Black Sunday

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Logan D @Greynomad38 2d A vampiric witch princess is burned at the stake, vowing to enact revenge on the descendants of her accusers. I never realized how many films are based on Nikolai Gogol's works! This one is inspired by Viy although it doesn't follow that narrative closely. Sporting a simple plot, complexity isn't needed with such striking usage of high-contrast chiaroscuro lighting and effects such as stalking fog, creepy crypts, and impressive practical effects. This film is highly influential, marking Bava's debut as a director and utilizing his skills as a cinematographer impressively. It became a blueprint for future horror. One of the best gothic films I've ever seen. See more Thomas V @TomVee Aug 10 A surprisingly good, albeit low budget Gothic horror film, with a lot to like: a fantastic opening sequence, as well as surprisingly strong cinematography, lighting, and set decoration that quite effectively convey an overall sense of creepiness and darkness throughout. Sure, the acting is over the top and generally not very good, and the script is pretty basic. I should note, however, that this was in English dubbed version, which pretty much dooms the acting. There are also a handful of very cheesy and amateurish special effects. Still, the film succeeds overall. It's nothing to take seriously, but it puts just a bit of a twist on a lot of familiar tropes, and it"s lots of fun. See more acsdoug D @acsdoug Aug 8 Cheap Italian horror flick. total snoozer. See more Nick O @Nicki1985 05/29/2025 Monumental Mario Bava horror! Chock full of Satan worship, witchcraft and demonic possession, making it extremely dark and ahead of it’s time for 1960. See more Hector I @Hector1184BC 04/25/2025 Watching a lot of Gialli these days, I heard about a film that marked the transition from Hammer gothic films to Giallo, Black Sunday or La maschera del demonio! This is a retelling of a story adapted from Gogol's Russian vampire tale Vij, from which Bava didn't keep much. This is a classic Hammer-style gothic story. What's different? The atmosphere is at once “classic” gothic, but something is a little more disturbing; the image is so beautiful, looks so real. There's a hint of German Expressionism in the looks - in fact, everything here goes through the eyes, through appearances.... What changes above all is the graphic violence: the masks and what they inflict is truly terrifying, as is the witch's rebirth. So yes, the dragon on Iavoutitch's outfit is Kitsch and that's a shame, but overall, it's a real success! It also looks like a member of Deep Purple, reminiscent of Argento's soundtracks ;) The demon's mask, the missing link between gothic and giallo films and later slashers? could be good, even if it's more Hammer than Argento, but you can feel a different touch. See more Insomniac X @RT03001349 03/30/2025 Mario Bava's eye for composition and spooky atmosphere elevate what might otherwise have been another run of the mill Dracula knock-off. This period chiller is rich with beautifully framed gothic imagery -- windswept ruins, foggy graveyards, witches, vampires, villagers with pitchforks -- this movie has it all, along with a few moments of startling brutality. Perfect viewing for halloween season. See more Read all reviews

Black Sunday

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