In medieval Moldavia, an evil witch and her lover are executed, but two hundred years later her crypt is disturbed by two passing nobleman. Before long, evil creatures are abroad, an age-old curse is enacted and the beautiful Princess Katia is in deadly danger ...
Known by many titles - Black Sunday / The Mask Of Satan / Mask Of The Demon - this is one of the best and most influential black-and-white horror films ever made. Like most Italian genre movies it creaks a bit in the translation and occasionally seems like a rather arty episode of Scooby Doo, Where Are You !, but it's scary, mesmerising, beautifully shot and designed, and features an unforgettable dual lead performance by Steele (whose name is misspelled in the credits) which ranks among the very best in horror cinema. She's amazing looking, playing both the innocent girl Katia and the scheming villainess Asa with iconic gusto. Almost as hypnotic as Steele is Bava's spellbinding photography, which drifts lazily around Giorgio Giovannini's wonderfully spooky sets and simply oozes creepiness. Check out the brilliant three-hundred-and-sixty-degree pan in the crypt, the shot of Steele playing the piano, the subtle lighting effects on her face and a myriad of ingenious trickery. Bava was a genius at atmosphere and suspense, and followed this with many great little chillers like Sei Donne Per L'Assassino / Blood And Black Lace and Terrore Nello Spazio / Planet Of The Vampires. Loosely based on the short story Viy by the classical Ukrainian author Nikolai Gogol. If ever there was a movie to watch by candlelight on a dark and stormy night, this is the one - don't miss it.
Known by many titles - Black Sunday / The Mask Of Satan / Mask Of The Demon - this is one of the best and most influential black-and-white horror films ever made. Like most Italian genre movies it creaks a bit in the translation and occasionally seems like a rather arty episode of Scooby Doo, Where Are You !, but it's scary, mesmerising, beautifully shot and designed, and features an unforgettable dual lead performance by Steele (whose name is misspelled in the credits) which ranks among the very best in horror cinema. She's amazing looking, playing both the innocent girl Katia and the scheming villainess Asa with iconic gusto. Almost as hypnotic as Steele is Bava's spellbinding photography, which drifts lazily around Giorgio Giovannini's wonderfully spooky sets and simply oozes creepiness. Check out the brilliant three-hundred-and-sixty-degree pan in the crypt, the shot of Steele playing the piano, the subtle lighting effects on her face and a myriad of ingenious trickery. Bava was a genius at atmosphere and suspense, and followed this with many great little chillers like Sei Donne Per L'Assassino / Blood And Black Lace and Terrore Nello Spazio / Planet Of The Vampires. Loosely based on the short story Viy by the classical Ukrainian author Nikolai Gogol. If ever there was a movie to watch by candlelight on a dark and stormy night, this is the one - don't miss it.