Director:
Mario Bava
Cast:
Barbara Steele….Katia Vajda / Princess Asa Vajda
John Richardson….Dr. Andre Gorobec
Andrea Checchi….Dr. Thomas Kruvajan
Ivo Garrani….Prince Vajda
Arturo Dominici…Igor Javutich / Javuto
Starz Home Entertainment presents Black Sunday. Screenplay by Ennio De Concini & Mario Serandrei. Running time: 87 minutes. Unrated. Theatrical release: Feb 15, 1961. DVD released Oct. 23, 2007.
The Movie
Before Dario Argento and Lucio Fulci, Mario Bava made the Italian cinema scream. He proved that red sauce could be heartily applied to more than pasta in studio canteens of Rome. After years of being a cinematographer, Bava finally called all the shots as director on Black Sunday a.k.a. The Mask of Satan. The result was more than a foreign knock-off of a Hollywood title. Fans of horror were treated to a film that captured the black and white atmosphere of the classic Universal Monster movies with the intense visual shock of the Hammer Horrors.
The first six minutes of Black Sunday announced that this movie wasn’t going to weakly jolt the audience with a ghoul in a rubber mask like lesser films from nearly five decades ago. This Italian import was truly a film not for the weak of heart. The opening scene features the judgement and execution of witch (or vampire) by a black robed inquisition panel. The heretic turns out to be the sister of the judge. He disapproved of her relationship with another guy and Satan. Some people can’t handle the news that their siblings are into threesomes. Instead of dragging her on The Jerry Springer Show, she’s tortured to death in a misty field by hooded body builders (actors taking a break for their normal Gladiator roles). First she has the brand of Satan burned into her back. There’s a close up of the freshly roasted flesh. The shot sizzles. Instead of begging for sibling compassion, she curses the family. She promises to return to life through the blood of his children’s children. Then she receives the gruesome Mask of Satan. The inside of the mask has giant spikes. A bodybuilder smashes a giant mallet onto the mask. Blood flows. The rains come after they toss her on a pyre. Instead of a cremation, she’s deposited in the family crypt. Two hundred years later, her curse goes into overdrive when her body is disturbed.
Early reports hinted that the AIP cut of Black Sunday would also be included on this DVD. While it’s a shame that its missing, the American version had the violent moments snipped. Who wants to watch less of the good stuff? You need to drink your Bava straight.
While certain horror movies lose their edge with time, Black Sunday still has the power to captivate and startle. The defiance on Barbara Steele’s face as her fate approaches is immortal. You feel her curse as it flings off her lips. She’s great playing the dual roles of the damned and the innocent relatives. Bava’s camera captures the foreboding. As long as you can get over the dub job, you’ll be thrilled. Because of the international casts, they rarely did location sound on Italian sets. The dialogue was created in the ADR department so there is no true audio version.
For those curious about vintage Italian horror, Black Sunday is the first film you need to put in the DVD player. If you can handle the first six minutes, you’ll appreciate the remaining 81.
The DVD
VIDEO:
The picture is 1.66:1 anamorphic. The black bars run on the side of the screen. The transfer shows off the creepy monochromatic atmosphere.
AUDIO:
The soundtrack is in mono. Tim Lucas, who is finishing up a biography of Bava, gives the commentary. He straightens out story elements that were lost in translation such as why witches and vampires seem interchangeable when mentioned by the characters. He mentions how the AIP cut varied from this international version. No subtitles.
EXTRAS:
International Trailer (3:26) has the film listed as Mask of Satan. Folks in the theater got a good idea that this wasn’t a cheesy horror flick.
US Trailer (2:05) plays up the terror. AIP teased with the good stuff from the opening scene.
TV Spot (0:21) is just a drawing of Barbara Steele as the announcer dares you to stare into her eyes.
Poster and Still Gallery has 30 images from production stills, posters and lobby cards. Best is a shot of the Allen theater covered in Black Sunday promotions. There was a time when theaters did more than slap up a poster and change the marquee.
Talent Bios has text histories for Mario Bava and Barbara Steele.
