La Maschera del demonio (Black Sunday) (House of Fright) (Mask of the Demon) (1960)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Tsubaki S

  
  Bava's influential tale of gothic horror has aged far better than other horror movies from the time. This is thanks to Bava's atmospheric direction, along with a good use of good ol traditional movie sets. The story gets a bit erratic in the second half, and the resolution… More
  Bava's influential tale of gothic horror has aged far better than other horror movies from the time. This is thanks to Bava's atmospheric direction, along with a good use of good ol traditional movie sets. The story gets a bit erratic in the second half, and the resolution is not as thrilling as it could be. Neverless, this one still deserves it's reputation as being a classic of the genre.

• Chris W

  
  The story here concerns a (vampire) witch who, in 1630 is sentenced to death along with her male accomplice. Just before dying she vows revenge. Two centruies later, some guys go stumbling around in a decrepit castle crypt and accidentally bring the woman back from the dead, who… More
  The story here concerns a (vampire) witch who, in 1630 is sentenced to death along with her male accomplice. Just before dying she vows revenge. Two centruies later, some guys go stumbling around in a decrepit castle crypt and accidentally bring the woman back from the dead, who proceeds to go aroudn feasting upon her descendants. That's pretty much it as far as the plot goes. Not very original or complex, but that's fine. Where the film really shines though, is in the art direction, set design, and cinematography. They are the real highlight. This was shot in alck and white, and everything looks gorgeous. This has a wonderful atmosphere and mood, and I can definitely see why this is such an influential movie, especially on Tim Burton, who has said it is one of his favorites. This is a nice gloomy gothic chiller, and it's comparable to some of the Hammer films, though this is an Italian film, and often considered one of the best. I'm not sure about all that, but I did enjoy it, and found it to be pretty entertaining. Yeah, the story could be better, and some of the acting is a little over the top (same goes for the dialogue), but maybe that's because I watched the English dub. The performances are okay though, and Barbara Steele (in a dual role) is quite a looker. For what's it's worth, Winona Ryder kinda resembles her a bit, This has some decent special effects for 1960 as well, and some of this must have been rather shocking for its time. I give major credit for the mise en scene stuff, but the film's faults bring the overall rating down to 4 stars. You should still give this one a watch though, especially if you're into old school horror chillers.

• Cassandra M

  
  "The sound that you hear is dripping blood. This...is the beginning of Black Sunday !!" ...These two very atmospheric and mood-setting sentences are heard when the Black Sunday DVD is put into the player. No need to tell you that a better and more tense opening has yet to be… More
  "The sound that you hear is dripping blood. This...is the beginning of Black Sunday !!" ...These two very atmospheric and mood-setting sentences are heard when the Black Sunday DVD is put into the player. No need to tell you that a better and more tense opening has yet to be created. This movie is an undeniable masterpiece in its kind. A powerful and terrifying experience that was way ahead of its time back in 1960 and now - almost 45 years later - it still stands for an hour and a half of pure terror, devlish fun and sinister fascination. I respect the opinion and dislikes of everyone but not when it comes to this movie...you either admit that Black Sunday is a masterpiece or you're wrong !! I could give you a thousand reasons why this movie should be seen as the most important horror movie ever made but I'll just stick to the most important ones. Black Sunday ( or The Mask of Satan, as you prefer ) is the debut of Italian genius Mario Bava...Well, not really his debut but the first full length movie after a series of short films and project he didn't get credit for. In it, Bava presents us on a stylish and visually stunning story with an extremely macabre and dark topic. It contains passages of torturement, curses, witchburning, vampirism, massacres and resurrection but it's all brought to us in a very artistic fashion. Bava's profesionalism and style reminds me about the true masterpieces from Universal...Maybe also because the whole movie is filmed in beautiful black and white but merely because of the creepy atmosphere and the morbid topics. Black Sunday does contain rather many violent and sadistic scenes, but it becomes unwatchable or disgusting. Actually, when you look closer at it...it's a fairy tale !! Think about it...: evil witch, ominous castles, dark forests and - on top of it all - a tale of true love at first sight ! Barbara Steele should get as least as much credit and praise though. This stunning beauty can easily considered "Queen of Horror" if it were only for her performance here. Steele has a double role here ( the evil, vampiric Prinses Asa and the virgin Katia ) and her appearance can only be seen as on of beauty and pureness. Barbara Steele - once spit out by the glory of Hollywood - succeeds in convincing the audience that she stars as both an innocent virgin as well as a demonic ancient witch. The cinematic value attached to her character comes extremely close to Karloff's Frankenstein and Lugosi's Count Dracula. After all, Princess Asa was the first true female monster and she has - literally - become immortal. You're not a horror fan if you haven't seen the perfection of Black Sunday.

