Mario bavas gothic cult classic stars barbara steele as a woman executed as a witch, but not before pronouncing a curse on her executors. Watch black sunday 1960 full movie free streaming online. Black sunday 1960, aka mask of satan, marked mario bavas directorial debut after twenty years as a cinematographer and uncredited assistant director. This is gothic horror at its best, it just looks stunning. Black sunday 1977 supermarkt 1974 subwaystories tales from the underground 1997 radio inside 1994 appointment at eleven 1959 memories of murder 1990 uno koichiro no nurete noru 1982 cat girls gamblers naked flesh paid into the pot 1965 domination 1994 american guinea pig bouquet of guts and gore 2014. While not discussed as much as psycho or the early hammer films, this remains a classic and a must see for fans of the genre. One day in each century, it is said that satan walks amongst us, and to the god fearing, this day is known as black sunday. From the gloomy family vaults to the forest where danger awaits on the young peasant girl to the doomed castle where a family tries to fight against a mysterious curse. Black sunday the mask of satan mario bava gold dust woman. In the seventeenth century, the devil appeared amidst the people of moldovia, and those who served him were monstrous beings, avidly thirsting for human blood. According to actor mel welles, the low budget the little shop of horrors 1960 which had only received limited distribution by filmgroup, was picked up by american international pictures as a second feature for black sunday 1960 as horror films at that time were customarily released in double features.
But if you are looking for something that is both traditional in atmosphere and visuals but with a bit of a edge to it, i highly recommend black sunday. Black sunday is also a very well acted film with a magnetic performance by actress barbara steele. Film illiterate, wherein the proprietor records movies seen, and sporadic progress through assorted lists of the best. On such a tight budget bava made a film that will stay in the memory long after its watched. Showcasing a wealth of stylistic and energetic camera angles with hauntingly baroque atmospherics, black sunday is bava at his finest, and the film is a true classic of italian gothic horror which astonishes with a mix of evocative visuals and gore. Mario bavas black sunday 1960 isnt just a horror film classic, its one of the alltime greats in any film genre. With barbara steele, john richardson, andrea checchi, ivo garrani. In fact, the film s original title, the mask of satan, is derived from this particular scene.
As mentioned above, the look of black sunday is simply perfect. Savant wrote another article about cuts made to black sunday when it was imported to england and america, censorship for a celebrated horror film. An interesting note on the making of the mask of satan 1960 is that bava made changes thoughout production because of uncertainities about the screenplay. Mario bava used many of the film s motifs and themes for the whip and the body1964. Check out our patreon page and join our horror family. In fact, the films original title, the mask of satan, is derived from this particular scene. Black sunday is a quite good film and is classy and sophisticated but is safe and polite. If youre a fan of classic cinema, or old horror films then this is a must. Beautifully shot, bavas film possesses atmosphere that. Like a number of films of the 1960s, black sunday helped move horror films away from the universal classics approach and into what we consider modern. The mask of satan or black sunday is mario bavas first film and its an amazing debut. Mario bava used many of the films motifs and themes for the whip and the body1964. Its a great example of black and white as well, showcasing the mixture of light and dark to eerie effect.
Bava has no match when it comes to use the light the settings and the soundtrack. Black sunday is a film directed by mario bava with barbara steele, john richardson, andrea checchi, ivo garrani, year. Mario bavas black sunday 1960 retrospective analysis. Black sunday is a blood feast for the eyes overflowing with an endless array of expertly constructed set pieces showing just how colorful black and white photography can be in the hands of a master proficient in fantasy and the macabre. The lack of colour means the film doesnt look quite as lush as 1963s black sabbath, but the film still holds up well after all these years. Dec 26, 2017 in 1960, mario bava directed this film about witchcraft. Black sunday the mask of satan barbara steele full. The original trailer of the mask of satan directed by mario bava and starring barbara steele, john richardson, andrea checchi, ivo garrani and arturo dominici. Inspired by the myriad tales of suffering that proliferated in black sundays wake, the. The film uses basic action film elements to create something intense and doesnt overdo anything like so many recent action films. A vengeful witch and her fiendish servant return from the grave and begin a bloody campaign to possess the body of the witchs beautiful lookalike descendant, with only the girls brother and a handsome doctor standing in her way. Black sunday 1960 mario bava synopsis, characteristics. Black sunday is one of the best gothic horror films ever made, because the atmosphere is so damn impeccable.
