Reviews (20)

Good for the kids...
I saw this movie as a child and still remembered many scenes...although I didn't remember that most of the movie is dubbed for English...even many of the scenes with Kirk Douglas... The DVD audio wasn't very good...but not hearing any other version (either VHS or broadcast) I don't really have anything to compare it to. Perhaps they're bad on other media types too, or I guess that with DVD's we've just come to expect too much...;)... The kids enjoyed the story very much. Nothing really objectionable.

Kirk Douglas as Ulysses in an impressive failure from Italy
"Ulysses" is an impressive failure, an admirable attempt to bring Homer's epic "The Odyssey" to the big screen that ultimately fails to click. Kirk Douglas plays "Ulysses" (the Latin version of Odysseus, which makes sense since this was an Italian film directed by Mario Camerini and produced by Dino De Laurentis and Carlo Ponti. The story in the film actually begins with the end of the Trojan War and Ulysses' strategem of the Trojan Horse. After sacking the city Ulysses and his men head for home, but the next thing we now our hero is washed up on the shore of an island suffering from amnesia. With the help of a beautiful young princess (Rossana Podesta), he eventually remembers everything that happened to him and his men during the past several years and that he has a wife waiting for him back home. Of course, she is trying to put off all those suitors who insist her husband is dead and that she should remarry. The best idea in this film was having actress Silvana Mangano play both Penelope, Ulysses' wife, and Circe, the sorceress who keeps our hero for several years on his magical isle. However, the English dubbing of the film is painfully reminiscent of a SNL gladiator film sketch and the script, worked on by seven writers including Irwin Shaw and Ben Hecht, is too obviously a cut and paste job. Anthony Quinn is wasted in this 1954 film as Antinous, which will remind you more of those Italian he-man movies than a Hollywood epic. The set designs are quite impressive and the sequence with the Cyclops has some good moments, but overall "Ulysses" just lacks fire.

This is a question not a review
Almost half of world population speak Spanish. Why do not you edit this clasic movie with subtitles (at least) in Spanish?

Fun flick...I wish someone would dig up the original 3-D
Not many people know that ULYSSES was shot in 3-D, but it only released in flat 2-D form as the craze was over by the time the film was completed. I wish someone would try to locate the original 3-D elements so we could see this film as intended!

More of a satire then anything else.
What can I say. This was made by the same film company that made all those low budget Hercules movies. Kirk Douglas is somewhat amusing in the part but the cheesy effects and art direction will make you turn the movie off in five minutes. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

The First Giallo!
In my opinion, this film is the first giallo. This movie gave birth to what filmakers like Dario Argento & others have popularized in the late 60s & throughout the 70s & 80s as a specific genre of horror film. Bava used the now-familiar use of the gloved & hooded killer killing beautiful women in a variety of sadistic ways. In Argento's films like DEEP RED, TENEBRE, THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMMAGE, & his latest one SLEEPLESS (aka NON HO SONNO), one can see the homage or formula that he used to make these films successful & effective. And it can all be traced back to this 1964 film, BLOOD & BLACK LACE (aka SEI DONNE PER L'ASSASSINO).

Bava used lavish sets, deep colors, fluid camera work, & the familiar thin narrative in this movie that is copied later on by Argento, Fulci, & yes, even American directors like Brian De Palma & John Carpenter. The storytelling in this movie is rather weak as to what set off the murders of those lovely models. Instead, this film relies more on STYLE & loads of it. And the rervelation on who the killer is... well, I won't spoil it.

BLOOD & BLACK LACE is an exercise in style & taste. It's like watching a beautifully choreographed ballet of death with brutal intensity & violence.

I would also go so far as to name this film the FIRST TRUE "BODYCOUNT" horror film.

To modern horror film fans, BLOOD & BLACK LACE may not be your cup of tea. But watch it & relish it for it is a feast for your eyes. The mesmerizing beauty of Bava's genius is a sight to behold.

A Landmark Horror Movie
Mario Bava, the founding father of Italian horror (see my BLACK SUNDAY/THE MASK OF SATAN review), was a real trendsetter with his innovative camera tricks (he was a cameraman as well) and cinematic mastery. Every one of his movies changed the face of horror worldwide. But BLOOD AND BLACK LACE may just well be the most influential and ground-breaking movie in his distinguished career!
A fashion house in Italy becomes a slaughterhouse when the diary of one of the models is discovered. It seems that there is some unsavory material within the diary concerning the models. Everyone is after the diary, and in fact somebody even goes as far as to bump off a few people for the diary. Who will survive?
See folks, this is where the Italian giallo, the career of Dario Argento (my favorite Italian horror director), and the slasher film began. When I saw BLOOD AND BLACK LACE, I gained a new understanding of Italian horror and how cool it is. It's all right here: wild camera moves (achieved on a red wagon!), lighting in different colors (echoing EC Comics long before George Romero gave it a shot in CREEPSHOW and even before the first TALES FROM THE CRYPT movie in 1972), gorgeous but ill-fated women, psychosexually motivated mayhem, and of course truly awesome murder sequences! Yes indeed, we can all thank Mario Bava for the state of Italian horror in its heyday and for all those slasher movies that have come out recently because Mario Bava singlehandedly shaped the state of modern, non-Gothic/supernatural horror in just 90 minutes of murder and mayhem!
VCI's DVD is a testament to this movie's significance in horror history. The audio commentary by Bava expert Tim Lucas provides a treasure trove of trivia for Bava buffs and Italian horror fans alike! Best of all, the presentation is uncut and in widescreen, complete with the original opening title sequence (which was truly awesome and evocative) and restored murder sequences which are as cringe-worthy as anything Tom Savini could come up with! We have the American title sequence (courtesy of Filmation Studios, the animators of Fat Albert and He-Man) and French title sequence, and much, much more! A truly ground-breaking horror film, BLOOD AND BLACK LACE is a definite must-watch!

ONE OF THE BEST USES OF COLOR EVER
If you are looking for a breathtakingly beautiful use of color and lighting, YOU MUST SEE "BLOOD AND BLACL LACE". This has to be one of the great overlooked movies of all time. Great Jazz score.
What happened to the mentality that could both make and go see this kind of movie? After watching this one, and looking over the current cinema listings in the local paper, I nearly cried at the lack of anything like this to see.
The rich jewel tones that flood every frame in this film are amazing. Eastmancolor must be one of the most underrated processes in film history. Notice how shocking the white undergarments of the models seem after the killer rips their bodices away.
A great movie in which nearly the whole cast lies dead at the end. Eva Bartok is amazingly beautiful, why didn't she become more of an international star?
Recommended.

Blood and Black Lace.
Blood and Black Lace is often described as the original 'body count' movie. I'm not really sure how this credential was bestowed, but you can certainly sense an early Friday the 13th aura about the movie. The young models are stalked and dispatched by a hooded maniac, much as you've seen in countless 'slasher' flicks. But it's important to realize that this film was made in 1964, 14 years before John Carpenter would introduce his Halloween to the universe. But, while this movie certainly earns respect for being an innovator in the genre, much of Blood and Black Lace is pretty slow moving. Not scary, but ammusing and very funny. Great Black Comedy.

PRIME BAVA....
Many have said this movie is misogynistic. I won't get into that. To be fair, I would have to say that it is disturbing to a degree, but also a stylish shocker done by a master film maker that is highly watchable if you're not squeamish. The world of haute couture is a perfect place to present a murder thriller in that it affords the limitless opportunities of playing with color, showcasing beautiful women and providing a host of possible villains...and victims. Bava does all of this in classic continental style. The victims are beautiful fashion models, the murders are violent and ,in some cases, gory. The settings of the salon and showrooms are garish with lots of red and black. The murder set pieces are scary, bizarre and done to the hilt. The storyline has some cohesence with enough sordid details to make it juicy. VCI has done the film marvelous justice on DVD and it looks beautiful. All in all, an engrossing horror film that continues to satisfy Bava and giallo fans and a collector's treat as well. Enjoy this one. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Esther and the King
Joan Collins is very good in this movie. The king was miscast
The costumes were glamorous. Ms Collins saved the movie with her portrayel of a innocent, sensitive, beautiful Jewiss.