• Drew S

  
  Perhaps less challenging than it should be, giving its cutting-edge gore, Black Sunday's only claim to notoriety is its intermittent graphic violence and its frank depiction of Satanism. The rest of the film doesn't push too hard, and though the delicious Gothic construction… More
  Perhaps less challenging than it should be, giving its cutting-edge gore, Black Sunday's only claim to notoriety is its intermittent graphic violence and its frank depiction of Satanism. The rest of the film doesn't push too hard, and though the delicious Gothic construction (castles with hidden passages and all!) will sustain a viewing for fans of old horror, there's nothing incredibly interesting happening with the plot or characters. The movie is too grounded and narrative to be a work of pure atmosphere, which is unfortunate. As a walk through a surrealist-horror Europe, this might have been a real smash, but Black Sunday's B-movie aspirations are clear and the plot sort of drags its feet. A great stepping stone for Mario Bava and a touchstone film for much of the genre's work, but devalued somewhat by what came after it.

• AJ V

  
  Bava knows his horror movies, this movie is really creepy and the story is good too. I loved Steele, she's the perfect horror actress. I liked this movie.

• El Hombre I

  
  One of Italian horror's most celebrated titles, Mario Bava's directorial debut still stands as one of the most influential and important works. Despite its' age, it stands up well to repeat viewings 50 years after the original release. Kinda hard to believe that this… More
  One of Italian horror's most celebrated titles, Mario Bava's directorial debut still stands as one of the most influential and important works. Despite its' age, it stands up well to repeat viewings 50 years after the original release. Kinda hard to believe that this is Bava's first feature, as it's so well done. It brings to mind the classic black and white Universal films, filled with fog, beautiful women, menacing monsters and gorgeous sets. The ominous mood is set from the opening scene all the way through to the finale. <a href="http://s273.photobucket.com/albums/jj203/goji9000/?action=view&current=black_sunday_01.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj203/goji9000/black_sunday_01.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

• Kylie B

  
  The gorgeous setpieces, charmingly silly effects and over-the-top dialogue make for an entertaining piece of horror history.

