Galatea/Jolly Films Films, 1960

starring: Barbara Steele, John Richardson, Andrea Checchi, Arturo Dominici
directed by: Mario Bava

the plot: In 17th century Russia, Princess Asa (Steele) is accused of witchcraft and condemned to death by her own brother, Prince Vajda. Tied to a stake, Asa swears revenge on future generations of the family. A spike-lined metal mask is placed over her face and hammered into her skull. Her body is interred in a crypt equipped with a window through which a cross is visible. Two hundred years later, Doctors Kruvajan (Checchi) and Gorobek (Richardson) are traveling to Moscow when their carriage breaks down. They explore the crypt and Kruvajan inadvertently smashes the glass window. He then removes the mask, cutting his hand in the process, and his blood begins to work its magic on Asa’s corpse. Outside the crypt, they meet Princess Katia (also Steele), daughter of the present Prince Vajda. Resurrected, the witch Asa calls her lover, the vampire Javutich (Dominici), who crawls from his grave to do her bidding. Soon she has infected Dr. Kruvajan, and begins her diabolical acts of revenge.

why it’s good: Like fellow Italian Tinto Brass, Mario Bava has never received the full respect he deserves. His large output included science fiction, westerns and crime thrillers, but he chiefly worked in horror. Despite its pedigree of being based on a Gogol tale, “Black Sunday” has some ghastly dialogue, inexplicable plot twists and bad acting. No matter. Bava achieves the almost impossible trick of elevating B-level material and resources to first-class filmmaking. Although he often worked wonders with color, this film is in luscious black and white, and the brooding, gothic atmosphere he renders from studio forests, castle halls, and crumbling tombs is magnificent. Lex Baxter’s swoony score perfectly complements the omnipresent moodiness.

why you should own it: This film is certainly on par with two other Bava masterpieces: “Black Sabbath”(1963) and the regrettably titled but brilliant “Kill, Baby, Kill” (1966), all produced during the golden age of Italian horror. The reigning queen of the period was Barbara Steele. Her oddly beautiful features and erotic appeal were utilized by countless directors, making her the most popular object of sadistic treatment. A low-quality bootleg circulated in the ’90s, but the heroes at Anchor Bay have lovingly restored this chamber piece. The opening pre-credit sequence of the witch’s execution is shocking today; one can only imagine its effect on audiences in 1960. The DVD includes commentary by film historian Tim Lucas, theatrical trailers and a few bios.