Black Sunday | 
 enlarge | Director: Mario Bava
Actors: Barbara Steele, John Richardson
Studio: Starz / Anchor Bay
Category: DVD
List Price: $19.97
Buy New: $9.61
You Save: $10.36 (52%)
New (40) Used (10) from $9.00
Avg. Customer Rating:  84 reviews
Sales Rank: 40642
Format: Color, Dvd-video, Ntsc
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 86
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: 13303
UPC: 013131330397
EAN: 0013131330397
ASIN: B000UVV238
Theatrical Release Date: 1960
Release Date: October 23, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Factory Sealed. Satisfaction guaranteed. We ship daily.
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
The reigning masterpiece of Italian horror cinema, Mario Bava's Black Sunday remains one of the most stylishly photographed of all horror films, ranking with any other black-and-white film of lasting repute. This was the master cameraman's official directorial debut, and his striking compositions are the work of a genuine artist in peak form. Loosely adapted from a story by Nikolai Gogol, this chilling vampire tale begins in 17th-century Moldavia, where the evil Princess Asa (Barbara Steele) is executed for witchcraft and vampirism, along with her brother Javutich (Arturo Dominici). Two centuries later, a pair of traveling doctors discover Asa's crypt and inadvertently revive the evil princess, whose scheme of vampiric revenge is aimed at her own identical descendant Princess Katia, an innocent beauty (also played by Steele) whose lifeblood will ensure Asa's immortality. Influenced by Universal's classic horror films of the '30s and British Hammer films of the late '50s, Black Sunday (released in Italy as The Mask of Satan) is a dark fairy tale, with horror queen Steele as the definitive embodiment of erotic horror. With shocking violence (tame by today's standards) and visual emphasis on tombs, secret passages, ominous castles, and unseen forces, the film offers a wealth of memorable imagery and inventive technique. Redubbed, rescored, and harshly edited for its American release in 1961, Black Sunday is presented on DVD in the original English-language director's cut of The Mask of Satan, never before available in the U.S. The perfect movie to watch on a dark and stormy night, this timeless classic is the Citizen Kane of horror films, entirely worthy of its lofty reputation. --Jeff Shannon
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 79 more reviews...
 Dubbed Version. December 15, 2008
I hate watching dubbed movies. I would much rather watch a film with sub-titles than hear some goofball voice-overs. The only thing worse is Black Sabbath (the film) because it was shot in English, then dubbed in Italian!!!
 Awesome November 29, 2008
Superbly atmospheric, very well written, dark, and dramatic movie, this movie will keep you entranced. Its a great movie to see with the lights out, and you wont be disappointed for a second! Excellent extras too both in previews of other movies of the time and promos for this movie. I highly recommend this one, its the first by this director and its easy to see why its such a cult classic!!!
Scared the bejasus outta me! October 21, 2008
I saw this movie in the theater when I was 12 years old. I've never forgotten it as being one of the scariest movies I'd ever seen. Gave me nightmares but the thing I remember the most was Barbara Steele having the mask removed from her face. I was on the edge of my seat hanging on for dear life. What a thrill! I thought she was the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen. I love this movie. It is a cult movie and worthy of it's status. This would be a great halloween movie for the older kids.
A frightening cult movie that links shadows and hallucinations with bizarre intensity! September 26, 2008
We are in Moldavia, 1630. The beautiful princess asia and her lover Javuto are sent to death by Asia's brother. But Asa, who is a vampire put a curse on her brother's descendants and vows to get for revenge.
Two centuries later, 1830, Dr. Choma and his assitant, Andre Gorobec travel through Moldavia. They are travelling by coach and a coach wheel breaks. So as it may be expected they have to continue on foot in the direction of a howling voice. Eventually they discover the tomb of Asa. A bat attacks Choma, he cuts his hand and the spilled blood drips onto Asa`s face.
When they leave the crypt they find Katia who looks like a twin of Asa, who tells them about her impoverished existence with his brother and his father. While Asa is revived thanks to Choma's blood. She calls for Javuto and so he obeys her and he goes the castle and enter the Prince's room.
But Choma mistakenly thinks Javuto is Boris, the servant of Katia and is fatally
ambushed. He will become vampire due Asa sucks blood from his neck.Choma kills the Prince and then Asa asks for Javuto tio bring her to Katia because her blood will become her immortal.
This is basically the main dramatic structure of a film based on a story of Gogol The Vij. The result was quite successful, not only because the full rounded and anguishing plot but the way the legend, the curse, the horror and the vengeance interweave roles becoming perhaps one of the three most reminded horror films ever made in the history of cinema.
Gorgeously sinister.... September 25, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I've only seen a handful of Mario Bava's films, but the ones I've seen I've liked very much (Kill Baby Kill, Twitch of the Death Nerve, Baron Blood, Lisa and the Devil, Blood and Black Lace), but this one is definitely my favorite. It's a sinisterly gorgeous film, shot in shimmering black and white. Bava's use of light and shadow is really astonishing at times, reminiscent of Dreyer's Vampyr and Harvey's Carnival of Souls (two great horror films in their own right). Even though the dialogue is a little stilted, the look and ambience of the film is so beautiful and so strong that you can overlook the soundtrack and just enjoy the amazing (and I mean amazing) visuals. Bava was also a cinemtographer (and a production designer at times), and he directed and also shot this film (and does an amazing job at both). This is a really old fashioned horror film, not one with blood and gore, but with incredible style and panache, something sorely missing from most horror films today. Honestly, I don't remember much about the story here, because the film is so beguiling terrifying. Steele is magnificent in her lead role, the cinematography is outstanding, and the film is one of the finest films from the still underestimated filmography of Mario Bava.
|
|
|
