Arrow Video - A Bay of Blood - The BD and DVD Specs

[Jon]

Originally Posted by Pinhead0303

Sorry, but I wholly disagree with this bit you've added. The film is a typical loud 70s vibrant, even over-the-top slasher-fest. In no way could it be regarded as being like Rabid Dogs in any context, visually, stylistically or any other way. Some people seem to be clutching at straws here and trying to convince themselves that this looks good, at it might, but that doesn't mean it looks right.

But there WERE no typical, loud, vibrant, over-the-top slasher fests in 1971. This movie's a trailblazer.

The melancholy romanticism in the opening scene with Isa Miranda then gives way, extremely abruptly, to something far more brutal and realistic for the rest of the film - it's a very deliberate transition of tone by Bava. I don't see why his visual palette would stay in this Technicolor-dreamworld vein. If anyone could make the visual style fit the material, it's Bava.

[vinncent]

To me the Arrow BD blows the others away without a doubt! I think the AB looks terrible with the colours. Arrows version looks a lot more natural.

[Pinhead0303]

Originally Posted by Jon

But there WERE no typical, loud, vibrant, over-the-top slasher fests in 1971. This movie's a trailblazer.

The melancholy romanticism in the opening scene with Isa Miranda then gives way, extremely abruptly, to something far more brutal and realistic for the rest of the film - it's a very deliberate transition of tone by Bava. I don't see why his visual palette would stay in this Technicolor-dreamworld vein. If anyone could make the visual style fit the material, it's Bava.

The typical, referred to the 70s part. The 70s was all about gaudy bright colours and that's how this film is known, rightly or wrongly. It's how I've always seen it so that's how it is and unless Bava himself tells me otherwise, that's always going to be the case.

N.B. I'm done with this now, or else all the little Arrow bots are just going to come out of the woodwork, one's already been called in and reared its head, others are sure to follow lol

[Jon]

Originally Posted by Pinhead0303

The typical, referred to the 70s part. The 70s was all about gaudy bright colours and that's how this film is known, rightly or wrongly. It's how I've always seen it so that's how it is and unless Bava himself tells me otherwise, that's always going to be the case.

That's quite a wacky generalisation of a 70s colour palette. I mean, even Black Christmas has rather subdued cinematography (the red fairy lights are the only bright thing I can remember in the film), as does Straw Dogs, Death Line, The Exorcist, The Wicker Man, Don't Look Now, and other classics from that period. If anything the early 70s was a much grittier, more realistic era in cinematography, across all genres. After the old studio system and large barriers of censorship broke down, a look of realism was very much in fashion.

Back to Bay of Blood though, I think it's genuinely a transitional work by Bava. You can't get much more blunt a statement of an artist breaking from his past style as the opening sequence. Whatever the colour palette, the tone is way more misanthropic and brutal than his previous films.

[Pete]

There are several other forums where lables post details of their releases and get the same respose as the people on here but no-one ever says a thing about them. (and no, I'm kissing ass or anything it's just how I see it)

[Almar@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Pinhead0303

I only used what you said as an example because you're deploying the usual tactic on here of trying to put down any other release of a film Arrow has or is putting out. I haven't looked at any other things you said on other threads so you may be alright

Bottom line for me is that many on here would buy an Arrow release if it was just a black screen for the entire duration (okay, so that's a slight exaggeration, but you get my drift). They always pop up when new releases are announced with the likes of 'I'll be buying this on the day of release!' or 'I've pre-ordered this already!' or 'I need this to complete my Arrow collection, Arrow are great!' So assuming those posters are genuine and not just Arrow moles, those sales are guaranteed for them no matter what. So really, it's the sales to casual buyers walking through the stores and people like me, who are very interested (I had this one pre-ordered) but won't just buy it for the hell of it, which matter (or should matter) to Arrow and unfortunately I won't be buying this now as I'd much prefer seeing it the way I'm used to and I'm not alone in thinking this way, so it's a shame but sales will be affected. Oh, and while I'm on about it, casual sales won't be too great either because apart from the obvious fact it has nothing to do with the film, that cover's awful!

I love conspiracy thrillers - especially some of the 70s ones but never did I think CL might be involved in one!

If only there could be moles and bots and all the rest in a lavish scheme to promote films that sell in such small numbers that no sane big studio would waste their time... but the plain fact of the matter is one guy - Fran - at Arrow is trying to pull together the best possible elements to make good releases. It's not easy to do this because the economics don't stack up to spending wild amounts of money and until you buy the rights to a film you don't know what materials you're getting or what state they're in and sometimes the licensor couldn't give a flip about what they're selling you. I also know having worked with companies like Anchor Bay and HKL during the glory days of the DVD industry that budgets are a fraction of what they used to be because the margins just aren't there any more.

This forum was set up as a communication point between interested distributors and fans and the simple idea is that it might offer the chance for feedback - good and bad but hopefully constructive that might lead to better releases within the realms of what is actually possible. There are many good examples of how titles have then been improved - for instance two artwork panels on this release were changed due to fans on here.

That's it. And there are no shortage of damning comments on this forum as well as buckets of praise but I do object to people getting attacked for having a good point about something they think could be better just as much as I object to people being vilified for showing enthusiasm. Let's just respect opinions, have the debate and not worry about a secretive army of internet ninja recruits dispatched to lure trusting fans into committing money into DVDs and BDs that will bitterly disappoint.

It's much easier not to have this place - it'll never be perfect but such is life. Plus there are hundreds of alternative and longer-running forums out there where the debate can rage on.

Fran spoke to me about Bay because with the materials available it's never going to be a release to knock socks off with but every possible effort has been made and there we are. It'll be interesting to see what people think and hopefully anyone who commits their hard-earned cash to buying a copy will be suitably happy with the transaction.

[the blob]

Originally Posted by Almar@Cult Labs

a secretive army of internet ninja recruits dispatched to lure trusting fans

I had to laugh...

[the blob]

My take on it all is that I have absolutely no idea. I've never seen a theatrical print. I think the ABUS colour scheme looks blown out and the Italian looks absurd with it's contrast boosting. Who knows.. maybe the Arrow is spot on, possibly the happy medium is somewhere in between the ABUS and Arrow.

The detail looks really good from those new BD screencaps though so I'll be keeping my order without a doubt and enjoying it highly I expect.

[zombeaner]

Originally Posted by Pinhead0303

So really, it's the sales to casual buyers walking through the stores and people like me, who are very interested (I had this one pre-ordered) but won't just buy it for the hell of it, which matter (or should matter) to Arrow and unfortunately I won't be buying this now as I'd much prefer seeing it the way I'm used to and I'm not alone in thinking this way, so it's a shame but sales will be affected.

First of all, this is a really long sentence. Secondly, seeing a film the way you prefer seeing and seeing it the way it should be seen are two very different things.

[springjack]

Originally Posted by Pinhead0303

Thanks for the update ecc. I'm still not convinced the Blu-ray is worth a purchase judging by those screencaps, it'd almost be like watching Suspiria with a pastel palette!

If you don´t have the movie than is worth the upgrade becaus if you want both versions, for the english one you have to buy the second box of Mario Bava from Anchor Bay US and for the Italian one you have to buy the Raro italian dvd...

In the end of the day, Arrow is less expensive and with more extras.