Review of Black Sunday (1960) by Al M — 15 May 2011
Despite being over fifty years old, The Mask of Satan remains a powerful, stylish piece of gothic horror that features Satanic imagery that will stay with you long after the film is over. Released the same year as Hitchcock's Psycho and Powell's Peeping Tom, The Mask of Satan represents Bava at his best.
From the brutal imagery of the opening scene to the film's final moments, The Mask of Satan is an almost perfect example of gothic filmmaking that featured depictions of gore and evil unparalleled by cinema up until this point and helped turn the beautiful Barbara Steele into the scream queen that she became.
The Mask of Satan represents a turning point in Bava's career as he learned how to sculpt his films and their mise-en-scene into truly iconic and horrifically beautiful images. An absolute classic of the horror film genre, The Mask of Satan should be seen by anyone that even remotely considers themselves to be a fan of horror cinema.
This review of Black Sunday (1960) was written by Al M on 15 May 2011.
Black Sunday has generally received positive reviews.
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