Anchor Bay: Mario Bava Box Sets

Message

djali999 · #101 Post by **djali999** » Fri Apr 20, 2007 4:49 am

This finally arrived today and the graphic design is truly wretched - I'd throw the outer box away and just use the slim cases if the cases weren't, remarkably, even worse looking. They stuck "BAVA" everywhere which I'm sure would have mortified the man and had the idiotic idea to put "THE BAVA BOX" in huge red text along the top. And every disc cover says "A FILM BY BAVA" - are they trying to make him into a brand name or something?

But the discs are good work - I was utterly knocked for a loop by the transfer of Black Sabbath, which is so good that even Lucas, on the commentary, seems half distracted by it. Sampled a bit of The Girl Who Knew Too Much and was pretty happy with that too - it seems like Image and Anchor Bay were doing the best they could with a spotty print. Will have to check Kill Baby Kill later today, but overall I'd be perfectly happy if they had just put the discs on a spindle and asked $20 for them. Ugh... wretched, wretched packaging... it hurts to think about holding it....

blindside8zao · #102 Post by **blindside8zao** » Fri Apr 20, 2007 11:05 pm

If you put it on a shelf where all you can see is the side of the spine with his face on it, it's not too bad. Just close your eyes when you take a DVD out.

Lino · #103 Post by **Lino** » Sun Apr 29, 2007 9:43 am

From the Black Sunday review by DVDBeaver:

ADDITION: Anchor Bay - April 07':

The disc is a slight improvement over Image Entertainment disc. Unfortunately, roll 15b is still missing from this disc, so RHV disc from Italy still has points over it. All the extras are carried over from Image disc except the liner notes and text info about deleted scene.

Definitely keeping my italian disc, still the definitive edition of Black Sunday on DVD so far.

blindside8zao · #104 Post by **blindside8zao** » Wed May 23, 2007 11:20 pm

so I watched the whole set and really think the one I enjoyed the most besides the barbara steele was the girl who knew too much. I just love the black and white bava I've seen so far. I think I'm won over and ready for another set.

#105 Post by **Matt** » Wed May 23, 2007 11:49 pm

blindside8zao wrote:so I watched the whole set and really think the one I enjoyed the most besides the barbara steele was the girl who knew too much.

Yeah, that's a really good movie and one that's largely underrated in Bava's oeuvre.

patrick · #106 Post by **patrick** » Thu May 24, 2007 5:46 pm

I finally got around to watching the commentary on Black Sunday this morning, and it is absolutely terrific (not that I expected any less from Tim Lucas). I almost feel like I've read a book about the making of the film, it really is amazing how Lucas knows everything related to the film. It's a shame that Dark Sky's Kill, Baby...Kill! isn't going to come out, I would double-dip just for the commentary on that one.

patrick · #107 Post by **patrick** » Fri Jun 08, 2007 5:49 pm

For anyone interested, this set is $19.99 and Kidnapped/Rabid Dogs is $8.99 at Amazon currently - both prices are cheaper than the Deep Discount sale.

indiannamednobody · #108 Post by **indiannamednobody** » Mon Jun 11, 2007 10:25 am

patrick wrote:For anyone interested, this set is $19.99 and Kidnapped/Rabid Dogs is $8.99 at Amazon currently - both prices are cheaper than the Deep Discount sale.

Thanks for the heads up. At $4 a flick, it was impossible for me to pass up.

patrick · #109 Post by **patrick** » Sat Aug 04, 2007 12:43 pm

According to his blog, Tim Lucas has finished recording three more commentaries for the next round of Bava releases. Terrific news!

tryavna · #110 Post by **tryavna** » Sat Aug 04, 2007 1:06 pm

patrick wrote:According to his blog, Tim Lucas has finished recording three more commentaries for the next round of Bava releases. Terrific news!

Unfortunately, his particular approach -- while perhaps fun for him -- doesn't sound all that promising for his listeners:

Last night, I joined the elite group of people (Roger Corman may be the only other person able to make this claim) who have recorded three full solo DVD audio commentaries in a single day -- a single night actually, as this took place roughly between midnight and 5:30 am. These commentaries are for the second round of Mario Bava releases coming later this year from Anchor Bay, and the recordings are now out the door and flying west. My voice was close to shot after the third one, but I can tell you this much: wine helps.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed my introduction to Bava's films with the last boxset, and will probably snap up the next one when it goes on sale.

thethirdman · #111 Post by **thethirdman** » Mon Aug 06, 2007 6:58 pm

It looks like those commentaries could surface quicker than I anticipated. Bava Box Set Vol. 2 will apparently street just before Halloween.

