Rating: 
Summary: A Masterpiece Of Horror
Review: "Black Sunday" is a beautifully filmed horror movie, filled with stunning visual images. The movie successfully combined the gothic sets and black and white cinematography featured in the Universal horror films, with the then current Hammer movie elements of gore, sadism and sex. This DVD version is the unedited, English-dubbed, import version. While the dubbed voices take some getting used to, getting to see all of the scenes in their entirety more than makes up for that. Many scenes stand out in particular. A spiked mask of Satan is nailed into the witch's face, causing blood to gush out and drip down her neck. 200 years later, the glass cover of the witch's stone coffin is accidentally broken. Scorpions crawl out of her eye sockets. A few drops of blood from the broken glass drip down on her face, causing her eyeballs to reappear as she is brought back to life. The witch's stone coffin explodes as she regains her powers. She summons her lover, who was executed with her 200 years before, to rise from the dead. He claws his way out of his grave in a scary scene. Later, we see the zombie driving a ghostly carriage. At first, the coach approaches silently in slow motion. After he picks up his passenger, the zombie whips the horses into a frenzy, a maniacal look on his weathered face. This movie made an international star of Barbara Steele, who played both the evil witch and her virginal descendant. It also launched the career of director Mario Bava, who went on to direct several fine films. "Black Sunday" is a classic film that serves as the perfect link between the stylish horror movies that preceded it, and the graphic horror films that were to follow.
Rating:
Summary: Bava, Steele, and Lucas make this movie a keeper
Review: "Black Sunday" is widely regarded as one of Mario Bava's strongest films in a career filled with over a dozen bona fide horror/giallo/goth classics. On one level, "Black Sunday" is something of a red herring for the director, a black and white film which reminds one more--on first glance--of the classic '30s Universal horror stories than of later color-laden works like "Black Sabbath" or "Planet of The Vampires." However, "Black Sunday" is where Bava began as a solo director, and he hits a home run the first time out with this eerie tale.Barbara Steele is perfectly cast as both the evil vampiress risen from the dead as well as her modern descendant, a more demure but surprisingly strong heiress. This performance cemented her reputation as one of the earliest "scream queens," and in this film there are plenty of opportunities to display her talents as one of the finest reactors (as opposed to actors) in cinema history. Her expressive eyes and eyebrows--and voice-- always let the viewer know exactly what her character is feeling. Modern viewers may be wary that the film is in black and white, but this remains one of the most beautifully shot films I've ever seen. When done the right way, black and white photography can be far more evocative than color photography--not to slight such Bava devotees as Argento, who obviously have copied his later penchant for color. The camerawork, especially a 360 turn displaying the entire dungeon, is always impressive; rumor has it that Bava often used a child's wagon as a dolly to save money. The DVD of "Black Sunday" is exemplary not only due to the beauty of the transfer but also Tim Lucas' commentary. This is one of the finest commentaries done by an "outsider" (i.e. someone who did not direct or star in the film) I have ever heard. Lucas, a historian, is known by many as the author of fine liner notes for DVDs for Bava and Jess Franco (eg, "Vampyros Lesbos"); here, he talks almost nonstop about every aspect of the film and its director. Never dull, sometimes funny, this is a commentary which will teach you more about Mario Bava in 80 minutes than you could learn surfing the web all day.
Rating: 
Summary: Mario Bava's masterpiece--a prerequisite for horror buffs
Review: "In the 17th century, Satan was abroad on the Earth and great was the wrath against those monstrous beasts thirsty for human blood that traditions have given the name of vampires." Such is the opening narration of the Masks of Satan, or Black Sunday. Princess Asa is burned by the inquisition of the High Court of Moldavia, who have also executed her partner-in-crime, Igor Javutic. She curses the House of Vajda, and her face affixed with the mask of satan, a facial iron maiden. There is an effective closeup of her frightened face before the masked executioner slams a heavy wooden sledge onto the satanic mask! Ouch, that's really gotta hurt! She would've been burned at the stake and that would be the end of it, had it not been for a thunderstorm. Instead, she is interred in her crypt and Javutic buried in unconsecrated ground. Two centuries pass, say sometime in the 1840's. I say that due to the coachman's remark of having fought Napoleon's army, and estimating his age. Asa is accidentally awakened by Dr. Kruvayan, the older of two Russian doctors en route to a medical conference. Soon after, a slew of deaths involving anyone connected with the House of Vajda occur, and Princess Katya, who is a dead ringer for Asa, seems to be the prime target. She is helped by Andrei Gorobek, Kruvayan's younger colleague, who has taken a shine to her, and vows to get to the bottom of things ("We're in the presence of some unnatural mystery.") Barbara Steele is brilliant here as the gentle but frightened Katya, and as the strong and evil Asa, scoring better in the latter role, with lines such as "Don't you feel joy in the beauty of hating?" and "Come kiss me, my lips will transform you." The scars on her face from the mask are explicit for 1960. As for Igor Javutic, the painting of him resembles a painting of Vlad the Impaler I've seen in a book on Dracula, and Arturo Dominici is perfect realized as a live incarnation of said painting. Horror is not just madmen slashing away at nubile young women, but the tense atmosphere created by the dark forces at work. The resurrection of Javutic is just one example. And the scene where the Prince of Vajda notices the change in the painting and sees the mask appear in his hot toddy is accompanied by dramatic music, most of which is chilling. However, in scenes between Andrei and Katya, some romantic Rachmaninoff-sounding piano comes on cue. Black Sunday really set the stage for effective horror films. It's full of scary effects: eerie wind blowing, a thunderstorm with lightning, invisible forces at work, secret passages, vampires with claws, and realistic corpses. And its being shot in black-and-white gives a boost to the cinematography and lighting.
