You mean about his setting the film in 17th and 19th century Moldavia, or was there some other historical reference you mean? The film's relationship to the Gogol story on which it's ostensibly based (but actually takes only a couple of cues from) is somewhat interesting. The Eastern European setting is one of the things that stuck (as was the exploding coffin), but I don't think Bava really knew anything about historical Moldavia. The story is set in Ukraine, but I think somebody (Bava, one of the other writers, or maybe just the translator at the dubbing company) wanted to highlight the vampire angle, so it got changed to Moldavia (which echoes the Carpathian setting of Stoker's Dracula).
There's a bunch of historical fudging in the film. I think the dragon insignia that shows up throughout the film is referred to as a griffin. Dragons have a pretty rich Slavic mythology, but griffins are more of a Middle Eastern thing. And, indeed, as everyone knows from the Coppola version of Dracula, the count was a member of the Order of the Dragon, defenders of Christianity against the Ottomans.
Mario Bava
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knives
- Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2008 10:49 pm
Re: Mario Bava
The religious aspect particularly in reference to the torture thing that opens the film was mainly what i was referring to, but that whole mismash as you've noted is pretty interesting (to me at least).
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Matt
- Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 4:58 pm
Re: Mario Bava
Yes, that whole punishment with the masks is something I should find out about: did Bava invent that or is there a historical precedent? I'm sure Tim Lucas' book has the answer (but I'm trying to avoid just writing a Reader's Digest Condensed Book version of Lucas' work).
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Ashirg
- Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 1:10 pm
- Location: Atlanta
Re: Mario Bava
Maybe this can be moved to the first page -
Definitive releases -
As Director
La maschera del demonio / Black Sunday / The Mask of Satan (1960) - Arrow Video blu-ray RB [DVD Beaver comparison]
Ercole al centro alla terra / Hercules at the Center of the Earth / Hercules in the Haunted World (1961) - Kino Lorber blu-ray RA [DVD Beaver comparison]
Gli invasori / Erik the Conqueror / Fury of the Vikings (1961) - Arrow Video blu-ray RA/RB [DVD Beaver comparison]
La ragazza che sapeva troppo / The Girl Who Knew Too Much / The Evil Eye (1963) - Arrow Video blu-ray RB [DVD Beaver comparison]
I tre volti della paura / Black Sabbath (1963) - Arrow Video blu-ray RB; Kino Lorber blu-ray RA of US cut has a new Tim Lucas commentary [DVD Beaver comparison]
La frusta e il corpo / The Whip and the Body / What (as John M. Old, 1963) - Kino Lorber blu-ray RA; 88 Films blu-ray RB, e-m-s DVD R2 (different color) [DVD Beaver comparison]
Sei donna per l'assassino / Blood and Black Lace (1964) - Arrow Video blu-ray RA/RB [DVD Beaver comparison]
La strada per Fort Alamo / Arizona Bill / The Road to Fort Alamo (as John M. Old, 1964) - Wild East DVD (includes English dub); Koch Media DVD R2 [DVD Savant review]
Terrore nello spazio / Planet of the Vampires (1965) - Kino Lorber blu-ray RA [DVD Beaver comparison]
Coltelli del vendicatore / Knives of the Avenger (1966) - Kino Lorber blu-ray RA [Rock Shock Pop review]
Operazione paura / Kill, Baby...Kill! (1966) - Kino Lorber blu-ray RA / Arrow Video blu-ray RB [DVD Beaver comparison]
Spie vengono dal semifreddo / Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs (1966) - Kino Lorber blu-ray RA [DVD Active review]
Diabolik / Danger: Diabolik (1968) - Shout! Factory blu-ray RA [DVD Beaver comparison]
