Macabre Visions: The Films of Mario Bava

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swo17
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Macabre Visions: The Films of Mario Bava

#1 Post by swo17 » Fri Jun 28, 2019 9:46 am

Image

The legendary Mario Bava has inspired generations of filmmakers, including names as wide-ranging as Martin Scorsese, Tim Burton and Guillermo Del Toro. With their virtuoso photography and budget-belying visual effects, his films transcend their unassuming origins and played a vital role in shaping the horror movie as we think of it today. This exclusive collection from Arrow Video gathers together nine films from Bava's diverse catalogue including gothic horrors, giallo thrillers and even a real-time crime drama.

Our journey through the maestro's output begins with Black Sunday, the ground-breaking gothic shocker that defined the Italian horror film, before launching the giallo phenomenon with the twisty The Girl Who Knew Too Much. Up next is a triple bill of terror with the gruesome anthology Black Sabbath, followed by a further slice of the macabre with the spine-tingling Kill, Baby... Kill! Next, Bava channels his inner Agatha Christie with the Ten Little Indians-inspired Five Dolls for an August Moon, followed by the proto-Friday the 13th slasher A Bay of Blood (aka Twitch of the Death Nerve). Bava then returns to his horror stomping ground with the twisted and atmospheric Baron Blood and his surreal classic Lisa and the Devil widely considered to be his masterpiece. The collection concludes with Rabid Dogs (aka Kidnapped), a gritty, frenetic crime thriller that grabs the viewer by the throat and refuses to let go.

This stunning collection represents one of Italian cinema's unsung heroes at the height of his creativity, ably assisted by a diverse and talented cast of cult actors, including Barbara Steele (The Pit and the Pendulum), Telly Savalas (Kojak), John Saxon (Tenebrae), Edwige Fenech (Strip Nude For Your Killer), Erika Blanc (The Night Evelyn Came Out of the Grave) and Boris Karloff (The Comedy of Terrors). Whether you're a newcomer to these films or experiencing them for the umpteenth time, Macabre Visions: The Films of Mario Bava is a must-have addition to your library.

LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS:

• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentations of all films
• Original lossless mono Italian and English soundtracks
• English subtitles for the Italian soundtracks
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for the English soundtracks
• Alternative cuts of Black Sunday, The Girl Who Knew Too Much, Black Sabbath, A Bay of Blood, Baron Blood, Lisa and the Devil and Rabid Dogs
• Audio commentaries on every film by Bava biographer and expert Tim Lucas
• Numerous interviews with critics, cast and crew members
Mario Bava: Maestro of the Macabre, a documentary profile of the director, hosted by Mark Kermode and featuring interviews with Joe Dante, John Carpenter and Tim Burton
The Devil's Daughter, a video essay by critic Kat Ellinger
• Multiple introductions by author and critic Alan Jones
Yellow, Semih Tareen's short film homage to Bava's cinema
• Multiple theatrical trailers and TV spots
• Limited edition packaging featuring original theatrical artwork
• Collector's souvenir hardcover book featuring writing by Matt Bailey, Alan Jones, Kier-La Janisse, David Cairns, Tim Lucas, Travis Crawford, Glenn Kenny, Adrian Smith, Jay Slater, Oliver James, Stephen Thrower, Peter Blumenstock and Helen Mullane
• And much, much more!

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swo17
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Re: Macabre Visions: The Films of Mario Bava

#2 Post by swo17 » Fri Jun 28, 2019 9:50 am

Omitting Caltiki and Erik is understandable but no Blood and Black Lace?

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EddieLarkin
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Re: Macabre Visions: The Films of Mario Bava

#3 Post by EddieLarkin » Fri Jun 28, 2019 9:57 am

I'm not sure but I believe these 9 share the same rightsholder whilst B&BL is different.

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dwk
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Re: Macabre Visions: The Films of Mario Bava

#4 Post by dwk » Fri Jun 28, 2019 9:59 am

I know that Erik is a different rightsholder (which is why Anchor Bay released it as a standalone when they did their two Bava DVD boxes.) So that must be why B&BL and Caltiki have also been left out.
Last edited by dwk on Fri Jun 28, 2019 10:25 am, edited 1 time in total.

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swo17
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Re: Macabre Visions: The Films of Mario Bava

#5 Post by swo17 » Fri Jun 28, 2019 10:02 am

Not a big deal I guess, since I can just keep the standalone releases

Also, who could forget Boris Karloff in such classic films as The Comedy of Terrors and...that's it, actually

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EddieLarkin
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Re: Macabre Visions: The Films of Mario Bava

#6 Post by EddieLarkin » Fri Jun 28, 2019 10:06 am

Sure enough they've just advised that the rights for these 9 are up for renewal at the end of year and could go OOP. Anyone who needs to fill any gaps should make their purchases soon.

phoenix474
Joined: Wed Sep 14, 2016 6:17 pm

Re: Macabre Visions: The Films of Mario Bava

#7 Post by phoenix474 » Fri Jun 28, 2019 10:08 am

They note on the facebook announcement that “the rights to Bava titles contained in this set will be expiring at the end of the year (we will of course try and re-license them but can’t make any guarantees) so don’t sleep on this release”

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Banasa
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Re: Macabre Visions: The Films of Mario Bava

#8 Post by Banasa » Fri Jun 28, 2019 2:58 pm

As a note, their Black Sunday blu-ray included a DVD bonus of I Vampiri which does not appear to be included in this box.

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EddieLarkin
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Re: Macabre Visions: The Films of Mario Bava

#9 Post by EddieLarkin » Fri Jun 28, 2019 3:26 pm

No, I vampiri was on the Blu-ray (albeit in SD, which is perhaps why you've misremembered).

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Matt
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Re: Macabre Visions: The Films of Mario Bava

#10 Post by Matt » Fri Jun 28, 2019 5:41 pm

Worth getting for that Matt Bailey essay alone! 😏

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rapta
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Re: Macabre Visions: The Films of Mario Bava

#11 Post by rapta » Fri Jun 28, 2019 6:22 pm

Annoying little set this. As with many other collectors, I already own 5 out of 9 of these and they all look to be the exact same discs, so I now decide whether to double-dip or not just for the booklet (and any other extras that might be added, perhaps as a bonus disc).

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domino harvey
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Re: Macabre Visions: The Films of Mario Bava

#12 Post by domino harvey » Fri Jun 28, 2019 6:49 pm

I mean, it just seems like the Arrow equivalent of that MOC box of Imamura titles. At least you know you're getting a booklet if you buy this one!

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Ovader
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Re: Macabre Visions: The Films of Mario Bava

#13 Post by Ovader » Fri Jun 28, 2019 8:17 pm

I don't have RABID DOGS but I have the rest of the films on blu-ray with booklets except for my BAY OF BLOOD newer edition and the writers listed above for the hardcover book are the same names in the various booklets. Unclear whether new essays have been commissioned for the hardback edition.

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Professor Wagstaff
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Re: Macabre Visions: The Films of Mario Bava

#14 Post by Professor Wagstaff » Fri Jun 28, 2019 10:17 pm

I have all these titles either through Kino or Arrow already, but I would double dip on my Kinos if Arrow has any significantly better version in terms of features. Any recommendations?

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