't got any definite answer back from AB, concerning the final final specs of the set.

[Michael]

From the review:

For the key roles of the blind Contessa and her necrophiliac son, Bava and Leone had hoped to cast Bette Davis and Anthony Perkins. That ultimately fell through, and the roles instead went to Alida Valli (The Third Man, Suspiria) and Alessio Orano (The Dark is Death's Friend).

Valli and Orano are perfect for the roles but Bette Davis and Anthony Perkins? Imagine!

Lino, thanks for posting that review. I think I'm going to purchase the Raro DVD ... and the Dark Sky DVD of KBK ... and the Anchor Bay box set.

[Lino]

Someone stop the man! Bava shopping fury's got him!

[Lino]

Meanwhile, Tim Lucas still hasn't got any definite answer back from AB, concerning the final final specs of the set.

A few days later and here they are, kid:

MASK OF SATAN (BLACK SUNDAY)
International version with English dubbing
Widescreen presentation (1.66:1), enhanced for 16x9 televisions
Audio commentary by Mario Bava biographer Tim Lucas
U.S. and International trailers
TV spot
Mario Bava & Barbara Steele bios

THE THREE FACES OF FEAR (BLACK SABBATH)
International version in Italian with English subtitles
Widescreen (1.77:1) presentation, enhanced for 16x9 televisions
Featurette: “A Life In Film - An Interview with Mark Damonâ€