Mario bava took a vital role in the creation of the modern horror film. In 1960, mario bava directed this film about witchcraft. He could easily be talking about most of bavas films, five of which have been compiled in the box set the mario bava collection, volume 1. Based on gogols story the vij, it is a tale of witchcraft and vampirism that transcends centuries. Bava, alfred hitchcock, georges franju and michael powell. No matter what youre looking for or where you are in the world, our global marketplace of sellers can help you find unique and affordable options. Despite its reputation as one of the greatest and most influential of all horror films, there is surprisingly little literature dedicated to mario bavas black sunday. Mario bava was born in san remo, liguria on 31 july 1914. Generally considered to be the foremost example of italian gothic horror, this darkly atmospheric blackandwhite chiller put. The reign of bmovie queen of horror barbara steele began with mario bavas feature directorial debut, black sunday a. Librarything is a cataloging and social networking site for booklovers all about black sunday 1960 film by mario bava. Barbara steele in mario bavas 1960 italian slice of.
Beautifully shot, bavas film possesses atmosphere that. Mario bavas black sunday 1960 retrospective analysis. Trailer for mario bavas black sunday 1960 1080p hd. Black sunday also known as the mask of satan and revenge of the vampire in the uk, is a 1960 italian gothic horror film directed by mario bava from a screenplay. Black sunday is one of the best gothic horror films ever made, because the atmosphere is so damn. If there was to be a mount rushmorestyle monument dedicated to four directors whose work pioneered a new form of big screen chills and thrills, those giant faces etched in granite on the mountainside would be. It features barbara steele as a witch that was condemned to wear the mask of satan. Thanks to luca reas interview with garrani for my book mario bava all the colors of the dark, we know that the the day the sky exploded though officially credited to paolo heusch was in fact first proposed and covertly directed by mario bava, officially its cinematographer and special effects artist. It will not be reprinted, but will live on as a digital. Italian horror master mario bavas official directorial debut black sunday or the mask of satan follows a murdered witchs curse on her treacherous brothers descendants. Mario bava all the colors of the dark by tim lucas. The reigning masterpiece of italian horror cinema, mario bava s black sunday remains one of the most stylishly photographed of all horror films, ranking with any other blackandwhite film of lasting repute.
Prior to picking up the mario bava collection volume 1, i had only seen one bava movie, black sunday. Danny peary, in his cult movies book, wrote, black sunday is as impressive as it is because it reveals bavas background almost everything is conveyed. Once every hundred years the undead demons of hell terrorize the world in an orgy of stark horror. Mario bava celebrity profile check out the latest mario bava photo gallery, biography, pics, pictures, interviews, news, forums and blogs at rotten tomatoes. Mario bava s first ambition was to become a painter. Recommended books on italian and giallo cinema click covers or. Mario bavas feature length debut black sunday is a stunning gothic horror film that still manages to terrify decades after its release. It made bava s name as a director and made a horror star out of the iconic actress barbara steele. Clearly a labor of love, 30 years in the making, all the colors of the dark is an astounding achievement and an example of book that could never deliver its experience digitally. This is gothic horror at its best, it just looks stunning. Black sunday by mario bava barbara steele, john richardson, ivo. This is the us version, with different dubbing from the uk release aka mask of satan and with a different score by les baxter, who was also responsible for the music in several of roger cormans poe films.
Only the girls brother and a handsome doctor stand in her way. Cited by scorsese as bavas masterpiece, its an integral bridge between early and late bava, but may not satisfy those in search of bavas more overthetop flourishes. Mario bavas black sunday aka the mask of satan senses. A shock to critics and censors at the time, this gothic horror still packs a brutal punch. Perhaps the ultimate movie book, certainly the ultimate bava book.
Martyn conterio places the film in the historical context of being one of the first sound italian horror films and how its. I dont think anyone has ever put together a book like this. Barbara steeles debut in a dual role as europes queen of horror is also mario bavas premier outing as a director. Mario bavas gothic cult classic stars barbara steele as a woman executed as a witch, but not before pronouncing a curse on her executors. Original mario bava storyboards including the boards for the. Barbara steele, john richardson, andrea checchi, ivo garrani, arturo dominici, enrico olivieri. Horror master mario bavas directorial debut, black sunday. All 22 mario bava movies unknowingly, i first encountered directorcameraman mario bava 19141980 in the summer of 1999 when. On such a tight budget bava made a film that will stay in the memory long after its watched. After working for over a decade as a cinematographer, effects artist, and assistant director, the legendary mario bava made the most of his first official directing assignment with black sunday, a gothic masterpiece whose towering status has led many to assume its still his best film.