Poor source material and non-letter box format sours
I've been waiting for years to see this film, shot by Mario Bava before he broke into directing, in letterbox format. Prior to this DVD, the film has only been available on a grainy (16mm source) VHS tape from Sinister Cinema and a much crisper and cleaner tape from 20th century. The MAJOR dissapointment here is that the film is not letterboxed (it was originally shot 2.35:1). The print quality is better than the Sinister Cinema, but remains dark, grainy and sometimes badly framed. Random chapter titles. Let's do this one right, somebody, please.

Thank God for Richard Egan
Richard Egan makes this film watchable AND enjoyable. It is an interesting portrayal of this biblical story, and as he always did, Egan shines above all others. A good movie for both historical and entertainment value. Actors of Egan's caliber - talented, charming, and handsome - are a rare breed in this day and age. Its too bad.

Fairly accurate but campy
I enjoyed this film because it follows the Biblical version of the Book of Esther fairly well. There are a few differences but I enjoyed the film anyway. The acting is marginal and in some places rather humorous and campy. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Master criminal Diabolik's got it all.He's got a black leather suit and ski mask, a pair of Jaguar XKEs, gadgets galore, an underground headquarters, and of course the ravishing Eva (played by Sixties Euro-hottie Marisa Mell).Together, the two of them pull off daring capers, staying a step or two ahead of the police, the government and rival mobsters all the while.Think the Sixties Batman TV series, James Bond, Barbarella, Matt Helm, and even a bit of Austin Powers for this distinctly Sixties crime romp.Director Mario Bava, as usual, made the most out of a less-than-lavish budget, with wild sets, an Ennio Morricone score, striking photography, and a psychedelic-soaked feel all the way around, with Bava's trademark camera work making it a visual delight in many scenes.Terry-Thomas comes in as a bumbling government official (the scene where his press conference is disrupted by Diabolik's "exhilarating gas" is a classic).It's all very tongue-in-cheek fun, based as it is on a comic book from the period.John Phillip Law, of course, is no better than he ever is as the rather fey master criminal, passing off his wooden performance as "stoic", but it works.Unlike contemporaries like Bond, though, Diabolik eschews the swinging Sixties life for a happily monogamous relationship with Eva (who wouldn't?).This is some goofy brain candy that's perfect for an evening of Sixties-retro fun.--Jerry Renshaw ... Read more

Reviews (20)

A Spy/Caper Classic
What is with some of these reviewers? Don't they get it? How can you compare this movie to Austin Powers or to Rambo or Ninjas? Who knew what a ninja was in 1966? This is a cool, classic, campy 60's caper movie. Who cares what Diabolik really is? He's cool as hell! That outfit. That Jag. Think of all the other 60's spy-isms that are present...The secret hideaway, the trippy spy-rock (great Ennio Morricone music) the bizarre sets, the psychedelic atmosphere. This movie's influence is all over (i.e. fellow gen x-ers - remember the video game SPY HUNTER?). This flick is right up there with Ipcress File, From Russia with Love, Goldfinger and The Pink Panther as a classic of the brezzy/cool 60's spy/caper genre.

This movie is so bad it's terrific!
Danger: Diabolik is one of those rare movies where situations and characters are so completely ludicrous that you'll end up in the emergency room being treated for cracked ribs and torn abdominal muscles from excessive gleeful laughter.Never mind the movie's presentation on MST3K; on its own Danger: Diabolik is wonderfully entertaining because it tricks your brain into thinking of ways to deride it, and I happen to love films that can do that. One notable cast member is Adolfo Celi, whom James Bond fans will recognize from Thunderball, but he appears here sans eyepatch and speaking with a less-than-amusing voice. Though on this outing while he's not throwing his fellow criminals into shark-infested pools he does have the inclination to drop those who disagree with him through a trap door on his aircraft, thus increasing fuel efficiency and lightening the workload for his ditzy, shapely flight attendant... One of the movie's greatest assets is its soundtrack. It's pure 60's. Listening to it is like taking a trip in a time machine and arriving in some world whose inhabitants did everything they could to brighten it up without all the comforts, gadgets and insights available to today's world. Totally awesome, man! This videotape is recorded in EP mode, so your tracking may need adjusting in order to maintain Stereo-lock. And sadly, it's in pan-and-scan format, so you can't get a really good look at Diabolik's underground lair with its rotating bed, seperate showers, gold-testing workshop, and its many painstakingly-crafted artificial stalactites dripping from the roof of the cavern like the tears of mirth from audience eyes. First-time viewers are in for a treat; repeat viewers will likely end up in the hospital again...

Im a Mister Bava Lova,Mario Bava Superstar!!
Danger:Diabolik is based on the same Comics wich was very cool and Mario bava was the right man for a real action movie on Danger:Diabolik!
The Moviesets he created is so small but they looked like they cost lot of hundredthousand dollars, but the cost in real was maybe 1000 Dollar!??!
Its a great superhero movie with the typically colourimpression of Mario Bava, the master of Italian Cinema and the creator of the Giallo Thrillers.
Danger:Diabolik got some spectaculary and stunning action scenes,good looking chicks and a nice and cute superhero.
Im so happy that this movie was released on DVD!
Are you too?
Buy and you will be!!

Total enjoyment
Once upon a time films were made with low budgets and heaps of imagination, and this is one of them. Though given a whopping $3M by the ego-maniac Dino de Laurentis (King Kong the atrocious remake) the genius Mario Bava brought this 60s beauty in at $400K. Even converted into today's hard currency it would be hard to conceive of a modern day director either struggling out of bed for such a miniscule sum, or ever bringing a film in under budget. Instead Bava treats the eye and the mind to a dazzling psychedelic modernist fantasy.
There seems to be a common notion that many directors of the past were somehow more stupid than the giant intellects of the cinema of today and that they had no comprehension of what they were doing. Bava knew exactly what he was making with this movie version of a popular European comic and that was to make a film that was fun.
Pitted against a world of old stilted politics, bumbling police and chalk-stripe-suited Mafia villains Diabolik, a cool ultra-thief with an underground lair to be envied by Dr No and every other evil genius, outwits his pursuers time and time again with a manic laugh, a delicious girl-friend and his 'n' hers Jaguar E-Types.
This film is a two-hour trip; the score is superb and the images have a vivid organic feel unachievable with today's over-processed CGI FX. If you love the visuals of Barbarella you'll love this. Bava, though, has a more cynical view of the world and in one scene presents us with a nightclub where villains ply the "innocent" hippies with drugs making them dance in hysterically funny ways that is just as an incisive critique of that era as it would be of some rave scenes today. Some things just don't change.
Sure if you want to adopt the brave stance of the post-modernist and assume the sophisticated position of The One Who Laughs At Bad Old Films then you'll get some kind of kick out of this. But you won't get anything like the kick you will by just relaxing into the brilliantly-lit mad world of Mario Bava where nothing is quite what it appears and baddies win - almost.

CHEESY, But from another time!
I really enjoyed this movie! The effects are very dated, but watching it transported me to another time! You can see how different things where just 30 years ago! ... Read more

Reviews (23)

Wacky adventure through the Land of Bava
Italian director Mario Bava (1914-1980) is one of the giants of the horror film genre. His films, no matter what the plot, always promised great style mixed with scenes of murder and mayhem. Bava's big break into the industry came with his 1960 black and white classic "Black Sunday" starring fan favorite Barbara Steele. This was only the beginning, as Bava churned out a series of gruesome shockers over the next seventeen years. Perhaps Mario's biggest contribution to the horror field was his 1972 picture "Twitch of the Death Nerve," also known as "Bay of Blood." It doesn't take too long to realize "Friday the 13th" shamelessly cribbed from Bava's bloodbath. The director's inventiveness goes far beyond hacking up a few unfortunate souls, however, as "Lisa and the Devil," a movie which first appeared on our shores in a radically altered form called "The House of Exorcism," shows. This movie is a wildly inventive jaunt into the inner recesses of the mind of a tortured woman. The Bava legacy continued with son Lamberto, one of the guiding lights behind "Demons," an instant cult favorite with gorehounds worldwide.

