Night 16: ‘Black Sunday’ (1960)

Also known under the name: ‘The Mask of Satan’, this classic horror film by Mario Bava has enough scary images to haunt your nightmares.

A curse falls upon the descendants of an old family, who once upon a time sentenced a witch (Barbara Steele) and her lover (Arturo Dominici) to death. Now, years later, the beautiful but melancholic Katia, who bears a striking resemblance to the witch, is faced with several tragedies, as two travelers stumble upon the witch’s tomb and mistakenly awaken her from her slumber.

This tale of witches, the Devil and a long-lasting revenge starts with a bang, showing us the shocking, merciless punishments of Asa and her lover. The camera traps us behind the same spiked mask that will destroy the witch’s beautiful face, and we can almost feel the blow that will nail it to her skin on ours.

It’s a great and shocking introduction, which, unfortunately, won’t be surpassed by any of the things that occur afterwards. However, to the movie’s credit, it is gorgeously shot, presenting beautiful settings, scenes and haunting frames that build an effectively creepy imagery.

Its weakness relies mostly in the insertion of a romantic plot that feels quite rushed and becomes impossibly melodramatic; as well as a resolution that depends on this obligatory romance, yet ends up seeming forced and anticlimactic.

If anything, give it a watch for the first act, in which the film truly plays its best cards.

Grade: 6/10. Good start, sloppy ending.

Scare Factor: some really creepy moments.

Gore/violence: nothing too graphic.

Nudity/sexual situations: none.

Next: ‘Peeping Tom’ (1960)