Bava Book Makes Movie News at TCM Site

Turner Classic Movies has kindly added the Bava book's press release to the "Movie News" page of their fine website. You can find it here.

Buon' Compleanno, Mario Bava!

Today would have been Mario Bava's 93rd birthday. To mark the occasion, here's the exquisite Spanish poster art by "Mac." [Macario Gomez] from one of his most important photographic assignments of the 1950s: Pietro Francisci's ORLANDO E I PALADINI DI FRANCIA (1956), released theatrically in this country as ROLAND THE MIGHTY. I wish this poster could have been used in MARIO BAVA ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK, but it came into my possession after the book was completed. So consider this birthday treat as an exclusive.

ORLANDO was the last feature Bava photographed before the tide of his career began to turn with his next two assignments, I VAMPIRI and HERCULES, both made in 1957.

It may interest you to know that I'll be remembering Bava this week (like I could forget him!) by recording the next round of audio commentaries for Anchor Bay Entertainment's THE MARIO BAVA COLLECTION, VOLUME 2 and another stand-alone Bava release, à la KIDNAPPED. I'm not at liberty to provide titles or release dates yet, but you can probably figure them out.

Important Bava Book Announcements

We have a few important announcements to make:

NEW DELIVERY DATE
We expected to receive shipment from our Hong Kong printer around this time, but they have adjusted the delivery date to fall on or around August 21 (departing from Hong Kong on July 23). The reason for the adjustment, they tell us, is that MARIO BAVA ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK is by far the largest book they have ever manufactured, so they asked for an additional grace period in which to ensure that each copy was bound properly and securely. Naturally, we granted it. We have examined one such copy now, and the craftsmanship is both sturdy and exquisite.

For that person in the back row who asked "How large is it?"... In addition to featuring more than 1000 colorful illustrations, the accompanying text amounts to 760,927 words -- so the Bava book is equivalent in length to 10 average-length novels.

NEW PRICING
Effective upon our receipt of the shipment, the cost of the Bava book on all new orders will be increased to $250 (plus $10 US postage or $40 postage outside the US). Suffice to say, the book developed into something far more ambitious than we realized when we began accepting pre-orders for it over six years ago.

However, not wishing to take anyone by surprise, we will continue to observe the pre-publication price of $120 until the expected delivery date of August 21. This is the perfect opportunity to acquire the book (for yourself, or as a gift) at less than half its publication price, or to obtain that second reading/preserving copy for yourself at a combined total of $240 -- $10 less than the publication cost of a single copy! And remember: all pre-ordered copies will be signed by the author.

And last but not least, announcing...

Coming to eBay: THE ULTIMATE BAVA BOOK AUCTION
We presently have in our hands three copies of the finished book -- namely, the two advance copies we opened in our posted video, and a third copy sent for our approval of the final, machine-stitched binding. We have signed none of these books, which we intend to keep for our own use. However, when we accept shipment of the balance of our book order, both Donna and I intend to sign and number the first 10 copies we unwrap, 1/10 through 10/10. These will be the first copies of the book ever signed, and the only numbered copies we will ever sign or circulate.

Sometime in early August, we intend to make these historic copies available in a special Bava Book Auction on eBay. Each of the 10 signed and numbered books will be complemented with additional, exciting, one-of-a-kind items geared to bring the 10 winners into the fullest experience of the Bava book's 32 year genesis -- original hand-corrected manuscript pages, stills actually used in the production of the book, and other amazing, exclusive extras that will be fully described here in the days ahead.

Already reserved your copy? No problem: go ahead and participate in the bidding. If you are one of the 10 lucky high bidders and wish your Auction copy to take the place of your pre-order copy, we will include a full refund for your previous purchase with your Auction winnings on request. We know this announcement will be taking the book's audience by surprise, and certainly don't intend for anyone's early support to prevent them from availing themselves of this opportunity to obtain the Ultimate Bava Book Package.

Stay Tuned

We expect to be making some important announcements about the Bava book later this week, so please stay tuned to this blog. There are some interesting things afoot, and there might be certain advantages to being among the first to know.