Tourist Lisa (Elke Sommer) finds herself in an increasing series of ultra horrific and bizarre circumstances after viewing a huge mural on the side of a building in an Italian town. After looking at the picture, she wonders off into the heart of the old city where she soon encounters a man (Telly Savalas) wearing a beret who exactly resembles the figure in the painting. Horrified at the similarities between this man and the painting, Lisa flees and wanders aimlessly until a husband and wife pick her up in their ancient automobile. The car breaks down near a dark, creepy looking estate where none other than the man Lisa saw earlier works as the butler/head servant. The family living at the home agrees to allow the stranded travelers access to the house in order to phone for assistance. It quickly becomes apparent that things are not what they seem inside the walls of this sprawling estate. Over a socially awkward dinner served on a table the size of a football field, weird activities take place. The family doesn't seem to get along all that well and there is some peculiar importance attached to a chocolate cake with sprinkles (!). Lisa eventually discovers that a family member delivers the cake to a locked bedroom upstairs, supposedly to a member of the family who permanently lives in this room.

Meanwhile, the man and wife who helped Lisa clash over the wife's infidelity, a behavior that will soon have ghastly consequences in this house of horrors. As for Savalas, he acts the part of butler but also seems a more important figure than his position merits. He spends most of his time wandering around the house startling Lisa, or fiddling around with his human figures made out of wax. Even worse, our hapless heroine witnesses Savalas stuffing a corpse in a coffin in one of the rooms on the estate. This corpse just happens to be a mysterious man Lisa encountered in the town shortly after seeing the painting. He continues to reappear to her in the house and on the grounds of the estate, often seeming to change in age between each encounter. The horrors of the family eventually rise to the surface with the result that Lisa emerges from her dream state and decides to fly back home. But wait! Bava played with your mind for over an hour and he isn't about to let you go this easily. Is Lisa truly free of her nightmare or is she about to enter an even deeper dimension of terror?

On the surface, the film makes little sense. But what appears to be a random mish mash of bizarre scenes actually does assume somewhat of a structure if you pay attention to the first five minutes of the movie. It is my opinion that the bizarre painting Lisa sees on a trip to Italy provides the viewer with a possible key to deciphering this weird movie. I propose that Sommer's character undergoes a sort of hypnotic interaction with this painting that somehow transports her back in time, a process which then helps explain the following sequences. The movie is a dream or break with reality in the mind of Sommer's character, nothing more or nothing less, and therefore must assume a fractured, nonsensical tone. Isn't it slightly odd that Lisa doesn't have a boyfriend or husband, or if she does he is not with her on this trip? That might explain the mysterious male that seems to have some bizarre link with her character. Perhaps everything we see is part of Lisa's unconscious taking on corporeal form. Whatever is going on, I think it is important we remember that we are seeing events from the perspective of this confused woman and are thus dependent on her cracked perceptions. How can we know what is going on when Lisa herself has little idea of the weirdness swirling about her? I truly enjoyed the film and appreciated Bava's attempts to do something different.

I also liked the performances. Savalas intrigues as the butler/devil, an ominous figure always looming in the background happily tormenting Lisa. Sommer is also a lot of fun to watch as she bumbles from one grim situation to another, even going so far as to shed her clothes in one scene (bless her soul!). The other performers are lesser talents, something we should expect and accept with Italian horror. The DVD recognizes the utter wackiness of this film with a plethora of extras well worth watching. I usually turn up my nose at movies that seek to confuse the audience, but I really enjoyed this one. I can't wait to see the hacked up "House of Exorcism" so I can compare the two. Enjoy.

yet another testimony to the genius of Mario Bava
Mario Bava was one of the great filmmakers of his time. Revered and often imitated by illustrious contemporaries like Fellini and Visconti, his work has had long echoing reverberations through the films of David Lynch, Quentin Tarentino, and the entire body of hopelessly unimaginative slasher films that tried, and failed, to copy Bava's films. Yet he was largely dismissed and/or despised in his time. Lisa and the Devil is possibly his most brilliant, and easily his most personal film. It's also a sad example of the way this innovator was treated in his time. More a cinematic poem than traditional "movie", this is a surreal, stream of consciousness fantasy about a girl (Elke Sommer, who was never better) who may or may not be dead and a butler (Telly Savalas, sucking a lollipop) who may or may not be the devil. Lisa and the Devil is beautifully photographed in vibrant colour, violent, disturbing, and completely brilliant. Inventive sequences abound, encompassing concepts as broad as identity, memory vs. hallucination, necrophilia, past vs. present, reincarnation, etc...There's literally no limit to this film's depth and beauty. Unfortunately, its complete disregard for conventional narrative flow consigned it to a truly horrible fate, being butchered beyond recognition, having extra scenes added to make it seem like an Exorcist rip-off, it was finally released as House of Exorcism. If you see this version anywhere, you should not only avoid buying it, you should also destroy it. It's an atrocity and an insult to the memory of Mario Bava and this, possibly his greatest work.

I EXORCISE YOU FROM THIS HOUSE FOREVER!
This DVD double feature of LISA AND THE DEVIL and the remix HOUSE OF EXORCISM is the only way to see Mario Bava's masterpiece! Anyway, LISA AND THE DEVIL is a dazzling horror movie made the only way that Mario Bava could possibly direct it. It's like PSYCHO by way of the Brothers Grimm: Lisa Reiner (Elke Sommer), a tourist lost in Toledo, Spain, encounters a blind Contessa and her unbalanced son and their lollipop-sucking butler (Telly "Kojak" Savalas), along with a whole mess of bizarre occurances. This movie defies all logical explaination; you must see it to believe it. Telly Savalas is the highlight of the movie; he steals every scene he appears in (This is where he discovered what would become Kojak's trademark!).
As for HOUSE OF EXORCISM, it is one of the better Italian imitations of THE EXORCIST, with a great performance by Robert Alda as the priest who must deal with a possessed Lisa. Unfortunately, the re-editing takes away much of the mysticism of LISA and often comes off as ridiculously humorous. However, this movie comes with a commentary by Sommer and producer Alfredo Leone which is a must for Bavaphiles and film buffs alike.
Of all the Mario Bava movies that have come out on DVD that I own, I have to say that LISA AND THE DEVIL/HOUSE OF EXORCISM is the most essential. I also recommend the following: Dario Argento's SUSPIRIA, Lucio Fulci's THE BEYOND, Don Coscarelli's PHANTASM, and of course, Sam Raimi's THE EVIL DEAD. In fact, watch all of these together for some real spooky horror-movie fun!

Great 70's Horror
This film is really impressive in that it sets up a mood which flows through the entire movie. While "Lisa and the Devil" moves along at the speed of a PBS documentary "House of Exorcism" has great pacing and I found myself always wondering what was going to happen next. It is also sexier than "Lisa" since a couple scenes (Including one by Elke Sommer) are lacking in "Lisa". The romantic music of Rodriguez is put to good use here in establishing an atmosphere along with a great use of color. Highly recommended example of 70's euro-horror and Elke Sommer fans.

Questionable Classic.
Gaudiness, soft focus photography, an overemphasis on zoom shots (especially as far as shocked faces are concerned), awful (stilted) dialogue and a lot of old mansion baroque (seventies style). Reading that you might have mistaken this strange film for a hybrid of "Love Boat", "Murder she Wrote" (minus an iota of coherence) and, perhaps, a snuff film (well, the sensibility thereof at least). The film does have some merits as an unintentional comedy, and the opening minutes are eerie (before that damned zoom function starts taking a front seat). The constant and consistent zooming in and out and in and out, peripeteia, is more than a little annoying after a while, it spoils the film somewhat. Overall, a decent venture, worth a look if you're into seventies kitsch or want to see what all the fuss was about. The DVD quality is awful (soft image, a lot of colour bleed, with no acceptible black levels, evidence of minor print damage and mono-sound): if only those folks at Anchor Bay had got a hold of it first, natch. ... Read more

Description

From the Mario Bava Collection comes his most frightening masterpiece, a tribute to the classic horror of Universal Pictures. In 17th Century Moldavia, the evil Princess Asa is condemned to death for witchcraft and vampirism, along with her brother, Prince Igor Javutich. Two hundred years later, two doctors en route to a medical convention discover her crypt and accidentally set her resurrection in motion! With the help of Javutich and others whom she enthralls with her cold, dead kiss, Asa sets her sights on her ultimate victim--Princess Katia, her own twin descendant. Filmed in gorgeous black & white by the director himself, "Black Sunday" is a stylish and relentlessly visual film of undiluted violence starring cult film star Barbara Steele (Shivers, 8 1/2). The uncut European version--first time on video in the United States! ... Read more

Reviews (58)

Classic Goth Guignol
The incredibly photogenic original Goth queen, Barbara Steele, couldn't have asked for a better film debut than this atmospheric black-and-white classic by famed director Mario Bava. She gets to play both the innocent and beautiful ingenue Katya, and Katya's evil twin ancestor, the diabolical witch, Asa.