5 bambole per la luna d'agosto / Five Dolls for an August Moon (1970) - Arrow Video blu-ray RB [Mondo Digital review]
Il rosso segno della follia / Hatchet for the Honeymoon (1970) - Redemption / Kino Lorber blu-ray RA [DVD Beaver comparison]
Roy Colt e Winchester Jack / Roy Colt and Winchester Jack (1970) - Kino Lorber blu-ray RA [DVD Drive-In Review]
Reazione a catena / Twitch of the Death Nerve / Bay of Blood (1971) - Arrow Video blu-ray RB [DVD Beaver comparison]
Gli orrori del castello di Norimberga / Baron Blood (1972) - Arrow Video blu-ray RB [DVD Beaver comparison]
Quante volte...quella notte / Four Times That Night (1972) - Kino Lorber blu-ray RA [Rock Shock Pop review]
La casa dell'escorcismo / Lisa and the Devil (1973) - Arrow Video blu-ray RB [DVD Beaver comparison]
Cani arrabbiati / Rabid Dogs (1974) - Arrow Video blu-ray RB [DVD Beaver comparison]
Schock / Beyond the Door II / Shock (1977) - Arrow Video blu-ray RA/RB [DVD Beaver review]
The Venus of Ille (an episode of The Devil's Game (1981) - Severin blu-ray RA/RB
Co-Directorial Efforts
La donna piu bella del mondo / The World's Most Beautiful Woman / Beautiful But Dangerous (with Robert Z. Leonard, 1954) - Italian, Spanish DVD without English subtitles
I vampiri / The Vampires (with Riccardo Freda, 1956) - Arrow Video blu-ray RB (on Black Sunday disc)
Le fatiche di Ercole / Hercules / The Labors of Hercules (with Pietro Francisci, 1957) - DVDY Films France R2 DVD [DVD Beaver comparison]
Ercole e la Regina di Lidia / Hercules Unchained (with Pietro Francisci, 1959) - Concorde Germany R2 DVD (best video presentation, but looks like this version is edited) [10K Bullets review]
Caltiki, il mostro immortale / Caltiki - The Immortal Monster (with Riccardo Freda, 1959) - Arrow Video blu-ray RA/RB [DVD Beaver review]
La battaglia di Maratona / The Giant of Marathon (with Jacques Tourneur, 1959) - no good versions, but Retromedia DVD is probably the best option.
Agi Murad, il diavolo bianco / The White Warrior (with Riccardo Freda, 1959) - no good versions, but VCI DVD is probably the best option.
Esther e il re / Esther and the King (with Raoul Walsh, 1960) - KSM Klassiker Germany R2 DVD [DVD Beaver comparison]
Le meravigli di Aladio / The Wonders of Aladdin (with Henry Levin, 1961) - Kino Lorber blu-ray RA [CineSavant review]
L'ultimo del Vichingi / The Last of the Vikings (with Giacomo Gentilomo, 1962) - no good versions. There are many PD releases.
Le avventure di Ulisse / The Adventures of Ulysses (with Franco Rossi, 1968 - feature length version of the Italian TV mini-series "Odissea", which includes the episode "Polifemo", directed by Mario Bava) - TV series are on Italian DVD, without English subtitles
Inferno (with Dario Argento, 1980) - Blue Underground blu-ray RA / Arrow Video blu-ray RB [DVD Beaver comparison]
Definitive releases -
As Director
La maschera del demonio / Black Sunday / The Mask of Satan (1960) - Arrow Video blu-ray RB [DVD Beaver comparison]
Ercole al centro alla terra / Hercules at the Center of the Earth / Hercules in the Haunted World (1961) - Kino Lorber blu-ray RA [DVD Beaver comparison]
Gli invasori / Erik the Conqueror / Fury of the Vikings (1961) - Arrow Video blu-ray RA/RB [DVD Beaver comparison]
La ragazza che sapeva troppo / The Girl Who Knew Too Much / The Evil Eye (1963) - Arrow Video blu-ray RB [DVD Beaver comparison]
I tre volti della paura / Black Sabbath (1963) - Arrow Video blu-ray RB; Kino Lorber blu-ray RA of US cut has a new Tim Lucas commentary [DVD Beaver comparison]
La frusta e il corpo / The Whip and the Body / What (as John M. Old, 1963) - Kino Lorber blu-ray RA; 88 Films blu-ray RB, e-m-s DVD R2 (different color) [DVD Beaver comparison]
