In 1630, a beautiful witch princess, Asa (Barbara Steele), who is a vampire, and her lover, Juvato (Arturo Dominici), are put to death by her vengeful brother. He has iron masks with spikes on the inside placed on both of their faces and then sledgehammered home. Two hundred years later,
blood is accidentally spilled on Asa's face and she rises from the dead along with Juvato to wreak revenge on the descendants of those who executed her--including her look-alike, Katia (also played by Steele).
Beautifully photographed in black and white by Bava himself, BLACK SUNDAY is hypnotic and compelling. From the brutal opening to the resurrection of the vampires and the horrors that follow, Bava's camera effortlessly glides through the fogbound sets, presenting one incredible image after another.
Bava exhibits a comparable command of sound and music--or the lack thereof--with some sequences played out in virtual silence. Steele is magnificent in her dual role as vengeful devil and vestal virgin. As the resurrected Asa, her beautiful face is both seductive and horrifying, bearing the
terrible holes punched by the iron mask. The role catapulted her to horror-movie stardom. Unfortunately, when released in the US by American International Pictures, BLACK SUNDAY was badly dubbed and a bombastic Les Baxter score was imposed over the original by Roberto Nicolosi. leave a comment