Steele's performance is half the reason to watch this conventional black magic/ghost/vampire tale, the other half being Bava's cinematography and skillful direction. This is an especially violent film, opening on the execution of Asa and her evil manservant, Javuto, by the nailing of spiked devil masks to their faces (the original title of the film was Mask of Satan). The visuals in this, and all other, scenes in the film are archetypally perfect. The actual framing and composition of each shot is beautifully done, throughout. The scenery is lush, the makeups unsettling - especially the resurrected Asa, with the holes in her face from the mask - and many of the effects are equally disturbing, especially one in which Asa's naked ribcage is exposed.

European horror cinema of the 1960s was the best the genre ever produced, and this was one of its premiere features. Highly recommended not only for horror fans, but for serious film students as well.

Dark, gothic, evil fun
Let me start by saying Barbara Steele is just plain weird looking. She is not unattractive. She is just...disturbing. Maybe that is why she fits so well into the role of an ancient witch condemned to death, a horrible iron mask nailed to her face.

Time passes and some travellers wander into her crypt despite their coach driver's warning. And of course they manage to break the wards and symbols that keep her from returning to life.

Black Sunday features great set design and an oppressively dark mood that oozes evil and menace in every scene. Apparently the film is available in two versions. I think I got the bad one. One version is heavily edited but features voicework by the original actors in english and better overall sound quality. I bought the extended version which unfortunately has some pretty bad voice acting.

Buy Black Sunday if you like classic horror movies such as the old Universal monster films, but wish that they didn't pull their punches so much. I would have given Black Sunday 5 stars, but the voice acting in my version is going to cost it a star. Still, most people suggest this version (the full version) over the shorter version, so the choice comes down to your own preference.

The heavenly totality of Asa Vadya's eyes
(...)

This is certainly a minor stylistic masterpiece. It creates atmosphere that is thick, foreboding, and claustrophobic. The story, however, is not worthy of such a lush, lavish treatment. It just doesn't possess any emotional depth. The whole film is Barbara Steele's eyes. They possess power that the film as a whole simply does not. The fog the film is enveloped in is not pervasive enough to mask the bitter emptiness of the tale being conveyed. It is difficult to criticize the film on its cinematic qualities. Nevertheless, the story does not mesmerize, tantalize or excite beyond those moments when Asa is moaning in her blood ecstasy. Indeed, my grandest (futile) wish was for Asa to slaughter them all and then to hit the road looking for more victims to prey upon.

Barbara Steele weeps, shrieks, sighs, faints, screams, moans, gasps, and is undeniably fascinating to watch. She is far more interesting as Asa. As Katia, she is a cipher. She's drained of life and hysterical to boot. Asa has activated her will (if the undead can even be said to possess a will--the will of Satan?). Katia is receptive, helpless and boring. She's just a lonely princess longing for her prince (yawn). It isn't Ms. Steele's fault--the character is simply dismal. She's the "good" girl--she doesn't have to do anything, except mope about in a perfectly awful hairdo. The rest of the cast are perfectly plastic--save for Arturo Dominici as Javutich. He's a fine match for Ms. Steele and wondefully terrible. He has presence that the others lack.

Still, the film is simply gorgeous. The story might not be my glass of Absinthe, but the film is still visually stunning. It lacks emotion and depth--but it makes up for it somewhat in the sheer power of its images. Obvious films that clearly map out the binary opposites at play are just not that intriguing. When you know from the start that virtue will win and evil will be destroyed, it kind of takes the thrill out of the whole thing.

BRAVO BAVA AND STEELE
If you are a true horror connoseur of great horror films, BLACK SUNDAY or THE MASK OF SATAN, belongs in your repertoire of those films which defined what "horror" movies should be about.
Mario Bava's first film is full of eloquent imagery, darkly atmospheric sets and lighting, and an almost palpable sense of doom. Barbara Steele, who went on with Hazel Court, to be the true scream queens of the sixties, is perfect in the dual role of the witch and her descendant; Bava knew that Steele's beauty is not of the usual kind and he used his lens to soften some of her harshness, but yet to ignite those gorgeous eyes. Steele also knew how to handle the camera, how to peer not only into the eyes of her fellow actors, but into your eyes as well.
John Richardson's boyish handsomeness is a perfect contrast to Steele's dark beauty. (Only complaint about DVD is the obvious dubbing, with "radio dj" voices that at times lessened the impact of the movie). The silent stagecoach ride is as many readers have commented one of the eeriest scenes captured on celluloid.
This is a frightening movie, way ahead of its time, and maintains a crude brilliance that is still penetrating today.

Bava Lives!
BLACK SUNDAY (aka THE MASK OF SATAN) marks the directorial debut of prolific horror director Mario Bava, and what a debut! The story, a Gothic masterpiece about vampirism being an extension of Satan worship, is quite interesting. Barbara Steel, the first horror starlet, or scream queen, is amazingly beautiful and quite good as the evil Princess Asa, who curses her family after being condemned as a witch, and Princess Katia, her ancestor. A chairjumper every five minutes! It lulls you asleep and then slaps you awake with the next scary moment. True suspense is being built up as the plot goes along nice and slow (even under an hour and a half!) The whole film is gorgeous and really showed me that a black-and-white movie can be just as scary and cringe-inducing as one in bright color.
Yes, Mario Bava is the founding father of Italian horror as we know it! Not only is he a great director, but he is an excellent cameraman and special effects artist, just to name a few other things he did in his movies. Thanks to Bava, we have masterpieces from other great directors as Dario Argento (SUSPIRIA, DEEP RED, TENEBRE, INFERNO), Lucio Fulci (DON'T TORTURE A DUCKLING, ZOMBIE, THE BEYOND), and even Mario's own son Lamberto (MACABRE, A BLADE IN THE DARK, DEMONS 1 & 2). Hell, even the Bavas helped Argento on occasion (Mario directed that awesome underwater sequence in INFERNO, and Lamberto was assistant director on that and TENEBRE). So remember, when you think about how awesome Italian horror movies were back in the day and all the masterpieces that came out of that country, remember Mario Bava. And watch BLACK SUNDAY and all of his other movies! ... Read more

Description

Nora Davis (Leticia Roman) jets away to Rome to vacation with Edith, an old friend of her family. Unfortunately, her trip is anything but relaxingOn the first night, Edith dies--and as Nora runs into the night for help, she becomes an eyewitness to murder as she sees a woman stabbed to death on the Piazza di Spagna! Being a young woman with an insatiable appetite for murder mysteries, Nora can't get anyone to believe her story, but with the help of the attentive Dr. Marcello Bassi (John Saxon), she learns that a murder did occur on that very spot--10 years earlier--when Emily Craven fell victim to the "Alphabet Murderer"! What did Nora Davis really see, and who is stalking her through Rome? Could it be the Alphabet Killer, looking for Victim D? Mario Bava's "The Girl Who Knew Too Much" is a stylish homage to the "Americans Abroad" thrillers of Alfred Hitchcock. Originally released in America (in greatly revised form) as "Evil Eye," Bava's innovative thriller is presented here--for the first time--in its original director's cut. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Stylish, athmospheric and suspenseful
This early giallo is high on style and athmosphere and one can easily see how Bava influenced Dario Argento. I myself am much more of an Argento fan then Bava but this little thriller is actually one of Bava's better outings.
The story is good and keeps you guessing until the very end and the finale is quite suspenseful.

SO-SO GIALLO THRILLER.....
This is not a horror film even though it was once shown in America as "The Evil Eye". Instead, it's a very tame little mystery with Bava's giallo atmosphere and little else. An "American" girl (Italian actress Leticia Roman) comes to Rome to visit an old family friend who up and dies on her. She then witnesses a murder but there's no body to back her up to the police. So she starts her own investigation ala Nancy Drew style. A bland John Saxon plays a doctor who believes her and provides clues to the mystery. Lots of creepy set-ups but no action keep this one from being as good as it could have been. Not bad as long as you don't expect too much but it was way too dull for me.