Sei donna per l'assassino / Blood and Black Lace (1964) - Arrow Video blu-ray RA/RB [DVD Beaver comparison]
La strada per Fort Alamo / Arizona Bill / The Road to Fort Alamo (as John M. Old, 1964) - Wild East DVD (includes English dub); Koch Media DVD R2 [DVD Savant review]
Terrore nello spazio / Planet of the Vampires (1965) - Kino Lorber blu-ray RA [DVD Beaver comparison]
Coltelli del vendicatore / Knives of the Avenger (1966) - Kino Lorber blu-ray RA [Rock Shock Pop review]
Operazione paura / Kill, Baby...Kill! (1966) - Kino Lorber blu-ray RA / Arrow Video blu-ray RB [DVD Beaver comparison]
Spie vengono dal semifreddo / Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs (1966) - Kino Lorber blu-ray RA [DVD Active review]
Diabolik / Danger: Diabolik (1968) - Shout! Factory blu-ray RA [DVD Beaver comparison]
5 bambole per la luna d'agosto / Five Dolls for an August Moon (1970) - Arrow Video blu-ray RB [Mondo Digital review]
Il rosso segno della follia / Hatchet for the Honeymoon (1970) - Redemption / Kino Lorber blu-ray RA [DVD Beaver comparison]
Roy Colt e Winchester Jack / Roy Colt and Winchester Jack (1970) - Kino Lorber blu-ray RA [DVD Drive-In Review]
Reazione a catena / Twitch of the Death Nerve / Bay of Blood (1971) - Arrow Video blu-ray RB [DVD Beaver comparison]
Gli orrori del castello di Norimberga / Baron Blood (1972) - Arrow Video blu-ray RB [DVD Beaver comparison]
Quante volte...quella notte / Four Times That Night (1972) - Kino Lorber blu-ray RA [Rock Shock Pop review]
La casa dell'escorcismo / Lisa and the Devil (1973) - Arrow Video blu-ray RB [DVD Beaver comparison]
Cani arrabbiati / Rabid Dogs (1974) - Arrow Video blu-ray RB [DVD Beaver comparison]
Schock / Beyond the Door II / Shock (1977) - Arrow Video blu-ray RA/RB [DVD Beaver review]
The Venus of Ille (an episode of The Devil's Game (1981) - Severin blu-ray RA/RB
Co-Directorial Efforts
La donna piu bella del mondo / The World's Most Beautiful Woman / Beautiful But Dangerous (with Robert Z. Leonard, 1954) - Italian, Spanish DVD without English subtitles
I vampiri / The Vampires (with Riccardo Freda, 1956) - Arrow Video blu-ray RB (on Black Sunday disc)
Le fatiche di Ercole / Hercules / The Labors of Hercules (with Pietro Francisci, 1957) - DVDY Films France R2 DVD [DVD Beaver comparison]
Ercole e la Regina di Lidia / Hercules Unchained (with Pietro Francisci, 1959) - Concorde Germany R2 DVD (best video presentation, but looks like this version is edited) [10K Bullets review]
Caltiki, il mostro immortale / Caltiki - The Immortal Monster (with Riccardo Freda, 1959) - Arrow Video blu-ray RA/RB [DVD Beaver review]
La battaglia di Maratona / The Giant of Marathon (with Jacques Tourneur, 1959) - no good versions, but Retromedia DVD is probably the best option.
Agi Murad, il diavolo bianco / The White Warrior (with Riccardo Freda, 1959) - no good versions, but VCI DVD is probably the best option.
Esther e il re / Esther and the King (with Raoul Walsh, 1960) - KSM Klassiker Germany R2 DVD [DVD Beaver comparison]
Le meravigli di Aladio / The Wonders of Aladdin (with Henry Levin, 1961) - Kino Lorber blu-ray RA [CineSavant review]
L'ultimo del Vichingi / The Last of the Vikings (with Giacomo Gentilomo, 1962) - no good versions. There are many PD releases.
Le avventure di Ulisse / The Adventures of Ulysses (with Franco Rossi, 1968 - feature length version of the Italian TV mini-series "Odissea", which includes the episode "Polifemo", directed by Mario Bava) - TV series are on Italian DVD, without English subtitles
Inferno (with Dario Argento, 1980) - Blue Underground blu-ray RA / Arrow Video blu-ray RB [DVD Beaver comparison]
Last edited by Ashirg on Tue Nov 15, 2022 7:20 pm, edited 4 times in total.
