Review of Black Sunday (1960) by Greg T — 03 Jan 2014

Not only does "Mask of Satan" has one of the most memorable and horrible openings in horror history, it also presents for your viewing pleasure a crumbling castle, a haunted mausoleum, flickering candles, ancient curses, doppelgangers, cobwebs, buxom wenches, an innocent virgin, a murderous bat, superstitious locals, revenants clawing their way out of graves, an old man staring into a fire, secret tunnels, protecting talismans, spooky portraits, men of science having their certitude shaken by the inexplicable, the faint hint of incest, howling creatures, and a mob of angry villagers brandishing pitchforks.

For the sheer delirious pleasure of wallowing in the most Gothic of all Gothic movies, "Mask of Satan" is a delight. For the interest of seeing where the talent of genre legend Mario Bava became undeniably apparent, it's a must-see.