Smart, Funny Thriller with a Smart, Brave Heroine--Nice
Many fans of director Mario Bava seem to underrate this film because it isn't as violent or cynical as his later film BLOOD AND BLACK LACE. Personally, I find that to be one of the things that reccomends the film to me; that the film isn't a bloodbath full of loathsome people where the only interest is in seeing how spectacularly unpleasant their demises will be. Although there are holes and improbablilites in the plot, this is generally a suspenseful, humorous film, solidly anchored by the appealing performance of Leticia Roman as the heroine, Nora Davis, an American tourist visiting an old family friend and falling into the middle of a terrifying mystery involving a serial killer who has been attacking women on or near Rome's famous Spanish Steps for almost a decade. Nora witnesses what may have been the latest murder shortly after being attacked by a mugger, so people suspect that she may have imagined the whole thing, but she knows otherwise, and with the help of a friendly doctor (played very nicely by John Saxon), she sets out to prove it.

The result is a stylish, entertaining thriller, full of moody atmosphere and eerie set-pieces, such as Nora's rondevous with someone who can help her solve the mystery in an empty but brightly-lit apartment and the harrowing sequence that begins with the death of the family friend, continues with the attack by the mugger on Nora, and ends with her coming to to witness the murder in the Plaza d'Espana, full of rain-slicked streets and moody shadows. Here, Bava proves himself as stylish as anything in Hitchcock, and maybe more so. There is another shot that Hitch would have loved, with a group of nuns in elaborate habits hovering over Nora in a hospital bed, moving away to reveal her face; from overhead, it resembles the blooming of a big, goofy flower. This one of several subtle touches of humor that lighten the proceedings without ever disturbing the forward movement of the plot or lessening the tension. Indeed the film is top-notch in pretty much every area; stylish art direction, excellent costumes by Tania Grani, and a great score by Roberto Nicolosi. One should also say an extra word for the leading ladia, Leticia Roman; she bears a faint resemblance to Natalie Wood, and like that actress, she brings a quiet intelligence and intensity to her performance. Hitchcock would probably have liked her blonde beauty and appreciated her talent as well. But Bava got there first and got a first-rate performance out of her.
It's nice to see a smart, sympathetic woman at the center of a thriller, a heroine as opposed to simply a victim . . .

I LOVE THIS MOVIE
While it certainly isn't MARIO BAVA at his best, THE GIRL WHO KNEW TO MUCH is a stylish and unusual thriller which pre-dates BLOOD AND BLACK LACE as one of the earliest examples of the 'giallo' style. No other country but Italy could produced a film with such a unique feeing and 'look'.
The VERY attractive Leticia Romain is excellent as the niave yet plucky heroine who tries to unravel something she witnessed after being mugged. Was it a murder, a dream, or an 'ectoplasmic projection' of a crime committed in the same spot 10 years earlier?
The black and white photography enhances the beauty of Rome and the under-rated John Saxon provides the love interest, some humour and a possible suspect as the doctor who befriends 'Nora' when she arrives in Italy.
A superb unsung milestone in cinema thriller history.

Overwhelming movie - average DVD
In the liner notes by Tim Lucas (which are as usual
the strongest and most interesting entry in the bonus
section) we learn that Bava only reluctantly accepted
to direct this movie. Nevertheless, the result is
a masterpiece.
The plot evolves around Nora Dralston, a lover of "Gialli"
who travels to Rome for vacation but wakes up in a nightmare
which forces her to solve a murder mystery. The plot is
quite artificial, but that goes for most movies of this
genre.
It is Bava's direction which makes this movie an unforgettable
experience. Like Hitchcock (to whom not only the title pays
hommage), Bava is in the entire movie in full possession of
all the means at his disposition, he always finds
the right camera angle, the right shot to propel the story
and to create an extremely intense atmosphere of fear and
threat. Bava contrived almost surreal scenes such as an empty
appartment with swinging light bulbs and an eerie voice from
a tape recorder. The scene when Nora gets mugged at the totally
deserted Piazza di Spagna and witnesses the crime is one of
the most memorable scenes I have ever watched. In order
to provide the viewers with a little relief from the thrills
he has created, Bava inserts quite a lot of comic moments.
The movie has definitely had an enormous impact on movie makers
around the world. Most clearly, "The Girl who knew to much"
reveals the influence Bava's work had on Dario Argento.
E.g., the relationship between Marcus Daly and Gianna Brezzi
in "Deep Red" is somewhat reminiscent of the one between
Nora and Dr. Bassi in "The Girl ...".
This movie would have deserved a better release than the one
given by Image. The transfer seems a little too dark and too
grainy and could have been a little sharper. The master was -
with some exceptions - quite clean. The sound is clear.
This movie is highly recommended and the DVD is a must for everybody with an interest in Italian thrillers. ... Read more

Reviews (33)

This planet is a mixed bag
After watching it, I have to ask why he chose to do it in the first place. It doesn't seem as if Bava were particularly inspired when he shot Planet of the Vampires. As a science fiction film, it's not very visionary-I don't see any speculation on his part about anything at all about the future, except that we will have mastered space travel.
As a horror film, it succeeds even less-there is almost little or no gore. Not that I'm a gore monger (actually I am!), but if you don't create the necessary amount of tension, which this film fails to do, then you have to rely on other means of capturing viewer interest, these being either special effects or violent gore laden scenes.
As a sci-fi/horror film . . .well, it just isn't.
So, what the hey is the film? I read that Bava used the same set design that he had for his Hercules movie (which actually succeeded in being both cheesier and creepier); he could not have been that particularly motivated to do this film. Yet it does have scenes of brilliance. I've yet to encounter a Bava movie that didn't have at least two excellent scenes that blew me away. One of these was when our erstwhile astronauts explored the interior of the alien's ship. I also dug the lighting-the deep reds and blues that have become such staples in many of Bava's films.
Is it worth a DVD purchase? Yes, ...

awesome italian sci fi/horror flick -- reminds me of Alien
This is a great old sci fi/horror flick by that master Mario Bava. This movie starts out with two ships in orbit around a planet. You are treated to some really cool electronic sound effects/music and the best technobabble I have ever heard -- Star Trek has nothing on these guys. The ships are sucked in to the planet at 60 G's -- only the heroic captain is able to withstand that kind of force. The movie goes on to deal with what they encounter on the surface as they search for the other ship.

The special effects are a bit cheesy by today's standard, but not bad for a film of its time. They are not overused to ill effect either. The overall atmosphere of the film is properly chilling.

Some of the visuals, plot elements, and even music remind so much of Alien. I have to suspect that Ridley Scott has seen this movie at least once.

I rate this film excellent and highly recommend it!

SAURDAY MATINEE
Classic B movie! Did you like Creature Double Feature, or Elvira... you will love this! Don't forget the 6 pack.

Influential science fiction/horror/suspense film
The dialog borders on the absurd; the optical effects aren't up to par even for a 60's science fiction film; the actors frequently give zombies a good name. Yet, despite its major drawbacks, Planet of the Vampires stands as an influential film. When making Alien Ridley Scott took his cue from this imaginative but low budget film. The alien planet, spacecraft and many of the more atmospheric sequences clearly were an influence on Scott's highly praised horror film (it's stretching it to call Alien a science fiction film). It's also clear that POTV had impact on director Tobe Hooper's Lifeforce.

So will you enjoy this movie? That depends on how forgiving you are. Mario Bava's direction and the cinematography are quite imaginative and the atmospheric production design make this a triumph of style over substance. Because this was shot in Rome (with a mixture of American and Italian actors), the acting and dubbing adds an odd quality to the film. Barry Sullivan's frequently detached performance isn't one of his best but given that his director and almost all the crew didn't speak English, It's understandable.

Bava's direction and the inspired production design make this a very influential minor film classic. It's clear seeing the film again after some years, that Bava was trying to create an atmospheric Forbidden Planet and he suceeds for the most part. While Planet of the Vampires lacks the intelligent script and lively performances from that classic film, its imaginative cinematography engage the viewer in a way that FP couldn't. Again, if you can forgive the movie's shortcomings and the minimalist screenplay, you'll enjoy this film.

A couple bits of trivia about the film: the story is basically an atmospheric variation on Invasion of the Body Snatchers; Planet of the Vampires had at least three or four different titles (some of them within the United States itself); Star Trek: The Next Generation borrowed (or it was just one of those ideas in the air)the concept of POTV for an episode entitled Power Play from season 5.