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DeprongMori
- Joined: Fri Apr 04, 2014 5:59 am
- Location: San Francisco
Re: Mario Bava
Has anyone else encountered problems with The Mask of Satan on Arrow's Black Sunday BluRay?
Mine is repeatedly freezing at 38:11 through 39:04. This is my first play of the disc fresh out of the shrink wrap.
Mine is repeatedly freezing at 38:11 through 39:04. This is my first play of the disc fresh out of the shrink wrap.
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MichaelB
- Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2006 10:20 pm
- Location: Worthing
- Contact:
Re: Mario Bava
Definitely a faulty disc. I QCed this title and had to watch it multiple times because of the various soundtracks, so I would definitely have noticed.
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Ovader
- Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 5:56 am
- Location: Canada
Re: Mario Bava
A few days ago Tim Lucas mentioned he is working on a commentary for the forthcoming blu-ray of Hercules in the Haunted World for Germany's Koch Media. You can access Lucas' Facebook profile for occasional updates.
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What A Disgrace
- Joined: Mon Nov 08, 2004 2:34 am
- Contact:
Re: Mario Bava
I suppose that means we can expect an Arrow and or Kino release sometime in the near future. This is my most sought-after of the Mario Bava films I have yet to see, so this is an exciting prospect to say the least.
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Ovader
- Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 5:56 am
- Location: Canada
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Ovader
- Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 5:56 am
- Location: Canada
Re: Mario Bava
This is news to me but maybe not to others as I happened to come across a 2006 post on Video WatchBlog that American International Pictures (AIP) made attempts to film a version of H. P. Lovecraft's "The Dunwich Horror" that would have starred Boris Karloff and Christopher Lee to be directed by Mario Bava. What a missed opportunity as I can't imagine the wonderful possibilities of that collaboration if that project came to fruition!
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feihong
- Joined: Thu Nov 04, 2004 4:20 pm
Re: Mario Bava
Aw. That would have been so cool. It would have been a classic.
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Ovader
- Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 5:56 am
- Location: Canada
Re: Mario Bava
A brief article about the unmade Scarlet Friday aka The Dunwich Horror.
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dwk
- Joined: Sat Jun 12, 2010 10:10 pm
Re: Mario Bava
Severin just announced another Black Friday title and it is the television series The Devil's Game, the second episode of the series is Bava's final film, The Venus of Ille.
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Ashirg
- Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 1:10 pm
- Location: Atlanta
Re: Mario Bava
88 Films is releasing The Whip and the Body in UK in March, hopefully with correct color.
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jsteffe
- Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2007 1:00 pm
- Location: Atlanta, GA
Re: Mario Bava
There's an except from the new restoration of THE WHIP AND THE BODY on YouTube.
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Ashirg
- Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 1:10 pm
- Location: Atlanta
Re: Mario Bava
Does anyone know about Malomba Films? They are releasing The Road to Fort Alamo.
https://malombrafilms.com/shop/ols/prod ... on-blu-ray
https://malombrafilms.com/shop/ols/prod ... on-blu-ray
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nicolas
- Joined: Sat Apr 29, 2023 3:34 pm
Re: Mario Bava
Italian Bava 4k box set upcoming with:
Ercole al centro della Terra / Hercules in the Haunted World (1961) on 4K UHD
Reazione a catena / A Bay of Blood (1971) on 4K UHD
Gli orrori del castello di Norimberga / Baron Blood (1972) on 4K UHD
Quante volte… quella notte / Four Times That Night (1972) on 4K UHD
Lisa e il diavolo / Lisa and the Devil (1973) on 4K UHD
La casa dell’esorcismo / The House of Exorcism (1975) on 4K UHD
