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Black Sunday

Actor(s): Barbara Steele, John Richardson, Ivo Garrani, Andrea Checchi, Arturo Dominici
Director(s): Mario Bava
4

Details

MPAA Rating: NR
Content Advisory: Violence, Not For Children
Movie Release: 1960
DVD Release: 12/14/1999
Format: DVD - Black and White,Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
SwapaDVD Credits: 1
Number of Discs: 1
Run Time: 1 hrs 27 mins
Studio: Image Entertainment
Members Wishing: 10
Genres: Horror, Supernatural Horror, Costume Horror, Gothic Film
See Also: Black Sunday

Synopsis

Generally considered to be the foremost example of Italian Gothic horror, this darkly atmospheric black-and-white chiller put director Mario Bava on the international map and made the bewitching Barbara Steele a star. Steele plays Princess Asa, a high priestess of Satan who is gruesomely executed in 1600s Moldavia by having a spiked mask hammered into her face. Before she dies, Asa vows revenge on the family who killed her and returns from the grave two centuries later to keep her promise. In a striking resurrection scene replete with bats, scorpions and fog, Asa rises from the tomb to claim her bloody vengeance. With vampires, bubbling flesh, dank crypts, undead servants and torch-bearing mobs, the plot is a little ripe, but the visuals are Bava's primary consideration. The atmosphere is so heavy and the imagery so dense that the film becomes nearly too rich in texture, but the sheer, ghastly beauty of it all is entrancing. Although this was only the second of Bava's twenty-six films as director, it is undoubtedly his best and the one upon which most of his considerable reputation rests. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide

Cast

Barbara Steele - Asa / Katia
John Richardson - Dr. Andre Gorobec
Ivo Garrani - Prince Vaida
Andrea Checchi - Dr. Tomas Kruvajan
Arturo Dominici - Javuto

Editorial Review

Director Mario Bava's influential Black Sunday (aka The Mask of Satan) is a gorgeous, Gothic treat on this special edition DVD. This version is considered to be the director's cut, as the original North American release of Black Sunday was a censored hatchet job. The 1.66:1 widescreen presentation is consistently beautiful; the high-contrast black-and-white cinematography has never looked better in a home theater. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono is a bit quiet, but it's free of any hiss or crackle. The movie's visuals are so stylish that the lack of dynamics in the sound department is a bit surprising; the sometimes awkward dubbing and tinny score definitely take a back seat to the visual compositions. Supplemental features give historical and thematic background for Bava and the film itself. Film historian Tim Lucas' audio commentary might be best described as overly geeky; though he provides worthwhile insight, his approach is almost that of a literature professor. He concentrates too heavily on symbolism and reads too much into minor gestures of the actors instead of focusing on the movie's production. Also, it's quite clear that Lucas is reading every line of the commentary, so it comes off a bit stilted and passionless. Also included is a dated but fun theatrical trailer and a photo and poster gallery that plays automatically as a series of 31 chapters, in a virtual slide show where the image changes every three seconds; still, the promotional material from the movie's release in no way lives up to the style of the movie. The Mario Bava biography is actually more of an annotated filmography, where Lucas provides brief information regarding most of Bava's movies; the filmography is an attempt to list all of Bava's official movie credits. A similar filmography is provided for actress Barbara Steele. A chapter index provides direct access to all of the DVD's 15 chapters. Outside of the staid supplemental material, this DVD is a stunning presentation of Black Sunday. ~ Tim DiGravina, All Movie Guide