Mario Bava: All the Colors of the Dark.

I have been saving my pennies for a couple months now on purchasing this nearly $300 book. Tomorrow, I send those pennies off, and get my "Little Orphan Annie 'Secret Decoder Ring'" for Bava's filmography as it were... only this time, the message will certainly not result in the mundane "Be sure to drink your Ovaltine." The book even has its own blog, seen HERE. The book has even acquired big name fans such as Guillermo del Toro, who commented about the book:

On my own film website, I'm engaging in the uphill process of studying a mountain of numerous directors, and practicing, through a sort of mimicry, their given styles. The one chosen now is Craig Baldwin. I believe the next, with the purchase of this book. Will be Mario Bava. I have seen and own much of Bava's films but for the first time I believe this will allow me to get much more in depth and serious on the matter, I'd expect no less. Anyway, as I am doing with Baldwin, I will be reporting my findings on my webpage and transfer them here. Hopefully, it will be something we all can enjoy.

Here's to future studies my friends!

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Imagine an eye unruled by man-made laws of perspective, an eye unprejudiced by compositional logic, an eye which does not respond to the name of everything but which must know each object encountered in life through an adventure of perception. How many colors are there in a field of grass to the crawling baby unaware of 'Green'?

-Stan Brakhage

No way in hell I would spend three hundred bucks for a book, certainly not for Mario Bava! He was a good schlock horror director at his best, nothing more, and he made a lot of bad movies.

(I did spend three hundred bucks twice for comic books, but they weren't new)

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It reminds me of a toilet paper on the trees
- Paula

Pray tell, what makes him a schlock? Is it his plots that produce this distaste? For many, this rings true, and perhaps I too am less satisfied with the plots of Bava than say a director who's stronger caliber is plot. However, Bava is a true force in visual aesthetics, as well and bending and outright changing the aesthetics of a given genre he ascertains. Before Bava, much of horror in film was quite stationary in how it was cinematically lit. After Bava, people became more creative and expanded their modus operandi with their genre. Also, Bava created a whole new film movement almost single-handedly with Bay of Blood, the first real Giallo film, which spawned much of the slasher films we know of today. Anarchy seems to be central with Bava. Not only in his works, the structure, certainly, but also in the form. This may be why people don't particularly care for him. But as far as I am concerned, even if there is something in film I don't care for that much. I still am willing to investigate it, full throttle.

I don't dislike Mario Bava. He had a certain style and made a few good ones, but horror movies weren't completely stationary before him and Gerd Oswald directing Outer Limits episodes also had a bravura style that is no less impressive, but doesn't get the same attention because he was doing it on television.

Hence, "much of", if there is anything Bava had done in terms of cinematography his earlier work is akin Gerd Oswald, certainly Black Sunday and The Girl Who Knew Too Much meet these criteria. However, where Bava propels himself, and much of what I was referring to was his works in color film, such as Black Sabbath and Kill Baby, Kill!. The bold creation of placing green, purple, and even red lights, to convey the sense of nighttime is rather outstanding. Ultimately his decisions, in my eyes, work. The reason I say this is because there is a sense of off-balance that is achieved, and for the horror genre, it most definitely provides a visual layer in which it can function. This is one of the reasons why I champion Bava so much, Argento too, especially in Susperia. Either way, I think this is something to agree to disagree on.

can't speak much about this book, it looks cool. instead of starting a new thread i figured i'd put down my thoughts here and make this pretty much the Mario Bava thread

i've seen just one of his films so far, Black Sunday, & i think it's great... it is rich in atmosphere and is like a stylish, black & white fairy tale. it is one of my favorite horrors. highly recommend it





wanting to take a look at his Blood & Black Lace soon

anybody else watched much from him?

I haven't watched a much, but I have a good few ready to go. I've seen Black Sunday, Black Sabbath, The Whip and the Body, Planet of the Vampires, Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs, Danger: Diabolik and Death of The Twitch Nerve. I'm sure I've seen one of the Hercules films, too, but I don't know which one and I was about 10 at the time.

I also have I Vampiri, The Girl Who Knew Too Much, Blood and Black Lace, Kill, Baby, Kill, Rebid Dogs and The Knives Of The Avenger ready to watch.

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5-time MoFo Award winner.

Bava directed A Bay of Blood, that right?
I remember watching that a good few years back and i enjoyed it.

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Too weird to live, and too rare to die.

have any ratings, favorites, etc?

He did. A Bay Of Blood is an alternative title for Twitch Of The Death Nerve. As is Ecologia del delitto, Blood Bath, and Reazione a catena.
I think Danger: Diabolik is probably my favourite. From memory, I'd give it , but with the exception of Dr. Goldfoot... (which I didn't like but might like it more if/when I see it again) I'd give them /.

My favourite so far. Watch it!

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San Franciscan lesbian dwarves and their tomato orgies.