Rating:
Summary: Barbara Steele in La Maschera del Demonio!
Review: "Black Sunday" begins with a warning that the film is only for "persons with mature minds," which explains in part why the film was banned in several countries. In 17th-century Moldavia the high priestess of Satan, Princess Asa Vaida (Barbara Steele) and her love, Jauvitch (Arturo Domenici) are executed by her brother. Asa promises to return from the dead and destroy the descendants of the House of Vaida. Asa is executed by having the Mask of Satan, lined with sharp spikes, hammered onto her beautiful face. But before her body can be burned, a sudden rain drowns out the far. Two centuries later Dr. Thomas Kruavajan (Andrea Checchi) and his assistant Dr. Andreas Gorobec (John Richardson) stumble upon Asa's crypt and accidentally set in motion her resurrection. The physicians then visit the Vaida castle and Princess Katia (Steele again). When Katia's father, Prince Vaida (Ivo Garrani) frets that it is Black Sunday, the day when legends says the dead can walk, we know that Asa and Javutich are about to seek their revenge. "Black Sunday" deserves more of an international reputation that its obvious claim to being the best Italian horror film of all time. Certainly this is Steele's finest film role, although she had bit parts in "The Pit and the Pendulum" and Fellini's "8 1/2." "Black Sunday" was directed by Mario Bava, although Lee Kresel is credited with directing the "American version." As a former cinematographer, Bava brought a visual style to this film that is pretty much unparalleled in horror films. The resulting nightmarish scenes easily explain why the film could not make it past British censors for eight years. That fact alone should interest you in this 1960 film, which certainly provides nothing new in terms of the plot but achieves classic status because of Bava's stylistic vision.
Rating:
Summary: An eternal masterpiece !
Review: "Black sunday" is one the best horror movies ever made. The director's debut of Mario Bava is a masterpiece of gothic horror. Barbara Steele is probably the most beautifull actress of this genre. She's really The Goddess of Darkness. The quality of the DVD is very good, however there's only the English version and no Italian. The extras are not extraordinary. It would have been great to see a "making of" or an historical review of italian horror movies with perhaps an interview of the lovely Barbara.
But the fans of "good" horror movies will certainly appreciate this DVD. A pleasure for the eyes and an eternal masterpiece ! Mario Bava was really The "Maestro of the macabre". Thanks to him !
Rating: 
Summary: The heavenly totality of Asa Vadya's eyes
Review: (...) This is certainly a minor stylistic masterpiece. It creates atmosphere that is thick, foreboding, and claustrophobic. The story, however, is not worthy of such a lush, lavish treatment. It just doesn't possess any emotional depth. The whole film is Barbara Steele's eyes. They possess power that the film as a whole simply does not. The fog the film is enveloped in is not pervasive enough to mask the bitter emptiness of the tale being conveyed. It is difficult to criticize the film on its cinematic qualities. Nevertheless, the story does not mesmerize, tantalize or excite beyond those moments when Asa is moaning in her blood ecstasy. Indeed, my grandest (futile) wish was for Asa to slaughter them all and then to hit the road looking for more victims to prey upon. Barbara Steele weeps, shrieks, sighs, faints, screams, moans, gasps, and is undeniably fascinating to watch. She is far more interesting as Asa. As Katia, she is a cipher. She's drained of life and hysterical to boot. Asa has activated her will (if the undead can even be said to possess a will--the will of Satan?). Katia is receptive, helpless and boring. She's just a lonely princess longing for her prince (yawn). It isn't Ms. Steele's fault--the character is simply dismal. She's the "good" girl--she doesn't have to do anything, except mope about in a perfectly awful hairdo. The rest of the cast are perfectly plastic--save for Arturo Dominici as Javutich. He's a fine match for Ms. Steele and wondefully terrible. He has presence that the others lack. Still, the film is simply gorgeous. The story might not be my glass of Absinthe, but the film is still visually stunning. It lacks emotion and depth--but it makes up for it somewhat in the sheer power of its images. Obvious films that clearly map out the binary opposites at play are just not that intriguing. When you know from the start that virtue will win and evil will be destroyed, it kind of takes the thrill out of the whole thing.
