Review of Black Sabbath (1963) by Michael W — 16 Oct 2007

Black Sabbath (aka Three Faces of Terror) is a three pack of macabre horror tales from the master of all things creepy, Mario Bava. Led by Boris Karloff (he introduces the film and plays the lead in the second segment) Mario Bava's Black Sabbath is a magnificent achievement.

I enjoyed all three segments a great deal but I have to say, in disappointing fashion, the Boris Karloff segment was my least favorite. This might sound weird since they are short stories already, but the segment just dragged a bit too long in my opinion.

Karloff was still creepy as hell in his role as a Wurdalak (a type of blood sucking vampire). The first and third stories were highly impressive in their own rights. The first story, The Telephone, is a tension filled story of revenge.

The third story, The Drop of Water is a ghost story that was just downright creepy. I'll never forget the facial expression of the old ladies corpse. Prevalent in all three short films (but particularly in the second and third ones) is Bava's signature color scheme technique he has shown in some of his other color films, which has been emulated by many directors including his son Lamberto Bava and the brilliant Dario Argento.

The list of directors he has influence in one way or another is endless. Needless to say, Mario Bava's Black Sabbath is a classic horror film and it's really a shame that he just doesn't get the respect he deserves from more people.