Joseph D
Came upon this gem thanks to Bravo's 100 Scariest Movie Moments of all time. Normally I'm not one for B&W stuff, but this film holds up as a suspenseful thriller.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
10/10/23
Full Review
martin f
One of the best Gothic horror (and Italian horror) out there with a perfect use of Black & white, melancholic dialogues and a surprising amount of gores. The very contrasted black and white puts so much emphasis on the actors' beautiful eyes that you can feel their emotion with their stares alone. It also works very well with the gloomy decors. There is just one short scene filmed differently (with a regular black and white) that took me out for two minutes. There is a lot of old school special effects there, some may feel outdated but they are still captivating and don't spoil the creepy atmosphere.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
03/30/23
Full Review
sean s
It is sad to say that this old black and white movie from 1960 is still better than most of the offerings that I see on Amazon Prime, Netflix and Hulu currently. This film has neat old, spooky black and white photography and sets. Mario Bava is a great atmospheric director and was ahead of his time. Barbara Steele usually puts on a good show and does in this one. What cracks me up about these old movies is that they let the villain, usually a witch or evil wizard, ramble off this long curse upon the village and it's people instead of quickly dispatching them. It is worth a watch.
Rated 4.5/5 Stars •
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
03/31/23
Full Review
William L
Upon first glance of the title, you'd be forgiven for thinking that Black Sunday was another Tyler Perry/Madea movie to ignore, but no, it's one of the great successes of the Italian Master of the Macabre, Mario Bava.
I'll be honest, a lot of this film's plot and setting is heavily inspired by classic Dracula - the old European castle/village, a musty crypt, the characters that become enthralled by a monster, the pursuit of a beautiful woman, a creature in repose in a coffin, it's pretty familiar stuff. So where does Bava distinguish his film? It's in the atmosphere, pacing, and visuals; few films have so clearly captured the Gothic tone or aesthetic as well as Black Sunday, particularly in the initial establishment of the premise. There's a great balance of mystery, tropes, solemnity, and set design that creates a totally convincing horror narrative. There are weaknesses as the film ventures into almost Scooby-Doo territory in the last half-hour or so as the plot becomes more cohesive, with a series of hidden passageways and the "gang getting split up" to fall through trapdoors, but the early segments are so convincing that it's easy to overlook the later problems for the sake of enjoyment. However, the slow pacing and some of the inconsistencies may be a turn-off for some.
Also, they couldn't just wait for it to stop raining to burn this witch? Nah, just confine her to a crypt with the very real potential to revive instead of planning the witch BBQ for next Tuesday. (3.5/5)
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
06/14/21
Full Review
Emil T
I understand that these older films were limited when it came to design, make-up, effects, etc., but a movie can't rely simply on its story to remain a "great" piece of work. Sure, it may have a legacy that will ensure its status in the world of cinema, but that doesn't mean the film (as a whole) is any good.
'Black Sunday' is a prime example. If this was made in the '80s we'd all laugh at it and call it a cheesy B-movie destined for obscurity. We don't HAVE to say something is great just because it is old, or was the first to implement a cinematic standard, or ushered in a new style of filmmaking. Perhaps it was something special back in the '60s, but this movie did not stand the test of time.
Rated 2/5 Stars •
Rated 2 out of 5 stars
01/07/21
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Audience Member
The Mask of Satan it's absolutely a true gothic horror masterpiece it's really beautiful and scary experience by the great Mario Bava.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
10/22/20
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