Credit
Ercole al centro della Terra / Hercules in the Haunted World (1961) on 4K UHD
Reazione a catena / A Bay of Blood (1971) on 4K UHD
Gli orrori del castello di Norimberga / Baron Blood (1972) on 4K UHD
Quante volte… quella notte / Four Times That Night (1972) on 4K UHD
Lisa e il diavolo / Lisa and the Devil (1973) on 4K UHD
La casa dell’esorcismo / The House of Exorcism (1975) on 4K UHD
Credit
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dwk
- Joined: Sat Jun 12, 2010 10:10 pm
Re: Mario Bava
Severin announced the specs for their upcoming Bay of Blood UHD
A BAY OF BLOOD
THE WORLDWIDE UHD PREMIERE
5-DISC LIMITED EDITION WITH 3 VERSIONS OF THE FILM
4+ HOURS OF SPECIAL FEATURES AND BONUS SOUNDTRACK CD
It redefined the giallo, birthed the slasher genre and remains “the film that changed the face of horror forever” (DVD Talk). Now Severin Films brings 3 separate versions – The English Release, The Original Italian Release and The Italian Re-Release – of this “brutal” (Little White Lies), “disturbing” (Screen Anarchy) and “brilliant” (Slant Magazine) classic from writer/director/cinematographer/maestro Mario Bava to UHD for the first time: When a wealthy countess is murdered for her bayfront real estate, it will lead to the systematic slaughter of ruthless developers, greedy heirs and bad neighbors. Claudine Auger (THUNDERBALL), Luigi Pistilli (YOUR VICE IS A LOCKED ROOM…) and Laura Betti (HATCHET FOR THE HONEYMOON) star in “a film of unbridled ferocity that still shocks today” (Mondo Digital) also known as BLOOD BATH, TWITCH OF THE DEATH NERVE, CARNAGE and LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT PART II – featuring landmark gore effects by 3x Oscar® winner Carlo Rambaldi (ALIEN) and an equally brilliant score by Stelvio Cipriani (BARON BLOOD). All 3 versions have been scanned in 4K from superior vault elements with nearly 5 hours of new & archival Special Features and a Bonus Soundtrack CD.
Special Features for A BAY OF BLOOD
Disc 1 UHD (A BAY OF BLOOD: English Version)
• Audio Commentary With Tim Lucas, Author Of Mario Bava: All The Colors Of The Dark
• U.S. Trailer
Disc 2 UHD (ECOLOGIA DEL DELITTO: Original Italian Version / REAZIONE A CATENA: Italian Re-Release Version)
• Italian Trailer
Disc 3 Blu-ray (A BAY OF BLOOD: English Version)
• Audio Commentary With Tim Lucas, Author Of Mario Bava: All The Colors Of The Dark
• All About My Father – Interview With Assistant Director Lamberto Bava
• It Was Just A Children's Game – Interview With Actress Nicoletta Elmi
• Lens Of Blood – Interview With Assistant Camera Operator Gianlorenzo Battaglia
• That Will Teach Them To Be Bad – Interview With Stephen Thrower, Author Of Books On Jess Franco And Lucio Fulci
• U.S. Trailer
Disc 4 Blu-ray (ECOLOGIA DEL DELITTO: Original Italian Version / REAZIONE A CATENA: Italian Re-Release Version)
• Hallmark Of Horror: Carnage, Death Nerves & Last House Part II – Video Essay By Film Writer Stephen R. Bissette
• The Art Of Crime – Archival Featurette With Lamberto Bava (Assistant Director), Dardano Sacchetti (Screenwriter), Steve Della Casa (CSC Director), Franco Vitale (Still Photographer), Roy Bava (Mario Bava's Grandson), Alberto Pezzotta (Mario Bava's Biographer) And Joe Dante (Filmmaker)
• (Sittin' On) The Blood Of The Bay – Archival Interview With Lamberto Bava
• 13 Ways To Die – Archival Interview With Dardano Sacchetti
• Bava And The Grindhouse – Joe Dante On Mario Bava
• Severin Super-Shock 2025 Intro By Lamberto Bava
• Storyboard Comparisons
• Radio Spots
• Italian Trailer
Disc 5: Soundtrack CD
Feature Specs for A BAY OF BLOOD:
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Runtime: English Version: 84 mins / Italian Versions: 86 mins
• Audio: English Mono, Italian Mono
• Subtitles: English SDH, English
• Region: UHD: A/B/C, Blu-ray: A
Limited Edition Slipcase Designed by Eric Lee
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Stefan Andersson
- Joined: Thu Nov 15, 2007 5:02 am
Re: Mario Bava
Podcast on the Kino Lorber edition of Danger Diabolik, two dubs, "how some of the original opticals were updated, how a long-missing outro was rediscovered" etc.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHxr3Om6bBA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHxr3Om6bBA