• David L

  
  Mario Bava's "La Maschera Del Demonio" aka. "Black Sunday"/"The Mask Of Satan" of 1960 starring Barbara Steele is, without exaggeration, one of the most brilliant horror milestones in motion picture history, one of the most atmospheric masterpieces… More
  Mario Bava's "La Maschera Del Demonio" aka. "Black Sunday"/"The Mask Of Satan" of 1960 starring Barbara Steele is, without exaggeration, one of the most brilliant horror milestones in motion picture history, one of the most atmospheric masterpieces ever brought to screen, and an absolute must-see for any lover of film. Any true horror fan will agree that Mario Bava is one of the greatest cinematic geniuses of all-time. Bava's knew to combine terror and beauty and create a haunting, mesmerizing atmosphere like no other, and his other masterpieces, such as "The Whip And The Body", "Kill Baby... Kill!" or "Lisa And The Devil", just to name three, all stick out as the brilliant work of a cinematic genius. His feature-length debut as a director, "La Maschera Del Demonio" is arguably the greatest film by this brilliant director, and without doubt one of the most important horror films ever brought to screen.Not only is this the debut of the arguably greatest Horror director of all-time, it rose the Italian Horror to international fame. The movie furthermore brought Horror's greatest female icon, Barbara Steele, to fame. The incomparable Barbara Steele, who has a unique ability of combining stunning beauty and eeriness, is one of my favorite actresses of all-time, and this film is one of the main reasons for my admiration of her. In Moldavia of 1630, Princess Asa Vajda (Barbara Steele) and her lover Javutic (Artuto Dominici) are sentenced to death for witchcraft. Before an iron mask, the 'Mask Of Satan' is nailed to her face on her execution site, Asa vows revenge and curses her brother, the prince and inquisitor who has sentenced her to death and his descendants. Two centuries later the Vajda family is still living in the castle near the tomb where Asa was buried, and the young princess Katja (also Steele) is Asa's living image... Barbara Steele was the perfect choice to star as the innocent Katja and the vengeful witch Asa. No other actress could have fit in this double role even nearly as greatly as Steele, the stunning beauty who is yet so capable of being eerie. Arturo Dominici is also very, very creepy in his role. The performances are all very good Andrea Checchi and Ivo Garrani are great in their roles and John Richardson makes a good hero. It is definitely Barbara Steele, whose brilliant performance gives this film immortality. Mario Bava was an exceptionally brilliant director, and the atmosphere in "La Maschera Del Demonio" is unique. The impressive black and white photography is as essential for the haunting atmosphere of this masterpiece as the brilliant, mesmerizing and incomparably eerie score.At the time of its release, this movie was controversial for its macabre topic and its morbidity and the graphic depiction of violence. The violence is very graphic for 1960, and the reason that it may seem tame for today standards is mainly the fact that the film is shot in black and white, which also makes morbid and gruesome scenes very elegant. I can not find enough words to praise Mario Bava as a director, Barbara Steele as an actress, and "La Maschera Del Demonio" in particular appropriately, but I assure any true lover of film that this is a movie that must be seen. This mesmerizing gothic masterpiece is a unique experience that no lover of horror and film fan in general can afford to miss, and if I was to make a list of my favorite movies of all-time, "La Maschera Del Demonio" would be one of the films to rank at the very top. All said, this is a movie that is pure gothic perfection, and, in one word, Essential.

• Ken S

  
  Bava where have you been all my life?

• Bruce B

  
  Great Vampire Movie, Different then Most, but the again a Bava Movie. The Acting was great for 1961, A Barbara was hot. A Good rainy Storming outside movie, What was that, just the wind you say, ha. Add it to your collection.

• Stephen M

  
  A stunningly atmospheric horror movie. The opening scene still has the capacity to shock but, on the whole, Bava was still mastering his craft here and it's a little rough around the edges. "Kill, Baby...Kill!", for example, is far superior. Barbara Steele, playing two… More
  A stunningly atmospheric horror movie. The opening scene still has the capacity to shock but, on the whole, Bava was still mastering his craft here and it's a little rough around the edges. "Kill, Baby...Kill!", for example, is far superior. Barbara Steele, playing two roles, excels as the evil witch Asa but is less convincing as the innocent Katia; perhaps I've just seen too many of her subsequent movies.

• Dr Blood  

  
  Probably the only Mario Bava film worth a damn even if it isn't very scary or gory by today's standards. Barbara Steele is the only good reason to watch this anyway and, since she plays two parts, you get twice as much of her for your money. It's just a pity that it… More
  Probably the only Mario Bava film worth a damn even if it isn't very scary or gory by today's standards. Barbara Steele is the only good reason to watch this anyway and, since she plays two parts, you get twice as much of her for your money. It's just a pity that it wasn't filmed in colour.

• Michael G

  
  I saw the badly dubbed American version and I have a feeling if I had the fortune of seeing Black Sunday/Mask of Satan with its original Italian soundtrack I'd have had an entirely different experience. The dubbing seemed to make it an over the top frightfest. Admittedly, it… More
  I saw the badly dubbed American version and I have a feeling if I had the fortune of seeing Black Sunday/Mask of Satan with its original Italian soundtrack I'd have had an entirely different experience. The dubbing seemed to make it an over the top frightfest. Admittedly, it creates an incredible atmosphere and offers spectacular imagery. And Barbara Steele straddles the line between the beautiful and the grotesque. Definitely worth checking out.