It features barbara steele as a witch that was condemned to wear the mask of satan. Its a black and white work and had it been filmed in color it would not have been better. Black sunday also known as the mask of satan and revenge of the vampire in the uk, is a 1960 italian gothic horror film directed by mario bava from a. Like a number of films of the 1960 s, black sunday helped move horror films away from the universal classics approach and into what we consider modern horror. Bavas major innovation was favoring thrilling visuals and european eroticism still radical for 1960 over story.
Black sunday 1977 film black sunday is a 1977 american thriller film directed by john frankenheimer, based on thomas harris novel of the same name. An interesting note on the making of the mask of satan1960 is that bava made changes thoughout production because of uncertainities about the screenplay. Even today, the film is regularly cited as one of the greatest horror movies of all time and scream queen barbara steele is still known as one of the most beautiful bad girls in horror history. Only the girls brother and a handsome doctor stand in her way. The movies style, cinematography and story harkens back to older gothic horror films of the 1930s. Mario bavas feature length debut black sunday is a stunning gothic horror film that still manages to terrify decades after its release. Black sunday original 1960 release film poster directed by mario bava produced by.
A vengeful witch and her fiendish servant return from the grave and begin a bloody campaign to possess the body of the witchs beautiful lookalike descendant. For students of horror, 1960 is remembered as the year of peeping tom and psycho. Oct 18, 20 the film moves at a brisk pace, but there are some confusing dub lines and poor dub performances that keep it from firing on all cylinders. Stare into these eyes, reads the tagline for 1960s black sunday, mario bavas first and most celebrated feature, and a gold standard for a. The film moves at a brisk pace, but there are some confusing dub lines and poor dub performances that keep it from firing on all cylinders. In 1960, mario bava directed this film about witchcraft.
Black sunday itself would go on to influence later films such as tim burtons sleepy hollow 1999 and bram stokers. This gothic fairy tale, loosely inspired by nikolai gogols short story the vij faithfully adapted as viy, proved the ideal launch for a director who began life as a painter and son of a cinematographer. Originally started after regretfully renting something forgettable for the third time. It was an adaptation of the short story viy by nikolai gogol. As opposed to hammers product, the italian horror film placed an emphasis on sadism, particularly facial mutilation. Black sunday is a film crammed with surreal and still shocking imagery. Black sunday is a 1977 american thriller film directed by john frankenheimer, based on thomas harris novel of the same name. Barbara steele became an icon of horror films the way christopher lee did when he played dracula, when she played the role of a vampire witch princess. Savant wrote another article about cuts made to black sunday when it was imported to england and america, censorship for a. Apr 15, 2019 remembering black sunday, 80 years later.
Find out where black sunday 1960 is streaming, if black sunday 1960 is on netflix, and get news and updates, on decider. Often described as a gothic masterpiece, black sundays atmosphere rivals that of both the archetypical universal monster movies which inspired it and the classic hammer horror titles that would follow. Mario bava would later helm other great horror films, but black sunday still reigns as one of his. Like a number of films of the 1960s, black sunday helped move horror films away from the universal classics approach and into what we consider modern horror. Mario bavas black sunday is a classic, beautifully filmed and gorgeously atmospheric throughout. The film was produced by robert evans, and stars robert shaw, bruce dern, and marthe keller. Black sunday 1960 original trailer hd 1080p youtube.
The film had a longer shooting schedule and a higher budget than many of its contemporaries, and the added care paid off. During the 1960s and 1970s he helped to pioneer both giallo and slasher films. Made in 1960 and now considered a cult classic, it continues to reverberate through the cinema, inspiring and influencing. Though gruesomely executed for her crimes, vampiric witch asa makes good on her threat to. Before then, throughout the 1950s, he was an effective cinematographer who did some milestone jobs, often taking over when other directors walked away from projects.
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