By Jeff Swindoll Sep 7, 2007, 14:56 GMT
A new text on the iconic Italian director that is in a word – massive. Tim Lucas, editor and publisher of Video Watchdog magazine, has truly outdone himself. He has examined every scrap of Bava’s work. The book is the work of a lifetime – both in the time taken by the author but also a lifetime of film by the maestro.
Lucas is extremely familiar with his subject (and after the research he put into the tome the more so) and if there is an aspect of Bava’s life that he doesn’t cover it’s because Bava took it to the grave with him and Tim didn’t have the heart to dig the old boy up. He covers every film that Bava made, including ones that he only had minor or uncredited roles in leading to what he calls the secret filmography of Bava.
The book is full of lavish pictures (some never before seen) and interviews many people that worked with the great director as well as a collection of his storyboards. He even has a chapter on the true origins of Bava – his father Eugenio Bava. There’s also a foreword by Italian director Riccardo Freda and an introduction by director Martin Scorsese.
The massive tome is over 1000 pages and weighs in at a staggering 12 pounds (my postman may be contacting Tim about a chiropractic bill). I doubt that any director has been written such a massive and sincere love letter. It’s truly a labor of love and well worth seeking out if you’re a fan of Mario Bava.
http://www.bavabook.com/
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