• Ryan M

  
  8.4/10 As the best thing that Mario Bava has ever directed, as well as the FIRST thing he's ever directed, I suppose my appreciation for "Black Sunday" is, at best, expansive. I do adore the film. It is not, perhaps, a work of extreme… More
  8.4/10 As the best thing that Mario Bava has ever directed, as well as the FIRST thing he's ever directed, I suppose my appreciation for "Black Sunday" is, at best, expansive. I do adore the film. It is not, perhaps, a work of extreme story-telling; but if not a masterpiece in that department, it most certainly excels as an atmospheric work. With that being said, it's still a pretty darn good example of a horror film; a classic on its own right, but somewhat lacking the impact that it's finale intends to deliver. For me, it lacks that same sense of horror and terror that swept over me when I watched classic horror features such as, say, "Psycho". But then again, few horror films can be compared to "Psycho". Maybe I'm being a bit unfair in doing so. Some of my favorite horror films create- and depend on- atmosphere through set-pieces, make-up effects, and gore; rather than just special-effects...and gore. "Black Sunday" is a pretty scary and moody horror flick for a few good reasons. For one, Bava is good at making these kinds of films. Also, "Black Sunday" is just too damn entertaining to pass up. I suppose it will be most entertaining to those who can look at it for imagery rather than plot-complexity. Characters and plot...they matter, but not as much as "being scary". But it's good to see that "Black Sunday" has an aim. A witch is executed. Before dying, she vows revenge on the family that helped sentence her to death. Sure enough, the witch (Barbara Steele) returns two centuries later, after being reborn through blood. The witch commands other spirits to help her in her quest for vengeance; and uses her own beauty, innocence, and trickery to toy with the minds of the mortals. This here is the plot of "Black Sunday"; or at least the basic plot. It's a simple story of vengeance, with a supernatural-horror twist, with another twist involving the ever-so-interesting topic of Witch trials. I'm genuinely interested in films such as this one, and "Black Sunday" is stunningly made enough for me to invest in it as much as I can. The film is well-acted and performed; complete with Mario Bava's taut direction. This film is considered the "great man's" debut into the world of horror, and I can see why. "Black Sunday" is a wonderful horror film that does wonderfully ghoulish things with its little premise, and it's both a delight and a wholesomely fun night at the movies (or at home, as the case may be). My first Mario Bava film was "Black Sabbath". That is a good film, not nearly as good as "Black Sunday", but a fair enough introduction into the world of Mr. Bava. I advise most readers to start here, for I should have done so. It might have benefitted me. Or maybe not, I'm not sure. I am judging "Black Sunday" for the film that it is; and thankfully, that makes it a pretty damn good one. The film is essentially flawless. It's a shame about the dubbing, though. The film has gotten multiple DVD re-issuings, but the dubbing seems to be the only thing that just hasn't gone away. And I WANT it to go away; I despise dubbing. It's not done poorly here, and it doesn't completely distract from "Black Sunday" and its sheer spectacle, but it would have been nice. You might as well just pick the newest re-issued DVD and get that over with, because I don't think the original Italian audio is coming any time soon. "Black Sunday" is inspiring and haunting; memorable and worthy of its legacy. I do not think that it's a total masterpiece, even for its genre, but certainly a classic. I'd watch it again from time-to-time, observing it as the piece of sheer art that it is. The imagery here is both scary, at-the-time gruesome, and haunting. And you cannot forgive an image that haunts you, but for me, this is kind of a good thing. Horror films can either give people nightmares or inspiration. Or for many, they can give you both. I live in a world where this genre isn't respected enough, and in all honesty, I only get inspiration out of watching the "greats" in horror cinema. But what's a nightmare anyways?

• Ed Fucking H

  
  Debut feature length film from Mario Bava. Features one of the best tone setting intro's to a horror movie of all time. Barbara Steele serves up not one but two fantastic roles. The atmosphere is undeniable. All in all a great genre movie , even if it is rough around the edges,… More
  Debut feature length film from Mario Bava. Features one of the best tone setting intro's to a horror movie of all time. Barbara Steele serves up not one but two fantastic roles. The atmosphere is undeniable. All in all a great genre movie , even if it is rough around the edges, and not quite as fun to watch as I was hoping it would be.

• Marion R

  
  This film had really nice special effects and a neat atmosphere. I was pleasantly surprised. I will check out more of Bava's films.

Read all 16 featured audience ratings