Includes:

Baron Blood
Bay of Blood
5 Dolls for an August Moon
Four Times That Night
Lisa and the Devil
Roy Colt and Winchester Jack

October 23, 2007
MSRP $49.97

patrick · #112 Post by **patrick** » Tue Aug 07, 2007 12:18 pm

Did Twitch of the Death Nerve/Bay of Blood, 5 Dolls For an August Moon or Baron Blood have Lucas commentaries on the old Image discs? I'm assuming that Lisa and the Devil is one of the newly recorded commentaries, since I believe Lucas has said it's his favorite Bava film.

Either way, fantastic news - what's left for Vol. 3? I assume that will contain Whip & the Body, Blood & Black Lace and Hatchet for the Honeymoon. Perhaps Caltiki and Dr. Goldfoot & the Girl Bombs might round out the set?

Ashirg · #113 Post by **Ashirg** » Wed Aug 08, 2007 1:03 am

Tim Lucas updated his blog - titles that will have commentaries are LISA AND THE DEVIL, BAY OF BLOOD, and BARON BLOOD. ERIK THE CONQUEROR will be released the same day with another Tim Lucas commentary.

Of all Image releases, only BLACK SUNDAY had a commentary from Tim Lucas. HOUSE OF EXORCISM had a commentary from Alfredo Leone/Elke Sommer - the only reason to experience that movie. It will be ported over to Anchor Bay disc.

patrick · #114 Post by **patrick** » Wed Aug 08, 2007 7:57 am

It's a shame that they couldn't just put House of Exorcism and Lisa and the Devil on the same disc.

EDIT: Oops, I probably should have read the Video Watchblog post where Tim Lucas mentions that both versions will be in the set.

It's also nice to see that Erik The Conqueror will be coming out on the same day, with a Lucas commentary.

Person · #115 Post by **Person** » Wed Aug 08, 2007 4:38 pm

I ordered the German edition of The Whip and the Body last week and it arrived today. STUNNING anamorphic transfer - and it has the Lucas commentary. Well worth acquiring, as Alfred Leone doesn't own this one, so Anchor won't be releasing this one.

R1 vs. R2 comparison

Amazon Germany listing

ByMarkClark.com · #116 Post by **ByMarkClark.com** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 1:16 pm

patrick wrote:Either way, fantastic news - what's left for Vol. 3? I assume that will contain Whip & the Body, Blood & Black Lace and Hatchet for the Honeymoon. Perhaps Caltiki and Dr. Goldfoot & the Girl Bombs might round out the set?

These sets include only the Alfredo Leone films. I don't think there will be a Vol. 3, sadly.

Ashirg · #117 Post by **Ashirg** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 2:41 pm

The only other title Anchor Bay may own is I Vampiri which Bava completed after Ricardo Freda left the shooting.

Person · #118 Post by **Person** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 4:44 pm

Ashirg wrote:The only other title Anchor Bay may own is I Vampiri

The Image transfer is interlaced, as is the Russian transfer, so I'd like to see a new transfer. Freda's, Lo Spettro (1963, color) is terrific and fans of Bava should check it out.

Lino · #119 Post by **Lino** » Sat Aug 11, 2007 5:57 pm

I'm still puzzled as to exactly why they didn't include Kidnapped on the first set and now Erik on the second.

I know, I know - sometimes money doesn't go with consumer logic.

Person · #120 Post by **Person** » Wed Aug 15, 2007 5:34 pm

Fans of Bava will surely want to acquire the German SE of Erik the Conqueror:

Amazon.de listing

Review by Tim Lucas with screenshots of this visual feast.

What makes this a must-have is this: Mario Bava Explains the Magic of His Works, a new 50-minute doc featuring excerpts from Bava's 1970 and 1974 TV interviews.

ByMarkClark.com · #121 Post by **ByMarkClark.com** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 9:35 am

Lino wrote:I'm still puzzled as to exactly why they didn't include Kidnapped on the first set and now Erik on the second.

Based on somethin Tim posted over on the CHFB, this was one of the contractual stipulations of the agreement with Leone. Apparently by agreement these two titles could not be boxed with other titles. Weird.

Lino · #122 Post by **Lino** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 11:16 am

Oh, so there is a real reason besides this. Interesting.

thethirdman · #123 Post by **thethirdman** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 1:10 pm

Who controls the rights for Hatchet for the Honeymoon?

ByMarkClark.com · #124 Post by **ByMarkClark.com** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 2:42 pm

That's even weirder. Apparently Leone owns it, but it wasn't included in the deal. Bizarre. Here's part of an exchange I had with Tim on that subject:

MC: Too bad this set couldn't include HATCHET FOR THE HONEYMOON!

TL: I regret that, too, and I don't know why it was overlooked as it's supposedly one of Alfredo Leone's holdings.

djali999 · #125 Post by **djali999** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 2:48 pm

I assume Anchor Bay - Image released it initially and AB released it in R2. It is one of those titles floating around on the grey market however so who knows. I'm just kind of confused myself as I'd sooner expect to see it in this second volume set.