Steele plays princess asa, a high priestess of satan who is gruesomely executed in 1600s moldavia by having a spiked mask hammered into her face. The haunted portraits of mario bavas black sunday 1960 are two of the most basic representations of the idea in classic modern horror film. Thats debatable considering the majestic heights he would. His father, eugenio bava 18861966, was a cinematographer in the early days of the italian film industry. He was the son of eugenio bava 18861966, a sculptor who also worked as a special effects photographer and. This gothic fairy tale, loosely inspired by nikolai gogols short story the vij faithfully adapted as viy, proved the ideal launch for a director who began life as a painter and son of a cinematographer.
Tim lucas has taken his obsession with the italian filmmaker to dizzying heights yet never loses his critical footing. Lets remember that barbara steele who screamed rarely in her films was twentytwo when mario bavas black sunday first appeared in 1960, write. Generally considered to be the foremost example of italian gothic horror, this darkly atmospheric blackandwhite chiller put director mario bava on the international map and made the bewitching barbara steele a star. Very loosely based on a story by gogol, this gothic gem is set in 19thcentury moldavia and revolves around princess asa steele, an entombed vampire reanimated by a single drop of blood, who seeks vengeance for her death at the. A vengeful witch and her fiendish servant return from the grave. Death rules here, a coachman warns giacomo rossi stuart shortly after dropping him off in a village plagued by mysterious deaths near the start of mario bavas 1966 chiller kill, baby kill. If youre a fan of classic cinema, or old horror films then this is a must.
Mario bava commenced his careerlong exploration of perverse sexuality in this delirious and flamboyantly romantic adaptation of a ghostly folk tale by gogol. Starring barbara steele as princess asa vajdakatia vajda, john richardson as dr. Italian director mario bava was born on july 31, 1914 in the coastal northern italian town of san remo. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. A vengeful witch and her fiendish servant return from the grave and begin a bloody campaign to possess the body of the witchs beautiful lookalike descendant, with only the girls brother and a handsome doctor standing in her way.
Tomas kruvajan, arturo dominici as javutich, ivo garrani as prince vajda. Buy the haunted world of mario bava first by howarth, troy, ciriello, averardo, brooks, marcus, svehla, a. Based on seeing that movie, and his reputation as an important director for horror, i decided to pick up the five movie set and was not disappointed. Stare into these eyes, reads the tagline for 1960s black sunday, mario bavas first and most celebrated feature, and a gold standard for a certain tradition of gothic horror. Neverbefore published photos including the only color shots taken on the set of black sunday.
In the seventeenth century, the devil appeared amidst the people of moldovia, and those who served him were monstrous beings, avidly thirsting for human blood. Mario bavas black sunday or the mask of satan is the work of a true master of the horror genre. Bava was trained as a painter, and when he eventually followed his father into film photography his artistic background led him to a. Black sunday 1960, aka mask of satan, marked mario bavas directorial debut after twenty years as a cinematographer and uncredited assistant director. This is the final word on anything to do, personal or filmwise, with mario bava.
Click to read more about black sunday 1960 film by mario bava. Mario bavas black sunday 1960 and its haunted portraits. He was the son of eugenio bava 18861966, a sculptor who also worked as a special effects photographer and cameraman in the italian silent movie industry. So while the american comic book movie only properly took off in the last fifteen years. Rolling fog, cobwebs, spiraling staircases, dark shadows, crypts, graveyards, secret passageways. Despite its reputation as one of the greatest and most influential of all horror films, there is surprisingly little literature dedicated to mario bavas black sunday 1960, and this contribution to the devils advocates series is the first single book dedicated to it. He literally wrote the book on bava, its called mario bava.
Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and oneofakind products and gifts related to your search. Find release information for black sunday 1960 mario bava on allmovie. But would black sunday still exert its mesmeric power if those eyes didnt belong to barbara steele, the thenunknown british actress who would later earn scream queen status in roger cormans the pit. Mario bava s beautiful black and white film is a horror masterpiece. So proclaimed one of the posters for italian maestro mario bavas directorial debut, black sunday, aka the mask of satan and revenge of the vampire, one of the greatest horror classics of all time and for once, the hyperbole was true. This was the master cameramans official directorial debut, and his striking compositions are the work of a genuine artist in peak form. Black sunday is hardly the most innovative story imaginable, though it tells its tale of revived vampire witches, beautiful young innocents being made the vessel of a malevolent ancestor, and terrified villagers speaking whispered rumors of local horrors with elegant simplicity and clarity. With barbara steele, john richardson, andrea checchi, ivo garrani. One day in each century, it is said that satan walks amongst us, and to the god fearing, this day is known as black sunday. Black sunday 1960 by mario bava is available in these. Black sunday the mask of satan barbara steele full.
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