The transfer is crisp and the colors vivid. I haven't seen a print this good since College. The widescreen presentation doesn't provide a huge advantage over the pan & scan version that's floated around for quite some time. This film wasn't shot in an anamorphic format and the aspect ratio is only slightly different than the traditional t.v. aspect ratio.

The mono soundtrack sounds fine although a bit flat (even for a mono soundtrack). It wouldn't have hurt to offer a track that reprocessed it for surround sound or, at least, to have tried to open up the sound a little bit. You won't be listening to the frequently clunky dialog but the soundtrack is interesting. It's clearly inspired by the atonal "effects" music track used for Forbidden Planet.

This Midnite Classic includes the original over-the-top American International Pictures trailer. Curiously, the dialog is only available in English and the subtitles in Spanish and French. Given that it's an Italian production, it would have been interesting to hear the film in its native tongue. There is a problem worth noting--the default setting for subtitles causes the film to automatically show the Spanish subtitles for the film everytime you start the flick. This problem has cropped up with one or two other Midnite releases from MGM. It's not a major problem just annoying.

It's a pity that this bare bones presentation doesn't include an overview by a film historian. It's important to understand the influence that Bava's film had on the 70's and early 80's. Perhaps someone else will license the film (doubtful) and do the job. Planet of the Vampires has a lot of positives and a few negatives as well. While it's not quite as good as it was to an 11 year old 20 plus years later, it's still an inspired bit of film making.

Dull and atrociously dubbed Italian SF/horror
Directed by Mario Bava and based on the short story "One Night Of 21 Hours" by Renato Pestriniero. Along with IT! THE TERROR FROM BEYOND SPACE, this also inspired ALIEN. It centers around a space expedition to a barren planet, Aura. But once the crew lands, members suddenly become given to random acts of violence against each other, caused by the "vampiric" mind control the planet has over them.
PLANET OF THE VAMPIRES (aka DEMON PLANET) is generally rather daft and wooden and is only saved by Bava's visual flair. Watching this, it feels as though you're watching a long lost episode of DR. WHO. This is the first Bava movie I've seen, I wasn't totally impressed after all the raves I read of BLACK SUNDAY and TWITCH OF THE DEATH NERVE. Maybe the next film of his I see will live up to my earlier expectations. Personally I just found this to be dull and plodding. And the music score is almost guaranteed to give viewers a migrane. ... Read more

Description

Experience Mario Bava's horror classic "Black Sabbath" (original Italian title: "Three Faces of Fear")--as it's never been seen in America before! A beautiful woman is terrorized by calls from an ex-lover who has escaped prison for the pleasure of killing her... A family becomes a feeding ground when their father returns home wounded after ridding the countryside of a hideous vampire... A nurse is haunted by reproaches from the Beyond after stealing a ring from the finger of a dead medium! Join Boris Karloff as he hosts (and stars in) this trilogy of terror tales--presented in its original aspect ratio and in Italian with English subtitles, with every shock intact! ... Read more

Reviews (48)

ONE OF BAVA'S BEST....
A not to be missed trilogy of horror tales hosted by Boris Karloff and done by Mario Bava. As atmospheric and colorful as you could ask for with the traditional Euro flavor that gives it that off-beat intensity not often found in American films. The stories are diverse: 1.)"The Telephone"--the sexiest with a woman being terrorized by phone calls from a supposedly "dead" lover; 2.)"The Wurdelak"--the most disturbing with a Russian mountain family plagued by an unusual and unforgiving heritage of vampirism starring Karloff himself; and 3.) "The Drop of Water"--the scariest with a turn-of-the-century nurse stealing a ring from an old woman's corpse who happens to be a witch. This is the widescreen European version and is excellently transferred to DVD. The women are beautiful and the thrills are plentiful. A must for any serious horror afficianado.

The Scariest Day of the Week!
One of the best Italian horror films ever made, director Mario Bava's 1963 movie BLACK SABBATH (Italian title: I TRE VOLTI DELLA PAURA) is actually a delicious trilogy of stories, each different in timbre and texture, but each a masterful atmospheric study in unmitigated fear.

In the first short, entitled "The Telephone," a contemporary (circa 1960s) woman is taunted by a series of bizarre and alarming phone calls. But things get really interesting when she learns who it is that's been calling. (Warning: Some viewers may be put off by the lesbian subtext of this story.)

"The Wurdalak," the second entry, is an eerie variation on the vampire legend that is based on the Aleksei Tolstoy novella THE FAMILY OF THE VOURDALAK (SEM'YA VURDALAKA). The action takes place in what appears to be medieval Europe, and the celebrated Boris Karloff (alas, with his dialogue dubbed in Italian) turns in an excellent performance as Gorca, the patriarch of a peasant family. When Gorca returns from assisting in the pursuit and destruction of a Wurdalak--a vampire of sorts that is compelled to feast only upon its own loved ones--his family suspects that he's not quite the man he used to be....

Purportedly an adaptation of story by Chekhov, "A Drop of Water" is the last entry of the trilogy, and it is unquestionably the creepiest. Set in a Victorian manor house, it involves a private nurse who steals a ring from her recently deceased charge and is subsequently haunted by the vengeful corpse. Or is she?

The acting is good, the sets are sufficiently eerie, the stories are well written and creepy, and the women are pretty. But first and foremost, BLACK SABBATH is a superior horror film due to Bava's great vision and direction. He knows what it takes to scare people, and it is his use of stark yet simple imagery, unusual juxtaposition of sounds, and sometimes tenebrous lighting that generates genuine goose bumps and psychological jitters. (Your skin will crawl every time you remember the image of that corpse with the empty, unblinking stare from "A Drop of Water.")

Extant copies of the film are in one of two forms. One presents the film as originally intended (and released in Europe) by the filmmakers. The dialogue is completely dubbed in Italian (with English subtitles available), the stories have not been edited by anyone other than the director and his crew, and the three stories as a whole are vignetted by a Boris Karloff preface and epilogue. However, the other version presents the film after it was vitiated by its U.S. distributor, American International Pictures. In that one, the stories have been edited (one to the point of being unintelligible) and their relative order rearranged, and inappropriately witty intros (featuring Karloff) have been tacked on to each. Also, an English soundtrack has been added, one that was not created with any input from Bava or the original scriptwriters.

Until recently, the AIP re-dubbed re-cut was the only version of the film readily available to American audiences. Though not a totally un-watchable film in AIP's butchered format, it is simply not the masterpiece that Bava's original is. With that in mind, it is recommended that, if at all possible, viewers avoid the AIP version altogether and watch only the original Italian version. And please note, then, that this review refers to that original release--with English subtitles--which IS the version now being offered on the Image Entertainment DVD.

And speaking of the DVD, it is a bit short on true bonus features, and it is possible to see some signs of wear on the print that was used. Still, this widescreen digital transfer looks good overall, with rich and vivid colors and crisp focus. Most importantly, it is fantastic opportunity for American horror fans to finally see--and own!--this excellent scary film in the form in which its creators intended.

Chills aplenty
Italian director Mario Bava (1914-1980) is one of the giants of the horror film genre. Bava's big break into the field came with his 1960 black and white classic "Black Sunday" starring Barbara Steele. This was only the beginning, as Bava churned out a series of gruesome shockers over the next seventeen years; his films always promised great style mixed with scenes of murder and mayhem. Perhaps Mario's biggest contribution to the horror genre was his 1972 picture "Twitch of the Death Nerve," also known as "Bay of Blood." It doesn't take too long to realize "Friday the 13th" shamelessly cribbed from this slasher bloodbath. At least two of the murders in the film appear almost unchanged in the first installment of the Jason Voorhees franchise. That's right-- Mario Bava gave birth to the modern slasher film. But he also dabbled in non-horror films with projects like "Four Times That Night" and the immensely entertaining peplum classic "Hercules in the Haunted World" starring Reg Park as the muscle bound hero. After watching many of his films, I have to express further admiration for this amazing director; he could make an entertaining motion picture no matter what the subject.

"I trevolti della paura," known on these shores as "Black Sabbath," is a great contribution to horror cinema. In 1963, Bava filmed three short stories and packaged them under one title with Boris Karloff introducing each segment. The first tale, "The Telephone," is a claustrophobic tale of horror that takes place in the apartment of Rosy (Michele Mercier). Strange and horrifying phone calls begin streaming into the apartment at the same time Rosy's ex-husband Frank leaves prison. Alarmed that her hubby will try to hurt her, she dials up her pal Mary (Lidia Alfonsi), asking her friend to come over and comfort her. There's an interesting subtext to Mary and Rosy's phone call that the American version apparently cut out of the picture before releasing it that this Image Entertainment DVD restores. Watch to see what it is. Anyway, Mary arrives and, when Rosy falls asleep, writes something down on a piece of paper for her friend to read later. When Rosy wakes up, she learns a few painful truths about both her friend and her ex-husband.

