The great Mario Bava was arguably the greatest Horror director who ever lived, for a variety of reasons. Not only was this brilliant man capable of creating a beautiful yet unspeakably eerie atmosphere unlike any other director, the amount of masterpieces in Bava's repertoire is also overwhelming. Almost all films by this great director are ingenious, which makes it very hard to pick favorites. His arguably most brilliant masterpiece is "La Maschera Del Demonio" (aka. "Black Sunday") of 1960, which is a very strong contender for the title of the single greatest Horror film of all-time, but Bava's impressive filmography includes a wide range of other fantastic gems that are absolutely essential for every Horror fan, or every true film buff in general to see. Such as his brilliant Giallo-milestone "Sei Donne Per L'Assassino" (aka. "Blood And Black Lace", 1964), the incredibly creepy "Operazione Paura" (aka. "Kill Baby... Kill", 1966) or the breathtaking crime-thriller "Cani Arrabiati" (aka. "Rabid Dogs", 1974). Or this fantastic film. In the same year 1963 in which he also changed the world of Horror forever by single-handedly inventing the Giallo-genre with "La Ragazza Che Sappeva Troppo" (aka. "The Girl Who Knew Too Much") and furthermore enriched the Horror genre by another Gothic masterpiece, "La Frusta E Il Corpo" (aka. "The Whip And The Body"), Bava created what is quite possibly the greatest Horror-anthology ever brought to screen - "I Tre Volti Della Paura" aka. "Black Sabbath"/"The Three Faces Of Fear". Horror anthologies/omnibuses became very popular in the 60s and especially the 70s, with the British Amicus company specializing on this particular format. Notable Horror anthologies also include two great films starring Vincent Price, Roger Corman's "Tales Of Terror" (1962) and Sidney Salkow's "Twice-Told Tales" (1963), yet I would personally consider this film the greatest Horror-anthology I've seen. Bava tells three creepy and deliciously macabre tales, with none other than genre-icon Boris Karloff serving as the narrator of the film and star of one of its three segments.
The first tale "The Telephone" is a magnificent early voyage into the style of the Giallo, which Bava had invented in the same year with "The Girl Who Knew Too Much". A sexy young woman named Rosy (Michèle Mercier) is being stalked with death threats on the phone by a psychopath... I do not want to give away too much about this first story, but I can assure that especially Italian Horror fans will be delighted. The segment bears many trademarks of the Giallo-genre and has a, for the time very daring, lesbian subtext.
The second segment "The Wurdalak" is the most visually and atmospherically impressive of the three, a classic Gothic tale starring none other than the great Boris Karloff as well as Mark Damon ("House Of Usher"). The segment, which, in its style, has many resemblances to Bava's earlier masterpiece "La Maschera Del Demonio", delivers an incredibly eerie Gothic atmosphere and all the creepiness and beauty that makes vintage Horror such a delight. Set in 19th century, "The Wurdalak" tells the story of an eponymous Wurdalak, a man turned into a ghoulish vampire-like creature, thirsty for the blood of his kin and those he loves most. This incredibly creepy and atmospheric segment alone would make the film an absolute must-see for a Horror fan. The photography and settings are extremely eerie and Bava wisely re-uses the brilliant score from "La Masachera Del Demonio". Also, this is one of the last truly great cinematic moments for the great Boris Karloff, who shines in an unspeakably ghoulish role.
The third segment "The Drop Of Water" must be one of the most spine-chilling experiences one will ever have. The segment tells the tale of a nurse who is haunted by the corpse of an old lady. The dead lady, who was a medium who died during a séance, has a look on her face that is capable of giving you the creeps. Again, I don't want to give too much away, but I can assure that this genuinely scary last segment delivers some of the creepiest moments ever in Horror cinema.
Needless to say that all three segments are filmed in Bava's uniquely beautiful and eerie trade-mark Gothic style. An introduction from narrator Boris Karloff at the beginning makes this even more worthwhile. Overall, this is quite possibly the greatest Horror-anthology ever, and yet another brilliant film in Mario Bava's repertoire that once again probes what a genius he was. An absolute must for all Horror fans! I recommend to try and get hold of the Itlaina language version, as the melody of the Italian language goes very well in hand with the film's delicious eeriness. 10/10
The first tale "The Telephone" is a magnificent early voyage into the style of the Giallo, which Bava had invented in the same year with "The Girl Who Knew Too Much". A sexy young woman named Rosy (Michèle Mercier) is being stalked with death threats on the phone by a psychopath... I do not want to give away too much about this first story, but I can assure that especially Italian Horror fans will be delighted. The segment bears many trademarks of the Giallo-genre and has a, for the time very daring, lesbian subtext.
The second segment "The Wurdalak" is the most visually and atmospherically impressive of the three, a classic Gothic tale starring none other than the great Boris Karloff as well as Mark Damon ("House Of Usher"). The segment, which, in its style, has many resemblances to Bava's earlier masterpiece "La Maschera Del Demonio", delivers an incredibly eerie Gothic atmosphere and all the creepiness and beauty that makes vintage Horror such a delight. Set in 19th century, "The Wurdalak" tells the story of an eponymous Wurdalak, a man turned into a ghoulish vampire-like creature, thirsty for the blood of his kin and those he loves most. This incredibly creepy and atmospheric segment alone would make the film an absolute must-see for a Horror fan. The photography and settings are extremely eerie and Bava wisely re-uses the brilliant score from "La Masachera Del Demonio". Also, this is one of the last truly great cinematic moments for the great Boris Karloff, who shines in an unspeakably ghoulish role.
The third segment "The Drop Of Water" must be one of the most spine-chilling experiences one will ever have. The segment tells the tale of a nurse who is haunted by the corpse of an old lady. The dead lady, who was a medium who died during a séance, has a look on her face that is capable of giving you the creeps. Again, I don't want to give too much away, but I can assure that this genuinely scary last segment delivers some of the creepiest moments ever in Horror cinema.
Needless to say that all three segments are filmed in Bava's uniquely beautiful and eerie trade-mark Gothic style. An introduction from narrator Boris Karloff at the beginning makes this even more worthwhile. Overall, this is quite possibly the greatest Horror-anthology ever, and yet another brilliant film in Mario Bava's repertoire that once again probes what a genius he was. An absolute must for all Horror fans! I recommend to try and get hold of the Itlaina language version, as the melody of the Italian language goes very well in hand with the film's delicious eeriness. 10/10