Arrow Video’s Blu-ray of Bava near-miss reviewed.
Arrows gradual roll-out of Mario Bavas catalog continues with the curious giallo, FIVE DOLLS FOR AN AUGUST MOON. With many of the great directors nailed-on classics already available in spruce new editions, theres a sense that were getting to the bottom of the barrel here; Bava himself practically disowned the film. But that doesnt mean there isnt a lot to enjoy.
The whodunit plot is pure nonsense about a group of acquaintances assembled on an island. Among them is Professor Gerry Farrell (William Berger), the focus of some interest having just invented an amazing new formula for industrial resin. Exciting stuff that industrial resin. Industrialist George Stark (Teodor Corrà), his business partner Nick (Maurice Poli) and Nicks cohort Jack (Renato Rossini) each offer a cool million dollars for the patent, while their various wives and lovers (Ira von Fürstenberg, Edith Meloni, Helene Ronee) slink around providing background plot and counterplot. Theres also the oddball teenager Isabelle (Justine Gall), the groundskeepers daughter pinballing through the middle of everything.
Resin aside, the set-up of a landlocked group of suspects with a killer in their midst dispatching them one-by-one is clearly indebted to Agatha Christies AND THEN THERE WERE NONE (AKA Ten Little Indians and, before that, something worse). Bavas dislike of that novel apparently matched his contempt for the short-notice project he found himself directing, which perhaps explains some of his more perverse decisions. Principal among those is the way in which the deaths arguably the point of a giallo, and markedly more energetic in Bavas previous BLOOD AND BLACK LACE and subsequent BAY OF BLOOD happen offscreen and were only shown the bloody aftermaths. The comparative lack of gratuitous flesh also seems odd given the presence of softcore queen Edwige Fenech. And the solution to the mystery is whatever.
Nevertheless, what you do get is a great running joke about storing bodies in the deep freeze; a crazily psychedelic score by Piero Umiliani; and Antonio Rinaldis vibrant cinematography. If Bavas off his game, everyone else is firing on all cylinders.
THE DISC
As ever, its startling and strange to watch a Bava film in as handsomely restored a condition as this. It isnt perfect there are still lines and crackles on the source print that clearly couldnt be remedied but Arrows 1080p overhaul is obviously a marked improvement on whatever ropey DVD or ancient VHS youve had to make do with previously. Although the dubbing remains terrible, regardless of whether you choose to watch the film in English or Italian. Theres an isolated music track, and a fun commentary by Bava expert Tim Lucas. If his attempt to rescue FIVE DOLLS reputation doesnt quite convince, its at least an earnest and informative attempt.
The main extra feature is an hour-long documentary on Bava from 2000, narrated by British critic Mark Kermode and featuring on-screen contributions from Joe Dante, John Carpenter, Tim Burton and Kermodes contemporary Kim Newman. Its a decent retrospective, but it sits oddly alongside the film it accompanies: underlining FIVE DOLLS status as an inessential Bava footnote by never once mentioning it at all.