The second story, "The Wurdulak," stars Boris Karloff as Gorca, the patriarch of a well to do Russian family in the eighteenth century. Wurdulaks, what we would call vampires, plague the countryside. Gorca sets out to slay one of them, a fellow named Alibeq, but leaves strict instructions to his family to destroy him, Gorca, if he returns any later than the stroke of midnight five days hence. Gorca reasons that he will be a vampire himself if he has not returned by that time, and his family agrees. Predictably, Gorca returns late and acts very, VERY weird. The family knows something is wrong but agonizes about doing what they know they must do. Their hesitancy has unfortunate results for several members of the family. This story is the best one on the disc; check out the scene where Karloff thunders around on a horse. Very creepy!

The final tale of woe, called "The Drop of Water," finds Nurse Helen Corey (Jacqueline Pierreux) receiving a weird phone call late at night. It seems an old medium died and her servant is too scared to move the body. Corey agrees to help the superstitious assistant but makes the mistake of stealing a valuable ring off the corpse. What follows is classic chills and thrills as a fly follows Corey around wherever she goes, continually alighting on the ring on her finger. The nurse tries to hide in her house where the sound of dripping water drives her to the point of insanity. Again, no reason to spoil the film for you, but wait until you see what happens to Nurse Corey as the tale winds to a close. Note to self: never steal anything from a deceased psychic.

All I can say here is that Mario Bava has done it again. While I still think "Black Sunday" is a better film, "Black Sabbath" nicely delivers the shocks. Getting Karloff to do double duty as the narrator and the star of one of the segments was a nice touch, too. Including this great actor in the project gives "Black Sabbath" a sort of homage feel, a nod to the earlier horror movies of the 1930s and 1940s. It's no mistake that Karloff's segment is the best one of the three. The weakest is "The Telephone," although even this tale works quite well in the suspense department. In "The Wurdulak," you know what's going to happen, but not so in "The Telephone." Plus, Michele Mercier is extremely easy on the eyes. I couldn't help but think of the seminal "Black Christmas" and "When a Stranger Calls" after watching "The Telephone." I wonder if Bob Clark and Fred Walton took Bava's creation as the inspiration for their own, later films. As for "The Drop of Water," well, it's a scary film that doubtless inspired its own imitators years later.

Horror fans would be remiss to pass up this delightful collection. They're not gory in any way, just as "Black Sunday" wasn't gory, but they are nicely done pieces well worth watching. A big thanks goes out to Image Entertainment for releasing the film in its original format. I am slowly working my way through all of Mario Bava's film, and "Black Sabbath" was a huge step towards completing my journey. After watching the movie, check out the production notes assembled by Bava historian Tim Lucas, the trailer, and the Bava biography. If you like horror, you will definitely want to give this one a few hours of your time.

Are You Serious?
With out a doubt, the best horror film ever made. Bava's Black Sabbath, is without question the most complete horror experience ever filmed. With atmosphere like I've never seen, this trilogy starts off with a classic giallo, and progresses to sheer terror by the last installment. Words alone cannot describe "The Drop of Water", a dark, eerie, and ultimately terrifying experince. If the face of death does not make you cringe, nothing will ever affect you! Do yourself a favor and buy this film(the Italian version), shut the lights off and let the terror begin.

classic horror; though tame by today's standard.
This trilogy of terror stars and is narrated by the late Boris Karloff. It would be tame by today's standards; some younger people might say "lame", but this was pre-"Jason" (Friday the 13th), pre-"Freddy" (Nightmare On Elm Street) and relied more on "suspense" than gore. Interesting for those who like "suspense". ... Read more

Description

Taking the original story from "Lisa and the Devil" in entirely new directions, "The House of Exorcism" adds the horror of diabolical possession to an already-potent mixture. Tourist Lisa Reiner (Elke Sommer) encounters the Devil himself (Telly Savalas) while vacationing in Toledo, Spain. Recognizing in her the soul of a damned spirit that escaped him, the Devil possesses Lisa, who is sent to a local hospital. Father Michael (Robert Alda), an American priest, accompanies her and tries to exorcise the evil and blasphemous spirit from her soul, but can he discover the mystery of Lisa's past identity and the horrors it bore witness to? This re-structured version of Mario Bava's "Lisa and the Devil" features additional scenes not included in the original version and was completed by producer Alfredo Leone (who was credited with the pseudonym Mickey Lion) after the commercial success of 1973's "The Exorcist." ... Read more

Reviews (23)

Wacky adventure through the Land of Bava
Italian director Mario Bava (1914-1980) is one of the giants of the horror film genre. His films, no matter what the plot, always promised great style mixed with scenes of murder and mayhem. Bava's big break into the industry came with his 1960 black and white classic "Black Sunday" starring fan favorite Barbara Steele. This was only the beginning, as Bava churned out a series of gruesome shockers over the next seventeen years. Perhaps Mario's biggest contribution to the horror field was his 1972 picture "Twitch of the Death Nerve," also known as "Bay of Blood." It doesn't take too long to realize "Friday the 13th" shamelessly cribbed from Bava's bloodbath. The director's inventiveness goes far beyond hacking up a few unfortunate souls, however, as "Lisa and the Devil," a movie which first appeared on our shores in a radically altered form called "The House of Exorcism," shows. This movie is a wildly inventive jaunt into the inner recesses of the mind of a tortured woman. The Bava legacy continued with son Lamberto, one of the guiding lights behind "Demons," an instant cult favorite with gorehounds worldwide.

Tourist Lisa (Elke Sommer) finds herself in an increasing series of ultra horrific and bizarre circumstances after viewing a huge mural on the side of a building in an Italian town. After looking at the picture, she wonders off into the heart of the old city where she soon encounters a man (Telly Savalas) wearing a beret who exactly resembles the figure in the painting. Horrified at the similarities between this man and the painting, Lisa flees and wanders aimlessly until a husband and wife pick her up in their ancient automobile. The car breaks down near a dark, creepy looking estate where none other than the man Lisa saw earlier works as the butler/head servant. The family living at the home agrees to allow the stranded travelers access to the house in order to phone for assistance. It quickly becomes apparent that things are not what they seem inside the walls of this sprawling estate. Over a socially awkward dinner served on a table the size of a football field, weird activities take place. The family doesn't seem to get along all that well and there is some peculiar importance attached to a chocolate cake with sprinkles (!). Lisa eventually discovers that a family member delivers the cake to a locked bedroom upstairs, supposedly to a member of the family who permanently lives in this room.

Meanwhile, the man and wife who helped Lisa clash over the wife's infidelity, a behavior that will soon have ghastly consequences in this house of horrors. As for Savalas, he acts the part of butler but also seems a more important figure than his position merits. He spends most of his time wandering around the house startling Lisa, or fiddling around with his human figures made out of wax. Even worse, our hapless heroine witnesses Savalas stuffing a corpse in a coffin in one of the rooms on the estate. This corpse just happens to be a mysterious man Lisa encountered in the town shortly after seeing the painting. He continues to reappear to her in the house and on the grounds of the estate, often seeming to change in age between each encounter. The horrors of the family eventually rise to the surface with the result that Lisa emerges from her dream state and decides to fly back home. But wait! Bava played with your mind for over an hour and he isn't about to let you go this easily. Is Lisa truly free of her nightmare or is she about to enter an even deeper dimension of terror?

On the surface, the film makes little sense. But what appears to be a random mish mash of bizarre scenes actually does assume somewhat of a structure if you pay attention to the first five minutes of the movie. It is my opinion that the bizarre painting Lisa sees on a trip to Italy provides the viewer with a possible key to deciphering this weird movie. I propose that Sommer's character undergoes a sort of hypnotic interaction with this painting that somehow transports her back in time, a process which then helps explain the following sequences. The movie is a dream or break with reality in the mind of Sommer's character, nothing more or nothing less, and therefore must assume a fractured, nonsensical tone. Isn't it slightly odd that Lisa doesn't have a boyfriend or husband, or if she does he is not with her on this trip? That might explain the mysterious male that seems to have some bizarre link with her character. Perhaps everything we see is part of Lisa's unconscious taking on corporeal form. Whatever is going on, I think it is important we remember that we are seeing events from the perspective of this confused woman and are thus dependent on her cracked perceptions. How can we know what is going on when Lisa herself has little idea of the weirdness swirling about her? I truly enjoyed the film and appreciated Bava's attempts to do something different.

