NEW YORK, NY – AUGUST 20, 2013 – Kino Clascs is proud to announce the releases of Mario Bava’s A Bay of Blood and Five Dolls for an August Moon on Blu-ray and DVD, mastered in HD from the original 35mm negatives and featuring audio commentary by Tim Lucas, author of Mario Bava: All the Colors of the Dark.
A Bay of Blood and Five Dolls for an August Moon both street on September 3rd, with individual SRPs of $29.95 each for the Blu-ray editions and $24.95 for the DVDs. Both are mastered in HD from the 35mm negatives of the English language verons, and feature an audio commentary by Tim Lucas, author of Mario Bava, All the Colors of the Dark. A Bay of Blood also includes an alternate European release veron (in Italian with English subtitles), the theatrical trailer, and trailers of other Bava films. Fives Dolls for an August Moon also includes trailers of other Bava films.
These two films from one of the true masters of the horror genre showcase Bava’s distinctive eye and penchant for erotic thrillers. A Bay of Blood is a landmark horror film that prefigures the slasher genre, and Five Dolls for an August Moon shows Bava working with his characteristic cinematic style applied to an Agatha Christie-style whodunit. Kino Clascs is proud to showcase these two important films from one of the most influential horror filmmakers.
A Bay of Blood (aka Twitch of the Death) is regarded as one of the most influential horror films of all time and a prototype of the slasher film from which all future entries in the genre would stem. The premise is that Countess Frederica is murdered at her isolated manon, and a gruesome battle ensues to secure the rights to her valuable property around the bay. Before long, everyone from illegitimate children to shady real estate agents try to make their claim on the property, but each one meets their death in increangly bizarre ways.
The film’s special effects are by Carlo Rambaldi, who would later earn Oscars® for his work on Alien (1979) and E.T. (1982). A Bay of Blood was initially met with a hostile reaction on its release due to its graphic violence, but it eventually became a trendsetter, providing the model for slasher films like Friday the 13th to follow.
Director: Mario Bava
Producer: Giuseppe Zaccariello
Screenplay: Mario Bava, Filippo Ottoni, Giuseppe Zaccariello
Photographed by Mario Bava
Muc by Stelvio Cipriani
With Claudine Auger, Luigi Pistilli, Claudio Volonté, Anna M. Rosati, Chris Avram, Leopoldo Trieste
Italy / 1971 / Color / 84 min. / 1.78:1 / 1920x1080p
Special Features:
Mastered in HD from the 35mm negative of the English language veron
Audio Commentary by Tim Lucas, author of Mario Bava: All the Colors of the Dark
Alternate European release veron (Italian with optional English subtitles)
Theatrical trailer
Trailers of other Bava films
Five Dolls for an August Moon is Mario Bava’s take on an Agatha Christie-style 5 Dolls whodunit.
Because Bava was so closely identified with the horror film, this foray into the mystery genre never received a theatrical release in the US. Nonetheless it is a deliciously entertaining story about a space age island retreat, vited by a group of friends and buness colleagues. One of their party is a a scientist who has invented a groundbreaking chemical process, and is fending off various offers to buy it. When the vacationers start turning up dead, however, the survivors begin to wonder who has the clearest motive for these murders.
Bava takes this standard drawing room mystery premise and enlivens it with elements of his erotic thrillers, including psychedelic production degn, a hip muc score by Piero Umiliani, and a swinging performance by giallo goddess Edwige Fenech (All the Colors of the Dark).
Directed by Mario Bava
Produced by Luigi Ales
Screenplay by Mario di Nardo
Photographed by Antonio Rinaldi
Muc by Piero Umiliani
With William Berger, Ira von Fürstenberg, Maurice Poli, Edwige Fenech, Howard Ross, Helena Ronee, Teodora Corrà, Ely Galleani, Edith Meloni.
Italy / 1970 / Color / 81 min. / 1.78:1 / 1920x1080p
Special Features:
Mastered in HD from the 35mm negative of the English language veron
Audio commentary by Tim Lucas, author of Mario Bava: All the Colors of the Dark
Trailers of other Bava films