Rating:
Summary: The heavenly totality of Asa Vadya's eyes
Review: (...) This is certainly a minor stylistic masterpiece. It creates atmosphere that is thick, foreboding, and claustrophobic. The story, however, is not worthy of such a lush, lavish treatment. It just doesn't possess any emotional depth. The whole film is Barbara Steele's eyes. They possess power that the film as a whole simply does not. The fog the film is enveloped in is not pervasive enough to mask the bitter emptiness of the tale being conveyed. It is difficult to criticize the film on its cinematic qualities. Nevertheless, the story does not mesmerize, tantalize or excite beyond those moments when Asa is moaning in her blood ecstasy. Indeed, my grandest (futile) wish was for Asa to slaughter them all and then to hit the road looking for more victims to prey upon. Barbara Steele weeps, shrieks, sighs, faints, screams, moans, gasps, and is undeniably fascinating to watch. She is far more interesting as Asa. As Katia, she is a cipher. She's drained of life and hysterical to boot. Asa has activated her will (if the undead can even be said to possess a will--the will of Satan?). Katia is receptive, helpless and boring. She's just a lonely princess longing for her prince (yawn). It isn't Ms. Steele's fault--the character is simply dismal. She's the "good" girl--she doesn't have to do anything, except mope about in a perfectly awful hairdo. The rest of the cast are perfectly plastic--save for Arturo Dominici as Javutich. He's a fine match for Ms. Steele and wondefully terrible. He has presence that the others lack. Still, the film is simply gorgeous. The story might not be my glass of Absinthe, but the film is still visually stunning. It lacks emotion and depth--but it makes up for it somewhat in the sheer power of its images. Obvious films that clearly map out the binary opposites at play are just not that intriguing. When you know from the start that virtue will win and evil will be destroyed, it kind of takes the thrill out of the whole thing.
Rating:
Summary: Give The Devil His Due!
Review: A witch betrays her cult, & is sentenced to wear the Mask of Satan, a spiked facial enclosure bearing the image of The Prince of Darkness. Before her punishment, the witch utters a curse in the name of Satan, that she will continue returning throughout the ages, resurrecting by their sons' blood. She becomes vampyr.
The movie begins with a stern warning to the timid & the young, advising that it may be too frighting & disturbing. And so two noblemen {a professor & his apprentice} make their way to the dark castle in the hills. On their way, they uncover the skeletal remains of the Witch, who manages to get a taste of their blood, thus bringing her to life.
The castle itself is wonderfully beset with images of griffins, gargoyles, & dragons --- particular of note, a marvellous draconian tapestry adorning an ornate fireplace, which holds, it will suffice to say, many secrets.
A Satanic Altar is found deep within the bowels of the castle, where the Vampire-Witch sleeps, & a zombie-like Guardian lurks, who bears the Satanic dragon insignia on his chest.
Black Sunday manages to preserve quite an eerie embiance, much like 'The Undead', & will keep you in suspense.
Rating:
Summary: Best-ever transfer (but....)
Review: Actually, my rating for this DVD version of "Black Sunday" would be 5 stars for the video transfer, 5 stars for Bava's cinematography (seen here like never before), 2 stars for the audio transfer, and 3 stars for the overall quality of the film itself. Bava was not a great director, and didn't like to be called a "cinematographer," but this film really is a painting in motion: every scene is a paradigm of Gothicism -- the cinematic equivalent of Gustave Dore. Like other reviewers, I was floored by the print used for this disc: it looks, almost literally, like it was shot yesterday, and it's almost impossible to believe the film is almost 40 years old. If there are other films from this era that look this pristine, I haven't seen them. My only quarrel with the disc has to do with the dubbing. In all honesty, I feel this film sports one of the worst American dubbing jobs ever performed on a film, and the big question (which neither Tim Lucas nor anyone else seems to have raised)is this: WHERE is the original Italian-language version of "Black Sunday," and why wasn't an attempt made to give us the original dialogue with OPTIONAL English subtitles? Mr. Lucas would have us believe that this DVD was the original version, but obviously the entire cast is speaking Italian (duhhh - why else would you have to dub in English?). So, yes, I'm thrilled to have this beautiful print, but hopefully in the future we'll get the original Italian dialogue and not have to endure the abominable dubbing...
Rating:
Summary: Gothic Masterpiece
Review: Although there is a glitch or two in the DVD format, this movie is perhaps the best horror picture ever filmed. Thick, gothic atmosphere sets the scene for wonderful camera work that can only be effective in black and white. Barbara Steele is beautiful,yet spooky, as not only the monster but the victum as well. The garbage to come from hollywood in the last 20 years cannot compare to this horrific masterpiece.
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