I also liked the performances. Savalas intrigues as the butler/devil, an ominous figure always looming in the background happily tormenting Lisa. Sommer is also a lot of fun to watch as she bumbles from one grim situation to another, even going so far as to shed her clothes in one scene (bless her soul!). The other performers are lesser talents, something we should expect and accept with Italian horror. The DVD recognizes the utter wackiness of this film with a plethora of extras well worth watching. I usually turn up my nose at movies that seek to confuse the audience, but I really enjoyed this one. I can't wait to see the hacked up "House of Exorcism" so I can compare the two. Enjoy.

yet another testimony to the genius of Mario Bava
Mario Bava was one of the great filmmakers of his time. Revered and often imitated by illustrious contemporaries like Fellini and Visconti, his work has had long echoing reverberations through the films of David Lynch, Quentin Tarentino, and the entire body of hopelessly unimaginative slasher films that tried, and failed, to copy Bava's films. Yet he was largely dismissed and/or despised in his time. Lisa and the Devil is possibly his most brilliant, and easily his most personal film. It's also a sad example of the way this innovator was treated in his time. More a cinematic poem than traditional "movie", this is a surreal, stream of consciousness fantasy about a girl (Elke Sommer, who was never better) who may or may not be dead and a butler (Telly Savalas, sucking a lollipop) who may or may not be the devil. Lisa and the Devil is beautifully photographed in vibrant colour, violent, disturbing, and completely brilliant. Inventive sequences abound, encompassing concepts as broad as identity, memory vs. hallucination, necrophilia, past vs. present, reincarnation, etc...There's literally no limit to this film's depth and beauty. Unfortunately, its complete disregard for conventional narrative flow consigned it to a truly horrible fate, being butchered beyond recognition, having extra scenes added to make it seem like an Exorcist rip-off, it was finally released as House of Exorcism. If you see this version anywhere, you should not only avoid buying it, you should also destroy it. It's an atrocity and an insult to the memory of Mario Bava and this, possibly his greatest work.

I EXORCISE YOU FROM THIS HOUSE FOREVER!
This DVD double feature of LISA AND THE DEVIL and the remix HOUSE OF EXORCISM is the only way to see Mario Bava's masterpiece! Anyway, LISA AND THE DEVIL is a dazzling horror movie made the only way that Mario Bava could possibly direct it. It's like PSYCHO by way of the Brothers Grimm: Lisa Reiner (Elke Sommer), a tourist lost in Toledo, Spain, encounters a blind Contessa and her unbalanced son and their lollipop-sucking butler (Telly "Kojak" Savalas), along with a whole mess of bizarre occurances. This movie defies all logical explaination; you must see it to believe it. Telly Savalas is the highlight of the movie; he steals every scene he appears in (This is where he discovered what would become Kojak's trademark!).
As for HOUSE OF EXORCISM, it is one of the better Italian imitations of THE EXORCIST, with a great performance by Robert Alda as the priest who must deal with a possessed Lisa. Unfortunately, the re-editing takes away much of the mysticism of LISA and often comes off as ridiculously humorous. However, this movie comes with a commentary by Sommer and producer Alfredo Leone which is a must for Bavaphiles and film buffs alike.
Of all the Mario Bava movies that have come out on DVD that I own, I have to say that LISA AND THE DEVIL/HOUSE OF EXORCISM is the most essential. I also recommend the following: Dario Argento's SUSPIRIA, Lucio Fulci's THE BEYOND, Don Coscarelli's PHANTASM, and of course, Sam Raimi's THE EVIL DEAD. In fact, watch all of these together for some real spooky horror-movie fun!

Great 70's Horror
This film is really impressive in that it sets up a mood which flows through the entire movie. While "Lisa and the Devil" moves along at the speed of a PBS documentary "House of Exorcism" has great pacing and I found myself always wondering what was going to happen next. It is also sexier than "Lisa" since a couple scenes (Including one by Elke Sommer) are lacking in "Lisa". The romantic music of Rodriguez is put to good use here in establishing an atmosphere along with a great use of color. Highly recommended example of 70's euro-horror and Elke Sommer fans.

Questionable Classic.
Gaudiness, soft focus photography, an overemphasis on zoom shots (especially as far as shocked faces are concerned), awful (stilted) dialogue and a lot of old mansion baroque (seventies style). Reading that you might have mistaken this strange film for a hybrid of "Love Boat", "Murder she Wrote" (minus an iota of coherence) and, perhaps, a snuff film (well, the sensibility thereof at least). The film does have some merits as an unintentional comedy, and the opening minutes are eerie (before that damned zoom function starts taking a front seat). The constant and consistent zooming in and out and in and out, peripeteia, is more than a little annoying after a while, it spoils the film somewhat. Overall, a decent venture, worth a look if you're into seventies kitsch or want to see what all the fuss was about. The DVD quality is awful (soft image, a lot of colour bleed, with no acceptible black levels, evidence of minor print damage and mono-sound): if only those folks at Anchor Bay had got a hold of it first, natch. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Esther and the King
Joan Collins is very good in this movie. The king was miscast
The costumes were glamorous. Ms Collins saved the movie with her portrayel of a innocent, sensitive, beautiful Jewiss.

Poor source material and non-letter box format sours
I've been waiting for years to see this film, shot by Mario Bava before he broke into directing, in letterbox format. Prior to this DVD, the film has only been available on a grainy (16mm source) VHS tape from Sinister Cinema and a much crisper and cleaner tape from 20th century. The MAJOR dissapointment here is that the film is not letterboxed (it was originally shot 2.35:1). The print quality is better than the Sinister Cinema, but remains dark, grainy and sometimes badly framed. Random chapter titles. Let's do this one right, somebody, please.

Thank God for Richard Egan
Richard Egan makes this film watchable AND enjoyable. It is an interesting portrayal of this biblical story, and as he always did, Egan shines above all others. A good movie for both historical and entertainment value. Actors of Egan's caliber - talented, charming, and handsome - are a rare breed in this day and age. Its too bad.

Fairly accurate but campy
I enjoyed this film because it follows the Biblical version of the Book of Esther fairly well. There are a few differences but I enjoyed the film anyway. The acting is marginal and in some places rather humorous and campy. ... Read more

Description

Beautifully photographed in black and white by director Mario Bava himself, BLACK SUNDAY is hypnotic and compelling. From the brutal openingto the resurrection of the vampires and the horrors that follow, Bava's camera effortlessly glides through the fog bound sets, presenting one incredible image after another. Barbara Steele is magnificent in her dual role. Dubbed in English. ... Read more

Reviews (58)

Classic Goth Guignol
The incredibly photogenic original Goth queen, Barbara Steele, couldn't have asked for a better film debut than this atmospheric black-and-white classic by famed director Mario Bava. She gets to play both the innocent and beautiful ingenue Katya, and Katya's evil twin ancestor, the diabolical witch, Asa.

Steele's performance is half the reason to watch this conventional black magic/ghost/vampire tale, the other half being Bava's cinematography and skillful direction. This is an especially violent film, opening on the execution of Asa and her evil manservant, Javuto, by the nailing of spiked devil masks to their faces (the original title of the film was Mask of Satan). The visuals in this, and all other, scenes in the film are archetypally perfect. The actual framing and composition of each shot is beautifully done, throughout. The scenery is lush, the makeups unsettling - especially the resurrected Asa, with the holes in her face from the mask - and many of the effects are equally disturbing, especially one in which Asa's naked ribcage is exposed.

European horror cinema of the 1960s was the best the genre ever produced, and this was one of its premiere features. Highly recommended not only for horror fans, but for serious film students as well.

Dark, gothic, evil fun
Let me start by saying Barbara Steele is just plain weird looking. She is not unattractive. She is just...disturbing. Maybe that is why she fits so well into the role of an ancient witch condemned to death, a horrible iron mask nailed to her face.

Time passes and some travellers wander into her cryp